A slice European, a pinch cosmopolitan New York and fully its own quirky, unique self, Montréal is Canada’s artsiest, coolest city, worth spending days and days exploring.
31.08.2023 - 21:57 / lonelyplanet.com / Marina Bay
With its futuristic architecture, diverse food and multicultural landscape, compact and fast-paced Singapore is packed with a ton of things to do.
This small country is easy enough to zip around on your own, but if you only have a few days to spare, here’s our take on the nine best things to do in Singapore on your next trip to the little red dot.
There are plenty of fine dining establishments in Singapore, but if you want to eat like a local, head to any of the country’s open-air hawker centers and fill your belly with a range of cheap and diverse street food. So culturally significant are these hawker centers that they were inscribed to Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.
Wondering which hawker center to check out? Every Singaporean will recommend a different favorite, but some good options include: Chinatown Complex Food Center, the largest with over 200 stalls; Lau Pa Sat, one of the most historical as a gazetted national monument; East Coast Lagoon Food Center by the sea, perhaps one of the most scenic; and the famous Newton Hawker Center featured in the movie Crazy Rich Asians.
Local tip: Most hawkers only take cash, so have small notes and coins on hand.
Show off that you’re in Singapore by snapping that postcard-worthy shot with the iconic architecture surrounding Marina Bay. It may be hard to believe, but this area was empty swathes of land until 2010 – and prior to that, it was open sea.
Taking a walk along the waterfront is one of the best things to do in Singapore for free. Admire the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, take a goofy shot with the water-spouting Merlion statue and stroll across the Helix Bridge (with its DNA-inspired swirls) towards the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum.
Planning tip: Sunset is a good time to start your walk around Marina Bay. It’s cooler, the building lights blaze in their full glory, and if you time it right, you can catch the light and sound shows at the Marina Bay Sands waterfront and Supertree Grove in Gardens along the way.
The Singapore River was once the historic center of Singapore in its early entrepot trading days, and it's the nexus from which the city expanded as it prospered. The warehouses that stored goods along the river banks have since been converted into some of Singapore’s top nightlife districts.
Located closest to the river mouth, Boat Quay is the place to enjoy drinks at more laidback pubs with the best waterfront views. Further down, Clarke Quay is home to trendier clubs and watering holes; if you keep going, Robertson Quay offers a quieter enclave with a cluster of nice dining establishments and cafes.
Local tip: Take a river cruise in an old bumboat – these small boats
A slice European, a pinch cosmopolitan New York and fully its own quirky, unique self, Montréal is Canada’s artsiest, coolest city, worth spending days and days exploring.
Switzerland’s largest city may not (yet) draw the crowds of its other Western European counterparts, but it has more than enough of its share of panache to lure travelers and keep them engaged, entertained, and edified. The eminently walkable city, in spite of streets that zig and zag, is also increasingly bike-friendly. To wit: in 2024, Zurich will host Cycle Week, the national biking festival, and serve as the location for the annual Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships. But you don’t need to ride competitively to enjoy Zurich’s myriad charms—gorgeous waterfront location, historic Old Town, sophisticated shopping, and artsy neighborhoods among them.
In addition to being home to some of the world’s most thrilling amusement parks, Florida has a captivating blend of experiences that fuse a rich history, diverse cities and natural encounters into an enticing escape.
Sometimes called "the Paris of North America," Montréal is a captivating city that straddles two worlds: there’s a hint of old Europe, with French accents, Québécois cuisine and cobblestone-lined neighborhoods, but plenty of familiar North American food and shops as well. Montréalers tend to have a soft spot for kids, and families are generally given the royal treatment.
With its endless blue skies and hiking, climbing and exploring galore, Colorado is a wonderful place to introduce the kiddos to the great outdoors.
Morocco is a family-centric, peaceful country with genuine warmth and love for children of all ages. It's home to cultures where large families are standard – a family of five to six children, and multi-generational homes are considered the norm. It's not unusual for people you've just met to offer kisses, hugs, and cadeaus (gifts) for your kids. Traveling with kids to Morocco can open doors to unique experiences, connecting you deeper to its people and your own family.
California has a reputation for sunshine, beaches and palm trees – but that’s only part of the picture.
With more than 300 glorious days of sun and majestic landscapes to match, it’s no wonder Colorado beckons to outdoorsy types.
With its year-round tropical climate, top-notch infrastructure, abundant green spaces and awesome child-friendly attractions, the tiny island nation of Singapore is a fabulous destination to discover with your pint-sized posse in tow.
Monaco’s high season is bookended by two of the French Riviera’s ritziest events: the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monaco Yacht Show. Super yachts and fast cars are two of the principality’s defining features, but there’s much more to Monaco than you’d expect from the world’s second-smallest state, which is about the same size as Central Park.
South Africa is an excellent destination for family trips.
In 2012, the government of Singapore set out to create a “City in a Garden,” a futuristic botanical garden that would showcase the city-state’s embrace of the future and add to its already distinct skyline. Singapore is small — 274 square miles — yet it managed to fit Gardens by the Bay, an area containing several hundred acres of lush greenery, a waterfall, 1.5 million plants, and the largest glass greenhouse in the world into its tiny frame. Many visitors to Gardens by the Bay come for the iconic Supertrees, Cloud Forest, and Flower Dome, but there are a number of lesser-known exhibits to walk through on a day trip to the Gardens by the Bay.