Top Attractions and Things To Do Singapore

The Merlion, the mythical half-fish, half-lion creature that has been an emblem of Singapore since the country's independence, has guarded the mouth of the Singapore River since 1972. The statue has survived a massive relocation to a better location following the construction of a bridge, and at least one lightning strike. The Marina Bay Sands, owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation, is another of Singapore's most notable landmarks, in particular the expansive Sands Skypark which tops the three towers and features a large infinity edge pool with views of the bay and Singapore skyline.

Singapore is a foodie nation, with a national culinary tradition that reflects the country's three main ethnic groups - Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Street food here is Michelin-listed, and many of the vendors are clustered in "Hawker Centres" - food courts through the day and often late into the evening. Fans of the film Crazy Rich Asians can visit the newton Hawker Centre, one of the sites for on-location shooting (although it's since been renovated), while other popular Hawker Centres include Maxwell Hawker Centre, Amoy Street Food Centre, and Adam Road Food Centre. 

The Supertrees are perhaps Singapore's most distinctive landmarks, sprouting in a grove betwen Marina Bay Sands and the two domed gardens of Gardens By The Bay. Visitors can take in the views from the ground or get tickets for the Skyway, at the canopy level, offering views of the gardens and surrounding bay.

The Flower Dome is an expansive indoor garden. Meander through the trails featuring different types of gardens. Some distinctions are made by plant type (there's a path dedicated to succulents) while others feature the flora of a particular part of the world, from South America, Central America, South Africa, the Mediterranean, or the surrounding Malay Peninsula. There are also seasonal presentations, such as during cherry blossom season. 

The Cloud Forest celebrates the world's mountain forests - at a specific elevation these troves of biodiversity get much of their moisture from being constantly in the cloud level. The "mountain" winds up the glass dome, and misters keep the forest clouded as though it were at the correct elevation. There are glass sculptures, orchid gardens, weeping trees, even cannibal plants! Visitors will also see one of the world's tallest indoor waterfalls. 

One of the oldest hotels in Singapore, the Raffles Hotel was named for Singapore's founder, British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. First opened in 1887, the hotel was closed from 2017 to 2019 for a top-to-bottom refurbishment of public spaces and guest rooms, with the reference year of 1915 planned as the objective of the restoration. There are plenty of throwback fixtures and fittings in each of the guest rooms, which except for the main building mostly open directly out to a open-air corridors with seating areas. Each of the hotel's suites are outfitted with luxury linens, expansive sitting rooms, baths, and dressing areas, and decor drawing on the rich history of Singapore and the hotel's famed position as part of the country's history.

The renovation restored rooms and baths to the 1915 reference point, albeit with modern touches. Showers, for example, are set to a customary water temperature so guests need only make slight adjustments to the hot or cold tap. Butlers are just a phone call away for any guest needs, from arranging transportation, dining reservations, or picking up laundry or packing and unpacking services.

Raffles is also where the Singapore Sling was invented, in the hotel's Long Bar. The Long Bar is now located on the hotel's shopping arcade. The Singapore Sling was invented in 1915, when a bartender Ngiam Tong Boon added pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Bénédictine to a shot of gin. At the time, ladies were not permitted to drink in public, and the Singapore Sling was thought to be a clever way to disguise a cocktail as a fruit juice cocktail. To this day, guests are provided with burlap bags of peanuts, and are free to toss the shells right on the floor.

There's no shortage of fantastic options for dining at Raffles. There's Osteria BBR by Alain Ducasse, which pays homage to the cooking traditions of the Italian Riviera, or Butcher's Block, where Hawai'i-born chef de cuisine Jordan Keao brings woodfire grill experience to life with premium cuts of meat and gastronomic seafood compositions. At Yi by Jereme Leung, visitors can try elevated takes on Chinese classics, like Hokkaido Scallops on Cordyceps Flower & Spinach Rolls or chicken soup with 5 year vintage turnip "Lao Cai Pu" (a rare item not readily available in Singapore's markets). Lavish breakfasts are served outdoors on the terrace or indoors at the Tiffin Room, which is also lovingly restored to its early 1900s roots. Diners have a fine selection of fruit, pastries, cold cuts, and cereals, and can also order hot breakfast favorites like Nasi Lemak or Mee Goreng and wash it down with a chilled iced coffee.