Singapore is one of the most tourist friendly cities in the world and below are the 5 best places you must visit when in Singapore.
Sentosa
Sentosa Island is a 1236 acre island resort in Singapore which hosts major tourist attraction and offers a hive of activities with museums ,historical sights, theme parks ,nature trails and sporting activities. The Island has an excellent transport network and all the sights are easily accessible. A monorail network Sentosa Express links Harbor front ,Vivocity and St James Powerhouse MRT stations to Beach and Imbiah stations .It also links sights within the Island.Resort world Sentosa a major family attraction with a vast Oceanarium covers a large part of the Island.Other top attractions in Sentosa Island include Universal Studio,Adventure cove waterpark,Palawan Beach,Siloso Beach,Madame Tussauds Singapore,Singapore cable car ,Tiger Sky Tower,S.E.A Aquarium ,Dragon Trail,Merlion walk, Fort Siloso.
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is the hub of tourist’s attractions. This places is now the de facto city center of Singapore offering plethora of fun activities for visitors from different spectrum. The half mermaid-half lion mythical symbol of Singapore, the famous Merlion is located in Marina Bay however the focal point is of the place is Marina Bay Sands resort.
You can enjoy the panoramic view of the Singapore’s gorgeous skyline at the Marina Bay Sands or try your luck at the enormous 15,000-sq-m Marina Bay Sands Casino. Marina Bay Sands also hosts the award winning magnificent Spectra light shows from 8 pm daily.
A rooftop restaurant CE LA VI is on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands you can enjoy an uninterrupted views of the city and bay while enjoying modern Asian cuisine and signature cocktails or you can dine at Gardens by the Bay .
Gardens by the Bay is an awe-inspiring innovative park featuring giant manmade tree structures called the ‘Supertree Grove’ which also houses a restaurant. The Singapore Flyer one of the world’s largest observation wheels is also a perfect way getting a great view of that stunning Singapore city skyline.
If you have some extra hours in hand, you can also visit the ArtScience Museum in Singapore which is also a landmark of Singapore in Marina Bay.
Singapore Zoo
A trip to Singapore is incomplete without a visit to the zoo. We usually do not visit zoo abroad but with a stellar reputation Singapore zoo is one of the international zoo animal lovers should aim to visit should time permit.
It is ranked as the 4th best zoo in the world. Singapore zoo is one of the world’s few open zoos that simulate the natural habitat of the animals and they roam freely in the landscaped enclosure. Singapore Zoo is spread over 69 acres and houses 3000 animals across 315 species.
Several of them are rare like white tiger, clouded leopard while some of them are endangered like Malay tiger, Comodo dragon. There are a number of exhibits to enjoy from like Wild Africa, Fragile forest.
There is also children’s petting zoo and aquarium offering a underwater view od animals. If you have time to visit at night you can visit the Night Safari which is a night zoo and a wildlife park next to Singapore zoo.
China Town
The best place for cultural immersion of Singapore is China Town in Outram district. It is a popular place to visit for tourist offering delicious food, stunning temples and fantastic shopping opportunities. Strolling down the vibrant streets of Chinatown you will notice this place is a sharp contrast to the rest of the modern city with sky scrapers. You can enjoy authentic flavorsome, good quality Chinese cuisine at reasonable price from Chinatown’s Street markets.
Hawker centers are best destination to enjoy authentic flavor of Chinese cuisine. The Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the biggest and one of the best hawker centers of the city. Maxwell Food Centre is also widespread with both the Singaporeans and tourists.
Bustling streets are lined with shops and stalls including Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street and Temple Street. These pedestrianized strips once had opium smoking dens but now is home to bargain shops and stall selling items like souvenirs, traditional Chinese medicine and other traditional items like silk clothing, fancy chopsticks.
There a number of historical and cultural landmarks to be explored as well. Singapore’s oldest Chinese temple, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Sri Mariamman Temple, the first Hindu temple in Singapore, the relatively new but majestic five storey Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, museum like Chinatown Heritage Centre which detail the history of Singapore’s first Chinese immigrants., Masjid Jamae the oldest mosque in Singapore which is the only mosque in the city to offer services in Tamil is worthy of mention.
Bugis
If you are in need of retail therapy but are on a budget then head to Bugis Street. Bugis Street Market is the biggest and cheapest place in Singapore to go for shopping. Whether you are looking for souvenirs to carry back with you or buy any trendy outfit Bugis Street market is loaded with all kind of products like electronics, houseware, cosmetic cloths accessories to souvenirs. Ages ago internationally famous for seedy nightlife Bugis Street has now reformed into a family friendly bustling hub with lively pub, fine dining and trendy cafes besides shopping.
See our other post for more fun and exciting places here.