Things to Do in Singapore

Lining the Singapore River, the renovated riverside warehouses and ‘godown’ shophouses of historic Clarke Quay make up one of Singapore’s major wining and dining precincts.

Now pedestrianised and home to shops, restaurants, nightclubs, river cruise bumboats and floating cafes, the precinct pays homage to Singapore’s river trade and colonial history.

Clarke Quay is a good place to look for varied cuisines, from Italian to brewhouse and fine French, and relaxed outdoor bars with riverfront views. It’s also where you’ll find Singapore’s wild Reverse Bungy adventure ride.

Sipping a Singapore Sling cocktail in the wicker and palm ambiance of Raffles Hotel is a Singapore must-do experience. With its tropical garden courtyard and elegant galleried architecture, the terracotta-roofed white hotel has been a byword for colonial elegance since 1887. It was named after the founder of Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

Swags of famous names from Noël Coward to Somerset Maugham have stayed here, along with more recent stars like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. You can learn more about the building’s history and see fascinating ephemera at the on-site Raffles Museum. If you’re not staying here, dress up to experience high tea in the Tiffin Room, or order that Singapore Sling in the Long Bar. The hotel has a swag of other upmarket restaurants, cafes and watering holes.

As Southeast Asia’s first ever movie theme park, Universal Studios Singapore® contains 20 fun rides, including five large roller coasters and two water-based rides. The park was first opened in 2011 after mega-director Steven Spielberg signed on as a creative consultant to aid with its layout.

The family-oriented park offers a slew of exciting attractions that includes a festive walk, water park, marine life park and maritime experiential museum and aquarium. The area also includes some of internationally recognized accommodations such as the Hard Rock and Equaius hotels.

In all, Universal Studios Singapore, which is located on Sentosa Island, covers just over 20 hectares, or 49 acres, of space and features rides from some of the most famous movies ever produced, including the Transformers, Madagascar and The Lost World. The park even manages to accurately mimic the streets of New York, Hollywood and ancient Egypt in separate themed zones.

Singapore’s River Safari, the world’s first river-themed wildlife park, recently introduced the first visitors to its 5,000 animal inhabitants during a soft opening in April 2013. The 30-acre (12-hectare) park presents the world of freshwater aquatic animals to guests with a series of walkthrough exhibits inspired by eight iconic rivers, the Mississippi, Nile, Amazon, Congo, Ganges, Mekong and Yangtze.

Of the animals on display, representing some 300 species, the Giant River Otter and the Giant Salamander stand out as rare highlights. Not all the animals at the River Safari are aquatic, however. You’ll also find an ever popular pair Giant Pandas in Southeast Asia’s largest Panda exhibit, the Giant Panda Forest, as well as squirrel monkeys, jaguars, giant anteaters and Brazilian tapirs in the Wild Amazonia area of the park.

Later in the year, the park is set to open the Amazon River Quest, a river boat ride through the Wild Amazonia exhibit.

There are a number of places to scope out Singapore’s cityscape and the historic Boat Quay is among the best. Once the epicenter of maritime trade, the famous Quay now boasts loads of great restaurants and bars housed in well-preserved old shop houses. Complete with open-air terraces, these mainstays of the Quay are heralded for not only their terrific viewpoint, but reasonably priced sea food as well.

Open through the late hours of the evening, one can sit back there and take a midday break from the urban sightseeing or have a romantic dinner as the city lights glimmer on the waterfront. The pedestrian area also contains a few great nightclubs and pubs, for those looking to stay out a bit later.

Among the structures you can spot from the Quay are the Parliament House and Empress Place Building along the North Boat Quay Promenade as well as the famous Fullerton Hotel.

Considered a bird watchers paradise, Jurong Bird Park in fabulous Singapore is the world's largest. With more than an astounding 600 different kinds of species, the park provides a wide array of shows and attractions that are sure to educate even the most avid bird-watcher.

Whether it is the 'Birds of Prey' exhibit, which shows eagles and falcons soaring above, the 'Penguin Exhibition,' with more than 200 penguins and multiple species, or the insightful realm of flightless birds, one of the enjoyable qualities of the park is that many of the exhibits are as educational as they are visually stimulating.

Similarly, with the Children's Parrot Show located at the Pools Amphitheatre, where the kids can see four beautiful and diverse kinds of parrots perform tricks for them, there is little reason to skip out on the landscaped wonderment of the park.