We are located in the heart of the city, and less than 3 minutes walk from Bugis MRT station.

It's also a stone's throw away from many places of interest in Singapore, such as Raffles Hotel, Bugis Street Market, Little India, Kampong Glam and the Civic District. One of Singapore's most vibrant and historic district - Chinatown, is only 2km from us! Tree In Lodge No.2 Tan Quee Lan Street, (Bugis) Level 02, Unit No. 02-01 Singapore 188091

For those who FLY into Singapore: It is only 30mins (well, to be exact, 31mins) by MRT* from Changi International Airport to Bugis MRT station (EW12) on the East-West line (it's the green line on the MRT map). From Bugis MRT station, follow Exit C to enter Bugis Junction. After taking the escalators to ground level, cut across Bugis Junction (either through the BHG Shopping Mall or walk along the external retail shops) towards McDonalds and Starbucks Coffee. o Ask for directions to McDonalds or Starbucks Coffee if you cannot find the way Dont worry; Singaporeans are friendly enough to show you the way You will see North Bridge Road in front of you. Cross North Bridge Road towards Tan Quee Lan Street. Walk 200m down Tan Quee Lan Street. We are just round the corner! Entrance to the lift lobby is on side of the building facing the small alley.

Day 1: Singapore Zoo and Night Safari

Relax and sleep a little late on your first morning in Singapore, then spend the afternoon and evening at the Singapore Zoo and its brother and neighbor, the Night Safari. Singapore Zoo is one of the finest zoos around, with very few of those distressing cages and a big emphasis on natural habitats for the animals. My personal favorite is the orang utan program. The zoo now has 24 orang utans who live in a free-ranging environment that means they basically live above the zoo in trees, platforms and hammocks. At 6.00pm, the zoo closes, and its time to go next door. A short walk around the car park brings you to the Night Safari, open from 6.00pm to 11.00pm daily. This is something special an entire zoo based on the premise that many animals are more active at night. Special lighting is used thats just enough for visitors to see the animals, but not too much that the animals think its day time. You can ride on a small tram or take any of three walking paths to view animals like lions, leopards and elephants.

Day 2: Sentosa Island

Grab a cable car across the water to Sentosa Island and make a day of it. The biggest attraction is Underwater World, a huge aquarium with plenty of fish and sharks to observe, with a conveyor-belt tunnel going through a tank being the main attraction. Entry to Underwater World includes a visit to Dolphin Lagoon (get there by shuttle bus), where you can either sign up for a personal meet a dolphin session or watch a choreographed show. Try to get off the beaten track at Sentosa by following some of the walking paths through the forested areas rather than always using the shuttle bus. There are dozens of other activities on Sentosa, and plenty of places to eat and relax

Day 3: Chinatown and Shopping

Stay in the city on your final day in Singapore and spend the last of your Singapore dollars on some clothing or electronics. You cant get the same savings as you could twenty years ago in Singapore, but the city center shops are colorful and exciting. Also try to get into some of the cultural side of Singapore by exploring the streets of Chinatown, perhaps stopping in at a temple. And enjoy some of the cheap and delicious Chinese food you can find there. Singapore has a lot more going on than meets the eye. Maybe it cant match the messy human chaos of Bangkok, the high-tech chaos of Tokyo or the grand outdoors of Sydney, but it does have all these things in small, Singaporean-sized pieces. Take a few days to discover more than just its shopping and stopover clichs.

Singapore Day 1: Chinatown and City

You can approach Singapores Chinatown from a variety of directions, walking along North Bridge Road from Clarke Quayor taking the MRT to Chinatown station, which gets you straight to the hub of the street markets and souvenir shops. My favourite route to get there is a meandering stroll from Tanjong Pagar MRT, along Peak Seah St to the corner of Maxwell Rd. Red Dot Gallery in Singapore Here, the Red Dot Design Museum is the physical embodiment of the design awards, funky contemporary design for all kinds of products, communication and concepts, and refresh yourself afterwards at Artery bar. Crossing Maxwell Rd takes you to the Maxwell Hawker Centre (click here for more Singapore hawker food recommendations), and from here walk up Ann Siang Rd to experience another aspect of the old city. Most of the shop houses have been transformed into upmarket boutiques, theres a Nordic style store, cool objects and clothes at die Wardrobe, and a glimpse of the past in the parlours of the Sporting Associations, the walls adorned with trophies and hundreds of black and white photographs of the club members and their trophies, going up towards Ann Siang park at the top of the hill and the start of Club Street, famous for its nightclubs. Walking back down the hill towards Chinatown, stop in to the most wonderfully quirky bookstore I found in Singapore, Books Actually, with magnificent selection of literature, picture books, and other whimsy, holding reading nights, book launches and a small caf. Across the road is the Screening Room, which has one of the most glamorous rooftop bars in town, open from 6pm you can see across the winding streets and red rooftops of old Chinatown, and imagine what the city was like before skyscrapers took over. Cross over South Bridge Rd to immerse yourself in the street markets along Pagoda, Tregganu and Sago Streets for a mix of old and new souvenirs, and of course sample every kind of delicacy you can eat at the hawker stands and night market. The gorgeously decorated Sri Mariamman Temple and Masjid Jamae Mosque are on the corner of Pagod and Mosque streets respectively, make sure to respect the etiquette if you go inside. Walk back along North Bridge Rd to Clarke Quay, where you can try one of the best range of imported beers at brewerkz, and promenade along the water to the Fullerton Hotel for the epitome of old-world style. Across the marina is the Esplanade concert venue and theatre complex, with a world-class range of theatre, music and dance, something in the program is sure to appeal.

