PARKS
Gardens by the Bay
Singapore’s 21st-century botanic garden is a S$1 billion, 101-hectare fantasy land of space-age bio-domes, high-tech Supertrees and whimsical sculptures. The Flower Dome replicates the dry Mediterranean climates found across the world, while the even more astounding Cloud Forest is a tropical montane affair, complete with waterfall. Connecting two of the Supertrees is the OCBC Skyway, with knockout views of the gardens, city and South China Sea.
Singapore Botanic Gardens:
Singapore’s 74-hectare botanic wonderland is a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the city’s most arresting attractions. Established in 1860, it’s a tropical Valhalla peppered with glassy lakes, rolling lawns and themed gardens. The site is home to the National Orchid Garden, as well as a rare patch of dense primeval rainforest, the latter home to over 300 species of vegetation, over half of which are now (sadly) considered rare in Singapore. The National Orchid Garden itself is the legacy of an orchid-breeding program that began in 1928, and its 3 hectares house over 1000 species and 2000 hybrids. Of these, around 600 are on display – the largest showcase of tropical orchids on Earth. Located next to the National Orchid Garden is the 1-hectare Ginger Garden, with over 250 members of the Zingiberaceae family.
Jurong Bird Park
The park boasts of the world’s largest walk-in aviaries with the tallest man-made waterfall (30 metres high), where visitors can enjoy a close-up view of free-flying birds from Africa and South America in a tropical setting. The aviaries are specially designed to closely resemble the natural habitat of the birds. The 50-acre sanctuary offers educational and entertaining bird shows throughout the day.
MUSEUMS
National Gallery Singapore
Connected by a striking aluminium and glass canopy, Singapore’s historic City Hall and Old Supreme Court buildings now form the city’s breathtaking National Gallery. Its world-class collection of 19th-century and modern Southeast Asian art is housed in two major spaces, the DBS Singapore Gallery and the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery. The former delivers a comprehensive overview of Singaporean art from the 19th century to today, while the latter focuses on the greater Southeast Asian region. The S$530 million National Gallery is a befitting home for what is one of the world’s most important surveys of colonial and post-colonial Southeast Asian art.
National Museum of Singapore
Imaginative and immersive, Singapore’s rebooted National Museum is good enough to warrant two visits. At once cutting edge and classical, the space ditches staid exhibits for lively multimedia galleries that bring Singapore’s jam-packed biography to vivid life. It’s a colourful, intimate journey, spanning ancient Malay royalty, wartime occupation, nation-building, food and fashion.
Singapore Art Museum
The Singapore Art Museum (Abbreviation: SAM) is a contemporary art museum focusing on art practices in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia. Housed in a restored 19th century mission school, it opened in 1996 as the first art museum in Singapore. SAM has built an important public collection of Southeast Asian contemporary art, with a growing component in international contemporary art.
MARKETS
Ngee Ann City
Commonly known as Takashimaya, after its prominent Japanese department store, Ngee Ann City is a must-see of Singapore’s shopping world. The majestic building complex is located conveniently on Orchard Road — the main shopping area of the city — and hard to miss. At the entrance, the proud golden lions guarding the building give you a certain pampered feeling. Naturally, the main department store offers everything from A to Z, but don’t miss out on the rest of the mall. Drench yourself in books on the top floor, or explore the bottom floors filled with both fashion and food.
ION Orchard
Being one of Singapore’s most elaborate malls, ION Orchard is, indeed, huge. The eight-story shopping center is located toward the end of Orchard Road, just a couple of steps from Ngee Ann City. Located partially underground, the center is filled with stores ranging from high status to basic brands. At ground level and above, you’ll find well-polished floors and a luxuriously decorated environment matching the couture brands located there. Further down, find a large variety of noticeable stores, such as the Japanese dollar store, stocking everything you might need.
Bugis Market, Singapore
In the neighborhood of Bugis, you’ll find not only two large shopping malls but also a crowded street market. The air-conditioned malls house famous retail chains on the bottom floors and small local boutiques on the upper levels. At the market among the cramped stalls and crowded aisles, you’ll find cheap copies of the latest Asian fashion trends as well as a variety of candy, fresh fruit, and plastic shoes.
