A must-read guide to 48 hours in Singapore

The fabric of this eternal city is stitched together by a mélange of cultures, where traditional food stalls are UNESCO-protected and colonial buildings share space with cutting-edge architecture.

Indonesian Prince Sang Nila Utama founded the settlement of Singapura (Malay for ‘Lion City’) on the island of Temasek in 1299. The city was a crucial trading hub between East and West, facilitating the exchange of goods such as spices, textiles and porcelain.

These transactions only increased from 1819, when the ‘founder of modern Singapore’, Sir Stamford Raffles, signed a treaty with Temenggung Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of the ruling Johor empire to establish a British trading post on the island. He had a vision that Singapore would be “a place of considerable magnitude and importance”.

His Town Plan allotted parcels of land to each segment of society: Europeans would reside along the seafront; the Chinese were designated a kampong (village) on the south-west bank of the river; Bugis settlers and Arab merchants would be settled around the Sultan’s residence; and Indians were placed upstream.

Today, these distinct neighbourhoods retain their heritage, from Little India and its markets filled with spices and silks to Kampong Gelam’s mosques and Chinatown’s temples and hawker stalls. In the 1960s, to make the industrialised city more liveable, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had an ambitious vision to transform Singapore into a ‘Garden City’.

Some 60 years on, the country was recognised as the world’s first Sustainable Destination in 2023 – and today, between the stratospheric skyscrapers, you’ll find respite in some 400 parks and nature reserves. Indeed, while still a crossroads for Australian travellers en route to Europe and beyond, Singapore is a destination to linger longer.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple was built during the Tang Dynasty, considered a golden age for Chinese arts. (Image: Getty)

Day one: Experiencing the highlights

8am

Wake up in your cosy abode, JEN Singapore Orchardgateway by Shangri-La. This modern hotel is in the heart of Singapore, with the flurry of world-renowned shopping strip Orchard Road playing out below. It’s also a short walk to Somerset MRT (railway) station, which is the cheapest way to get around the city.

9am

An architectural and horticultural feat, Gardens by the Bay pushed the boundaries of innovation in green design when it opened in 2012. The 101-hectare park houses more than 1.5 million plants, conserving many rare and critically endangered species.

The now-famous solar-powered Supertrees – which look as though they’ve been planted top-down with their spindly roots exposed – double as vertical gardens each comprising more than 200 species of plants.

Towering Supertrees. (Image: Getty)

The Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse in the world, holding flora from the Mediterranean to the South African savannah under one roof. The ethereal Cloud Forest, meanwhile, is a mist-filled enclosure with aerial walkways that wind around a ‘mountain’ covered with plants, including carnivorous species and an indoor waterfall. There is an interactive digital art experience at the end that has our kids chasing light projections on the floor while we enjoy respite from the humidity outside.

The Cloud Forest. (Image Nicky Loh)

Noon

Sir Stamford Raffles originally divided Chinatown into zones for different Chinese communities and trades. Today, it is also characterised by Malay and Indian influences.

Singapore’s Chinatown is known for its vibrant atmosphere. (Image: Getty)

Come here to browse the street markets and experience hawker culture, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s list for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Try Hainanese chicken rice. (Image: Panuwat Dangsungnoen)

Within walking distance of each other, you’ll find Singapore’s largest hawker centre, Chinatown Complex Food Centre, where Bruce Lee makes an appearance in a mural, and Maxwell Food Centre, home to Michelin Bib Gourmand stalls Lian He Ben Ji Claypot and Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice respectively.

A mural of Bruce Lee. (Image: Getty)

3pm

From one cultural institution to another; try to nab a table at Long Bar within legendary hotel, Raffles Singapore. The 1920s plantation-style bar is where national drink the Singapore Sling was invented.

Raffles pool. (Image: Ralf Tooten)

7pm

The three vertiginous towers of Marina Bay Sands, straddled by the world’s largest rooftop pool, have become a modern icon of the city. Only those with a room key can take a sky-high dip, but you can still make your way to the 57th floor by booking a table at Lavo Italian Restaurant.

The menu features brick-oven pizzas, hearty pastas, and supersized dishes such as a one-pound meatball and a one-kilogram tomahawk. But the real scene-stealer is the sparkling city below.

LAVO in Marina Bay Sands is popular for pizza. (Image: Getty)

Day two: Immersing in the local culture

9am

Spend the morning strolling in Katong-Joo Chiat, traditionally a Peranakan (people of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage) neighbourhood. Take a snap of the pastel-hued shophouses on Koon Seng Road, which dates to the 1920s. Grab a traditional kopi (coffee) and toast with kaya (coconut jam) from Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, a family-run institution since 1925.

Pretty Peranakan shophouses. (Image: Getty)

Noon

Former Arab quarter Kampong Gelam is also full of historical and cultural richness. It’s home to the golden-domed Sultan Mosque, built in 1824 by the first Sultan of Singapore.

Haji Lane – named after the ‘Hajj’ Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca – and lined with shophouses turned boutiques, bars and cafes. Stop at Fatt Choy Eating House for streetstyle food and at brewery Good Luck for Singapore’s freshest microbrews on tap.

Step into the buzz of Haji Lane. (Image: Getty)

2pm

Return to JEN Singapore Orchardgateway for a languid afternoon in the 47-metre-long rooftop infinity pool.

5pm

Make your way to Clarke Quay, a bustling waterfront dining precinct that recently underwent a $62 million rejuvenation. Musos will love Swee Lee Cafe & Bar. Order the pasta with Singaporean chilli crab, a craft beer or cocktail, and settle in at one of the vinyl listening stations.

Swing into a listening station at Swee Lee Cafe & Bar in Clarke Quay. (Image Getty)

7:30pm

Board a traditional bumboat for the Singapore River Experience. Cruise past Parliament House, the famous Merlion statue and Marina Bay, where the Spectra light and water show tells a story inspired by Singapore’s complex history as a multicultural trading hub turned modern nation.

Board a bumboat to cruise the Singapore River. (Image: Mark Lin)

9pm

Finish your evening at ATLAS, a luxe Art Deco bar with a curated cocktail menu and extensive gin and Champagne collection that’s worth settling in for.