The country of Singapore is, by any and all definitions, a city. This magnificently sprawling metropolis is filled to the brim with the colors of a melting pot of cultures and life all crammed into one of the smallest nations on Earth. Ride the buses, walk the streets, join the festivals, and navigate the markets. This is a city of sights to see for sure, but the true beauty of this place is in the interaction of so many different groups, religions, ethnicities, demographics, and people living life together.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

I can’t not mention the Marina Bay Sands as part of Singapore. This is the world famous three hotel towers with the boat shaped thingy going across the top. It is a landmark for the city and visible from most of the metropolitan area. A few years ago, with a little confidence, you could find your way into a hotel elevator and make your way to the top for free. Now, you either need to be staying at the Marina Bay Sands or you need to buy a ticket for the elevators on the east side of the building to a viewing area up top. Otherwise, the area beneath the hotel houses a mall full of upscale boutiques and luxury items as well as a huge food court with everything you could imagine, a world class casino, and even an indoor river with boat ride options. Make sure to check this stop off however you see fit, there is a lot to do.

Gardens By The Bay

The fake trees of Singapore’s botanical garden or “Gardens by the Bay” are another highly recognizable and necessary stop on the tourist trail of the city. 18 of these “supertrees” are scattered about the grounds of the gardens, but 12 of them sit comfortably in the central grove. A few of these are scalable for an extra fee, and one even has a café sitting among the fake branches overhead. All of which sits in the shadow of the towering Marina Bay Sands.

Haw Par Villa

This is one of my favorite stops in Singapore just thanks to its amazing weirdness. A short bus ride from downtown, Haw Par Villa is the physical legacy of the two brothers that brought the world Tiger Balm. If you have not tried tiger balm, get some while in town as Singapore is where it all started. The Villa is a sprawling garden full of strange and wonderful creatures displayed in varying levels of creepy, weird, or just incomprehensible. The different areas or scenes of these structures tell various stories from belief, myth, legend, and fairy tales. Some are accompanied by English explanation, but others you will just have to work out for yourself. The main garden is free and takes some time to explore in its entirety. There is an attached area that is now closed off and requires a ticket which is a walkthrough diorama type experience of the various circles of hell. So that’s something as well.

Little India

Little India Singapore lies just north of downtown, right outside of the historic area and high rise buildings. Together with Chinatown, these two ethnic neighborhoods are some of the most interesting streets in this island country. Little India is busy. Crazy busy. All times of day, all kinds of weather, holidays or workdays, the streets of little India are full. Every block or so, an ornately adorned and brightly painted temple gateway interrupts countless business doors leading to anything you might need. A few food halls and multileveled city markets take over entire blocks. Alleyways wind between the streets, some making for shortcuts, some to dead ends, and others have been converted into busy markets of their own. And everywhere, through all of this, is the food. Delicious smells of turmeric and curry and saffron and cinnamon mingle with the not so delicious smells of hectic city life. This is an area to simply get lost in and find yourself somewhere excellent in no time.

Raffles Hotel And The Singapore Sling

You may have heard of it before. You may actually know what it is. But in case you are unaware, the world famous Singapore Sling cocktail was created at the Raffles Hotel right near the bay in downtown Singapore. To do it right, visit “The Long Bar” in the hotel for the full experience. Just know, that if on a budget, this one drink will set you back SGD$38 or about USD$28. There are countless other places in the city to get the famous beverage, but if you need to have the original, that will have to be here at the Raffles Hotel.

Esplanade Theaters

The most visited area of the entire city has to be the Marina Bay. Around the outside of this little waterway lies the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino, the botanical gardens, the famous Merlion statue, the Helix bridge, the giant Ferris wheel, a lotus shaped building that is actually a science museum, and the Esplanade Theaters on the Bay. I suggest starting your circumnavigation of the Marina Bay here at the theaters building. This is a cultural center with cafes and performances and art displays through many different floors and well worth your time to explore. But the highlight is a free elevator ride to the rooftop where you have an unparalleled view of several of the most iconic landmarks in entire city. Below you, people will be fighting for selfie space on the boardwalk. Meanwhile, you will probably have the rooftop to yourself.

China Town Food Streets And Night Market

The Chinatown night market is another quintessential stop on any visit to Singapore. It keeps expanding over the years, but is generally located around Temple, Pagoda, and Smith street in Chinatown near the weirdly name Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Souvenirs and local sweets are for sale next to knock off handbags, second hand clothing, and flower arrangements. Food stalls are interspersed between the various vendors, but most people find dinner at one of the countless restaurants hidden behind the market. There are many Chinese options of course, but western bars, Indian cafeterias, and quaint European cafes have managed to invade here and there so options abound.

Tekka Centre Food Hall In Little India

If you are staying anywhere in Little India in Singapore, you have seen countless curry cafeterias up and down the roads hawking all sorts of wonderful Indian food. Some dishes you may recognize, some are blended with Singaporean or Malay cuisine. Tekka Centre is my favorite place to see it all together. This is one of the many many market halls in Singapore, but the ground floor is a massive food court selling primarily Indian food. Close to 50 stalls preparing different curries, pakora, dosa, naan, and tandoori delights are interspersed with carts and stalls selling literally 30+ kinds of tea and coffee. The best way to visit is to get a group and spread out, order many different things and then dine family style at one table. This is what the locals do.

Lau Pa Sat Downtown Food Hall

Lau Pa Sat is the upscale CBD work lunch or happy hour style food hall downtown that still manages to have a local feel. Many other areas in the city are packed with restaurants and western chain bars. Lau Pa Sat seems authentic, just cleaner and clearer than some of the other market food halls. Outside, satay sellers line the street offering dinner by the stick. Inside, you can find many different cuisines but largely Indian, Ceylonese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay and other South or Southeastern Asian diets.

Singapore Changi Airport – More Than A Layover

Singapore airport is a city unto itself. It has malls and duty free and hotels and spas. But it also has a swimming pool, cinema, dragonfly garden, some carnival rides, a giant suspended trampoline, some interactive museum exhibits, a bouldering gym, and several other gardens and art installations. Don’t forget to check out the HSBC “Rain Vortex” in terminal 2, the largest indoor waterfall in the world. Getting stuck for a layover has never had so much opportunity.

“Explore busy and beautiful Singapore” by Creed Evans was originally published on Wanderdash (follow Creed @creedevans)