Raffles Singapore Is A Contemporary Hideaway

One of the great heritage hotels of the world, Raffles Singapore has a storied literary legacy. But, as Imogen Eveson experiences, it is writing a new chapter too, which cherishes its history while channelling the contemporary.

“We always say the best way to get to know Raffles is to get lost," reassures the concierge as I fumble my directions again. It’s sage advice that I follow as I tread the hallowed ground of Singapore’s most legendary hotel, which is laid out in an intricate confection of buildings and wings, courtyards and tropical gardens.

The ambience

A salve against the city’s equatorial climate, Raffles is a composite of white marble colonnades lined with lush palm trees and polished teak underfoot that lead me to the sanctuary of my suite in the Palm Court wing.

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist James A. Michener lends his name to my refuge, one of 12 Personality Suites so called for the luminaries that once resided in them; he, surely, would have known this place like the back of his hand. So too, I ponder, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. A personal letter hangs in the suite dedicated to the writer William Somerset Maugham, immortalising his famous quote: “Raffles Hotel stands for all the fables of the Exotic East."

the hotel exterior of Raffles Singapore — The hotel’s exterior is an icon of the city. (Image: Ralf Tooten)

History and culture

Raffles Hotel Singapore has a storied history that captures in amber the feeling of its literary past. First opened in 1887 as a 10-room beachfront hotel, it quickly became a beacon and haven for world travellers. Author Joseph Conrad, then a seaman, is thought to have been one of its earliest guests. Raffles’ popularity saw an extra wing, the Palm Court, added in 1894 and five years later, its main building – recognisable today – was constructed on the site of the original bungalow-style beach house in neo-Renaissance style, marking the beginning of the hotel’s heyday.

Today, while breezes no longer float in off the South China Sea (due to land reclamation that happened in phases), it is one of the few remaining great 19th-century hotels in the world and was declared a National Monument upon reaching its 100th anniversary in 1987. A new chapter has been written again in recent years, with a careful and sensitive restoration completed in 2019, elevating the offering to a new benchmark of contemporary luxury while preserving the all-important ambience and heritage feel.

the Colonnade Walkway at Raffles Singapore — The hotel underwent an extensive restoration completed in 2019, where modern elements blend with heritage charm.

Rooms and suites

Liveried Sikh doormen still greet guests graciously on arrival against the much-photographed backdrop of the hotel’s iconic white facade. The grand lobby is as much a statement as ever, but a dazzling new chandelier now forms the centrepiece, inspired by the lotus flower and made up of 8142 pieces of crystal.

an elegant chandelier at Raffles Singapore — A dazzling chandelier at Raffles Singapore.

My suite encapsulates the intuitive translation from past to present that was executed in the restoration: its understated and elegant interior composed of parlour, bedroom and bathroom is all cooling dark woods, blue, cream and brushed gold contained by louvred shutters. Only now, blackout blinds and soundproofing create extra sanctuary.

the Elizabeth Taylor Suite in Raffles Singapore — The Elizabeth Taylor Suite is named after the actress who twice resided at the hotel – there are 12 ‘Personality Suites’. (Image: Ralf Tooten)

From my four-poster bed, I use an iPad to control lights and book a treatment at the new Raffles Spa. The redesigned bathroom boasts Peranakan-inspired marble flooring and the legendary Raffles butlers are still on hand; I follow a hot tip and ask them to draw me a bath for my return from dinner.

a book shelf inside a suite at Raffles Singapore — Expect elegant, thoughtful touches in the suites.

Food and drink

New culinary concepts were introduced during the redesign to appeal to hotel guests and Singaporeans alike. There’s elevated wood-fire dining at Butcher’s Block and French fine dining from Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic at La Dame de Pic. Today a hub in the heart of the city, the hotel is at once removed yet inherently part of its DNA.

Grapefruit and Verbena at La Dame de Pic — Dine at La Dame de Pic.

The lunchtime buzz at yì by Jereme Leung on a rainy Sunday attests to this: helmed by the eponymous Master Chef, the contemporary Chinese restaurant is a hit. But the classics remain – no visit would be complete without a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, where the famous cocktail was created in 1915.