Singapore Day 2: Art, culture, nightlife & a little shopping

Pick up the handy format pocket sized maps at the airport information centre when you arrive, they come in a themed series, covering Geek, Hip, Eat and of course, Shop. The penultimate geek experience is still Sim Lim Square, home to everything electronic, although watch out for those ultrabargain prices, as they often come with inflated service charges. Do your research beforehand to get the

price range, know exactly what brand and model you want, check the international warranty is part of the deal, and it can still be a bargain. I have to confess that shopping malls are some of my least favourite places in the world, however I did enjoy wandering around Vivo for the sparkly glamour, Bugis Junction for convenience and books, and even ventured once or twice to Orchard Rd and the high-end glamour malls. The Artists' Village: 20 Years On Art lovers have a variety of options to explore for a more in-depth understanding of the traditional and contemporary cultural scene. The Asian Civilisations Museum on two sites, at Empress Place and the Peranakan Museum on Armenian St is a fascinating exploration on the heritage of Asian cultures, and also has a caf and gift shop selling a great selection of books and CDs by local authors and musicians. The Singapore Art Museum, on Bras Basah Rd, shows major international exhibitions, including French photographer Alain Fleischner and high-profile local talent, including an exhibition showcasing over 20 years of work from The Artists Village; solo show by Masriadi: Black is My Last Weapon; and of course the exciting Singapore Biennale in September. Just across the road, The National Museum of Singapore has a fantastic history show, and also displays contemporary work in the permanent collection, with an intriguing food room, activities for kids and wonderful swinging chandeliers. Recent temporary exhibits include the media arts exhibition as part of ISEA (International Symposium on Electronic Arts), a solo show by Matthew Ngui, and gorgeous sculpture, sound & video installation Transient Light Whispering Breeze, a collaboration between Spanish artist Ruben Ramos Balsa and Yuen Chee Wai. On nearby Armenian St, experience the sounds of Singapores cutting edge underground at The Substation, one of the longest running art spaces for all kinds of experimental music, art and performances. I attended a noise gig there with Justice Yeldham playing broken glass, local performance poetry and breakcore, and just missed sound art supergroup Sonicbrat, Zul and in Libations of the Moon. Grey Projects, an intimate artist run space at 40 Zion Rd has cutting edge contemporary art to fuel the imagination, and Osage Gallery is located at the top of Mt Sophia, just behind Dobhy Gaut MRT, with a spectacular view of the city and eclectic program including Asian focus on media and sound art, with lush bars nearby to relax and discuss the works.

Singapore Day 3: Little India, Arab St & beyond

Lose yourself for hours in the streets of Little India, resplendent with vibrant colours, music, food and life. Its the perfect escape from all the malls, and a fun alternative shopping experience is Mustafa Centre, open 24 hours. The prices are set, unlike Sim Lim, so you dont have to worry about bargaining or being talked into changing your mind. The main problem will be deciding what to buy, everything under the sun is available here, usually in myriad varieties, from sunglasses to suitcases to glass bangles, electronics and saris.

