I know Singapore well when travelling with a camera. Singapore sits on the tip of the Malay peninsula and is a bustling, ultra modern and multi cultural city. For such a small country , it plays a huge part on the world financial stage. Today, Singapore is one of the top economies in the world.
When I hear the word ‘Singapore’, my mind immediately thinks Raffles Hotel and Singapore Sling! A bit of history, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore. Raffles landed here on 29 January 1819 and immediately recognised the potential of the swamp and jungle covered island as a trading port. A treaty was negotiated with local leaders and the city quickly grew. The infamous hotel was named after him when it was established in 1887.
Singapore is well known for its impeccable cleanliness and low crime rate. Please do check out local laws here before you arrive. There are many strict ones and heavy fines if you don’t adhere. Importing chewing gum or using it / not flushing the toilet / jaywalking, will cost first time offenders around $1000 – be warned…
It is a very expensive city. Look to eat at hawker stalls or in the malls if you need to be budget conscious. Alcohol is a premium price, around £10 per pint.
Must do’s when in Singapore
Wander around the legendary Raffles Hotel. Many famous visitors have passed through these doors, including Noel Coward, Charlie Chaplin and Rudyard Kipling. You can sit and enjoy a coffee and yummy cake in the Ah Teng Bakery at a very reasonable price in Singapore terms.
Have your picture taken by the Merlion. The mythical Merlion is the symbol on the city, half fish, half lion.
I gave KL’s Botanical Garden the mantle of the best I had every seen in my KL blog. Sorry KL, I now have to hand this to Singapore. Established in 1859, they are the most visited botanical gardens in the world. In 2015 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the only tropical botanical garden inscribed in the world. The whole area is beautiful, but the National Orchid Garden area is something special.
Visiting the area surrounding the Padang (Malay for field) – there is some amazing colonial architecture to be seen.
Ride the Singapore Flyer, the world’s second tallest wheel to get a birds eye view of the city.
Shop on Orchard Road, if you can’t find what you are looking for here, give up!
Look in awe at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This one won’t be a tick on the bucket list unless the lotto comes up. I would love to swim in the infinity pool which overhangs the north tower by 67m!
Take a boat trip around Boat and Clarke Quay to take in the old trading houses, a beautiful array of colours and architecture.
Visit Chijmes Hall which is set inside the old convent grounds. This is a beautiful white gothic style church from 1862 and is stated to be reminiscent of Salisbury Cathedral.
Set in the heart of the city, Gardens By The Bay spans 250 acres and includes 3 waterfront gardens. The gardens are the part of the governments strategy to transform Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’. There are 2 light shows each evening at 745pm and 845pm where the trees are beautifully lit.
There are lots of other things to do and see, Kampong Glam, Little India, China Town, National Gallery and the ArtScience Museum to name a few. Also, for a couple of less touristy areas with an amazing array of traditional shophouse architecture, visit Ann Siang Hill and Tanjong Pagar.
You can’t leave without visiting the Raffles Long Bar for an infamous Singapore Sling. Expensive, yes, however, I have never tasted a sling as good elsewhere. And I just love to sit in the bar eating monkey nuts and throwing my shells on the floor.
