I was born and raised in Singapore, and over the years I’ve watched it grow and change—with more and more international travelers discovering its charms. Most people know about Singapore’s food and malls, but to me, this city is about so much more. Here are my personal recommendations that I’ve brought visiting friends to over and over again.
Culture
There is no shortage of museums in Singapore (National Gallery Singapore, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum), but one of my favorites is the Peranakan Museum, because it spotlights my own culture. The Peranakan are a cultural group based in Singapore and Southeast Asia that originated when people from the surrounding regions (including China and India) married local Malays, creating a unique blend of cultures that has persevered from the 15th century to modern-day Singapore. The museum is in a 1912 former school building, and its galleries showcase the Peranakan origins, lifestyle in the home, and the making and the wearing of kebaya fashions, an intricately embroidered clothing style that was recently placed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritages.
When I was growing up, I didn’t learn much about my Peranakan culture; I simply identified as Singaporean. So, as an adult, it’s been a blessing to have this museum—which was renovated an expanded in 2023—as a resource.
At the Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel, you can sample Peranakan cuisine, including katong laksa (far right dish with prawns) and nasi lemak (top left with fried egg).
Photo courtesy of Shangri-La Singapore hotel
There are lots of other ways to see Peranakan influences throughout the city. The Shangri-La Singapore hotel leads guided walking tours for its guests around the historical Orchard Road and Emerald Hill neighborhood, where Peranakan houses are preserved and people still live in them.
“Peranakan houses are some of the most distinctive heritage buildings in Singapore,” says Tricia Lui, who led my tour during a recent stay. She pointed out how the interiors use Chinese courtyard traditions to create light and ventilation in the local tropical climate and how ceramic tiles blend Chinese symbolism and Malay aesthetics. “Visiting these houses allows you to step into a living museum of Singapore’s multicultural past. They show, in physical form, how different cultures interacted and blended over centuries of trade and migration.”
For an additional fee, the tour experience can end with a Peranakan tasting menu at the hotel’s Lobby Lounge. Don’t miss the katong laksa and ayam buah keluak (an iconic Peranakan dish, and a personal favorite of mine) prepared by Shangri-La chefs in collaboration with local cooks from Singapore’s hawker centers. Or you can opt for just the eating part: The Lobby Lounge regular spread includes a selection of hawker foods and Peranakan dishes. Beyond the hotel, I’d recommend Violet Oon, the eponymous restaurant run by the Singaporean chef, cookbook author, TV show host, and de facto food ambassador; and Candlenut, the first Peranakan restaurant to earn a Michelin star. (Singapore is famous for plenty more foods too; don’t miss them.)
If you’re interested in buying souvenirs inspired by the local culture, head over to Design Orchard, a shopping center and events space with the mission of showcasing the growing art and design scene in Singapore. You can purchase clothing with traditional batik patterns or decorate your home with soaps and candles shaped (and scented!) like local treats, such as ang ku kueh (red tortoise cake).
“Peranakan culture is one of Singapore’s most vibrant expressions of cultural blending,” says Lui, “a reminder that this city has always been a meeting point of East and West. What makes it special is how alive it still feels today.”
Trees aren’t the only thing to see from the suspension bridge on the TreeTop Walk: More than 100 types of birds can be found in the area.
Photo by Eriver Hijano
Adventure and Outdoors
For travelers, Singapore is often more associated with air-conditioned malls and big-ticket attractions such as Gardens by the Bay. But the island nation just north of the equator has plenty to offer nature lovers.
The TreeTop Walk from Windsor Nature Park to MacRitchie Reservoir Park has long been a favorite among those who live here; my own family would hit the trail on weekends. The walk stretches over an 800-foot pedestrian suspension bridge with views of the Upper Macritchie Reservoir, and there are additional park trails at different difficulty levels to try.
At one end of the trail along Upper Thomson Road, you’ll find delicious places for a pick-me-up. My father loves the kopi o kosong (black coffee with no milk or sugar) at Yi Jia Bakery House Cafe. Or, for the perfect posthike meal, try the roti prata at Sin Ming Roti Prata Faisal & Aziz Curry Muslim Food. This little stall is tucked into a food court at the base of an apartment block, but the prata here (made fresh daily) are a cut above the rest.
