Things to Do in Singapore

For sub-continental color, cuisine, atmosphere and bustle, head to Singapore’s Little India, one of the island’s most vibrant and authentic precincts. Shops, restaurants and colorful Hindu temples line the streets of Little India, and the best thing to do here is to just take a walk and drink it all in.

The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to the bloodthirsty god Kali, Sri Srnivasa Perumal is dedicated to the more peaceful Vishnu, the Taoist Leong San See Temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, and the Temple of 1000 Lights features a gaudily lit Buddha.

Come to Little India to sample terrific curries, dosas and banana-leaf thalis at restaurants, street stalls and cafes. Shop for everything from incense to saris, and lose yourself in the interestingly named Thieves Market, where anything and everything is for sale.

Considered a bird watchers paradise, Jurong Bird Park in fabulous Singapore is the world's largest. With more than an astounding 600 different kinds of species, the park provides a wide array of shows and attractions that are sure to educate even the most avid bird-watcher.

Whether it is the 'Birds of Prey' exhibit, which shows eagles and falcons soaring above, the 'Penguin Exhibition,' with more than 200 penguins and multiple species, or the insightful realm of flightless birds, one of the enjoyable qualities of the park is that many of the exhibits are as educational as they are visually stimulating.

Similarly, with the Children's Parrot Show located at the Pools Amphitheatre, where the kids can see four beautiful and diverse kinds of parrots perform tricks for them, there is little reason to skip out on the landscaped wonderment of the park.

Singapore’s River Safari, the world’s first river-themed wildlife park, recently introduced the first visitors to its 5,000 animal inhabitants during a soft opening in April 2013. The 30-acre (12-hectare) park presents the world of freshwater aquatic animals to guests with a series of walkthrough exhibits inspired by eight iconic rivers, the Mississippi, Nile, Amazon, Congo, Ganges, Mekong and Yangtze.

Of the animals on display, representing some 300 species, the Giant River Otter and the Giant Salamander stand out as rare highlights. Not all the animals at the River Safari are aquatic, however. You’ll also find an ever popular pair Giant Pandas in Southeast Asia’s largest Panda exhibit, the Giant Panda Forest, as well as squirrel monkeys, jaguars, giant anteaters and Brazilian tapirs in the Wild Amazonia area of the park.

Later in the year, the park is set to open the Amazon River Quest, a river boat ride through the Wild Amazonia exhibit.

Orchard Road means one thing: shopping! Relentlessly lined with flashy shopping malls and upmarket hotels, Singapore’s premier shopping street is cheerfully lined with plenty of shady trees, seating and flower boxes. You’ll find luxury flagship stores from Dior to Armani, huge shopping malls like Ngee Ann City, department stores, cinemas and entertainment complexes.

Head to the basement food halls dotted along Orchard Road for a cheap and filling lunch, and come back at night to while the evening away at a nightclub. Orchard Road stretches west from Istana Park, home to Singapore’s president, to the botanic gardens at its western end. It’s a long, long stretch of road, but the street’s MRT stations, Dhoby Ghaut and Orchard, will help you get around.

Sipping a Singapore Sling cocktail in the wicker and palm ambiance of Raffles Hotel is a Singapore must-do experience. With its tropical garden courtyard and elegant galleried architecture, the terracotta-roofed white hotel has been a byword for colonial elegance since 1887. It was named after the founder of Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

Swags of famous names from Noël Coward to Somerset Maugham have stayed here, along with more recent stars like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. You can learn more about the building’s history and see fascinating ephemera at the on-site Raffles Museum. If you’re not staying here, dress up to experience high tea in the Tiffin Room, or order that Singapore Sling in the Long Bar. The hotel has a swag of other upmarket restaurants, cafes and watering holes.