ITINERARIES

Arab St
This area of small streets is the focal point of Muslim life in Singapore. Hole-in-the-wall shops and bazaars offer lots of bargains. It's good for clothes and fabrics as well as baskets, things made of cane or straw and camel skin bags.

Chinatown
ucked behind the city's financial district, is a colourful network of streets and alleyways crowded with traders selling exotic foods and medicines, fortune tellers teashops, clog and kite makers. It's possible to buy handicrafts from all over Asia here. One of the best time to visit is during the run-up to the Chinese New Year, in January or early February, when everything is lit up and buzzing.

Colonial Singapore
The mark of Sir Stamford Raffles is indelibly stamped on central Singapore. By moving the business district south of the river and making the northern area the administrative centre, Raffles created the framework that remained the blueprint for central Singapore through generations of colonial rule and the republican years of independence.

Little India
The place to go shopping for silverware, brassware, ethnic jewellery, jasmine garlands and silk saris. The Little India Cultural Corner provides an insight into the history of the Indian community in Singapore and there are lots of excellent restaurants and interesting temples. A good time to visit is during Deepavali, the Indian Festival of Lights.

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 Garden and the hands-on Singapore Discovery Centre.

Orchard Rd
Huge malls and more shopping than you can imagine including CK Tang's, Singapore's most famous department store. The Botanic Gardens at the western end of the road provide a peaceful respite, with over half a million different plants including a mini jungle, rose gardens, fern gardens and orchid gardens.

Sentosa Island
The granddaddy of Singapore's parks, Sentosa Island is the city-state's most visited attraction. It has museums, aquariums, beaches, sporting facilities, walks, rides and food centres. If a day isn't enough to take in all the sites and activities, the island has a camping ground, hostel and luxury hotels.

Green spaces
Singapore is not all high rise, there are lots of green places which is why it's often called the 'garden city'. There are dozens of gardens and reserves including, Sungei Buloh Nature Park, which acts as a stopover for migrating birds from September to March. And the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve which is home to more species of flora than North America. The zoo has over 2,000 animals and the neighbouring Night Safari provides a glimpse of the nocturnal activities of striped hyenas, leopards, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and otters. The Jurong Bird Park has around 8,000 birds from over six hundred species, everything from eagles and falcons to penguins and kiwis.

Museums
Many of the colonial buildings have been converted into museums. Ones to visit include the Singapore History Museum, Singapore Art Museum the Asian Civilisations Museum.