Step back in time at Pulau Ubin
To truly appreciate what Singapore has achieved in its 50-year history you have to head back to the "original kampong" (village) on a small island just a 10-minute ferry ride off the east coast. The best way to see the island that time forgot is on a guided National Parks walking tour (nparks.gov.sg) where guides can show you edible local plants and hidden buildings eaten up by the tropical jungle – you might even see one of the 2000 wild boars native to the island.
Eat at a hawker centre
Singapore is a food town and the fluoro-white lights and plastic tables and chairs of a hawker centre are the best place to experience local cuisine. This is street food Singapore-style where the stalls have a rating from A-C (most are As and Bs and very hygienic), so join the longest queue and tuck in. Specialties include chicken rice (poached or roasted chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock), char kway teow (fried noodles), bak kut teh (a peppery pork bone soup) or roti prata (Indian flatbread and a curry to dip it in). Try the app Makansutra to find the most revered stalls, or go to the Makansutra Glutton's Bay hawker centre that overlooks Marina Bay Sands.
Eat chilli crab
You will get fierce debate about where to find the best example of Singapore's national dish. No Signboard seafood restaurant in Geylang is one of the most authentic joints, Jumbo Seafood in Dempsey Hill gets the expat vote, while locals will guide you to Red House in Prinsep Street. Then there is the decision of whether to have chilli crab, or to opt for the potentially even better black pepper option.
Swim the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool
The pool that launched a million selfies – in fact, that seems to be all people are doing in there most of the time. You have to be a hotel guest to get access to the pool itself or you can peer over the glass from the adjacent bar Ce La Vi (previously known as Ku De Ta) with the added bonus of a great cocktail in hand.
Sip at the world highest open-air bar
High up on the 63rd floor of One Raffles Place, the alfresco bar 1-Altitude is not for the acrophobic. With high tables that sit right against the glass wall this is a view not to be missed, in fact you are so high that if a storm rolls in you have to head down sister bar Altimate on level 61 – so you don't get hit by lightning!
Visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens
This sprawling patch of greenery is the perfect foil to Singapore's crazy five-decade progress, an oasis that received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in July this year and a plaque to that effect was unveiled over the National Day weekend on August 9. Attractions include the huge Swan Lake, the Orchid Garden and the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, a huge kids play area of hedge mazes and tree houses. The park also hosts outdoor movie screenings, theatre and concerts.
Walk through Little India
This sub-continent enclave feels like a different city with its packed spice markets, bustling street stalls and the mega-shopping experience of Mustafa Centre which you can literally get lost in. Stop for lunch at the famous Banana Leaf Apollo restaurant which is one place that lays claim to inventing the fish head curry, a wonderfully spicy dish that is a mix of Indian spices and the Chinese habit of using the fish head in cooking.
Shop on Orchard Road
One of the most intense shopping experiences on the planet, this bustling street is a series of malls, both high-end and more quirky, most linked by an underground network of tunnels so you never need be distracted from your shopping by the weather. There are also plenty of food halls, bars and posh hawkers to visit too, and they recently introduced "Pedestrian Night" means you can walk along the usually busy road on select evenings. orchardroad.org
Have a night out on Club Street
This expat bar strip comes into its own on Friday and Saturday nights when the street is closed to traffic and tables and chairs are dragged out into the streets. At the southern end start at French wine bar O'Batignolles where you can have European tipples with cheese and cold meat. Halfway along the strip where it turns into Ann Siang Road is the Mediterranean share plate restaurant Lolla, sit at the bar for squid ink pudding and various offal dishes. Then finish opposite at Oxwell & Co, three storeys of fun and great food.
Say 'Hi' to a Merlion
Joint the throngs getting a picture taken with this iconic mythical creature, then walk a few blocks to sneak in a Singapore Sling at Raffles Long Bar. Touristy? Yep. But also a lot of fun.
TRIP NOTES
MORE INFORMATION
GETTING THERE
Major airlines Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com), Qantas (qantas.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and British Airways (britishairways.com) all fly to Singapore from Melbourne and Sydney. For low-cost carriers, Scoot (flyscoot.com) flies from Sydney to Singapore (and starts out of Melbourne in November) and Jetstar (jetstar.com) flies from Melbourne to Singapore.
STAYING THERE
Marina Bay Sands
This iconic property has double rooms starting from $S799. 10 Bayfront Avenue; see marinabaysands.com.
Village Hotel Changi
Doubles from S$195 with breakfast at this located just 10 minutes from Changi airport and with a view of Pulau Ubin just a short bumboat ride away. 1 Netheravon Road; see stayfareast.com
EATING + DRINKING
The chilli crab trio of No Signboard (nosignboardseafood.com), Jumbo Seafood (jumboseafood.com.sg) and Red House (redhouseseafood.com) all have multiple branches. Ce La Vi is located on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands (marinabaysands.com). 1-Altitude is on the top floor of 1 Raffles Place; see 1-altitude.com. The Makansutra Glutton's Bay hawker centre is at 8 Raffles Avenue; see makansutra.com. For fish head curry dine at Banana Leaf Apollo, 54 Racecourse Road; see thebananaleafapolo.com. On Club Street drink at O'Batignolles, 2 Gemmill Lane; see obatignolles.com, eat at Lolla, 22 Ann Siang Road, see lolla.com.sg and finish at Oxwell & Co, 5 Ann Siang Hill; see oxwellandco.com. Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road Singapore; see raffles.com.
Brought to you in association with the Singapore Tourism Board.
