Lonely Planet Singapore , livre ebook

Singapore

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Singapore
Singapore’s Top Experiences
What’s New
Need to Know
First Time Singapore
Perfect Days
Month By Month
With Kids
Like a Local
For Free
Under the Radar Singapore
Guided Tours & River Cruises
Dining Out
Bar Open
Entertainment & Activities
Treasure Hunt

Explore Singapore

Neighbourhoods at a Glance
Colonial District, Marina Bay & the Quays
Top Experience: Explore the Asian Civilisations Museum
Sights
Neighbourhood Walk: Colonial to Cutting Edge
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar & the CBD
Top Experience: Discover Chinatown Heritage Centre
Sights
Eating
Neighbourhood Walk: Chinatown
Drinking & Nightlife
Local Life: A Lazy Morning in Tiong Bahru
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Little India & Kampong Glam
Sights
Neighbourhood Walk: Little India
Eating
Local Life: An Afternoon in Jalan Besar
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Orchard Road
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Shopping
Eastern Singapore
Top Experience: Understand Changi Museum & Chapel
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Northern & Central Singapore
Top Experience: Go Wild at Singapore Zoo
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Holland Village, Dempsey Hill & the Botanic Gardens
Top Experience: Stroll in Singapore Botanic Gardens
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Shopping
Activities
West & Southwest Singapore
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Sentosa Island
Top Experience: Get your thrills at Universal Studios
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Sports & Activities
Islands & Day Trips from Singapore
Sleeping

Understand Singapore

Understand Singapore
History
Singapore’s Melting Pot
Architectural Wonders
Singlish: A Primer

Survival Guide

Transport
Arriving in Singapore
Changi Airport
Bus
Sea
Train
Getting Around
Mass Rapid Transit
Bus
Taxi
Bicycle
Boat
Car & Motorcycle
Directory A–Z
Accessible Travel
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Emergency
Health
Internet Access
LGBTIQ+ Travellers
Medical Services
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Taxes & Refunds
Telephone
Time
Tourist Information
Visas
Behind the Scenes
Singapore Maps
1 Colonial District & The Quays
2 Marina Bay
3 North Central Singapore
4 Chinatown
5 Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar & CBD
6 Little India & Kampong Glam
7 Northeast Singapore
8 Eastern Singapore
9 Orchard Road
10 Holland Village, Dempsey Hill & the Botanic Gardens
11 Southwest Singapore
12 West Singapore
13 Sentosa Island
Our Writer

COVID-19
We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.
Welcome to Singapore

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 to get a dose of its rich history and culture. Then there’s the food: nothing stills my beating heart quite like perfectly grilled satay and an ice-cold Tiger Beer.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple | ANUCHIT KAMSONGMUEANG/GETTY IMAGES ©

By Ria de Jong, Writer

@ria_in_transit @ria_in_transit
For more about our writers
Singapore’s Top Experiences

1 THE ISLAND OF FEASTING
Singapore takes food very seriously. From cheap hawker fare to Michelin-starred fine dining, food-enamoured Singaporeans queue for it, Instagram the hell out of it and passionately debate whether it’s ‘die, die, must try’ – Singlish slang for ‘to die for’. A food odyssey awaits.

Newton Food Centre | AHBOON.NET/SHUTTERSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Odette
With three shiny Michelin stars, chef Julien Royer knows how to deliver an out-of-body gastronomic experience. From the muted pink interiors, floating aerial installation, glass-enclosed kitchen, perfect French-inspired menu and immaculate service – it’s five (well, three) stars all the way.

Pigeon Fabien Deneour | PREMSHREE PILLAI/FLICKR, CREATIVE COMMONS BY-NC-ND 2.0 ©

Newton Food Centre
Rachel Chu got her first taste of Singaporean hawker fare here in the 2018 blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians , and it’s the perfect spot to begin your Singapore food journey . Check the local favourites board at the entrance, bags a table and order up a storm.

RUSLAN KALNITSKY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
The world’s first hawker to be awarded a Michelin star, humble Hawker Chan is now part of a shiny, fast growing franchise. However, things haven’t changed much at the original location in Chinatown Complex, bar the snazzy new sign, and the tender soy sauce chicken is definitely worth the wait.

