Singapore is fun.
It is difficult to shortlist the ‘must-see’s. The 10 locations are among the most popular Singapore attractions that you’d not want to miss.
Merlion Park
the statue of a lion head and fish tail, known as Merlion, is the icon of Singapore the Lion City.
There are more than one Merlion statue in Singapore. The one found in Merlion Park is the most popular among them. It is located opposite the landmark hotel One Fullerton, facing the scenic Marina Bay.
Orchard Road
Singapore is great city for shoppers. Talking about shopping area in Singapore, Orchard Road is one that will come on top of the list. It is the best known shopping street in Singapore — and perhaps Southeast Asia. Spanning almost 2.2km, there is one shopping mall after another, each a shopper’s haven for shoppers of any taste or budget.
Some of the excellent malls along Orchard Road include the new malls ION Orchard, Orchard Central and Mandarin Gallery. Other well-known shopping centers that have been around for some time include Far East Plaza, Shaw House, Tangs, Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City, Paragon, The Heeren, The Centrepoint and Plaza Singapura.
The Sentosa Island
The Sentosa Island is the best known resort island of Singapore, located in the southern part of Singapore. It has recently gone through a major face lift, and is packed with attractions. You can spend one whole day there — especially if you are travelling with young children.
The latest attraction of the island is its Resorts World, an enormous integrated resort where you can find Singapore’s first casino. If you are traveling with children, you’ll not want to miss the Universal Studios theme park. There are exciting shopping malls and hotels in the integrated resort.
Other attractions include from Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon, Fort Siloso to beautiful beaches. At night, do not miss the magical musical fountain multimedia extravaganza that transforms the island into a mystical land.
The Singapore Zoo is highly acclaimed as one of the world’s most spectacular zoos.
It is an “open” zoo, in the sense that it uses natural barriers like streams, rock and plants to separate you from the animals. This allows you to be close enough to the animals, making you feeling as if in the animal kingdom. Spreading over 28 hectares, the zoo is home to over 3,600 mammals, birds and reptiles, including rare and endangered species.
Do not miss the Singapore Night Safari.
It is the first dedicated premier night zoos in the world, with over 1,000 nocturnal animals. The animals are grouped in zones. So that you can travel through geographic regions like the Southeast Asian rainforest, African savanna, Nepalese river valley, South American pampas and Burmese jungle.
Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park is the largest, and one of the finest bird parks in the world.
It is a 20.2 hectare open-concept park. Its collection includes more than 8,000 birds from 600 species. The park is meant to be both entertaining and educational, targeting at the whole family. Its key attractions include the Bird Discovery Centre, African Waterfall Aviary, Lory Loft Aviary, Southeast Asian Birds Aviary and the award-winning African Wetlands.
The Bird Park attract nearly a million visitors a year.
Chinatown
Chinatown Singapore is the heritage area in Singapore that you’d not want to miss. It is full of activity all year round. It is a place where you can indulge yourself in the traditional Chinese delicacies, shop in street market, and pay respects in the Chinese temples. Interestingly, in the Chinatown are famous Indian temples and mosques that are worth visiting.
Little India
In Little India of Singapore, you’ll feel as if you are in India. There are endless of things Indian for you to discover, from spices, jewellery, jasmine garlands, silk saris to parrot fortune tellers operating from the corridor.
It is a very exciting place during Indian festivals. During Deepavali the Indian Festival of Lights, usually falls around October and November, Little India is lit up and transformed into a fairyland of lights. During Thaipusam that falls in Jan or Feb each year, you are able to witness the devotees piercing their cheeks, tongue, face or other body parts with sharp objects in the rituals
Arab Street
Arab Street is the place where you can take a glimpse of the Arabian culture in Singapore. In addition to sheeshas (tobacco pipes) and cigars and Oriental carpets, you can also find a variety of ethnic Arab goods, such as Qurans, prayer mats, apparel and wicker products. The famous Sultan Mosque is just around the corner.
Singapore River
The Singapore River allows you a glimpse to the country’s past, and let you feel the pulse of its present. In the background is the skyscrapers of the financial center. Take a stroll along the river will gives you a quick insight into Singapore’s historical and commercial beginnings. Along the river bank you can see the Raffles’ Landing Site, the Padang, Boat Quay and Fullerton Hotel. If you like, take a river cruise to appreciate the century-old godowns and shop houses restored to their original grandeur. At night, you can enjoy good foods and partying along Boat Quay and Clark Quay.
The 150-year old Singapore Botanic Gardens is a star visitor attraction for the sophisticated traveller as well as the local resident. This Gardens possesses an array of botanical and horticultural attractions with a rich history and a wonderful plant collection of worldwide significance. Complementing these unique resources are sensitive developments providing visitors educational and recreational facilities.