Arab Street in Singapore As you wander through Little India, make sure you check out the latest happening artist-run Post Museum, which has a gallery, performance space upstairs and Food 03 vegetarian restaurant (109 Rowell Rd, Singapore 208033). The prices are higher than usual for this area, but you know your money is supporting local artists and producers, and the food is excellent, if a little slow, and the chic stripped-back dcor gives a calm ambiance amidst the bustle and crowds. Also visit Your Mother Gallery at 91A Hindoo Rd for more alternative culture. Arab St has the most wonderful selection of fabric, where you can find yourself some gorgeous sari material or wonderfully textured linens, colourful patterns and have it sewn up by the tailors located upstairs. Try a shisha (hooka-style pipe) in one of the many late-night cafs, or listen to the live music at Blue Jazz, and find hardcore punk in the alternative music shop on Bali Lane, next to the very cool gothic glam clothes store, which will also make up their designs to suit your style. If youre craving a sense of life outside the city skyscrapers, head West to Jurong Bird park, or walk through Chinese Gardens to visit the live turtle museum, and gorgeous red wooden bridges in the Japanese Gardens. The Tang Dynasty village is now in romantic ruins, awaiting redevelopment, but Haw Par village can still be visited for a unique experience of the kitsch elements in Chinese mythology, rendered in fabulously colourful concrete and stone. A trip to the 10 Courts of Hell will only cost you $1, and is definitely one of the highlights for me. A walk through the treetrops in McRitchie reserve is recommended, although its a long hike to get there, the surrounding forest is worth the effort. Palau Ubin Island is another option for the adventurous, take a ferry across and relax with a beer from one of the traditional wooden shops or rent a bicycle to discover the very edge of Singapore. (Check the Viator website for more Singapore tours & Singapore day trips.)

Singapore Food & Nightlife

If all this culture is making you thirsty, head to the 3rd floor of Odeon Towers at 331 North Bridge Rd for a wonderful view of the city from Loof Bar. Take your business card for happy hour drinks and enjoy a lychee martini or two! A little further down the river, past Clarke Quay and Ministry of Sound for the hardcore dance party scene, find the cool Wine Bar at Zouk. The club also houses Velvet Underground and is one of the premier dance venues for the hip young crowd, with visiting international DJs. Dempsey Hill is home to Samys Curry Restaurant, go there for excellent South Indian dishes served on banana leaves. One of the original restaurants in this location with excellent food, service and the slightly fading dcor only adds to its charm. Jones the Grocer also has a restaurant here, with an upmarket take on local dishes, and for an after-dinner drink, simply wander through the maze of bars until you find one that appeals. My favourite had an outdoor jungle terrace, protected from mosquitoes by the industrial strength coils burning under the table, the atmosphere almost made up for the slow service. The Park View (a.k.a. Gotham Bar) at 600 North Bridge Rd, between Bugis and Arab St, occupies the entire ground floor with the most insanely lavish art deco architecture. Although The Divinie Society is a private club you can usually still drink there, look out for the angel bartenders with fairy wings, who ascend to the ceiling cellar to retrieve the wine. Park View Keppel Bay Island has recently been opened up to the public with the privately built Keppel Bay Bridge, only a few minutes by cab from Harbourfront MRT station, past the cable cars going to Sentosa. Chill out at one of the many bars and cafes on the marina, watch the ships sail past, and observe construction on the new Daniel Libeskind designed apartment towers, Reflections. Fans of the architect, or aspiring penthouse owners can even visit the model apartment.

An architectural marvel
Linking Marina Bay to Marina Centre, the Helix Bridge, is set to become Singapores next landmark. Located beside the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, alongside the vehicular Bayfront Bridge, it was officially opened on 24 April 2010 and is the worlds first curved bridge. This 280-metre pedestrian linkway the longest in Singapore features a worlds first double-helix structure, designed by an international design consortium, comprising of Australian architects Cox Group and engineers Arup, together with Singapore-based Architects 61. Inspired by the yin and yang concept in Asian culture, the architecturally unique bridge is said to bring wealth, happiness and prosperity to Marina Bay.

The Helix Bridge is an engineering feat assembled with great precision. Its curved design is created by two opposing spiral steel members, held together by a series of connecting struts, symbolising life and continuity, renewal, everlasting abundance and growth, and resembles the structure of DNA. One of the connecting bridges will link the three waterfront gardens at Marina South, Marina East and Marina Centre, to form a continuous public waterfront loop, while also linking the Double Helix Bridge to the Marina Bay Sands, the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay. You can catch a panoramic view of the Singapore skyline and watch events taking place at the Bay from one of its five viewing platforms sited at strategic locations. Fritted-glass and steel glass canopies providing shade and seats are also available at resting points. View paintings and drawings by youths along this crossing, or enhance your bridge crossing experience at night with lights that illuminate the steel structure to create different moods. For a memorable experience, be sure to visit this engineering marvel situated in the heart of the city.

