Things to do in Singapore

I spent 6 nights in Singapore. I took a tour on Sunday. I worked Monday through Thursday.
What a great walk around city. I stayed at a Hotel in the downtown area and walked to St. Andrews, the Singapore Symphone and Theater, the Parliament Building, the High Court and the Singapore River. I was by myself most of the time and I felt safer walking through Singapore than I do in most cities. Everyone is so friendly and polite. I really enjoyed the Chinese Temple, The Orchard Gardens and the waterfront are where the Singapore symbol Merlion is situated. I could see the ground of the Sporting Clubs from my hotel window, it was fun to watch the Cricket teams.

Hi there,

There is plenty to do in Singapore depending on what your tastes are.

If you don't mind being a tourist and visiting popular attractions, Sentosa is pretty cool and the Underwater World is one of the largest (and most original) marine aquariums in the world. The Night Safari is also world-class and deserves a visit.

If you want to do something a bit more off-the-beaten-track, try visiting the shops of Arab Street and Little India. Or try eating at the hawker centres, which is where the locals have their meals on a regular basis. The district of Geylang is another place where you can go to get beneath the touristy skin of Orchard Road - it's slightly seedy and at times can be over-run with streetwalkers from China and the Philippines but some of the best local food can be found there, at extremely inexpensive prices (S$5 to $8 for a full meal inclusive of a drink). The beef hor fun at Geylang Lorong 8 is particularly good.

For something a bit more upmarket you can dine at Au Jardin Les Amis, Halia, Oosh, Graze or PS Cafe all of which I would highly recommend (per person $40 and upwards).

Singapore is also a multicultural and multiethnic society and it is worthwhile to take time out to explore some of the history and heritage that is on offer - one of the best (and most cost effective) ways of doing this is to visit some of the local places of worship. The Sri Mariamman Temple is the most well-known Hindu temple in the country but churches, temples and mosques of all varieties can be found within any neighbourhood or locality. The Asian Civilisations Museum is also worth a visit.

In terms of nightlife and entertainment you can't go wrong with Zouk, it's a local institution and is also well-known in clubbing circles around the world. The Wednesday Mambo Night is legendary, basically they play retro / cheese music all night and everyone in the club does these synchronised dance moves. It's an amazing sight (and good fun) seeing hundreds of people doing the exact same cheesy dance moves. Other than Zouk, other highly recommended nightspots would be Butter Factory and the New Asia Bar (for the spectacular 72nd storey view). There are also plenty of smaller bars around the Clarke Quay and Boat Quay areas as well as the CHIJMES complex near City Hall.

Another favourite local past-time is shopping, you can't go wrong with the hundreds of multi-storey, mega shopping malls all around the country. Take advantage of the late-night shopping hours (most shops open at least until 9 or 10 pm, some later). And if you're tired from all that browsing, treat yourself to an inexpensive foot reflexology massage ($20-$25). If you have never tried it before, it will be quite an experience. You can get extremely cheap electronics parts and gadgets at Sim Lim Centre, some of the deals there are out of this world. If you are a techie then this is must-visit place.

It is also very convenient to arrange for a weekend trip out of Singapore, to various parts of Malaysia as well as the Indonesian islands of Batam and Bintan.