Stay : Singapore, full of activities
The city-state is a booming tourist destination. Its architecture, nightlife, culture and urban/natural approach form a set of points of interest for its visitors.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
5 days
€€€ - Luxury
Detail of the stay : Singapore, full of activities - 5 days
Day 1: The battle of Singapore
Steps: Singapore City
The main British military base in the Far East, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese. This visit is a must to understand this painful period of Singapore
's history.Changi: The Changi prisoner of war camp was built by the Japanese occupiers, on the eastern side of the main island of Singapore, on the site of three former British barracks after the conquest of the island on 15 February 1942. In this prison camp, the Japanese quickly gathered almost all of their Allied prisoners of war (the British, Australians and Dutch) as well as many civilians. Today, the Changi Museum
traces the history during World War II and collects testimonies of these prisoners of war. The morning can be spent visiting the sites of Changi (museum, Changi Beach, Johore Battery, Selarang Barracks).After lunch in Changi Village, we will go to the former Ford assembly plant built in 1940, now converted into the Ford Factory Museum. This is where the surrender of Singapore
to Japan was signed on February 15, 1942.Bunker Battle Box: In the morning, visit the " Battle Box ", a bunker built by the British in 1936 in the park of Fort Canning
to serve as the underground headquarters of the military command. This is where Lieutenant-General Percival decided to surrender to the Japanese. The visit of the 26 rooms of the bunker is embellished with propaganda posters, reconstitution of soldiers, sound effects and the whole in the coolness since we are 9 m under ground. In the afternoon, visit of another bunker in the Labrador Park as well as the underground tunnels. Finally, the last stage of the visit is at Bukit Chandu (the opium hill) where there is a magnificent colonial house rehabilitated into a museum, retracing one of the last battles fought by the Malay regiment ("Askar Melayu") against the Japanese.Day 2: Singapore and architecture
Steps: Singapore City
There is a story behind each building and to discover them, follow the guide!
From Marina Bay Sands, Singapore's new architectural icon with its three towers connected by a 200-metre high park, to the Armenian church andhôtel Raffle'sthe Ministry of Information and Communication with its 911 multicoloured windows, the Jamae Mosque in Chinatown or the Capella Hotel designed by British architect Norman Foster, over one or two days, choose a number of buildings and discover their history.
JAMAE MOSQUE / MARINA BAY SANDS / ARMENIAN CHURCH (EGLISE) / MUSÉE DE L'HÔTEL RAFFLES
Day 3: Singapore's artistic side
Steps: Singapore City
Over the past decade or so, Singapore has begun to take its place on the world art map. Museums, galleries, exhibitions - Singapore 's art scene is growing from year to year. While there are no museums in Singapore (yet?) comparable to those in Paris or New York, the offer is nonetheless interesting.
Here's a two-day program alternating museums and galleries.
Modern art: we start with a visit to the Singapore Museum of Art (SAM) for a first taste of modern art from Singapore and Southeast Asia. With a permanent collection of over 7,500 works on rotating display, the museum boasts the largest public collection of modern and contemporary art in Southeast Asia. The next stop is the Singapore Art Museum's annex, 8Q SAM (about 88 steps from the SAM), which opened in August. Sculptures, installations, photography and video are all on show. Only living artists are exhibited.
Then head for the Raffles Hotel, home to the Chen Hampe gallery. Owners Ben and Angie have already successfully launched their first gallery in Tanjong Pagar. They follow very young artists and others who are already sold abroad (Raffles Hotel Arcade, Unit 01-04, 328 North Bridge Road). For more established artists, visit the Artfolio gallery and its neighbor Connoisseur, specializing in contemporary Chinese art. And while you're at the Raffles Hotel, take the opportunity to visit the little museum dedicated to him. You'll learn all you need to know about the legendary hotel once frequented by tigers, Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward.
Then visit the Ode to Art gallery (located in Raffles city, opposite the Raffles Hotel), which exhibits a number of contemporary Chinese artists. You'll find a wide selection of modern sculptures.
Afternoon: Gillman Barracks, former British army barracks converted into art galleries. Here you'll find major international galleries such as Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Galerie Michael Janssen, Mizuma Gallery, ShanghART Gallery and, more recently, Pearl Lam Gallery. You can also enjoy a coffee at Masons, which plays on the colonial spirit in its decor.
