Singapore Travel Guide

When the sweltering outdoor heat gets too much, Singaporeans love ducking inside for a spot of retail therapy and a good dose of air-conditioning. Orchard Rd is the queen of shopping malls: with all the high-street brands, plenty of high-fashion houses, and a few discount outlets thrown into the mix, everyones needs (and more often wants) are catered for here. If you prefer your shopping a little less mass-market, head out to local neighbourhoods for independent designers, quirky art galleries, bustling markets, Chinese medicines, Persian carpets and a sari or two.

By Ria de Jong, Writer

Small enough to feel intimate yet big enough to retain a degree of mystery, Singapore is a place I love discovering again and again. The city sometimes feels like it's travelling at a breakneck speed into tomorrow with its futuristic architecture, high-speed efficiency and shiny image, but you only need to take a small step off the main drag into bustling village markets, smoky Chinese temples and heritage shophouse-lined streets to get a dose of its rich history and culture. Then theres the food: nothing stills my beating heart quite like a perfectly grilled satay and an ice-cold Tiger Beer.

Fragrant chicken rice, rich and nutty satay, sweet and sour rojak, spicy barbecue sambal stingray: Singapore's is the stuff of legend, and celebrity chefs, from Anthony Bourdain to the late New York Times writer Johnny Apple, have raved about the dazzling array of cheap, lip-smacking dishes available you'll even find one- and two-starred Michelin stalls! There's really no better way to get into Singapore's psyche than through its cuisine, so roll up your sleeves and get ready to sweat it out over steaming plates of tried, tested and perfected local favourites.