TANG YAN SONG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Singapore’s Top Experiences
2 KNOCK-OUT VISTAS
With it’s abundance of modern, shiny skyscrapers and iconic landmark buildings (think the gravity-defying floating ship silhouette of Marina Bay Sands), it’s no surprise that as night falls and the city lights twinkle punters clamour for the best viewing seats in town – preferably perched with a cold drink in hand.

CÉ LA VI Skybar
Views from Marina Bay Sands’ cantilevered rooftop are breathtaking, on a clear day you can spot Malaysia inland and Indonesia out to sea. It’s worth arriving early to nab a piece of prime viewing real estate in the Sky Lounge, from here the city vista will smack you in the face plus you can peer across the world-famous infinity pool.

The view from CÉ LA VI | BENNY MARTY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Smoke and Mirrors
Atop the imposing National Gallery Singapore , this swanky bar offers a spectacular view framed by towering skyscrapers, over the Padang and onwards to Marina Bay Sands. Bonus that the bartenders take their tipples seriously – expect your drink to be same level knockout as the view.

Smoke and Mirrors | FIFTYMM99/GETTY IMAGES ©

ION Sky
If you need to clear your head during a heady day of Orchard Road retail therapy, use your shopping receipts (you’ll need to have spent S$20 at ION Orchard that day) to book yourself a ride up to the clouds. The view from the 56th level is a sight to behold, and just worth the polava of getting a ticket.

View from ION Sky | PHTTRT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Singapore’s Top Experiences
3 HISTORICAL HAUNTS
History buffs will feverishly devour Singapore’s highly acclaimed and impeccably executed world-class museums. Dive in and discover priceless regional treasures, learn about the melting pot of cultures which call this island home and of course how it all came to be.

National Museum of Singapore
There’s nothing stuffy about Singapore’s National Museum , here staid exhibits have made way for cutting-edge multimedia galleries that take visitors on a vivid journey through Singapore’s action-packed history.

National Museum of Singapore | SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Chinatown Heritage Centre
Garner a snapshot of the harsh, and often dangerous, reality of the Chinese immigrants who gave this neighbourhood its name.

Chinatown Heritage Centre | RIA DE JONG/LONELY PLANET ©

Battlebox
Hidden under Fort Canning Hill’s lush foliage, this mazelike 26-room underground WWII bunker is where some of Singapore’s most historic moments unfolded.

Battlebox | CLEOP6ATRA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Singapore’s Top Experiences
4 GREAT GREENWAYS
Singapore’s ‘City in a Garden’ masterplan has seen a network of parks, gardens and nature reserves connecting and greening this once concrete-heavy metropolis. Lace up your walking shoes, pack plenty of water, douse yourself in mosquito repellent and set off to discover the island’s swathes of wilderness.

MacRitchie Reservoir | CHONNIKARNKAMSING/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

MacRitchie Reservoir
A hike through this patch of dense rainforest , which teams with a mind-blowing array of flora and fauna (do not to feed the monkeys), is elevated to new heights with the sweeping views from the 25m-high Treetop Walk.

Southern Ridges
Take in jungle and city vistas as you meander on forest-canopy walkways, over the sculptural Henderson Waves bridge and through manicured gardens on this 10km walking trail connecting Kent Ridge Park to Mt Faber and the Labrador Nature Reserve .

Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve
If you’re hoping to spot some wildlife in the wilderness, a trip to this wetland reserve should be top of your list. In amongst the mangroves, mudflats, ponds and forest, you’ll easily spot migratory birds, mudskippers, monitor lizards and possibly an estuarine crocodile.


Singapore’s Top Experiences
5 ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS
A meander through the Colonial District will have you admiring several imposing historical treasures but a quick glance across Marina Bay and you’ll be awed by futuristic, out-of-this-world designs. Neighbourhood districts are dotted with ornate temples, terraced shophouses and the somewhat visually soothing uniformly designed public housing estates (HBDs).

Peranakan Terrace Houses
You’ll spot decorated shophouses in many of the city’s heritage areas, but none are