Things to see, do, eat and enjoy. And a few handy hints.

Singapore is the West of the East. Very modern with many Western traits, yet still uniquely Asian in many ways. The rich greenery contrasts with the glittering shopping malls and stark high rise apartments.

This is certainly one of the easiest Asian nations to visit with an efficient public transport system, restrictions on car usage alleviating the traffic congestion found in many Eastern countries, every type of cuisine imaginable available, all with high hygiene standards, and of course the endless shopping options.

Best Time To GoThere are two seasons in Singapore: wretchedly hot and humid or wretchedly hot, humid and raining. There’s more rain November to January, but it can be rainy any time of the year. The locals carry a small fold-up umbrella everywhere. We highly recommend packing the prickly heat powder too.

Singapore Best Bits

Singapore Zoo: Even if you’re not a zoo lover, this zoo is one of the best in the world and shouldn’t be missed. The Night Safari is fantastic.

Head out there in time for the night opening at 7.30pm as it is crowded all year round. We recommend going to all the shows first, then taking the train ride around the park. If you leave the shows until later you can often miss out on getting in. There are shuttle buses that go to the zoo, but we’ve found jumping in a taxi much more convenient. It costs around S$20 each way.

The Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife is also a great experience. Make sure you book ahead.

Sentosa Island: Really just a big theme park, it’s still worth a visit. Take the cable car over from Mt Faber. The cable car isn’t terribly conveniently located, so grab a taxi or use the trolley car service to get around. Alternatively, after shopping at Vivo City you can walk there using the covered walkway travelators or the monorail service. Give the casino here a miss. If you want a flutter, head to Marina Bay Sands Casino.

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay: Check the local papers for what’s playing or visit the website. This is a stunning arts complex (called The Durian by the locals). It’s a nice walk around this area also.

Bukit Timah: This is a rainforest 10 minutes from town with plenty of wildlife. Word of warning - you’ll need plenty of water and plenty of mossie spray. You can get a map and wander, hire a bike or join a tour. Don’t feed the monkeys!

Botanic Gardens: Definitely worth a visit for the orchid garden alone. You’ll see species not found anywhere else. It is very hot and humid here so dress accordingly. Go early morning or late afternoon.

Raffles Hotel: Worth a wander and if you must, have an atrociously overpriced Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. The Tiffin Room is quite nice for afternoon tea or dinner. Dress appropriately. No riff-raff allowed.

Chinatown: One of the few places you’ll glimpse the ‘old’ Singapore. Eclectic mix of traditional and hip, herbal cures, tacky souvenirs, restaurants, bars, hawker food. During Chinese New Year Chinatown lights up like Vegas and is the place to enjoy the festivities. Go late afternoon as many shops don’t open until midday, and are closed on Sunday.

Arab St / Haji Lane: Known locally as Arab Town, this is a great area to explore with lovely little shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and the Sultan Mosque. Nothing is open here on Sunday. Many shops don’t open until 2pm, so head over late afternoon and stay for dinner.

Marina Bay Sands: This monster of a building is a casino, shopping centre, hotel, entertainment centre and SkyPark, all in one. The SkyPark has spectacular views of Singapore, and across to Indonesia and Malaysia. Head up there late afternoon for a drink at Ku De Ta and watch the sun go down (note there is an entrance fee). Celebrity chef restaurants abound here, so fill the wallet and book ahead.

Singapore Flyer: See Singapore as you go round and round.

River Cruise: There’s regular cruises in bum boats leaving from Clarke Quay. A good way to see the city from river level.

Singapore Tips & Tricks

Getting AroundTaxis are as cheap as chips, and most importantly air conditioned, so don’t break a sweat unnecessarily. However, they mysteriously completely disappear in the rain, and in peak hour. Book one by calling 6552 1111.

Singaporean taxi drivers love asking foreigners lots of questions and asking what you think of Singapore. If you want a pleasant trip, be cautiously obliging and be positive about the city.

The MRT system is excellent - clean, fast and efficient. Great for getting around the city.

MoneyThere are plenty of ATMs and just about everyone takes credit card. The currency is the Singapore Dollar.

TippingA service charge of 10% is applied to the bill of most restaurants and bars, but it’s still appreciated when you round up. Taxis drivers will generally like you to round to the nearest dollar also. Tipping is otherwise at your discretion.

AlcoholUnless you’re partial to the local Singha beer, stock up at the duty free store before leaving Australia. Wine is particularly expensive in Singapore, but the selection tends to be pretty good, and a lot of quality Australian and South African wine is stocked.

If you’re not a drinker, the local lime juice is delicious and refreshing.

Singapore

CHERRY’S GUIDE TO

SmokingSmoking is banned in restaurants, bars, hawker centres, shopping centres etc.

GST RebatesNot all stores do rebates, but just ask and if they do they will give you a form to take to the GST rebate counter at the airport.

Traveling with KidsSingapore is a very child-friendly city and the locals are very accommodating. Many cafes and restaurants have kiddy menus and lots of hotels have kids clubs.

