Heading from Singapore to Malaysia? Check out our video episode on the two places here
1. Get a Singapore Sling at Raffles
The drink is famous for a reason – not to mention it was actually invented here – it is delicious and contains a tonne of booze, and it should at $28.00 a pop. Yeah it’s extremely expensive, but when you are sitting at the Long Bar at Raffles it feels like you stepped into a time machine to the roaring 20’s. The bar looks unchanged from its glory days of rich jetsetters making their way through the pearl of Asia, and sitting at the bar makes you feel like you are somehow connected to the hustlers, playboys, movers and shakers that once sat in the very seat you are now lounging in.
Singapore Slings at the Raffles Long Bar, Can't Be Beat.
2. Eat a meal at a hawker food market
Singapore is a crossroads for almost every type of culture that Asia has to offer, that being said the city/state offers some of the best selection of food available to a human being. Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western, Thai…the list goes on and if you can eat it you’ll find it in Singapore. The best places we found to eat were hawker stall food markets, they are spread out all over the city and offer a dizzying array of culinary delights and many of the ones off the main drags of the city offer a local dining experience. Half the time I was ordering I had no idea what the hell I was getting, I won some and I lost some, it was like playing roulette with your taste buds. You need to eat anyways, so ask someone on the street where the nearest market is…I guarantee its not that far. Just don’t go eating durian dishes in public places unless you want a $500 fine.
3. Practice bartering in China Town
Every city in the world has a Chinatown, in fact I bet Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai even have one! Whether or not that last tidbit is entirely accurate is up for debate, but Chinatown in Singapore definitely isn’t. If you are looking for Chinatown it is not hard to find it – paper lanterns line the street and small shops dot the avenues and alleyways that criss-cross through the area with no rhyme or reason. It actually feels like you are wandering around the hutongs of Beijing, albeit slightly less authentic. If you feel the desire to buy something, haggle, and haggle hard because if you walk away paying full price for anything (except food and drinks, that’s a no go area) you probably got ripped off. Even if you manage to knock a few dollars off that bootleg Justin Bieber shirt for you niece (nice coverup, we believe you) you will feel like you got a good deal even if it’s not entirely true. The whole area oozes with ambience, from old men playing cards and smoking cigarettes (China’s favourite pastime) to restaurants spewing steam out on the street, one thing is forsure: Chinatown Singapore is as legit as it gets.
Kicking It Down in China Town
4. Take in the bold colours of Little India
As if taking in Chinatown wasn’t enough of a culturally diverse experience, the next stop on the hit list is Little India. When you get there you don’t feel like you are in Singapore anymore, the streets are a little grittier and the assault on your senses, primarily the smell of delicious food, is a refreshing change from a city that is known for being overly sterilized. Every building you walk by is unique and like displays a smattering of colours from all over the spectrum, emerald green next to electric yellow next to sky blue, you probably will need shades to look at some of these buildings. The place is dotted with places of worship which easily take the cake in the aesthetics department and if you are felling the itch for some Indian food there is no better place in Singapore to be.
5. Walk along the Helix bridge at night
All cities sparkle at night – from the skyline of Hong Kong to the Red Square in Moscow – every city looks prettier when the sun goes down, and Singapore is no exception. In fact, I would go as far as saying that Singapore boasts some of the most magnificent city lights on the planet. The skyline is massive and almost converges into a full circle depending on where you stand. The best place we found was off the Helix bridge near Marina Bay. Here you can take in the dramatic lighting of the Esplanade, the Central Business District and the reigning Singapore Empire of Entertainment, Marina Bay. Bring a Camera and a tripod if you can, I guarantee you won’t regret it.
Helix Bridge By Night, Sparkles and Shimmers
