Singapore

Singapore is a city, island, and country, jam-packed with attractions. It comprises of one main island and another 62 smaller islands supporting one of the world's strongest economies.

If you thought shopping was good at the airport, wait till you wander the shopping centres with electronics, designer clothing, and cosmetics, some at impressive prices. If shopping and eating was a sport, Singapore might be the world winner. Orchard Road, stretching around 2.2 kilometers is the most famous. Outdoor markets, quaint boutiques, Chinatown Street Market, and Vivi City, the largest shopping mall in Singapore, are ones to add to your list. Haji Lane, with its colourful street art, is hipster-haven with charming vintage stores, and after dark, it's an excellent spot for dining and drinking.

Singapore comes alive at night with Hawker markets offering Asia's most exotic assortments of spicy, delicious food. Restaurants, bars, pub's and clubs all compete for the tourist dollar, and happy hour is popular as drinks are expensive, otherwise. For late-nighters, Singapore has its fair share of saucy entertainment as prostitution is legal, and bars are plenty. For partygoers, head down to the Siloso Beach Party, Singapore's most prominent beach countdown party, on New Year's Eve, and end the year on a high note.

Beyond shopping, visit the Singapore Zoo, one of the world's best zoos. Then take the first cable car built to cross a sea for sunset - and immerse yourself in the entertainment precinct of Sentosa Island. Marina Bay Sands SkyPark is a worthy choice for an evening cocktail. Built 200 meters up on the colossal Marina Bay Sands hotel's 57th floor, it's here you'll have 360-degree night-time views of Singapore's impressive skyline.

River taxis are a fun and inexpensive way to travel around Singapore. Clarke Quay is accessible via the river taxis. On the way to its humming bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, you'll pass historical sites and bridges. A visit to Singapore is not complete without tasting a Singapore Sling, a delicious gin-based cocktail, and Singapore's signature Chili Crab.

Best time to visit Singapore

Temperatures vary little all year round with fluctuations more in humidity as the seasons change from the dry to wet. Visiting is often better scheduled around festivals as it can become hectic. As Chinese New Year in January, April to July is traditionally the driest months and marks the end of Ramadan. June is renowned by the locals for the biggest sale of the year when the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) sees locals flood to stores. Grand Prix (late September) is the busiest time, and hotel prices are sky-high.

In November, the rain clouds appear again but don't be deterred as there is plenty to celebrate like the Deepavali, a Hindu festival of lights, which illuminates the city with the glow of oil lamps, and Little India comes alive. Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay is a fabulous yuletide event.