Singapore is a multicultural city with English, Mandarin, Malay, Japanese, Korean, French and German cultural retention. The Peranakans (local born) are the descendants of Chinese and Indian immigrants who married indigenous people from the Malay Archipelago in the 15th century predominate.Their legacy is best seen in the Joo Chiat/Katong neighborhood that is a 10-minute drive from the center of Singapore, so you’ll want to save time for a visit here and for getting to know Singapore.
Art Science Museum Singapore
Photo credit Prytz via trover.com
Singapore is also a street food lover’s paradise. So while you may have heard that shopping is Singapore’s national pastime, you may find that to be more applicable for food lovers. Keep your eyes peeled for the long queues for what will most assuredly lead you to a destination for high quality rice congee, char kway teow, or flat rice noodles fried with soy sauce. Once you understand who the local people are and how to satisfy your hunger, consider one of the following tours for a chance to interact with locals.
City Bus Tours
Get your bearings in this Malaysian city by taking a city bus tour that includes 33 stops. For a reasonable fee you can engage the services of a bus tour company that will allow you to hop on and off for a 24 hour period. Without friends in the city to help you as a first time visitor, this city bus tour will save you time from being lost while exposing you to areas you might never have known.
Walking Tours
Many hotels will arrange tours to fit your interests ranging from the Chinatown Complex, Singapore’s largest food market, to a tour focusing on Early Chinese history. How about a visit to a traditional Chinese medicine shop. Think about getting your fortune told.
Family Tours
It may surprise you that there are so many leisure choices in Singapore for both individuals and families. Visit the Singapore Zoo, where over 3,000 animals live. Within the premises, there are trams, animals, as well as boat, pony and horse carriage rides. Strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs can also be rented. It is also possible to go on a night safari in Singapore, home to the world’s first nocturnal zoo. Just hop onboard the tram for a 40-minute journey of wild animal encounters from the Himalayan foothills to wild equatorial Africa with live commentary.
Local Cooking Classes/ Workshops
If you believe that you can understand a culture through its food, then consider taking a cooking class. Singapore offers many organized cooking classes led by locals where over a three-hour period you are sure to learn how to cook a new recipe at home. Learn how to make Laksa, a true Singaporean dish from scratch.
Night Tours
Singapore is a city that comes alive at night. You can explore it by rickshaw, trishaw and or unconventionally cruise the Singapore River by bumboat.
Choose from among a long list of hotels in Singapore. Book your flight and get ready for an unexpectedly good time. Boredom is not allowed.
Liz @ Yes/No Films says
I just booked a trip w/ Hipmunk because my group got a discount 🙂 I leave today for Ft. Lauderdale.
Patricia A Patton says
Woo Hoo Liz