Singapore Holiday Guide: Things to Do, Sentosa, Best Time to Visit and Stopovers

Singapore sits just one degree north of the equator, across a narrow strait from Malaysia and a short ferry ride from the Indonesian islands. The main island is only about 50 km across, with more than 60 smaller islands around it, Sentosa being the best known.

Founded as a British trading post in 1819, it became independent in 1965 and has grown into one of the world’s great ports and financial centres. Its people are mainly of Chinese, Malay and Indian descent, and that mix is what makes the food and the neighbourhoods so interesting.

For all the skyscrapers, it is remarkably green: nearly half the island is covered in parks, nature reserves and tree-lined streets, and rainforest survives in the centre of the island.

Gardens by the Bay. Singapore’s showpiece: 101 hectares of gardens on reclaimed land beside Marina Bay. The outdoor gardens and the Supertree Grove, tree-like towers up to 50 m tall covered in plants, are free; you pay for the elevated Skyway walk between the Supertrees and for the two cooled conservatories.

The Flower Dome holds plants from Mediterranean climates and changing flower displays; the Cloud Forest is a misty indoor mountain covered in orchids and ferns, with a 35 m indoor waterfall. Come back after dark for Garden Rhapsody, the free light and sound show in the Supertree Grove, usually at 7.45pm and 8.45pm.

Marina Bay. Walk the waterfront loop past the Merlion, the half-lion, half-fish symbol of the city, the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum and the Helix Bridge. There’s a free light and water show over the bay most evenings, and the observation deck on top of the triple-towered landmark across the water has the classic view.

The colonial district. Around the Padang, the old cricket ground, are the grand white buildings of British Singapore. The former Supreme Court and City Hall are now the National Gallery Singapore, with the world’s largest public collection of Southeast Asian art, and the National Museum tells the city’s story. Climb Fort Canning Park above it for gardens and wartime history.

The Singapore River. Take a bumboat along the river past Boat Quay’s old shophouses, now restaurants and bars, to Clarke Quay, busiest at night.

Singapore Botanic Gardens. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city’s favourite green space, with lakes, rainforest and the National Orchid Garden, home to more than a thousand species and hybrids. Go early in the morning, when it’s coolest; the main gardens are free.

Wildlife parks. In the north of the island, the Mandai parks include the open-plan Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari (the world’s first night zoo, best on the tram), River Wonders and the huge walk-through aviaries of Bird Paradise.

Nature walks. The Southern Ridges link a chain of hilltop parks on walkways above the forest, including the wave-shaped Henderson Waves bridge. In the Central Catchment, the MacRitchie trails lead to a treetop suspension bridge, and you may see long-tailed macaques.

Jewel Changi. Even the airport is an attraction: the Rain Vortex, a 40 m indoor waterfall in a forest valley under a glass dome, is next to Terminal 1. Leave time for it on the way home.

Sentosa is Singapore’s island playground, joined to the main island by a causeway just south of the city. Get there by the cable car from Mount Faber, which has the best views, by the monorail from the HarbourFront area, or simply walk across the boardwalk in about 15 minutes.

The beaches: Siloso is the liveliest, with beach bars and watersports; Palawan is family-friendly, with a rope bridge to a tiny islet that claims to be the southernmost point of continental Asia; and Tanjong is the quietest. The sand is imported and the sea faces a busy shipping lane, so think of them as places to relax rather than tropical beaches like Bali’s.

Attractions: Universal Studios Singapore, the S.E.A. Aquarium, zip lines, the luge, a nature walk along the island’s wooded hills and old forts. Sentosa makes a good full day, or a couple of nights if you’re travelling with children.

Food is Singapore’s national obsession, and the best of it is cheap. Hawker centres, open-air food courts with dozens of stalls, are where locals eat every day; Singapore’s hawker culture is on UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage, and several stalls are listed in the Michelin guide. Find a table, mark it with a packet of tissues as locals do, then order.

What to try: Hainanese chicken rice, the unofficial national dish; chilli crab and black pepper crab; laksa, a spicy coconut noodle soup; char kway teow (fried flat noodles); satay; roti prata with curry; and, for breakfast, kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs and strong local coffee (kopi).

At the other end of the scale, Singapore has some of the best fine dining and rooftop bars in Asia. Tell us what you enjoy and we’ll suggest where to eat.

From the UK: several airlines fly direct from London Heathrow to Singapore’s Changi Airport, in about 13 hours, and there are also direct flights from Manchester. Many more connect via the Gulf. Changi is about 20 to 30 minutes from the city by taxi.

Entry: British visitors don’t need a visa for a holiday; the officer normally grants a stay of 30 to 90 days. Complete the free electronic SG Arrival Card in the 3 days before you arrive, and make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date.

Getting around: the MRT metro is fast, cheap and air-conditioned, and you can tap in with a contactless bank card. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are reasonably priced, and walking is easy in the centre, if hot; covered walkways link much of the city.