No. 1: Orchard Road-Marina Bay Shopping Belt

This 5km stretch is Singapore's most famous shopping address. The Luis Vuittons and Armanis of this world are well-represented here. Enjoy the atmosphere during the Great Singapore Sale or the Christmas Light Up. But my favourite mall on Orchard Road is the unpretentious - if a bit aged - Far East Plaza, where you could snag a bohemian necklace or get any part of your body tatooed. Some Orchard Road shopping highlights.

No. 2: Sim Lim Square - Electronics Mecca

Sim Lim Square is where the locals go to satisfy their high-tech cravings. And its easy to see why - 6 levels of computer-related shops offering the best prices in Singapore. Be warned, however, that you need to be brutally unfeeling here - aim for the lowest prices and ignore the customer service. Beware of a few salespeople on Level 1, who may try to mark up prices on you. Or sell you a model you've never heard of. More about the best place to buy electronics in Singapore.

No. 3: Ethnic Stuff @ Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam

When a new shopping centre was planned for Little India recently, the authorities said it was going to be 'good for tourism'. Just what were they thinking? Do we need another new shopping centre for Little India? At the moment, however, there are still places to pick up nice souvenirs - stuff that you'll proudly give to friends and relatives. But I'm not sure how long this will last. Already, many visitors are describing some Chinatown shops as 'tacky'. This is true. But don't let that stop you from browsing, for there are still numerous shops here who have not bowed down to the Lord of Useless Souvenirs. See the quaint little shops in Little India, Kampong Glam and Chinatown.

No. 4: Mustafa Centre

Every traveller who has run out of time goes to Mustafa Centre. This is the place for last-minute Singapore shopping. The Mustafa Centre is open 24/7 and sells everything from groceries to shampoo, to ethnic jewellery, to the latest electronics. It doesn't matter whether you turn up at 2pm or 2am. The goods are always piled up in heaps. More about Mustafa Centre.

No. 5: Sungei Road 'Thieves Market'

There was a time when the goods sold here were supposedly stolen from somewhere. Not really so any more. But the Sungei Road 'Thieves Market' is still a Singapore icon today. Stroll among the makeshift stalls and watch the locals bargain/banter with the stall-holders. But if you really want, look carefully among the junk and you may find something quite special. Sungei Road is positively the most under-rated Singapore shopping spot. More about this flea market in Singapore.

Suntec City

Suntec City is located at Marina Centre. Used to be the largest Singapore Shopping Mall until Vivo City. It has 82,500 m2 of retail space. The Shopping Mall is link up with the Convention and Exhibition Hall. It is divided into four zones: Galleria, Tropics, Entertainment Centre and Fountain Terrance. The Galleria, located on the ground floor of the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, offering high-end international labels targeted specifically at convention delegates and tourists. The Tropics offers a more wide-ranging choice of outlets for a wider budget range, with added emphasize on lifestyle merchandise and services. The Entertainment Centre at the north-eastern end of the mall is dedicated to entertainmentrelated tenants such as a 5-theatre cineplex, as well as the site of Carrefour's first outlet in Singapore The Fountain Terrace is located around the Fountain of Wealth, and specializes in food and beverage outlets. Operating Hours : 10am ~ 10pm MRT Station : City Hall (EW13/NS25) Back to Top

Paragon
Paragon is an upmarket shopping centre located at the heart of Singapore Orchard Road. Branded and lots of branded goods are sold here. Gucci, Alfred Dunhill, Escada are some of the many stores in here. Anchor tenants include Metro and Marks and Spencer. The city ticket office for Singapore Airlines is also located in the shopping centre. Travellers can collect their boarding passes and advance check-in up to 48 hours before their scheduled flights. Operating Hours : 10am ~ 11pm MRT Station : Somerset (NS23) or Orchard (NS22) Back to Top

Marina Square

Marina Square is located next to the bay area. Singapore Flyer, the latest Singapore attraction is just next to it. There are fashion boutique like Topshop, Mango, Zara, Topman and many more. If this is still not enough, check out the departmental store, John Little. Marina Square is seamlessly connected from City Hall MRT station through the integrated walkway via the CityLink Mall. Operating Hours : 10am ~ 11pm MRT Station : City Hall (NS25/EW13) Back to Top

Bugis Junction

Bugis Junction is located at Victoria Street. It consists of a shopping mall, an office tower and the Intercontinental Singapore Hotel. The mall also has a glass covered shopping streets which is the first in the country. Anchor tenants include BHG. Other tenants include, Books Kinokuniya, Cold Storage, Food Junction, a Bugis Cineplex and numerous restaurants. At the ground level, there is a water display near to the MacDonald. During the weekend, there are many children gather at the water display to enjoy the splashing of water. You can always bring your kids along to play with the other children. But do remember to bring extra clothing for your kids. Operating Hours : 10am ~ 11pm MRT Station : Bugis (EW12) Back to Top

