MENU
FIVE questions
you should
ask ...
CALL US
Speak to one of our travel
experts within 5 rings
020·7962·9933

Which of these is important to you?

  • Concierge style service. Your own dedicated travel manager who'll look after you until you travel.
  • Better value. Exclusive fares you won't find online to save you money.
  • 24 hour helpline. A worldwide team just a phone call away if you need help while you're overseas.
  • 98% rate us excellent. More highly rated than our competitors with 98% saying they'd book again.
  • Risk free. Fully licensed with Client Trust Account to protect your money. ABTA, ATOL protected.

Your calls always answered within 5 rings.

x
Read the reviews? Call us now on 
020·7962·9933
Tell us what you need. We'll find you a solution
Asia Offers 58
Asia Reviews 9565
Towering city

Singapore lay-over

Siobhan Grogan tells you what to do on a 24-hour stop in Singapore?

WELCOME to the perfect lay-over city. The airport is a dream to transit through, even offering a free city bus tour for passengers with at least five and a half hours between connecting flights.
Hop on for the big sights, including the architectural wonder that is the hotel complex of Marina Bay Sands and the horticultural heaven, Gardens by the Bay.


The futuristic Gardens by the Bay


STRIP OFF
There's a beach in the middle of the city at the Pan Pacific Orchard, which opened last June. Rooms wrap around terraced gardens, while an in-room water filtration system and solar panels tick eco boxes. Head to the fifth floor for an outdoor pool overlooking the city, palm trees, a small sandy beach and a mirrored ceiling to guarantee a permanently blue sky.


Round-the-clock entertainment at Clarke Quay


DAY AND NIGHT ACTION
Following a £37million upgrade, the pedestrianised nightlife district Clarke Quay is now also a daytime attraction for waterfront dining and round-the-clock entertainment. This is largely due to a new canopy that reduces solar heat gain by up to 70 per cent for a swelter-free visit.
After dark, live bands play open-air cafes and elaborate cocktails are served on moored Chinese junk boats converted into pubs. New attractions include a white knuckle thrill ride Slingshot which launches fearless riders 70m above the city skyline at 160 km per hour.


Singapore's iconic Merlion


HAWKER HOTSPOTS
Singapore's famous hawker centres are everywhere, awarded Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status in 2020. These food courts are crammed with no-frills street food stalls serving everything from chicken satay to prawn noodles for less than £3.
Newly opened is Taste Orchard, featuring a live seafood station and a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Even trendier dining can be found at Gourmet Park, home to food trucks from award-winning chefs, but without the restaurant prices.

PEDAL POWER
Hire a bike from GoCycling to explore the network of well marked cycle paths across Singapore. One leads directly from the city centre to Asia's biggest bird park, Bird Paradise, which opened last May, and houses eight walk-through aviaries housing 400 species, including the rare Philippine Eagle.


Peranakan cuisine


CULINARY CULTURE
Discover the city's Peranakan culture at Candlenut, a Michelin starred restaurant. Descendants of Singapore's first Chinese settlers who married local Malay women in the 15th century, Perankans have their own food culture and traditions.
Expect tender wagyu beef rib rendang, crab curry and ice cream made from candlenut - which must be cooked for 40 days to remove the cyanide inside.

COCOA HEAVEN
The neighbourhood of Dempsey Hill, a former nutmeg plantation, now has its own pastel-pink Museum of Ice Cream and a new chocolate factory, Mr Bucket Chocolaterie, where you customise a slab of handmade chocolate. Elsewhere in the city, there's plenty to entertain the family. Attractions include an indoor water park Aqua Adventure, the excellent Children's Museum Singapore and Asia's first snow, ski and skate attraction, Trifecta.


First published in the Daily Mail -  May 2024

More articles below...


For more inspiration, read what travel writers have to say...

Spa from the madding crowd

Naomi Leach finds spiritual bliss in Bali

Thailand with a toddler

Julian Robinson and his wife enjoy an adventure holiday with their 20-month-old daughter

One night in Bangkok

Jonathan Neal spends 48 hours in the Thai capital

A welcoming smile

The many faces of Vietnam

Loving Langkawi

The Datai is heaven on Earth, says Max Hastings

Beautiful Burma

A once closed country that is catching up with the modern world, says Tamara Cohen

Partying in Phuket

Olivia Grant heads to Thailand with pure intentions

Paws for thought

Helen Nicholson encounters China's star bear

Perfect Phuket

Jo Gardner guides you through the many faces of Phuket

Converted to Bali

Fashion designer Julien Macdonald is stunned by the island's beauty

Japan's Shrines

The spiritual Kansai region of holy sites is attracting attention

Vietnam's capital

John McEntee discovers a city of crazy extremes

Nature in Malaysia

Renowned British naturalist David Bellamy returns to a stunning old haunt

Pangkor Laut

My island of dreams says Helen Moss

Something different

Japan is an enthralling mix of historic traditions and cultural quirks according to Ivo Dawnay

A tonic for body and soul

This Thai wellness retreat could change your life explains Mary Lussiana

The White Lotus, Thailand

Fiona McIntosh checks in to the glamorous hotel featured in series three

Cambodia's temples

How Mark Palmer was allowed an audience with the hidden Buddha

Wowed by the wildlife at The Datai

But Teresa Levonian Cole has a word of warning for unsuspecting guests

Langkawi in luxury

Harriet Walker is delighted by the wildlife and stunning scenery

Raffles Returns

Mark Porter is delighted to report the re-opening of one of the most famous hotels in the world

Pulsating Hong Kong

Twenty years on, Siobhan Warwicker discovers that life on this island remains electric

The luxury side of Thailand

Ashley Pearson reports on three of the country's most hedonistic hotels

Thailand's grown up

Family-friendly Thailand

A taste for Bangkok

More than just a stopover, as Isabelle King discovers on a culinary tour

Temptations of tasty Thailand

Five-star foodie treats

Thailand forecast

TV weather presenter Lucy Verasamy goes island-hopping and finds the warmest of welcomes

Double-O-Heaven

In a land with a licence to thrill, Frank Barrett finds the inspiration for both James Bond and The Night Manager

Slick Singapore

Jeremy Clarke is amazed by the phenomenon that is Singapore

A foodie love affair

Chef Raymond Blanc loves the country that he says has some of the finest, and healthiest, food in the world

Beautiful Bali

This tropical island makes Alice Hart-Davis's spirits soar

Forever Hong Kong

China may be in charge but this city shines brightly, as Max Hastings discovers

Vibrant Vietnam

Simon Heptinstall loves the glamour, the traditional and the exotic

From war to perfect peace

A source of beauty and wonder

Our guide to the joys of Japan

Land of the rising sun

Stopover in Kuala Lumpur

Fabulous street food and so much more

Singapore fling

A city-state packed with excitement

Vivid Vietnam

From vibrant street markets to havens of tranquility, Harriet Mallinson loved the contrast

Pristine Philippines

Louise Atkinson finds natural wonders and some of the cutest wildlife on Earth

Not quite what you're looking for?
We can easily customise an offer to suit your exact requirements

x