Singapore holiday will leave you wanting more

By Travel Editor Ruth Jackson Jun 16, 2008

Ruth Jackson

Singapore has long been dismissed as “just a business hub or stopover-city,” says Ian McCurrach in The Express. But there’s plenty to see beyond the airport.

There’s the refurbished National Museum of Singapore, as well as the Singapore Flyer, which, at 165 metres, is the world’s largest observation wheel, 30 metres taller than the London Eye. And if you visit in September, you can see the first ever Formula 1 night race, which will tear through the streets on the 28th.  

But Singapore’s real draw is its historic buildings. At North Boat Quay you will find a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, who “with genius and perception changed the destiny of Singapore”, as his plaque puts it. From here you can pick up one of two signposted tours that take in all the sights, including the Old Parliament House and the Supreme Court.

When you’re ready for a rest, go to Singapore’s most famous landmark, the Raffles Hotel (00 800 1 7233537). Built in 1887, when it had just ten rooms, a 1991 refurbishment returned the hotel to its 1920s heyday, but with modern comforts behind the scenes. Wooden fans whirl overhead, but listen and you’ll hear the dulcet hum of the air conditioning doing the hard work. It’s worth asking for the full story of the tiger that was shot under the billiard table – the truth is even more entertaining than the legend.

If you have the money to spare, a stay is well worth it. The beds are huge and the service impeccable. But give the Singapore Slings a miss – S$20 for a watered-down cocktail is not worth it – and make sure you book ahead, as “room shortages are common in Singapore”, warns Teresa Machan in The Observer.

When it’s time to eat, on Dempsey Road “an old barracks has been turned into nine modern restaurants and bars, most of them open to the elements”, says Rosanna de Lisle in The Daily Telegraph. For something more colonial, the Raffles Grill serves up light French cuisine.

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