Ngee Ann City

Ngee Ann City or better know the local as Takashimaya who is the anchor tenant. It is located at the heart of Orchard Road. Ngee Ann City has two office towers, Tower A and B which are both 26 storeys high. Takashimaya department store and Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Southeast Asia are one of the many stores in here. Ngee Ann City is also home to the largest Best Denki in Singapore In front the building is call Civic Plaza, where roadshows, concerts, functions, performances are held. The building is connected by underpass to Wisma Atria and Lucky Plaza. Operating Hours : 10am ~ 11pm MRT Station : Orchard (NS22)

Understand
The following itineraries illustrate three ways to spend one day in Singapore. They all assume you will start from and end your trip at your lodgings. You can select the activities that sound interesting to you and follow them in any order, including mixing and matching the morning/afternoon/evening sections from the three different itineraries as you like. All listed prices are in Singapore dollars. The estimates provided below do not include food, drinks or the cost of transportation between the hotel where you are staying and the locations of the first and last destinations stated in each itinerary.

[edit] Prepare
Traveling in Singapore is easy enough, but equipping yourself with a bottle of water and a decent map the free Singapore Tourist Map is fine is advisable. If you plan on using the subway system, or MRT as it is known in Singapore, you should consider investing in the pre-paid EZ-Link card. Using the EZ-Link card not only helps you to avoid the lines at the ticket counters, it also helps you to save money since you get a 15% discount although this is offset by a nonrefundable charge of $5 to purchase the card.

[edit] Day 1
The Tourist Loop If you have to pick one itinerary out of the three listed here, this is the one. Be forewarned however that this itinerary follows very closely the typical itineraries devised by tour groups and what you will mostly see will be limited to the touristy face of Singapore. Approximate cost per person for admissions and transport: $50.

[edit] Morning

Bored proboscis monkey, Singapore Zoo

Get up bright and early to beat the heat. Skip the hotel buffet and start your day with a Singaporean breakfast of kaya toast, runny eggs and strong sweet coffee, also known locally as kopi. Kaya is the Singaporean's equivalent of the British marmalade or the New Yorker's cream cheese, and is made of coconut milk, sugar and eggs. The Singaporean breakfast is available in any corner coffeeshop, known more affectionately by the locals as the Kopitiam, for about $2, but if you want to taste what is considered to be the best kaya toast in town, you will want to figure out the location of the nearest Ya Kun Kaya [1] outlet. Incidentally, the word Kopitiam is formed by joining the Malay word kopi with the Hokkien (a Chinese dialect) word for a shop; hence, the coffee-shop and the etymology of this word is illustrative of many of the words that are spoken by the typical Singaporean. As a matter of fact, the typical Singaporean seems to be incapable of carrying on a conversation without mixing in words from two or more languages (usually Mandarin Chinese and English). So, if you hear a foreign-sounding word in the middle of an English sentence, you haven't heard wrong -- the word is probably not in English. Before it gets too hot outside, head to either the Singapore Zoo [2], which is particularly great for the kids, or the Jurong Bird Park [3], which is arguably the more romantic option. The Zoo opens at 8:30 AM and the Bird Park opens at 9 AM, but entrance to the Zoo is S$18 and S$18 to the Bird Park. By far the easiest way to get to either park is to take the taxi (approximately $10 if you start from the city center).

[edit] Afternoon
By noon you will be hot, sweaty and probably a little peckish. Take an air-conditioned taxi to Orchard Road, or more specifically Ngee Ann City (also known as Takashimaya), to begin the shopping portion of your tour. Unlike America's malls, which occupy acres and acres of land, Singapore's scarcity of land forces its malls to develop skywards. Among the many malls in Singapore, Ngee Ann City is considered to be the premier mall destination, hands down, and boasts an amazing number of high-end boutiques, including Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuitton; and Takashimaya, which is Japanese for the equivalent of Neiman-Marcus or Harrods. Start off with a quick lunch in the food court located in Ngee Ann City's basement. Dependable Singaporean-Chinese chain Crystal Jade has no less than 4 outlets scattered throughout the mall (the ones in the basement are cheap, those up top cost more), Sushitei (2nd floor) serves up very good conveyor belt sushi, Central (Basement 1) has a modern take on Hong Kong cuisine, and if you're still pining for more options, the lower basement food court has more options than you can shake a chopstick at. Your course from here onward depends on your interests, there are literally dozens of shopping malls along Orchard Rd stretching in both directions from Takashimaya. Up on the third floor is