Maste Chef Jereme Leung at Chineserestaurant yì — Chinese restaurant yì by Jereme Leung is helmed by the Master Chef himself.

And the Writers Bar still proves a lure. Its original incarnation was in the lobby, and “here," says resident historian Nazir Yusof during a tour of the hotel, “writers had plenty of time to sit and watch guests come in and out, listening to gossip and finding inspiration for their stories."

The famous bar has been relocated, embellished and expanded to a full bar serving craft cocktails and paying tribute to the hotel’s literary luminaries throughout a curation of mementos and books. And it is continuing its legacy with a new program of writers in residence.

the Singapore Sling — The Singapore Sling, regarded as the national drink, was created in 1915 in the Long Bar.

Final verdict

Has anyone who imagines themselves a writer ever come to Raffles and not tried to bottle that feeling? The feeling of time being slow. The heat resolved to steady you to a languid pace and lull you into the rhythm of a slow-moving ceiling fan. To notice the details. To have thinking space, room to breathe and revelations you might just commit to paper. My favourite spot is on the wide teak verandah outside my suite overlooking the lush Palm Court, where I sit in the morning with a cup of coffee, pen and paper in hand. On Raffles time.

After I check out, I return to the Tiffin Room for lunch, craving the palak paneer I’d eaten hungrily when I arrived here two evenings before, but with more time now to soak in the finely calibrated interiors and atmosphere of my surrounds. This elegant dining room soundtracked by the tinkling of piano keys traces its roots back to 1892.

Its walls are lined with exquisite old tiffin boxes and Chinese porcelain and the restored interior includes reinstated wooden floorboards to echo its early incarnation when it opened onsite as one of the first Indian restaurants in Singapore. I may not be lost anymore, but I can’t bring myself to find my way out of Raffles just yet.

the dining interior at Tiffin Room Restaurant — North Indian cuisine has been served in the Tiffin Room since 1892. (Image: Ralf Tooten)

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Getting there

Raffles Hotel Singapore is located in the CBD, a 20-minute taxi ride from Changi Airport, or an easy train journey on the MRT to City Hall station.

Eating there

Raffles is home to nine restaurants and bars, from the historic Tiffin Room to the contemporary steakhouse butcher’s block. Enjoy high tea in the grand lobby and a rite-of-passage Singapore Sling in the long bar.

Playing there

Visit the iconic gardens by the bay, a masterpiece of architecture and garden artistry, and its ethereal indoor Cloud Forest. Browse some of the 8000 pieces of art in the sprawling National Gallery Singapore. Explore the city’s oldest urban quarter Kampong Glam, where you’ll find an array of street art and culturally rich arab streets where stalls sell vibrant Persian carpets and fabrics. Wander along Orchard Road, the city’s famous shopping strip.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

Raffles Singapore is a contemporary hideaway in the Garden City

One of the great heritage hotels of the world, Raffles Singapore has a storied literary legacy. But, as Imogen Eveson experiences, it is writing a new chapter too, which cherishes its history while channelling the contemporary.

The ambience

History and culture

Rooms and suites

Food and drink

Final verdict

Getting there

Eating there

Playing there

The best 9 hotels in Singapore

Swissôtel: A Swiss touch in the tropics

Conrad Centennial Singapore: An icon reimagined

Best hotel pool in 2015: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

These community homestays are changing how travellers experience Nepal

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

A new generation demanding more

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

The power of community homestays

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

International Traveller
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One of the great heritage hotels of the world, Raffles Singapore has a storied literary legacy. But, as Imogen Eveson experiences, it is writing a new chapter too, which cherishes its history while channelling the contemporary.

The ambience

History and culture

Rooms and suites

Food and drink

Final verdict

Getting there

Eating there

Playing there

The best 9 hotels in Singapore

Swissôtel: A Swiss touch in the tropics

Conrad Centennial Singapore: An icon reimagined

Best hotel pool in 2015: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

A new generation demanding more

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

The power of community homestays

One of the great heritage hotels of the world, Raffles Singapore has a storied literary legacy. But, as Imogen Eveson experiences, it is writing a new chapter too, which cherishes its history while channelling the contemporary.