If a warm meal isn’t what you’re craving, head over to Udders Ice Cream for a cool treat. The scoops include local flavors such as Singapore chendol (chendol is a jelly made from pandan leaves), kueh salat (coconut pandan ice cream, blue-pea mochi, and coconut pandan custard bits), and, for the more adventurous, Emperor Mao durian.
Left: Sri Mariamman Temple was built in 1872 and is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple. Right: The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple complex houses a museum, a garden, and, as the name implies, a special relic of Buddha’s.
Photos by Eriver Hijano
Shopping
Singapore is known for its shopping malls on Orchard Road, but not much is left to the imagination if you stick with the familiar stores and known brands of those giant spaces.
Instead, my perfect shopping day is in the country’s most exciting adjacent neighborhoods, Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown. This area consists mostly of traditional shophouses and hidden gems, such as independently run bookstores with local literature and quaint cafés.
Start your day at Maxwell Food Centre, which has a plethora of breakfast options to choose from. For a historical leg, stop by the Singapore City Gallery to learn more about the urban planning that turned the island into one of the best cities in the world. Then hop over to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, which gets its name from the sacred relic on the temple grounds, the left canine of Buddha. Next, see how Singapore lives up to its reputation as a melting pot of cultures by walking around the corner to the Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in the country.
Dive into local literature at Book Bar Singapore and Littered with Books, indie booksellers with local charm. With a new read in hand, grab a seat at one of the many eateries around the neighborhood, such as Fieldnotes, a nature-inspired bakery with cakes of local flavors (I recommend the pandan-coconut gula melaka and the melon lychee). Or, refuel on Cantonese pastries from Tong Heng traditional Cantonese pastries, where the egg tarts are to die for. If you want more than a snack, then your dinner destination needs to be Lau Pat Sat, the quintessential (and most gorgeous) hawker center, built in a Victorian-style open building. At night, the center’s Satay Street is open for patrons to take in the vibrant atmosphere with hot food and a cold beer in hand.
The HydroDash water park is a maze of inflatable obstacles that includes monkey bars, a balance beam, and a trampoline.
Photo courtesy of The Palawan @ Sentosa
Beach
Packed with adventure, Sentosa Island has long been the locals’ quick getaway from the city, accessible by car, bus, or aerial tram. The new water-and-adventure park Palawan @ Sentosa makes the day trip even more appealing. It was opened in late 2023 by the Shangri-La and is packed with activities for all speeds. On land, test your mettle at the HyperDrive, a gamified electric go-kart racing attraction, or practice your swing at the beachside mini golf course. On water, take the challenge of the HydroDash, Singapore’s only floating aqua obstacle course.
After getting your adrenaline pumping, unwind and replenish your energy—you have plenty of places to choose from. The Palawan has two beach clubs: one for families and the other for couples. Daily food trucks dish out a variety of cuisines from around the world.
Islandgoers can also learn a little bit of local history here, at Fort Siloso, Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort, with a museum containing World War II memorabilia. Lifelong learners should also visit the Singapore Oceanarium (formerly the S.E.A. Aquarium) to soak up facts about local ocean life and watch manta rays dance in an 18-million-liter habitat.
Opened in April 1971, the Shangri-La Singapore is the first hotel by the brand, which now has more than 100 locations around the world.
Photo by What The Fox Studio/IB Photography Limited
Where to Stay
Set amid 15 acres of tropical gardens just off bustling Orchard Road, with easy access to everything on this itinerary, the Shangri-La Singapore seems like a far-flung escape into a botanical oasis, albeit with butler service and the on-site Chi, the Spa.
The 792 guest rooms are spread across three wings (Tower, Garden, Valley). The lavish Valley Wing—preferred among visiting heads of state—provides exclusivity with free champagne in the lobby and plush, traditional rooms; the Garden Wing offers modern furnishings amid lush greenery; and the Tower Wing has family-themed suites (Enchanted Castle, Underwater, Safari).
There’s plenty to do and eat here, but when you find yourself ready to leave the property, the Shangri-La makes it easy: Hourly shuttle services will take you to several popular shopping malls along Orchard Road, and the Orchard MRT stop (Singapore’s subway system) is a 10-minute walk away.