Kinokuniya, Singapore's largest bookstore. If Takashimaya's lower floors aren't enough, across the road is Paragon, full of yet more expensive luxury brands. Teenagers will wish to hop over to The Heeren, just to the right (east) of Paragon, which houses a gigantic HMV outlet (which has since moved across the road to 313@Somerset) and lots of hip but affordable little youth fashion stores, especially on the top floor. If you're looking for something specific and can't find it, the Singapore Visitors Centre across the road from the Heeren will be glad to assist. But do yourself a favor and avoid buying any electronics in Lucky Plaza, a notorious pit of ripoff artists.

[edit] Evening

Day 1 evening walking route

By 5-6 PM the temperatures will start to drop and it's time to get back to sightseeing. Find the nearest MRT station (the likely candidates are Orchard, Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut, all on Orchard Rd) and take the MRT to Raffles Place and head out via Exit H, which will deposit you right on the south bank of Singapore River. The first bridge to your right is Cavenagh Bridge (1), the oldest bridge still standing. Don't cross it yet, but do pause to admire the original sign advising that cattle are not permitted to cross. The massive white colonnaded building just past the bridge was formerly Singapore's general post office, but it has now been resurrected as the Fullerton Hotel (2), one of the city's best (and most expensive). Keep walking down the bank of the river, at one point crossing a road and then promptly heading back down to the riverside. Soon enough you'll see Singapore's official committee-designed symbol the Merlion (3), half-lion, half-fish, staring purposefully out at tourists snapping away from the observation deck just opposite. Join them and you'll be treated to a stunning view of the Central Business District's skyscrapers. On the other side of the river you will spot two odd-shaped domelike buildings likened, depending on your interpretation, like giant insect eyes, a durian fruit split in half or maybe even a pair of testicles. This is the Esplanade, a new complex devoted to fine arts. Retrace your steps and cross Cavenagh Bridge (or the preceding Anderson Bridge) and walk along the north bank. To your left is Empress Place (4), now housing the Asian Civilisations Museum and the excellent but pricey IndoChine restaurant complex, also housing Bar Opiume and Siem Reap Cafe. Just past Empress Place is a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles (5), the iconic founder of Singapore. Go on, join the other tourists and have your picture taken in front of it with the CBD skyscrapers as the backdrop, that's what it's there for. With that, the sightseeing portion of today's trip is now officially complete and you can concentrate on eating and drinking. Cross Cavenagh Bridge and turn right: the long strip of restored, brightly lit and bustling shophouses in front of you is Boat Quay, a favorite hangout for Singapore's expat crowd. The food here is expensive for what you get, but it's worth stopping at Harry's Bar (6), the favorite hangout of Nick Leeson, the man who brought down Barings Bank. Sip on a refreshing pre-dinner gin and tonic ($10) and contemplate what you would do if you had to tell your boss tomorrow that you just gambled $2 billion of company money and lost. Push your way through the restaurant touts all the way to the end of Boat Quay and cross South Bridge Road, still following the river. A little way down you will find an outlet of Jumbo Seafood (7), famed

for the iconic Singaporean dish chilli crab (around $3/100g). Order a side of mantou dumplings to sop up the delicious sauce and dig in and leave the nice clothes at the hotel, because this can get messy! After dinner, keep on walking and you'll soon spy the bright lights of Clarke Quay and (further down) Robertson Quay. There are countless pubs, bars and clubs here which change rapidly, just spot one with a crowd and join in. In the unlikely event that you don't find anything to your liking, grab a cab (or keep on walking) for the short hop down to Mohamed Sultan Rd or Singapore's most famous nightclub Zouk. Most establishments stay open until the wee hours and there's usually discounted entrance or happy hours before 10, so party on until dawn!

