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The City

Singapore is clean, safe, efficient and the inhabitants are as proud of this as they are of the city’s strong financial heart beating around the clock. The harbour is the busiest in the world and capital is constantly flowing on the stock exchange. All the world’s banks, insurance companies and investors are represented here.

In 200 years, Singapore has gone from being a deserted island to an eminent industrial nation and major financial power, as reflected in the flourishing townscape.

A good start for anyone who wants to experience Singapore today, with its mixture of old and new, is to have a drink or a bite to eat on at Boat Quay in the late afternoon. The renovated harbour district is packed with bars and restaurants where people from the financial district meet after work to socialise.

Another traditional watering hole is Raffles Hotel, built in the Colonial style. Is there anything more embedded in mysticism than drinking a Singapore Sling in the hotel’s Long Bar? It is a fantastic environment for a long drink, the perfect way to experience Singapore and perhaps the very best way of all to experience the meeting between the city’s exciting history and modern times.

Anyone who is looking to experience Singapore as it once was might want to head for the crowds of Chinatown where fortune tellers, calligraphers and temple visitors are a permanent feature of everyday life. In Little India you will find the best Sari fabrics and lots of exciting spices. Don’t miss the small shops on Arab Street either.

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Sustainable City

The development of Singapore into a Garden City began all the way back in the 1960s when then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew suggested the creation of softening the harsh urban environment with green spaces. Since then, Singapore has evolved into a bustling metropolis nestled in a lush embrace of tropical greenery.

In 2021, the country's government launched its Green Plan 2030 — the next step that is focused not only on creating and maintaining green spaces, but also places importance on sustainability, conserving the natural heritage and involving the local community.

Some key programs of the Green Plan include setting aside 50% more land (around 200 hectares) for nature parks which will all be within a 10-minute walk to a respective household and aiming to plant one million more trees across the island to absorb more CO2, resulting in the population enjoying cleaner air, and cooler shade.

The Green Plan charts ambitious and concrete targets over the next 10 years, strengthening Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement. The city-state is getting ready to achieve the long-term net zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable.

For all the hard work, Singapore is widely recognised as the most eco-friendly city in Asia.

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Do & See

Singapore is a hectic metropolis with bustling street life. There are many sights to see here, and you can experiences everything from a drink at legendary Raffles Hotel to meeting tigers at one of the world's finest zoos.

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Dining

Singapore boasts a number of major hotspots for Asian cuisine blended with the best of the Occident. Indian, Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese and Singapore’s own culinary concoctions meet and mingle in Singapore to create a unique array of sweet and tangy sensations. In Singapore you can eat cheap and cheerful at one of the Hawker Centres which used to be open air complexes selling a variety of foods. They are today slowly being replaced by indoor air-conditioned food courts that showcase more modern alternatives but remain the best spots to chow down with the locals.

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Cafés

You will likely come across the phrase 'Kopitiam' when getting into Singapore as it is a common style of coffee shop around certain parts of Asia. They can be found all over the island and they're great for breakfast but they can also serve a nice light meal any time of the day. Outlets offering breakfast as well as other savoury delights to take away include the historic Killiney Kopitiam and the relatively new Toastbox franchise.

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Bars & Nightlife

Those who want to dance the night away and enjoy themselves into the early hours have plenty of options in Singapore. Although many bars and clubs in Singapore close early compared to other major cities in Asia, a little bit of research will reveal the interesting and diverse nightlife that Singapore has become known for. The visitor who is looking for an authentic experience here is tipped off to try a Singapore Sling at Raffles, one of the oldest joints in town.

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Shopping

Locals joke that shopping is a national sport in Singapore as there really is an enormous range of high-end merchandise to choose from as well as some artisanal goods that can be found down the winding, bustling side streets. The heart of Singapore’s shopping life is Orchard Road where the largest and most well-known department stores are lined up. There are also lots of shopping centres and markets dotted around the city and as it gets so hot in the summer, you could spend the whole day in one of them just cooling off under the AC whilst partaking in a bit of retail therapy.

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Tourist Information