Things to do and see in Singapore is a short overview of interesting places to visit. Singapore is a sovereign city state in southeast Asia. The city state is located on the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. The country has one main island and 63 smaller islands. Singapore has four official languages; English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The historical cultural diversity started with Indians, Chinese and Malays. Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the British Empire. The Republic of Singapore became independent in 1965.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is a park in the central region of Singapore and next to the Marina Reservoir. There are three gardens; Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The largest garden is Bay South Garden with 50 hectares. Gardens by the Bay is created to raise the quality of life within the city. The gardens became a national icon of Singapore. It’s the most popular tourist spot in the city and they welcomed 50 million visitors in 2018.

Flower Dome

There are two conservatories in the Gardens by the Bay, the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. Both conservatories are showcases of sustainable building technology. The Flower Dome is the largest glasshouse in the world without any column support on the inside. The Flower Dome simulates a Mediterranean climate. The exotic plants and flowers are from the Mediterranean and other similar regions from several continents. There is a flower garden and the display of flowers is changing regularly. There are eight themed gardens like the Olive Garden, South African Garden and Australian Garden.

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Cloud Forest

The Cloud Forest simulates a cool and moist condition from the tropical mountain ranges between 1000 and 3000 meters above sea level. These weather conditions are found in South East Asia, Central and South America. The Cloud Forest is popular for it’s 42 meter cloud mountain and waterfall. You can go up the cloud mountain and descent via a circular path. From here you can admire the plants on the mountain like bromeliads, ferns and colourful orchids.

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Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bays Sands refers to the entire area at Bayfront Avenue. The Marina Bay Sands has a hotel, shoppings mall, casino, The Sands Expo and Convention centre and the Art Science Museum. The 150 meter infinity pool is a popular icon of the Marina Bay Sands. The huge hotel has 963 rooms. The shopping mall has over 300 stores. At the Shoppes runs a canal. The architects got there inspiration from the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay is the historical centre of Singapore along the Singapore River. The river was an important commercial centre in the colonial era. Warehouses were used to store goods. The commercial trade started at the beginning of the 19^th century and the trade was slowing down in the later half of the 20^th century. The river became polluted and unhygienic. The local government decided to move the cargo services to Pasir Panjang. It took a decade to clean up the river. They transformed the area to a commercial and entertainment district in 1987. They rebuilt the area to keep the historical character of the neighbourhood. Today Clarke Quay is a lively neighbourhood with restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Asian Civilisations Museum

The Asian Civilisations Museum showcases objects of several Asian cultures and civilisations. They specialise in material history of China, South Asia, South East Asia and West Asia. The first gallery on the ground floor is about the history of trade in the 9^th century. An interesting exhibition is the Tang shipwreck. It was discovered by accident in 1998 just off the shores of Sumatra, close to Belitung Island. The Tang shipwreck is an Arab ship transporting valuable cargo of gold, silver and ceramics. The ship sank 1100 years ago. The ceramics were produced in China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The ship was on it’s way to Iran and Iraq. The shipwreck is proof of the strong commercial network between China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The gallery on the second floor is about Asian Faith and Belief. Sculptures, paintings and ritual objects of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism were spread from India to China and South East Asia. They have displays of Christian Art, Islamic Art and Chinese Scholar. The third floor presents a diverse collection of fashion, textiles, jewellery and ceramics.

Chinatown

Chinatown is located in the Central Area of Singapore. The area is featuring cultural Chinese elements. Chinatown has a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population. Large sections of Chinatown is declared as National Heritage Site by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The architecture of the buildings is a mix of different elements of baroque and Victorian architecture. The pastel coloured buildings don’t have a single architectural classification.

Fort Canning Park

Fort Canning Park is an icon on top of a hill. The hill used to be a part of a palace in the 14^th century. And it served as the Headquarters of the Far East Command Centre and British Army Barracks. Fort Canning Park is divided in nine historical gardens. In the park are trailguides and information boards to find your way. The boards give historical background information. You can download the app, BALIKSG. With this app you can go on a interactive walk through Fort Canning Park. Visit the website of the National Parks Board to find descriptions of the nine historical gardens.

Atlas Bar

Go and admire the grand architecture of the Atlas Bar. The Atlas Bar is located at the historic neighbourhood Bugis. The Art Deco is inspired by the skycrapers in New York. Or enjoy the elegant cocktails and delicious food at this iconic bar in Singapore. They have a great collection of spirits, champagnes, wine and gin. I can recommend reserving a table.

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Cavenagh Bridge

Cavenagh Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Singapore and the only suspension bridge in the city. The bridge is located in the Downtown Core of Singapore across the Fullerton Hotel. The original name of the bridge is the Edinburgh Bridge to remember the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh. They changed the name to honour Major General Orfeur Cavenagh. He was the last Governor of India. The coat of arms of the Cavenagh family are on top of the bridge at both ends.

National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in Singapore. It dates back to 1849. The museum started as a small section at the library of the Singapore Institution. The museum showcase exhibitions about the history of Singapore. The architectural style of the museum is neo-palladian and renaissance. There are several permanent exhibitions like the Goh Seng Choo gallery. It’s about the supernatural beliefs by traditional Southeast Asian civilisations. Or explore the Singapore History Gallery. This one is about the development of the main island of Singapore.

Orchard Road

Orchard is 2.5 km long road and a famous tourist attraction. It’s an upscale shopping area with department stores, restaurants and hotels. In the 19^th century Orchard Road led to the plantations and orchards of nutmeg, pepper and fruit in the area. The city was expanding in 1845. They built houses along Orchard Road. In the 1840s they started to built graveyards. A large Chinese graveyard was around where the Mandarin Orchard Hotel is today. There used to be a Jewish cemetery at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. It was destroyed in 1984.

Botanical Gardens

The tropical botanic garden is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden is created by an agri-cultural society in 1859. The garden was known for it’s rubber in the early 20^th century. There was a rubber trade boom in this region around that time. There are over 10.000 species of plants. The garden is 82 hectares. Within the garden is the National Orchid Garden. The Orchid Garden is a pioneer in orchid studies and the cultivation of hybrids. The Orchid Gardens charge an admission fee. The Botanical Garden is free to access and open from 5am to12pm.

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