24 hours in Singapore
25 Mar 2015
Named by Lonely Planet as the number one country to visit this year, there is a feast of activities you can cram into a short stopover in sultry Singapore.
Early morning
The Botanic Gardens
We walk through the sprawling Botanic Gardens (1 Cluny Rd) – open at 5am – amid perfumed tropical plants as joggers race past slow moving tai chi enthusiasts.
A traditional brekkie
We eat like locals at Ya Kun Kaya (yakun.com/find-us/local) and enjoy a soft-boiled egg drowned in soy sauce with kaya toast (bread smothered in butter, sugar and coconut milk).
A religious experience
Inhaling the heady incense in the pagoda- style Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (288 S Bridge Rd), we view the sacred Buddha tooth, and visit the Sri Mariamman Temple (244 South Bridge Rd) with its tower of carved Indian deities.
To market, to market
At a local market, crowds jostle beside a stall packed with new season’s durians and we are told, “This is the king of fruits. It may look like a hedgehog and smell like a sewer, but it tastes like heaven.”
Restore, relax
We note reflexology clinics near Chinatown’s MRT station (the city’s efficient metro system), as we may need a comforting foot massage later on in the day.
Late morning
Stylistas unite
For a taste of the city’s racy side, explore hip Haji Lane, where traditional shops have become a fashionistas’ heaven, and trendy cafes offer shisha smoking pipes.
Fancy a cuppa?
Near the Sultan Mosque (3 Muscat St), we stop by a cafe for teh tarik, a cup of black tea with condensed milk and ginger.
Shop 'til you drop
We make a beeline for another shopaholics’ nirvana, Orchard Road, where shoulder to shoulder shopping centres give our credit cards a workout. Tech geeks prefer Funan Digitalife Mall (109 North Bridge Road) for their electronics hit.
Lunch
A step back in time
We cool off in Raffles, (1 Beach Rd), a grand dame of the hotel scene. After snapping a photo of the doorman with a curly mo', we visit the museum to learn of its rich history. The Long Bar is home to the Singapore Sling. It looks like cordial, but packs a punch.
Hot and spicy
In Little India, we tuck into prate, a fried pancake served with curry, washed down by Tiger Beer, and watch street fortune tellers predict the future. Refreshed, we wander through the manic Mustafa Centre (145 Syed Alwi Road), which sells all things Indian, from spices to souvenirs.
Afternoon
Sail away
A cruise along Singapore River traces the island’s journey from sleepy fishing village to bustling metropolis, passing Marina Bay and Boat, Clarke, and Robertson Quays, where yesteryear warehouses have been converted into ritzy bars.
Early evening
A bird’s eye view
As the sky takes on a rosy hue, we catch a taxi to the Singapore Flyer (30 Raffles Ave), a giant ferris wheel, and enter one of its air-conditioned glass capsules to enjoy unrivalled city views on a half-hour ride.
Raise a glass
At the Marina Bay Sands hotel complex (10 Bayfront Avenue), we go to the 57th floor’s SkyPark, connecting three soaring towers, to check out the awesome infinity pool and starred restaurants. We settle into a cocktail bar to watch the nightly laser lights show outside.
We can hardly take our eyes away from one of the newest attractions nearby, Gardens by the Bay (18 Marina Gardens Dr) and its multi-coloured canopy of eclectic steel Supertrees, some 50 metres high, with aerial walkways weaving through them.
A fine feast
As we have been dreaming of feasting on chilli crab, we take
a taxi to Seafood Paradise (91 Defu Lane 10) for an explosion of tantalising tastes that do not disappoint.
Late night
Up for a nightcap?
Still too early for bed, we head to a city bar called B28 (28 Ann Siang Rd). In the first floor lounge, we order local Tiger beer and listen to a band play cool jazz as a singer croons a torch song from yesteryear.
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