[edit] Day 2
Culture Vulture Today's excursion concentrates more on the cultural side of things, with loops through Chinatown and Little India. Approximate cost per person for admissions and transport: $10

[edit] Morning

Day 2 morning walking route

Find your way onto the MRT North East Line and get off at Chinatown station Exit A. This will deposit you on Pagoda Street, right at the heart of Chinatown. Immediately to your right as you come out is an outlet of Bee Cheng Hiang (1), a famous shop now franchised, and the yellow-and-red signs can be seen all over Singapore that sells sweet barbecued roast pork and beef. During Chinese New Year, queues here can stretch for hours! Ask for a free sample and buy a box as a souvenir for any Chinese friends back home. A few houses down the road to your left is the Chinatown Heritage Centre (2), an excellent and informative museum of Chinatown's history and development. Admission $8. Keep on walking down the road, past the many stalls hawking what is mostly touristy kitsch. Pagoda Street ends on South Bridge Road and, immediately to your right, you will see the Sri Mariamman Temple (3). Take off your shoes and tiptoe in to take a look, pausing to observe the intricately carved gopuram (gate statuary) above the entrance and the nonchalant cow statues perched on the roofs. Free admission but donations welcome. Further down South Bridge Road you will see (and smell) a number of Chinese herbal medicine shops, ready to cure anything that ails you with unlikely ingredients including dried seahorses and snake skin. Poke around and maybe pick up a bag or two of cheap and tasty dried fruits. After the shops, you'll soon spot a gigantic vermilion four-story Chinese pavilion: this is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (4), completed only in 2007. The holy relic in question is housed on the fourth floor, and

if you arrive before 11 AM you'll may even have a chance to gaze upon it from a distance before the curtain shuts. On the roof, you'll find 10,000 miniature Buddhas and a giant Tibetan-style prayer wheel. Feeling peckish enough for lunch? If yes, you can turn right onto Smith Street (5) for a row of gentrified hawker stalls prettified for tourists, or left into Maxwell Food Centre (6), which doesn't score much points for ambience but does serve some very good local food. Pick the stall with the longest queue and dig in! Be sure to leave some room for dessert at Tong Heng (7) at 285 South Bridge Road, famed for its egg tarts ($1). Properly stuffed, it's time to take a break and digest all that at Tea Chapter (8), just down the street at 9 Neil Road (pick the right fork of the crossing), where you can introduced to Chinese tea ceremony for as little as $8. This is not an experience to be rushed, particularly if you opt for one of the better grades of tea, so sit back and watch carefully as the staff shows you how to pour and appreciate a proper cup of tea. You can also buy Chinese tea and utensils from here.

[edit] Afternoon

Day 2 afternoon walking route

It's time to bow politely to China and take the metro to India. Head back to Chinatown station and board the North-East Line three stations to Little India. Take Exit C and walk down Bukit Timah Road. The big building to your left is Tekka Centre, a large wet market that sells all sorts of fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables. Worth a look if you haven't seen one before, but the meat section is not for the squeamish. The first road to your left is Serangoon Road, the central artery of Little India. Across the road is Tekka Mall/The Verge (1), Little India's first and only air-con mall, but of more interest is the lowrise building to the left, which houses the Little India Arcade (2). This is a collection of small shops and stalls that sell all sorts of Indian items, some geared for tourists, but most are for the locals. Note the flower garlands, for decorating home shrines, and the little leaf packets with something red and white

inside: this is paan, a mildly narcotic concoction of betel nut and lime. Go ahead and try some, but the taste is bitter, it stains your teeth red and you need to keep chewing for 20 minutes to get any buzz. Return to Serangoon Road and walk up the street. Explore the countless little shops here, one specializing in bangles, another in incense, many in Indian music and Bollywood DVDs. Soon to your right you will see Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (3). This is Little India's oldest temple, dating back to 1881, not as grand in size as Chinatown's Sri Mariamman but usually much busier. In February (usually), this is also the starting point of the procession for Thaipusam, celebrated in Singapore and Malaysia by devotees who attach heavy weights and portable shrines to their skin with skewers (kavadi) and carry them kilometers across the city to another shrine. Free admission but donations welcome. Keep walking down Serangoon Road until you see Serangoon Plaza. The road leading right from here is Syed Alwi Road, home to a shopping extravaganza like no other, the inimitable Mustafa Centre (7). Open 24 hours a day, this perennially packed discount department store will happily sell you absolutely anything imaginable: on the same trip you can easily pick up a high-end camera, a tube of toothpaste, five kilos of mangoes, a golden necklace, some Bollywood DVDs, a box of imported Bisquick pancake mix, a washing machine and five meters of patterned silk. Next, you can get a suit tailored at Mustafa Tailor, eat fish and chips at Mustafa Restaurant, buy tickets at Mustafa Travel Agency, exchange your leftover Omani rials at Mustafa Exchange and collapse into a cheap room at Mustafa Hotel. While you can find pretty much anything you need here, electronics are a particularly good buy as prices are extremely competitive and there's no hassle or risk of ripoffs. Just don't expect much in the way of attentive service! Hungry yet? If it's already dinnertime, there are countless options in the vicinity, and if you're adventurous by all means consider some fish head curry Banana Leaf Apolo (5) and Muthu's (6), on nearby Race Course Rd, are both famous for this. Good yet less fishy options include Delhi, for somewhat upmarket North Indian fare just Serangoon Road, and Komala Vilas (4), for vegetarian South Indian goodies with outlets both back where you came from and a little more up the road on Serangoon. Properly curried up, lug your big bags of Mustafa goodies across Serangoon Rd, down Birch Street and into the air-conditioned coolness of the Farrer Park MRT station, from where you can head back to your hotel to rest your aching feet.

