Reasons to Make Singapore Your Next Visit

There are a million reasons to visit Singapore: the everlasting heat being one for a start. But also, the various opposing cultures throughout this tiny south Asian country make it a fascinating display of history and modern innovation. So much is compacted into the one area. You have city life surrounded by nature a quick drive away, so there is something for everyone. Read on to find out what we think are the best reasons to visit Singapore.

The Tourist Traps

There are loads of great attractions in Singapore, due to its love of innovation and business reflected in the city architecture. This makes for some great fusions of man-made structures amongst the nature of the tropics. Gardens By the Bay is the biggest example of this. The vast breadth of plants is displayed in an awe-inspiring plot of land that stretches across 250 acres and are connected by treetop bridges and walkways. You can witness the beautiful structures towering over the plants that keep them all healthy, or the 114-foot waterfall hidden amongst the leaves.

For a more knowledgeable experience, visit the National Gallery Singapore, which holds the largest public collection of modern art in Southeast Asia. The City Hall and the former Supreme Court hold the many galleries of modern art.

For those with money to burn, the only option is Marina Bay Sands. Start your day waking in the hotel’s penthouse suite, enjoy the massive shopping mall, casino or convention centre, then finish with a Michelin-starred restaurant meal or take a dip in the rooftop pool overlooking the city.

On the opposing end, you can get off the mainland and visit Pulau Ubin for pennies. The island, once known for its granite quarries, is home to fewer than 50 people who have chosen to keep to their traditionalist routes. Stepping onto the island is like stepping back in time, with a 10-minute chugging bumboat ride being just the first example of a simpler time.

And of course, there is the Esplanade. Singapore’s answer to the Sydney Opera House is a gigantic dome featuring a state-of-the-art concert hall, a horseshoe-shaped theatre, and an open-air concert space. This architectural marvel regularly hosts theatre performances, operas, and jazz concerts, among others.

The Culture

When you venture out into the country, there will be lots of culture on your doorstep. You can visit Kampong Glam, which is a colourful and thriving market full of Arabic crafts, local street food and historic relevance. If that doesn’t satisfy your shopping needs, you can visit the East Coast Road enclave, featuring a 2 mile stretch of colourful heritage shophouses. They house some of Singapore’s best eateries as well as a handful of museums and stores filled with Peranakan items.

Or maybe visit The Intan: a private home hosting an impressive collection of Peranakan artifacts. The over 1,500 objects have been collected over 30 years and feature kasul manek, ornate beaded slippers worn by Straits Chinese women.

For a feast for the eyes, head to Haw Par Villa. This eight-acre outdoor park is filled with detailed sculptures and dioramas depicting traditional Chinese values, along with vibrant colours across its art installations. If you’re feeling like a religious experience, you can visit the Thian Hock Keng Temple, which is Singapore’s older Buddhist temple. It is an elaborate architectural structure in southern Chinese style, fully restored to its former glory. The temple is coated with dragon and phoenix sculptures and is often decorated with paper lanterns. It greatly opposes the St Andrew’s Cathedral in design. St Andrew’s is a purely white structure with a Neo Gothic design and a minimalist spire. It is Singapore’s oldest Anglican house of worship and displays the diverse popularity of Singapore.

The Nature

The best place to start when appreciating the nature of Singapore is the 1,236-acre island resort of Sentosa. It’s home to tourist attractions like Universal Studios Singapore and the S.E.A. Aquarium, but the real draw is its beautiful fine sand beaches with its turquoise waters to swim in.

For those who like to walk there is The Southern Ridges. The over 6-mile recreational trail winds its way through five different nature parks along southern Singapore: Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserve, which unfortunately isn’t a puppy haven, but a beautiful wildlife reserve filled with tropical birds and gorgeous scenery. The Southern Ridges will have you walking amongst the jungle-like treetops.

When you’re done with that, you can visit the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which is a sanctuary for flora and fauna. It’s as wild as Singapore can offer, with 500 acres of land made up of mudflats, mangroves, ponds, and forests that house a biodiverse ecosystem of crabs, water snakes, lizards, otters, and an occasional crocodile.