National art: visit the National Museum of Singapore, which focuses on Singapore's history, but also has an extension dedicated to contemporary art. Then head for The Substation Centre, Singapore's first independent contemporary art center. Cross the street and stop off at the Art Plural gallery. A must-see for both the beauty of the space and the quality of the artists on display. Then head for Orchard Road, where the hotels and shopping malls along the city-state's most famous thoroughfare are also home to art galleries. Visit the Opera Gallery at the ION, run by a Frenchman, and featuring some very fine Asian, European and American art. It has also just opened a branch in Marina Bay Sands. Pop and Contemporary Fine Art in the Renaissance Palace houses a fine collection of works by famous artists such as Murakami, Warhol and Kusuma. The Mandarin Gallery is home to the trendy MAD, Museum of Art and Design, which exhibits artists from South-East Asia.
In the afternoon, we head for Chinatown and the Red Dot Design Museum, a colonial red-brick building that's hard to miss. The former headquarters of the traffic police in colonial times now houses the work of designers who have won the Red Dot Design Award, one of the world's most prestigious design prizes. Then on to ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore 's only gallery specializing in Australian Aboriginal art, founded by Giogio Pilla in his superb Peranakan home. To round off this discovery of Singapore through art, dine on modern Cantonese cuisine at the New Majestic hotel restaurant (one of whose rooms was decorated by Justin Lee).
OPERA GALLERY / NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE / MARINA BAY SANDS / POP AND CONTEMPORARY FINE ART / ODE TO ART / GALERIE ARTFOLIO / GALERIE CHAN HAMPE / GILLMAN BARRACKS
Day 4: Singapore by night
Steps: Singapore City
SuperTree: to celebrate your arrival, head for Gardens at the Bay in the late afternoon. Climb up the metal flowers and you will arrive on the terrace of the SuperTree by Indochine bar (18 S$ the entrance with soda). You will have a 360° view of the city, the port and the ocean and you will see the city gradually light up until it gets dark. It's magical! Then take a walk along Marina Bay where you will find good restaurants.
Night Safari: it's probably the most fun attraction in Singapore. You will walk for two hours in the dark without feeling like you are in a zoo. There are no barriers between you and animals, only ditches. Only the cages are lit. We see bats, owls and other animals only at night. Zebras and giraffes stay awake at night. If you don't feel like walking, you can take the little train.
RoofTop Evening: like New York, Hong Kong or Tokyo, Singapore is full of bars on the rooftops. It's the best way to get a good look at it. Don't forget, Wednesday is Ladies night, meaning discount or cocktail offered for girls. Go to 1-Altitude, Ce La Vi, LeVel33 or Kini Rooftop Bar. If you are a little hungry, you can enjoy satays, chicken skewers with peanut sauce, in Satay Street at Lau Pa Sat in CBD. It's always lively.
Disco: go and dance in one of the nightclubs of the capital: Zouk, Kyo, Blue Jazz, Refuge... You have a wide choice according to your tastes and desires. Go to the "Get out" section to make your choice.
Overnight at the casino: if you still have Singapore dollars left, you can spend them at the casino on Sentosa Island. There is a huge area for blackjack and poker fans. The casino is open 24 hours a day and there are hotels, swimming pools, bars around. Everything is done to make sure you miss your flight!
MANDAI WILDLIFE RESERVE - NIGHT SAFARI
Day 5: Singapore Gastronomy
Little India: start the morning with the Little India market to awaken your taste buds with Indian spices. You can take a detour to the gigantic Indian store Mustafa to find exotic dishes, before choosing a local Laksa restaurant. Prata and curry will be your lunch. In the afternoon, walk to Bugis and Arab Sreet. After visiting the mosque and before window shopping, you can have a mint tea and an oriental pastry, or a hookah.
Discover durian: discover the exotic fruits and vegetables from Tiong Bahru's market: manggis, salak, dragon fruit... fruits that can only be found in Southeast Asia. Then have a croissant coffee at PS Café. Then join Chinatown, walk through the dried meat stalls. You will absolutely have to taste the durian, a fruit that will not leave you indifferent. Some say it smells and tastes like garbage, others love it! Also drink a fresh coconut. Once the aperitif is over, go eat small steamed ravioli filled with meat at Din Tai Fu.
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