VivoCity
Singapore’s largest shopping mall, VivoCity, is located near the popular island resort, Sentosa. This spacious venue also has a terrace where you can step outside and enjoy the surrounding view. The mall has a wide variety of stores but with an emphasis on trendy, ordinary stores and contemporary brands. You’ll also find spas, gigantic food courts, movie theaters, and children’s playgrounds; there is basically enough to spend an entire day there exploring.
Chinatown Market, Singapore
Just a short walk from the downtown area, you’ll find the lively district of Chinatown. With its bright lights, colorful decorations, and delicious smells, shopping becomes an adventure here. Walk around and between the stalls and shops, and discover everything from cheap souvenirs and traditional clothing to gorgeous fabric and amazing food. Get something to munch on, do some bargaining, and don’t forget to check out the surrounding beautiful antique architecture.
Raffles City
Located across the street from antique Raffles Hotel and right in between two underground stations, Raffles City is a gem among malls. The lower floors have busy food courts, while the upper floors offer a wide selection of both regular stores and fancy brands. Also, as it is connected with underground passes via one of the MRT stations to Marina Square Mall, CityLink Mall and Suntec City Mall, it’s possible to continue the shopping trip without ever going outside.
Plaza Singapura
At the beginning of Orchard Road, you’ll find Plaza Singapura, a noteworthy shopping mall. Located away from the busiest part of Orchard, this nine-story mall is not as crowded as others in the area, yet it features just as much shopping. Check out the large food court on the bottom floors, or go see a movie at the cinema on the top floor. If you need a break, sit and relax on the well-kept benches outside, or take a walk in the green Istana Park across the street.
Lucky Plaza
With numerous small shops, Lucky Plaza has managed to capture the spirit of the intense Chinatown marketplace and put it into a mall. Right across from the expensive Ngee Ann City, this mall is almost the absolute opposite, with small stores featuring everything from handmade shoes to chocolate boxes and imported jewelry. Essentially, this is the spot to visit if you want the busy marketplace shopping but with air-conditioning and more personal space.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
If you’re looking for pure luxury without having to walk around outside in the heat between boutiques, then Marina Bay Sands is the place to go. The newly built complex opened in 2011 and features a large variety of fashionable brand stores in its mall section. There is also a casino, a costly sky park, along with the expensive resort hotel. Stop by if you want classic luxury and glamour — better-polished floors and shinier windows have never been seen.
Mustafa Center
Open 24 hours a day, this bustling shopping mall is a true experience. Located in the area of Little India, Mustafa Center never sleeps, which is great if you only have time to shop at inconvenient hours. Get electronic goods, budget fashion, as well as some groceries all at the same time; there is nothing that cannot be found at this mall. Don’t let the rough exterior scare you as both the shopping and the neighborhood are truly charming and honest. The shopping experience doesn’t get more authentic than this.
Tekka Wet Market, Singapore
Tekka Wet Market is just next to Little India underground station, right at the end of Serangoon Road. This down-to-earth neighbourhood market is the epitome of Singapore’s multicultural heritage: exchanges are often in a mixture of Singapore’s four official languages (English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil), and the crowd is usually dressed in typical Singaporean garb – t-shirt, shorts and slippers. The huge market is divided into a wet area and dry one. The wet area (which is constantly hosed down – therefore a ‘wet market’) has stalls selling fresh produce like vegetables, fish, meat; whereas the dry area offers dried goods like herbs, spices, rice, dried noodles, dried seafood and beans.
So Gelam Market
So Gelam Market in Singapore is a pop-up market not to be missed – if you are in Singapore at the right time. The vibrant market held on the last weekend of each month is a quintessential Singaporean flea market, filled with food and drink stalls, as well as those selling knick-knacks like homemade beauty products, candles and art prints. In true Singaporean kampong spirit, try out some traditional kampong games like five stones and spinning tops; or buy some yummy snacks and lounge around on a mat on the central lawn for a picnic.
Katong Square Lifestyle and Vintage Market
As the name suggests, this market located in the Peranakan neighbourhood of Katong offers all things vintage. Whether it’s watches, vintage jewellery, haute couture, vinyl records, curios, art or anything else you can think of that is bohemian with a tinge of nostalgia, you can find it here. The Katong area is also a culinary institution where you can get some of the best local food like katong laksa or old school kaya toast – the perfect round-up to your vintage shopping day.
