HOTELS:
*Raffles– An old British colonial hotel. Have their famous Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. If you don’t stay here, it is worth a visit for a drink at their bar.
*Marina Bay Sands– World famous for its architecture and the worlds largest rooftop infinity pool. Filled with restaurants, bars, casinos and luxury shopping.
*Hyatt or Marriott on Orchard Rd.- Great location!
*Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa– On Sentosa Island (quick drive over the bridge) is one of the most family friendly hotels in Singapore with a great pool, beach front property and a kids club.
*Fullerton Bay– Love the decor and location of this hotel right on the Marina Bay with amazing views from every room!!! Rooftop pool and bar that becomes quite the scene after the sun goes down.
*Capella– A hotel on Sentosa Island made up of colonial buildings set on acres of rainforest. It’s known for its spa & wellness program and 5 star customer service.
*St. Regis– Location, location, location……close to Tanglin mall, Botanical Gardens, restaurants, etc..
*Warehouse– A new restored heritage building created into a unique modern boutique hotel.
SIGHTS:
*Botanical Gardens– This is one of my favorite places in Singapore. There is always so much going on, concerts, running groups, tai chi, picnics, etc. and the park is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is the Jacob Ballas children’s garden, an orchid garden, open-air concerts at symphony lake that are free, a rain forest walking trail and much more. Have lunch at the Halia or the Corner House!
*Sentosa Island– It takes about 5 minutes to cross the bridge to Sentosa Island, where there are a variety of activities to fill a day-especially with kids. The ones I recommend are: Universal Studios, the S.E.A. Aquarium, Skyline luge Sentosa (ride a luge down the mountain and take a chairlift up) and brunching/boozing at the Tanjong beach club (bring your suit for the pool). There is so much more to do with the Adventure Cove Waterpark, Resorts World, etc. but I would spend the rest of the time in Singapore. Also don’t forget to walk over the suspension bridge (near the Shangri-la) where you will be at the southern most point of continental Asia.
*Take a double decker bus through city tours
*The Singapore Zoo– We loved this place because it is much more than a zoo. It has an amazing water park and night safari.
*Jurong Bird Park– One of Asia’s largest bird parks with more than 5,000 birds with fun exhibits and interactive shows
*Arab Street / Little India / China Town– For the “real” Singapore, explore these 3 areas which you can do in half a day. There are mosques, you can shop for textiles, visit temples, buy spices, eat local food and enjoy the diverse ethnic experience each area has to offer.
*The Singapore Flyer- Experience what was once the highest ferris wheel in the world.
*Clark Quaye– Take a bumboat down the river to see the Merlion statue, the Fullerton Hotel, Boat Quay, Clark Quay, etc.. You can do a day cruise or a night cruise and they run @ 25 SGD for @ 45 minutes.
*Asian Civilizations Museum– I haven’t been here but have heard it’s a great place to learn about the diverse heritage cultures of Singapore.
*Gardens By The Bay– Around 250 acres of gardens including a flower dome, forest of clouds, a night light show and so much more. The domes are air conditioned which is a nice break from the heat. The Gardens are close to the Marina Bay Sands hotel.
FOOD:
*Lukes– Upscale oyster bar and chophouse on Orchard Road
*Dempsey Cookhouse and Bar– Good food in a casual garden setting by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
*Odette– Michelin star french fine dining restaurant in Marina Bay
*Level 33– Craft-brewery and lounge with amazing views known as the world’s highest microbrewery
*Artemis– Another roof top restaurant that serves modern Mediterranean food
*The Fat Prince– Middle-Eastern cafe with swanky Turkish decor that serves great kabobs and duck fat hummus!
*Noodles– Tiny noodle bar in the Orchard hotel where they serve handmade noodles to order
*Jing Hua Xiao Chi– Casual local place, famous for it’s steam dumplings and soup dumplings
*Jumbo Seafood– You can’t leave Singapore without having tasted their famous chili and black pepper crab! Located in Clark Quay, this establishment has been around for years and is quite popular.
*Decker BBQ– A small casual establishment that is run by close friends of ours and is becoming the hot spot for traditional Texas BBQ, serving slow cooked overnight brisket and ribs that are so tender the meat falls off the bone!
*Violet Oon– Violet Oon is a well known asian chef specializing in Nyonya food (a fusion of chinese and malay food) and has 3 restaurants in Singapore.
*PS. Cafe– This was my go to place for lunch whenever in Singapore, there are many branches but go to the one in Dempsey Hill, which is a great area with colonial flare full of shops and great restaurants.
SHOPPING:
*Tanglin Mall– This place has some of my favorite shops and can be a 1 stop shopping experience where you can find a variety of essentials….Hana Lee is a great jewelery store for casual accessories, Tiffany’s for knock off pucci dresses, Firefly for holiday beach dresses, Seed Heritage- love their childrens’ clothing and House of AnLi to find European home decor!
*Orchard Road– famous road with everything from high end fashion to everyday retail
*Cluny Court– If you need a break from a mall, this area across from the Botanical Gardens houses 39 unique shops where you can find everything from housewares to clothes to food. Don’t miss Bungalow 55 for home decor!