The Lion City of Singapore has an amazing amount to offer visitors, but with a good plan it is possible to get an overview of the city in a short stay.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 days
Here's How:
- Day 1: 9am to 3pm - Take a relaxing trip through the old colonial section. The Raffles Hotel is synonomous with luxury. Visit one of the area's old churches. The 1865 Empress Place Building houses a museum, art galleries and a restaurant.
- Day 1: evening - Little India. A colourful and compact area of wall-to-wall shops, pungent fragrances, and Hindi music. On the south end of Serangoon Rd. Great vegetarian food. Plenty of markets and temples.
- Day 2: 9 am to 1 pm - Chinatown is Singapore's cultural heart. Its temples, shops and bustle still give a picture of old Singapore. It's a fascinating place to explore. The Thian Hock Keng Temple is arguably the most interesting in Singapore.
- Day 2: 2pm to 8pm - Orchard Rd. High-class hotels and department store. This area is the land of the elite, with shopping centers, nightspots, restaurants, bars and lounges.
- Day 3: 9 am to 3 pm - Sentosa Island. Singapore's most visited attraction. Museums, aquariums, beaches, sporting facilities, walks, rides and food centers. The butterfly house is my favorite spot.
- Day 3: evening - Arab St. The Muslim center of the city. The textile district - batiks from Indonesia, silks, sarongs, and shirts. The Grand Sultan Mosque and the smaller Malabar Muslim Jama-ath Mosque are worth seeing. Great Indian food.
- Day 4: Jurong - The industrial/housing area that is the force behind S'pore's economy. Visit Haw Par Villa Chinese mythological park, the Jurong Bird Park, Chinese & Japanese Gardens and the hands-on Singapore Science Centre.
- Day 4: evening - dinner at one of the hawker food centers in the Jurong area. A taxi driver will be able to take you to one. Singapore's 'fast food' is great.
- Day 5: 9 am to 3 pm - Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Rainforest: there are 800+ species of plants. Also macaques, lemurs, and pythons. The Botanic Gardens there house the herbarium for breeding Singapore famous orchids.
Tips:
- If you're going to be in Singapore for awhile, a transitlink stored-value ticket may save you some time. Tickets range from $12 to $50 and can be used on the MRT and the bus system.
- The government of Singapore can become very unhappy with anyone who manages to somehow impede the MRT system by jamming it's doors open, etc.
- If you have an extra day, a trip to the Malaysia town of Johor Baharu (across a causeway) or to the nearby Indonesian Riau Islands is worthwhile.