The number of kids clothing and toy stores is beyond belief. There’s even a whole shopping mall just for kitting out the kids in designer gear.

There’s an abundance of activities to keep the kids happy: Underwater World, Universal Studios theme park, Megazip Adventure Park, Singapore Zoo, Forest Adventure, Pasir Ris Park, Wild Wild Wet Science Centre, Jurong Bird Park. The list goes on and on.

Local LingoSingaporeans tend to end most sentences with ‘Lah’. Hello Lah. How are you Lah? You hot Lah? Just go with it.

Rather than say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, Singaporeans will often say ‘can’ or ‘cannot’. Eg. ‘We need to do a U-turn here to get back to the hotel’. Response - ‘Cannot Lah’.

Westerners can sometimes be insulted by the directness of Singaporeans. They don’t mean to be rude, so just smile and move on. One Cherry Picker was shocked at a supermarket when the checkout lady said, ‘You having baby? You look fat Lah.”

WaterSingapore water is perfectly safe to drink. It doesn’t taste great, so the locals usually filter it, but the quality is of WHO standard.

AirportChangi Airport is one of the best in the world and there’s plenty of shopping and entertainment to keep you occupied.

Taxis are plentiful and easy to find here, just follow the signs.

Australian passport holders don’t require a Visa, but always check with the relevant authority before travel. If you are traveling here from other Asian countries, be aware Singapore is quite strict on fake goods such as handbags and particularly DVDs. If you only have one or two for personal use, they will probably turn a blind eye. Make sure you don’t have anything of a pornographic nature as this definitely is a no-no. Check the current alcohol and cigarette duty free limits carefully as they as strictly enforced.

Hawker CentresHawker Centres are street food vendors that are all together in a food court style area. Hygiene standards are strictly controlled and all stall holders must display a government rating sign. Hygiene standards are rated A, B, C, D, E. A street stall won’t be an A, but stick with the Bs as the Cs. The lower categories may be a bit dubious in quality.

Even though you may feel like you are being touted, Singapore is very safe and you generally won’t ever get ripped off. The touts are usually from reasonable quality food stalls.

Getting a table can be difficult. The locals will leave their handbag on the table and walk away

to get food. Crime rates are so low they generally never have a problem. We don’t recommend this, but leaving an umbrella or the like will secure your table.

There are often people trying to sell you tissues to use as napkins at these centres. These people are generally homeless and use the income for food. Support them by making a purchase. The food stall

vendors won’t give you napkins to try to encourage you to make a purchase.

Health ServicesBe assured if you take ill, Singapore has some of the best medical facilities and practitioners in the world. Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Gleneagles cater to expats and have emergency centres.

Some Retail Therapy

Orchard Road

This is the main shopping district in Singapore. Wear your walking shoes! You can continue along to Tanglin Rd also if you’re in a shopping frenzy.

Delfi Orchard: 402 Orchard Rd. Stand out store is Style: Nordic for all things Swedish.

Palais Renaissance: 390 Orchard Rd. Visit Vanilla Home and Tyan. There is a branch of PS Cafe here for a lunch or cake stop.

Wheelock Place: 501 Orchard Rd. Marks & Spencer resides here. You can go from here to Ion Orchard in the underground tunnel.

ION Orchard: 2 Orchard Turn. 8 floors of retail therapy. A good food court in the basement, a floor of beauty products, one for younger fashion, a couple of floors of high-end designer gear and some fancy restaurants and art gallery at the top.

Wisma Atria: 435 Orchard Rd. The top floor market style food court here is excellent. If you’re after mid-priced fashion such as Gap, this is the centre for you.

Paragon: 290 Orchard Rd. Original designer label centre with Marks & Sparks, plenty of interesting one off stores, top floor full of kiddie clothing and accessories, (plus a cafe with

decent coffee and excellent lamingtons!), with a supermarket in the basement.

Mandarin Gallery: 333A Orchard Rd. Some interesting women’s fashion stores and homewares. Jones the Grocer is on level 4 for a spot of lunch and a good Aussie coffee.

Ngee Ann City: 391 Orchard Rd. Home of Japanese department store Takashimaya. Also plenty of designer gear. Don’t miss Shanghai Tang.

Vivo City: 1 HarbourFront Walk. The largest shopping complex in Singapore, there’s something here for everyone. Some unique concept stores, good dining and major department stores. Everything in one place, so if you’re short on time, this is a good centre to visit. You can easily get to Sentosa from here either by foot (by covered travellators) or by monorail.

Other shopping areas

Bugis Junction: popular with locals.

Marina Square: you can walk here from Suntec.

Plaza Singapura: mix of low-mid range stores.

Raffles City: good mix of international brands.

Suntec City Mall: French discount store Carrefour is here plus good mix of retail.

Cheap as chips Good value

Mid to high price Fancy

Except for cafes, it’s advisable to book ahead at most restaurants.