[edit] Day 3

Tanjong Beach, Sentosa

Beach Bumming A frank confession: by South-East Asian standards, Singapore's beaches aren't all that great. But the other options within easy day-tripping distance aren't that much better, so if you have precisely one day to spare, you could do much worse than head to Sentosa, Singapore's island getaway. Bring along sunscreen, a bathing suit and a towel! Approximate cost per person for admissions and transport: $50

[edit] Morning
Start by finding your way to HarbourFront, the southern terminus of MRT North-East Line, and then follow the signs towards the cable car getting there involves crossing through a shopping mall and then a parking lot. Purchase a return ticket on the ground level ($24 including admission to Sentosa), then head up by elevator. The crossing takes just 5.5 minutes and gives good opportunities to gawk at the Port of Singapore (to your right), the massive Star cruise ships at the Cruise Center below and the fancy condos sprouting up

to your right. After climbing up to a tower you'll start your descent to Sentosa; to your left is the ResortsWorld, home to Singapore's second casino and Universal Studios theme park. The cable car will drop you off at the center of Sentosa. History buffs may wish to drop into Images of Singapore ($10) nearby, for a sanitized, kid-friendly version of Singapore's history, but the Sky Tower and the Merlion don't really have much to offer (you've already seen the same views from the cable car). Hop onto a Blue or Green Line bus and head one stop to Underwater World ($25), arguably the best of Sentosa's attractions: this is a giant aquarium packed with sharks, manta rays and all sorts of weird and wonderful sea creatures. Next door is Fort Siloso ($8), an authentic colonial-era British fort, where you are introduced to life as a soldier of a British Empire and taken through various well-done exhibits covering Singapore during World War II. (Not suitable for very young children, although older ones will probably get a kick out of it.) After buying your ticket, a tram will take you to the top of the hill.

[edit] Afternoon
Hungry yet? Avoid the awful cafeteria at Underwater World and head a few steps down to Siloso Beach, where you will find a number of decent restaurants including Sakae Sushi, Trapizza and hot Ibizan nightspot Cafe del Mar, which doubles as a restaurant during the day. Take the Beach Tram through Beach Station (where you need to change trams) down to Dolphin Lagoon, which is kind of cheesy dolphins jumping through hoops and all that jazz but free with your Underwater World. Try to time your visit for the "Meet the Dolphin" sessions at 11 AM, 1.30 PM, 3.30 PM and 5.30 PM. By now even the most determined traveller is going to feel a bit hot and sweaty. Head on back to Palawan Beach, right next to Dolphin Lagoon, which features the self-proclaimed Southernmost Point of the Asian Continent (a claim vigorously disputed by Malaysia) and the hip Cafe del Mar, a franchise of the Ibizan superclub. Peel down to your swimsuit, order a fruity cocktail and dip into the pool while watching the beach babes/hunks strutting their stuff. Once you've had your fill of relaxing at the beach, there are two ways to continue. Option 1: If you've had your fill of Sentosa, take the Red Line bus to the Merlion, take the obligatory souvenir snapshots, then take the series of escalators back to the cable car station. Take the cable car back across to HarbourFront, but don't get off yet instead, continue straight onto Mount Faber for nice sunset views of Singapore. The Jewel Box complex of restaurants here is a little pricy, but the rooftop Moonstone it's a nice place for a drink. And that's it for today. Take the cable car back to HarbourFront and head out in search of dinner. Option 2: If night is falling but you're still in the mood for more Sentosa, take the Beach Tram back and catch the 7:40 PM or 8:40 PM shows at the Songs of the Sea, a multimedia extravaganza with singing, dancing, lasers, pyrotechnics and more. Tickets cost $6 and it's best to book them early, as the show is very popular, especially on weekends. If you have time to kill, grab a bite at the Koufu food court nearby, and once the show is over, you can either hop on a bus to the cable car station or party the night away at Cafe del Mar.