The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Sink your teeth into the Lion City
As Singapore becomes the first country in Asia to open its doors to Britons, Lee Cobaj reveals why you should pay a visit
t is Asia’s financial powerhouse, home to colonial-era edifices and sci-fi architecture, glow-in-thedark gardens, awesome art, superb shopping, sophisticated nightlife and vibrant heritage communities. It has year-round sunshine, some of the best food on the planet and fabulous hotels, from grande dames and designer highrises to big family-friendly resorts.
After 20 months of border closures, Singapore is the first country in Asia to reopen its doors to international travellers, welcoming fully vaccinated visitors from 10 countries, including South Korea, Brunei, the United States, Canada, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands and – wait for it – the United Kingdom from Tuesday.
Since the UK Government eased the rules for fully vaccinated travellers, double-jabbed Britons can now visit without the need to quarantine on either side (though there are still some minor administrative hoops to jump through, including a PCR test).
While the city state is opening up its borders, some Covid restrictions remain. This month, social distancing measures were tightened to thwart the spread of the virus, including limiting social gatherings to two and requiring a vaccination certificate for entry to restaurants. Masks are mandatory in public (unless aged six or under) and alcohol is not available in restaurants after 10.30pm. Attractions, shows and museums are operating at 50 per cent capacity. Singapore assesses its measures every two weeks, so October 25 is the earliest the rules could be lifted.
If you are planning a trip to the Lion City, here are my suggestions: pore’s hawker centres serve up an amazing array of authentic local dishes. Hit the Chinatown Centre for barbecue pork and the Old Airport Road Food Centre for shrimp rice rolls, seafood barbecue and fiery laksa.
LOSE YOURSELF IN THE
CLOUD FOREST
You can spend a whole day – and night –at Gardens by the Bay (gardensbythebay.com.sg). The billion-dollar horticultural attraction is split into three parts: the misty Cloud Forest biodome, the kaleidoscopic Flower Dome and the free Supertree Grove. All are fascinating, but if you’re pushed for time go for the latter. Each evening, at 7.45pm and 8.45pm, its forest of 16-storey solar-powered robo-trees pulse, flicker, twinkle and glow during the wondrous Garden Rhapsody show like something out of Avatar.
DRINK IT ALL IN ON
A BAR CRAWL
Singapore has bagged no fewer than 12 spots on 2021’s 50 Best Bars in Asia list, more than enough for an upscale bar crawl. Begin with Smoked Bananas (smoked malt whisky, banana puree and chocolate liqueur) at Jigger & Pony (jiggerandpony.com), before taking a 10-minute stroll to the Old Man (theoldmansg.com) for old fashioned cocktails served clear, having been passed through a centrifuge. Later, take Manhattan (regentsingapore.com. sg), two-time winner of the Best Bar in Asia award, which channels the Great Gatsby through its drinks and decor.
PICK YOUR PERFECT ISLAND
ADVENTURE
If you’re looking for family fun, Sentosa Island (sentosa.com.sg), on the southern tip of Singapore, is where you’ll find it. Ride roller coasters at Universal Studios, zig-zag down hillsides on go-carts, fly through the jungle canopy on zip wires, stand-up paddleboard, Segway, simulate a skydive, go birdwatching… Guaranteed the wee ones will be exhausted by the time you get them home.
TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO
CHINATOWN
Marvel at garish gold temples, haggle over pretty paper lanterns, get a reflexology foot massage and chow down on crispy noodles in a cool courtyard café in the ever-lively Chinatown. To delve deeper into the area’s history, make a stop at the fascinating Chinatown Heritage Centre (chinatown.sg), set inside a row of gorgeous old shophouses and containing interactive exhibitions that will have you gasping at the grit and indefatigability of Singapore’s early Chinese immigrants.
SATISFY ALL YOUR SENSES
IN LITTLE INDIA
Spice traders, gold merchants, sari shops and hardware stores (selling aftershave with names like Black Panther and Love Machine) spill out on to the pavement from rainbow-bright shophouses in the district known as Little India. Go for the eye candy – the wondrous Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, adorned with sculptures of hundreds of Hindu gods – and stay for the banana leaf curries.
SHOP FOR SOUVENIRS, BOOKS
AND FASHION
While Orchard Road has no shortage of glitzy malls, more interesting shopping can be found elsewhere. Head to Bugis (bugisjunction-mall.com.sg), a busy indoor market and one-stop shop for kitsch souvenirs, bargain fashion buys and glitzy gadgets. Or Tiong Bahru, a 1930s housing estate with art deco architecture, geek-chic pavement cafés and hip boutiques. Visit Books Actually for some coffee table swag. Haji Lane is where the fashionable folk come to shop for cute dresses from top Korean designers, handcrafted Himalayan hammocks and vintage Chinese spectacles.
TAKE A WALK ON THE
WILD SIDE
Outdoor types can make tracks for the MacRitchie Reservoir rainforest. A seven-mile trail that loops through jungle, over lakes and around stilted pavilions, the park is peppered with rare migratory birds, macaque monkeys, monitor lizards and plantain squirrels – if you’re lucky you might even spot a pangolin, one of the rarest creatures on earth. The park’s showpiece is its Treetop Walk, an 820ft suspension bridge with spectacular views across the rainforest canopy.