Singapore River
The Singapore River was the lifetime of Singapore where our first immigrants
eked out a meagre living and saw Singapore transform from an obscure little
fishing village to a great seaport. Highlights on the banks of the Singapore
River include Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.
Arab Street
The Muslim centre of Singapore is a traditional textile district, full of
batiks from Indonesia, silks, sarongs and shirts. Add to this mix rosaries,
flower essences, hajj caps, songkok hats, basketware and rattan goods, and
you have a fair idea of the products haggled over in this part of the city.
The grand Sultan Mosque is the biggest and liveliest mosque
in Singapore, but the tiny Malabar Muslim Jama-ath Mosque is the most beautiful.
There's fine Indian Muslim food along nearby North Bridge Rd and the foodstalls
on Bussorah St are especially atmospheric at dusk during Ramadan.
Orchard Road
For shopping, Orchard Road is the ideal place to spend a day there. The bustling
shopping centres sells everything from the most fashionable and outrageous
shoes and clothes to precious gems, eyewear and accessories. And when the shopping
gets a little exhausting, revitalize yourself at one of the many restaurants
and eating outlets.
Holland Village
Holland Village is one of the favourite haunts of the expatriate community
and Singapore's young and trendy. For food and entertainment, there is a mix
of old coffee shops and ritzy wine bars; its colorful blend of foreign shops
and local mixed trade as well as its many ethnic restaurants and fast-food
outlets. Here you'll find an eclectic collection of goods from straw brooms
to valuable antiques and movie memorabilia.
Chinatown
Experience the sights and sounds of Chinatown: medical halls mix snake skin,
herbs and spices and other exotic ingredients into potions for all ailments;
traditional delicacies like sea cucumbers lie drying in the street; fruit sellers
squat near mounds of rambutan, strong-smelling durian, mangosteen and other
seasonal fruits; fortune-tellers sit at make-shift tables waiting for eager
customers to know their future; hawkers grill thin slices of pork for passers-by
over home-made barbecues.
Changi Village
For a slightly different type of suburban shopping experience, Changi Village
is the place to go for laid-back quiet surroundings. It offers a quaint charm
of its own, away from the crowds and traffic for a more relaxed ambience for
shopping. The food centre offers great variety of local food and round off
the night by having a beer at Europa Changi.
Jurong
Jurong Town, west of the city centre, is a huge industrial and housing area
that is the powerhouse of Singapore's economy. This might seem an unlikely
spot for a number of Singapore's tourist attractions but it is home to the
Haw Par Villa (an incredibly tacky Chinese mythological theme park), the beautifully
landscaped Jurong Bird Park, Chinese & Japanese Gardens and the hands-on
Singapore Science Centre.
Little India
This modest but colourful area of wall-to-wall shops, pungent aromas and
Hindi film music is a relief from the prim modernity of many parts of the city.
Centred around the southern end of Serangoon Rd, this is the place to come
to pick up that framed print of a Hindu god you've always wanted, eat great
vegetarian food and watch streetside cooks fry chapatis.
The Zhujiao Centre is the main market, but there are also interesting spice
shops nearby. The best temples are Veerama Kali Ammam, Sri Srinivasa Perumal
and the glitzy Temple of 1000 Lights.
Sentosa Island
Considered the granddaddy of Singapore's parks, Sentosa Island is the city-state's
most visited attraction, especially on weekends
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