Singapore is situated on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula just one degree north of the equator, a global transport hub with air and sea connections to the rest of the world.

Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links.

Now a world-class cosmopolitan city, Singapura – the Lion City – has many reminders of its founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, the British colonial administrator and historian. His statue can be found along the Singapore River near the Parliament House and his name is carried by the city's most famous hotel. 

There are in fact two Raffles statues. This white version is located at the historic Raffles Landing Site where it is believed Raffles first set foot on the island in 1819. The statue is a copy of the original dark bronze statue and was placed here in 1972 to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Singapore's founding. If you want to see the much older original, sculpted by renowned English sculptor and poet Thomas Woolner, it's just a short stroll away in front of Victoria Memorial Hall at Empress Place.

Emerald Hill

Most travellers will be familiar with the more touristy places like Orchard Road, Bugis Street and Sentosa Island, but I want to draw attention to some other attractions, either less publicised or not as long established. One of these is Emerald Hill Road, a neighbourhood and conservation area located just off of Orchard Road.

Emerald Hill was settled by the Peranakans – descendants of 16^th-century Chinese traders who became completely immersed in local culture. Also known as the Baba-Nyonyas or Straits Chinese, the Peranakans were the middlemen between the British and Chinese and, as a result, were quite powerful and wealthy.

Emerald Hill Road was laid out in 1901 and construction of the Peranakan-style shophouses began shortly afterwards. Most of the buildings that survive were built between 1905 and 1925 and you'll also spot Chinese Baroque and art deco architectural styles. Look for the grand entrance gates, ornate friezes, wooden window shutters and, if you can get around to the back, the external spiral staircases. 

 Today, Emerald Hill remains an upmarket neighbourhood and the historical buildings have been restored to their former glory. Emerald Hill was also the setting for some of the short stories by Singaporean author, Goh Sin Tub.

Marina Bay

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore's premier horticultural attraction for local and international visitors, was opened just 10 years ago. It is a 101-hectare showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry that presents the plant kingdom in a whole new way, entertaining while educating visitors with plants seldom seen in this part of the world, including species from cool and temperate climates.  

There's an indoor forest housing a 35-metre-tall waterfall and a number of so-called supertrees that twinkle after dark. The trees are made of a core of reinforced concrete wrapped in a steel frame. Real plants grow on special panels affixed to the frame and some of the trees are equipped with solar panels to generate power for the evening's light shows.

There's also a flower dome that holds the world's largest greenhouse. Gardens by the Bay is located just minutes from the Marina Bay Sands hotel, dining and shopping complex by walking across the Lions Bridge overpass.

Riverside

Clarke Quay and the surrounding Riverside area house Singapore's contemporary nightlife venues, as well as numerous excellent restaurants where you can grab a meal by the waters' edge, any time of day. 

Lining the two riverbanks just upstream from the administrative and financial districts, old colonial shophouses and moored Chinese junks of Clarke Quay and Boat Quay have been converted into chic pubs, restaurants and nightclubs.

Robertson Quay, slightly west of Clarke Quay, has more of the same but is generally a bit more relaxed and tranquil.

Chinatown

Singapore, like most Asian cities and indeed some Western cities, has a Chinatown, but it needs some explanation. Despite its name, Chinatown is not the exclusive domain of the ethnic Chinese. Being a multi-racial and multi-cultural society since its founding, Singapore has evolved eclectically. From Chinatown's very early days, Indians and Muslims have lived alongside the Chinese. Indian temples, mosques and churches can be found alongside Chinese temples and monasteries.

The present Chinatown that is featured in tourism promotions and marketed as Chinatown is in fact the Cantonese section of a larger Singapore Chinatown, but it is the official Chinatown. This Chinatown continued to develop as Singapore prospered. From as early as the 1950s, people began setting up stalls offering a range of goods and gradually it developed into a night market.

This vibrant night market with its noise, crowds, range of goods and food stalls began attracting tourists as well and was featured in many postcards for three decades until the 1980s. The night market ended on 30 September 1983 when the stalls were relocated into a high-rise complex. To many Singaporeans and even tourists, this move was a mistake that killed the spirit of Chinatown.

In 2001 Smith Street was converted into a food street, and in 2003 stalls offering souvenirs were reintroduced. Chinatown was alive again.

Today, Geylang in Singapore has emerged as a new Chinatown with a totally different character. Now Singapore has two Chinatowns: an "Official Chinatown" and a "People's Chinatown" in Geylang.

There are countless other attractions including Little India, the Botanic Gardens, Singapore Zoo, the Singapore Flyer (a bit like the London Eye but 30 metres higher) and cruises on the Singapore River.

Public transport

Getting around is pretty easy as Singapore is connected by a comprehensive rail system called the MRT that traverses the whole country with multiple stops in every area. There is also an efficient public bus service operated by SMRT Buses, as well as other bus companies, making all the places of interest highly accessible.

Useful links

​Visit Singapore - Passion Made Possible - Visit Singapore Official Site