Singapore Travel Guide
Singapore is a city–state in Southeast Asia. Founded as a British trading colony in 1819, since independence it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries and sports the world's busiest port. Combining the skyscrapers and subways of a modern, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping and a vibrant nightlife scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region. Despite being a densely populated country, Singapore has over 50% of its area covered by greenery and with over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves, it is an enchanting garden city. Large self–contained residential towns mushroomed all over the island, around the clean and modern city centre.
Singapore is a microcosm of Asia, populated by Chinese, Malays, Indians, and a large group of workers and expatriates from all across the globe. The truly cosmopolitan nature of her population is a natural result of the countrys geographical position and commercial success. Established by Thomas Stamford Raffles as a trading post on 29 January 1819, the small sea town of Singapore soon attracted migrants and merchants from China, the Indian sub–continent, Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula and the Middle East
Many people marvel at the beauty of Singapore and her progressiveness. Most impressive to note is that she was formerly just a humble fishing village, inhabited by an indigenous settlement.
Fast forward to today. Singapore is a bustling cosmopolitan city populated with high–rise buildings and landscape gardens. Brimming with a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture, Singapore is a dynamic city thats rich in contrast and colour. In fact, you can even say that Singapore embodies the finest of both East and West landmarks for a complete Singapore journey.
Popular Events
Singapore is a secular city state but thanks to its multicultural population, Singapore celebrates Chinese, Muslim, Indian, and Christian holidays, so whenever you choose to go on holiday youll be sure to catch some sort of event!
The year kicks off with a bang on January 1st and New Year, celebrated in Singapore just as in the West with a fireworks show and parties at every nightspot in town. From then on throughout the year there are numerous other festivals such as the Dragon Boast Festival and the mid–autumn festival so theres always something going on!
Things to do
Young or old, you can thoroughly enjoy the many wonderful attractions in Singapore, all of which make great places for families to bond and have a fun time. With a wide variety of attractions to choose from and each offering different kinds of entertainment some are adventurous while others are educational youll have a hard time selecting which to visit if you have little time here. For all the thrill seekers why not visit the movie based theme park Universal Singapore or make a splash at Singapores largest water park Wild Wild Wet.
For those who want to experience Singapores cosmopolitan nature there are plenty of attractions for you to enjoy; the many heritage trails on the island are an ideal way for you to learn about the fascinating history of the country or see sights and hear the sounds at various cultural precincts, notably Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. Or why not visit the different places of worship for Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Sikhism and more. Find out more about each religion and its practices by touring the various churches, mosques and temples and admire the amazing architecture of these buildings.
You wont be going hungry either. Singapore is a melting pot of cuisines from around the world, and many Singaporeans are obsessive gourmands who love to makan ("eat" in Malay). You will find quality Chinese, Malay, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Italian, French, American and other food in this city–state, so there is something for everyones taste buds!
If you like to party Singapore is the place to be. As night falls, Singapore takes on another persona to offer a vibrant array of nightlife and entertainment choices. There are nightclubs for the party hedonists to revel the night away; bars and lounges for the thirsty hippos and chill cats; and live entertainment venues for the livewire revelers.
Beyond the history, culture, people, shopping and food, there are many more facets to Singapores thriving cityscape for you to discover. And these can only be experienced as you immerse yourself in the exploration of this once fishing village turned cosmopolitan city
