Singapore River

The Singapore River was the lifetime of Singapore where our first immigrants eked out a meagre living and saw Singapore transform from an obscure little fishing village to a great seaport. Highlights on the banks of the Singapore River include Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.

Arab Street

The Muslim centre of Singapore is a traditional textile district, full of batiks from Indonesia, silks, sarongs and shirts. Add to this mix rosaries, flower essences, hajj caps, songkok hats, basketware and rattan goods, and you have a fair idea of the products haggled over in this part of the city.

The grand Sultan Mosque is the biggest and liveliest mosque in Singapore, but the tiny Malabar Muslim Jama-ath Mosque is the most beautiful. There's fine Indian Muslim food along nearby North Bridge Rd and the foodstalls on Bussorah St are especially atmospheric at dusk during Ramadan.

Orchard Road

For shopping, Orchard Road is the ideal place to spend a day there. The bustling shopping centres sells everything from the most fashionable and outrageous shoes and clothes to precious gems, eyewear and accessories. And when the shopping gets a little exhausting, revitalize yourself at one of the many restaurants and eating outlets.

Holland Village

Holland Village is one of the favourite haunts of the expatriate community and Singapore's young and trendy. For food and entertainment, there is a mix of old coffee shops and ritzy wine bars; its colorful blend of foreign shops and local mixed trade as well as its many ethnic restaurants and fast-food outlets. Here you'll find an eclectic collection of goods from straw brooms to valuable antiques and movie memorabilia.

Chinatown

Experience the sights and sounds of Chinatown: medical halls mix snake skin, herbs and spices and other exotic ingredients into potions for all ailments; traditional delicacies like sea cucumbers lie drying in the street; fruit sellers squat near mounds of rambutan, strong-smelling durian, mangosteen and other seasonal fruits; fortune-tellers sit at make-shift tables waiting for eager customers to know their future; hawkers grill thin slices of pork for passers-by over home-made barbecues.

Changi Village

For a slightly different type of suburban shopping experience, Changi Village is the place to go for laid-back quiet surroundings. It offers a quaint charm of its own, away from the crowds and traffic for a more relaxed ambience for shopping. The food centre offers great variety of local food and round off the night by having a beer at Europa Changi.

Jurong

Jurong Town, west of the city centre, is a huge industrial and housing area that is the powerhouse of Singapore's economy. This might seem an unlikely spot for a number of Singapore's tourist attractions but it is home to the Haw Par Villa (an incredibly tacky Chinese mythological theme park), the beautifully landscaped Jurong Bird Park, Chinese & Japanese Gardens and the hands-on Singapore Science Centre.

Little India

This modest but colourful area of wall-to-wall shops, pungent aromas and Hindi film music is a relief from the prim modernity of many parts of the city. Centred around the southern end of Serangoon Rd, this is the place to come to pick up that framed print of a Hindu god you've always wanted, eat great vegetarian food and watch streetside cooks fry chapatis.

The Zhujiao Centre is the main market, but there are also interesting spice shops nearby. The best temples are Veerama Kali Ammam, Sri Srinivasa Perumal and the glitzy Temple of 1000 Lights.

Sentosa Island

Considered the granddaddy of Singapore's parks, Sentosa Island is the city-state's most visited attraction, especially on weekends. It has museums, aquariums, beaches (with imported sand), sporting facilities, walks, rides and food centres.

And if a day isn't enough to take in all the sites and activities, the island has a camping ground, hostel and luxury hotels.