Singapore Holidays

Food Capital of the World

Of course, this cosmopolitan mix is nowhere more evident than in the cuisine, and Singapore is justifiably called the foodie capital of the world -- in fact, food is a national obsession here. The city is home to some of the world's great restaurants, and just about every conceivable flavour from every corner of the world can be found here. But some insist that if you really want to experience Singapore's food culture, you should head to the street stalls in the heart of the city.

Shopper's Paradise

The other aspect in which Singapore is acknowledged to lead the world is as a shopping paradise -- its iconic Orchard Road recently overtook Paris's Champs Elysées and London's Bond Street as the world's top shopping street. However, these days the shopping is not confined to Orchard Road -- the retail scene has exploded and diversified, with Tiong Bahru and Haji Lane emerging as ultra-hip boutique shopping enclosures. Meanwhile, the new Shoppes at Marina Bay complex houses the world's biggest collection of designer boutiques to be found under a single roof.

One of the World's Greenest Cities

But Singapore is about much more than shopping and restaurants, world-class though these are. In fact it is officially one of the world's greenest cities, with over 50% of its area given over to green spaces. Apart from its vast parks and amazing tropical wilderness areas, just about all the city's roads, from expressways to suburban streets, are lined with abundant trees.

In fact, you don't even have to leave the city to find wonderful green places -- right in the centre is the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, where visitors can roam the hiking trails, experience the last remnants of Singapore's original rainforests, and encounter over 500 species of fauna including plenty of long-tailed macaque monkeys. Also central is Gardens by the Bay, with its 15-storey vertical gardens known as supertrees, which light up with a stunning display of colour, and the Cloud Forest featuring a 115-foot Cloud Mountain, with an indoor waterfall clad in luxuriant foliage. The Singapore Botanic Gardens are home to some of the country's most splendid floral displays, including the National Orchid Gardens, the world's most comprehensive collection of tropical orchids.

Escape the Metropolis

Further out of the metropolis is the serene Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, where you can wander through mangrove forests filled with reptiles, fish, crabs and numerous bird species. The Southern Ridges, also home to a wide diversity of flora and fauna, are an easy-walking system of trails connecting several parks including Mount Faber Park and Labrador Nature Reserve, the best places to enjoy panoramic views of the city, harbour and southern islands. Joining Mount Faber Park with Telok Blangah Hill Park is Henderson Waves, Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge, famous for its distinctive wave-like structure, and the Forest Walk and Canopy Walk are also bridges, cutting through the Adinandra Belukar Forest.

The beautiful green spaces of the city are part of the highly efficient infrastructure, which is one of Singapore's attractions for visitors -- it is exceptionally clean and litter-free, and has one of the best transport systems in the world. It is also virtually crime-free, and has been called the world's safest city, thanks to its strict laws and enhanced security. Boasting some of the world's most fabulous hotels, and with so many attractions that it is known as Asia's favourite playground, Singapore is surely a place that everyone should visit once in a lifetime.