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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

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