Singapore Night Safari
Opened in 1994 and located next to Singapore Zoo, this is the world’s first safari for nocturnal animals. Expect to see wildebeests, gazelles, rhinoceroses, tigers and Asian elephants. You can take a 35-minute tram ride, but if you follow one of four trails through the park you’ll end up seeing more animals. The Fishing Cat Trail re-creates a nighttime trek through the jungles of Singapore and on the Leopard Trail you’ll see a huge collection of wildlife indigenous to Southeast Asia.
Little India
Located east of the Singapore River, this is one of the most vibrant parts of the city. Start off at Mustafa Centre, an indoor market that is open 24 hours and a great place to pick up a sari or sample Indian and Asian food. Then head down Serangoon Road and explore the nearby streets, taking in the mix of Chinese and Hindu temples, and mosques and churches. If you’re still hungry there are plenty of family-run kitchens and restaurants serving Indian favourites such as tandoori dishes as well as local must-tries such as roti prata (fried flatbread) and teh tarik (hot milky tea).
Chinatown
Make sure you come here hungry because it’s really all about the food. A good place to start is the Maxwell Road Hawker Centre that offers a huge array of Asian delicacies at affordable prices. If you’re a history buff, go to the Chinatown Heritage Centre on Pagoda Street to learn about the Chinese immigrants who helped found Singapore. Among the many temples in the area are the Thian Hock Keng Temple – the oldest temple in Singapore – and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple which holds what Buddhists regard as the left canine tooth of Buddha, recovered from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar, India.
Zouk
Singapore’s best-known nightclub, Zouk opened in 1991 and last year moved to new premises in The Cannery, a space previously occupied by Ministry of Sound. The 898-square metre club has five bars, live-streaming screens, a state-of-the-art sound system and main dance floor that can accommodate 1 900 partygoers. The interiors are industrial hip with a futuristic vibe inspired by New York and Berlin’s rave clubs and warehouses.
The White Rabbit
In the 1950s Dempsey Hill was home to the British Army. The former barracks have been transformed into bars, art galleries, spas and restaurants. The garrison church has been transformed into the White Rabbit, a bar/restaurant that serves European comfort food with a twist: think macaroni and cheese drizzled with truffle sauce and deconstructed Black Forest cake.
The Singapore Flyer
For the best view of the city take a ride at dusk as the city’s downtown skyscrapers are lighting up. At 165-metres high it is 30 metres taller than the London Eye and offers panoramic views not only of the city but also of Singapore River, Raffles Palace, Marina Bay and Empress Palace. From there it's an easy stroll – or one-minute cab ride – to the Raffles Hotel for the city’s most famous cocktail, the Singapore Sling, which was created at the hotel’s much-loved Long Bar.
Sentosa
This man-made island off the southern tip of Singapore was designed for fun and relaxation and is very family friendly. There’s a string of soft-sand beaches, two 18-hole golf courses and a butterfly park. Universal Studios – part of Resorts World Sentosa – is a popular attraction as is Port of the Lost Wonder, a water park. There’s an open-air cable-driven chair lift to get from one end of the island to the other and a casino for adults.
Gardens By The Bay
This 101-hectare colourful and futuristic nature park in the bay area of Singapore was voted the city’s top attraction on TripAdvisor. You can’t miss the Supertrees, standing 25 and 50 metres tall, these tree-like vertical gardens are designed to give shade in the day and at night come alive with lights and music. It’s free to walk around the park, but if you want to step inside the climate-controlled conservatories or walk among the Supertrees there’s a fee.