Raffles Grill (French): Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd / 6412 1816. Silver service, old world charm.

Joel Robuchon (Contempo French): Hotel Michael, Resorts World Sentosa / 6577 7888. This world famous chef makes his mark in the Singapore restaurant scene. Book well ahead.

Oso (Italian): 46 Bukit Pasoh Rd / 6327 8378. Homemade fare, very popular spot. Book ahead or try for lunch.

Disgruntled Chef (Mod European): 26B Dempsey Rd / 6476 5305. Lots of share plates. This is a favourite with locals and expats.

The Line (International): Shangri-La Hotel, 22 Orange Grove Rd / 6213 4275. Great any day, but famous for its incredible Sunday brunch. Bring on the champagne and every type of cuisine imaginable.

IndoChine (Vietnamese): Asian Civilisation Museum, 1Empress Pl / 6339 1720. Riverside stunner with alfresco deck.

Wild Rocket (Mod Singaporean): Hangout Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Rd / 6339 9448. Local food given a modern twist.

True Blue Cuisine (Peranakan): 47049 Armenian St / 6440 0449. If you want to try authentic Peranakan cuisine, this is the place to go.

Min Jiang at One-North (Chinese): 5 Rochester Park / 6774 0122. Specialty is the Beijing duck. Lovely setting in restored bungalow.

Long Beach @ Dempsey (Seafood): 25 Dempsey Rd / 6323 2222. You have to try Singapore’s famous chilli and black pepper crab, and this is a good place to do so.

Les Bouchons (French): Tyler Print Institute, 41 Robertson Quay / 6733 4414. Steak is expensive in Singapore. The steak frittes here are affordable and tasty.

Halia (International/Asian): Ginger Garden, Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Rd / 6476 6711. Simple glass and wood fitout set amongst the greenery.

PS Cafe (International): Several branches. Try Dempsey Hill or Paragon, Orchard Rd. Dempsey great for dinner. Good menu, particularly for lunch, but the speciality is incredible puddings and cakes.

Jones the Grocer (International): Blk 9, Dempsey Hill + Orchard Rd. Aussie owned cafe/bistro good for decent coffee and breakfast. The service is appalling however.

Din Tai Fung (Chinese): Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd / 6836 8336. Tasty dumplings and noodles.

Samy’s (Indian): Civil Service Club, 25 Dempsey Rd / 6472 2080. This is really a shack. Expect authentic cuisine served on a banana leaf. Use your hands.

Marmalade Pantry (International): Level 3, Ion Orchard. Let them eat cake. And delicious quiche. Perfect shopping pick me up.

Relish (International): 501 Bukit Timah Rd, Cluny Court / 6763 1547. Tasty burgers and the like in pleasant surrounds with knick knack shopping downstairs.

Bella Pizza (Italian): 30 Robertson Quay / 6734 0139. A favourite with the expat set. Tasty pizzas, riverside.

Lau Pa Sat: Hawker Centre, 18 Raffles Quay / 9730 9991. Open 24 hours, this is the home of the original Satay Club. As much tourist attraction as eating venue. Sit outside.

Chinatown Food Street: Hawker Centre, Smith St. Huge Hawker Centre open from 5pm.

Banana Leaf Apolo (Indian): 54 Race Course Rd. This is in Little India, worth a look in itself. Eat off a leaf with your fingers. Cheap and cheerful.

Five Star (Singaporean): 419 River Valley Rd/ /6235 6760. If you really want to try the national dish, chicken rice, this is the place to do it.

Favourite Places to eat

Bars

Lantern: The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square / 6877 8135. Great views of the Singapore skyline and river.

Ku De Ta: North Tower, Marina Bay Sands / 6688 7688. You won’t get a better view anywhere. Dress code of no shorts, thongs, tank tops.

Breeze: The Scarlet Hotel, 33 Erskine Rd / 6511 3333. Rooftop glamour garden.

Ying Yang: The Club Hotel, 28 Ann Siang Rd / 6808 2188. Very stylish chill out zone.

Alley Bar: 180 Orchard Rd / 6738 8818. Perfect for a post shopping retreat.

Nightclubs

Avalon/Pangaea: Crystal Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands. Party central and lounge.

Attica: Blk A, Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Rd / 6333 9973. Disco, Brazilian and house beats.

Spas

Como Shambhala Urban Escape: Forum, 583 Orchard Rd / 6304 3552. Yoga, pilates, therapeutic massages. Book ahead.

Beauty Emporium: 8D Dempsey Rd / 6479 0070. Centre incorporates Spa Esprit, Strip, Mask and Browhaus. A one-stop beauty stop.

Qi Mantra: 83A Club St / 6221 5691. Chinese acupressure. Great for relieving those sore feet and shoulders after a big day shopping.

Snails: Wheelock Pl, 501 Orchard Rd / 6738 0100. In the middle of the shopping strip, this is a perfect spot to stop for a mani or pedi.

DRINK, PARTY, RECOVER

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