A fast-growing city with some unique architecture: Discover Singapore

Yes, it may have become quite the cliché over the years, but one of the first things I set out to do when I arrive in Singapore is sample its famous Singapore Sling.

I’m not the first tourist to do so, and I certainly won’t be the last; even at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon, in the Long Bar of Raffles Hotel – where this iconic cocktail was invented in 1915 – dozens of eager visitors are doing exactly the same thing. 

The frothy drink is pink (legend has it the barman who created it made it look fruity and feminine, so that women could start drinking alcohol in public). And, as its ingredients include gin, cherry brandy, Cointreau and Dom Benedictine, watered down only with pineapple and lime juice, it’s deceptively strong.

The tradition is to sit by the bar, under the idly moving ceiling fans, and sip yours while cracking open the handfuls of peanuts provided, tossing the shells casually onto the floor.  

Raffles hotel still retains its air of vintage glamour; first opened in 1887, this elegant, white, wedding cake of a building has welcomed guests of the calibre of Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin and Elizabeth Taylor. It’s named, like the Boulevard it sits on, after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the statesman who, effectively, founded the city of Singapore as a British colony in the early 19th Century. You can visit Boat Quay, the area where he was meant to have first landed, in January, 1819 – it’s commemorated with a statue. 

As a result of this colonisation, which lasted for 144 years, the Singapore of today is a compelling blend of England and Asia – a city-state of cocktails and cricket pitches, street food and saris. The three predominant ethnicities here are Chinese, Malay and Indian, and two of the most fascinating and vibrant neighbourhoods to explore are Chinatown and Little India. 

I check out Little India first, which is bound roughly by Racecourse Road and Jalan Besar street; it couldn’t be more vivid, or fragrant. Stallholders peddle exotic fruits, from tufted dragon fruit to the infamous durian (banned in public places due to its overpowering odour), or craft garlands from fresh flowers for worshippers to take to the elaborately-carved Hindu temples.

All around are vibrantly-coloured shop houses, the typical local buildings which combine a retail space at ground level and accommodation above, while the smell of curry wafts through the air.

Chinatown, located further south and a cinch to get to on Singapore’s cheap and efficient (and efficiently air-conditioned!) underground system, is a densely-packed collection of lantern-draped stalls, restaurants, and more ornate-fronted shop houses.

You can pick up just about anything here, from chopsticks to jade jewellery, and the atmosphere is lively. I stop off at the Chinese Heritage Centre, a fascinating museum which charts the history of the Chinese migrants who came to Singapore to supposedly find a better life in the 19th and 20th Centuries, but who ended up living in cramped quarters, working as labourers in low-paid jobs on rubber plantations or doing construction. Today, the Chinese make up roughly three quarters of the population. 

Alongside Singapore’s heritage is a modern, fast-growing city with some unique architecture. You won’t be able to miss iconic structures such as the spiky Esplanade theatre, which looks like two crouching armadillos, the ArtScience Museum, which resembles an unfurled lotus flower, and its neighbour, the three-legged Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Away from all the culture, Singapore has superb shopping and eating opportunities.

I enjoy strolling along Orchard Road, a long main street lined with futuristic malls (Ion Orchard and Paragon are particularly impressive) and standalone shops, from designer brands to high street. 

For a more boutique experience, the colourful cluster of lanes in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood, particularly Haji Lane, are lined with independent stores, as well as cafés and bars, many painted with huge murals.

And when you’re looking for somewhere to rest your weary feet and sample some food, you must make your way to Keong Saik Road in the downtown area.

It comes alive at night, as throngs of people sit outside bars and restaurants, offering food from Malay, Chinese and Indian to European. I settle at a table for the evening with a lychee martini, enjoying the final night of my wonderful mini-break in this colourful and cosmopolitan city.

Way to go

Singapore Airlines flies direct from the UK from £720 return, and you can book a Holiday Package which includes a range of hotels from £33 per person, per night, and transfers. For more info, see Singaporeair.com. For more visitor information, see visitsingapore.com.

Ten things you must do in Singapore

1 See the Merlion statue in Merlion Park. This mythical creature – half lion, half fish – is the official symbol of Singapore. 

2 Stroll by the impressive Masjid Sultan Mosque, in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood; painted white with a gold-domed roof, it’s best caught at dusk when the sun makes it glow. 

3 Stop to take a photo of the Old Hill Street Police Station, near the Central Business District; now an arts centre, its 927 window shutters are painted the colours of the rainbow. 

4 Admire the many classical-style, colonial buildings scattered through the city, from the Old Supreme Court to the Victoria Theatre, City Hall and the Old Parliament House.  

5 Spend an afternoon strolling around the Botanic Gardens (sbg.org.sg), which offer heritage trails, a rainforest and a treetop walk.

6 Sample Singapore’s national dish, “chicken rice”. Literally just steamed (sometimes roasted) chicken, served with rice boiled in chicken broth. Simple, but very tasty.

7 Catch a ride on the Singapore Trolley (singaporetrolley.com), a classic trolley bus that tours the main sights of the city. 

8 See the controversially designed Esplanade Theatre, which sits by the bay. Locals have compared it to an insect’s eyes, spiky durian fruit and a pair of amorous hedgehogs.

9 Take a cruise down the Singapore River (rivercruise.com.sg) in a bumboat, a small, traditional craft painted with eyes or faces at the front to ‘spot’ danger.

10 Visit the buzzing waterfront around Clarke Quay. It used to be an important sea-trading centre, and is now host to restaurants, bars and shops.