Singapore: A Shopper’s Paradise

Places to See:

Singapore Flyer, Sentosa Island, Formula1 track, Universal Studios, Botanic Gardens, Merlion, Marina Bay Sands, China Town, Little India, Night Safari 

Best time to visit: 

Singapore has a hot and humid weather almost throughout the year.  But relatively, Feb-April months are good times to visit.

Things to keep in mind:

• Hotels in Singapore can be expensive. Explore all options before booking hotels, preferably ahead of time
• Weather is humid and it can rain, especially during November to February. An umbrella might come handy there
• And lastly, take lot of Singapore dollars in your card if you’re a shopping freak 🙂 

Singapore, often referred to as the East Asian Tiger economy is a city-state. It is one of the largest financial centers of the world. Having being under Japanese occupation during WWII, and a British colony thereafter, it was also a part of Malaysia for some time before becoming an independent country.  It is truly a cosmopolitan city with nationals from across the globe contributing their part there and earning a living. It is also a major tourist hub in Asia. Despite having little area, the Singaporeans are making the most of what they have by different initiatives like reclaiming land from sea, having controls on vehicle population to control congestion etc. Singapore has a great infrastructure that rivals any big western city.

Places to See: 

Singapore Flyer:

Rivalling the London eye, this giant wheel offers a panoramic and bird’s-eye view of the city. It takes around 30 minutes for one full turn. You can enjoy the mesmerizing skyline along with the seawaters in the distance. They also have some souvenir shops and picture clicking opportunities.

Sentosa Island:

It is a fun island, situated not far from mainland. The main attractions there are the Universal Studios amusement park, the artificial beach and the giant aquarium.

Universal Studios is huge in itself and can take the entire day if you wish to go to all the rides there. There are also many stores for buying Universal movie souvenirs and restaurants. There is an artificial beach that Singaporeans have created to make up for the lack of natural beaches.

Botanical Gardens:

These gardens are 150 years old protected gardens which are also a UNESCO heritage site. They offer a feeling of being in the midst of nature. There are multitudes of trees, plants and flowers there. There is a sky bridge to see the trees from close.

Formula1 track: (For F1 fans)

For Formula1 enthusiasts, Singapore has an F1 track, a street that is converted into a racing track when F1 is held. Normally the race is held in the month of September and if you are in Singapore that time, you can experience the thrill of one of the very few night races in Formula1 calendar. But even if you are travelling some other time, you can roam around the pit lane area and see the tire marks yourself :p

Merlion:

The Merlion statue, for some, a symbol of Singapore, has the head of a Lion and body of a fish. There are many Merlion statues in Singapore. The most prominent one is at the Marina Bay Sands.

Marina Bay Sands: 

It is a big complex housing, hotel, casino, malls etc. The complex has the iconic three towers having an infinity pool at the top. This complex also has huge conference halls and many Corporate conventions are held there.

Chinatown: 

Singapore has a huge residential and commercial area called Chinatown. Like in many other cities of the world, Chinatown in Singapore has flavor of Chinese culture. They have lot of Chinese restaurants, pharmacy stores and other small shops from where you can buy cheap souvenirs.

Little India: 

Singapore has a large Tamil population, many of whom reside in a locality called Little India. Similar to Chinatown, Little India has lot of Indian restaurants along with local Indian markets.

Night Safari: 

Another popular spot in Singapore is the Night Safari. It is a night zoo with a lot of endangered species here. One can either take a waling tour or a tram trip here. It can be a totally different experience for someone who wants to experience wildlife in a totally different setup.