Shopping and eating are the lifeblood of Singapore. Visitors will find an endless array of places to do both, economically or in high style. There is also an increasing number of venues for entertainment and sports as well as an extensive calendar of annual festivals. And no other city offers a better opportunity to introduce children to the cultures of Asia.
Merlion souvenirs on Sentosa
Singapore Tourism Board
Shopping
If Singapore has a national pastime, it is shopping. Downtown is stuffed with air-conditioned malls, department stores and boutiques, and the ethnic neighbourhoods offer additional street markets and unique shops. Most shopping centres and shops are open from 10am to 9pm daily (sometimes later at weekends). Credit cards are widely accepted. Bargaining is not practised at most of the larger stores but vendors with stalls in markets often do. Many retailers can provide overseas shipping. Insist on written confirmation of your purchases and buy shipping insurance unless your credit card covers it.
Prices for many goods in Singapore are equal to or higher than those in Western countries. However, there are good discounts during the Great Singapore Sale (www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg), which usually runs from the last week of May through June and July.
Tax-free shopping
Although a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7 percent is levied on most purchases, this can be refunded if you spend a minimum of S$100 at shops participating in the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS). There are two central refund agencies under this scheme: Global Blue Singapore Pte Ltd (tel: 800-101 2813/6922 5588/421 232 111 111; www.globalblue.com) and Premier Tax Free (Singapore) Pte Ltd (tel: 6293 3811/1800-829 3733; www.premiertaxfree.com). Look out for shops with the ‘Tax Refund’ logo. Fill in a voucher for your purchases. Before your departure at Changi Airport, validate the voucher at the airport customs, then present it with your purchased items at the Global Blue counter or Premier Tax Free counter. You can opt for cash or cheque refund, or ask for the refund to be credited to your credit card or bank account. Alternatively, file your GST claims at the eTRS (electronic tourist refund scheme; www.iras.gov.sg) self-help kiosk at Changi Airport. Look out for shops with the eTRS sign and use one credit card as a token for tagging your purchases.
Money-back guarantees
Merchants at Changi Airport offer two guarantees. The first is on price. If you find you have paid more at the airport than at one of the downtown department stores and major shops on their list, they will give you a refund that is double the price difference if you can show written proof. The second guarantee is simpler. If you’ve bought the wrong gift or changed your mind, they will give you a full refund, no questions asked, if you return the item and receipt within 30 days. You can do this even after leaving Singapore; shipping costs will be refunded as well. For details, contact the manager of the airport shop you bought the item from, or the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (tel: 6542 1122; www.caas.gov.sg).
Where to shop
Civic District
The Civic District is dominated by shopping centres and department stores. Among the biggest is Suntec City Mall (3 Temasek Boulevard; www.sunteccity.com.sg), filled with mid-range food outlets as well as plenty of fashion and lifestyle stores. The central circular Fountain of Wealth is billed as the world’s largest fountain; its waters flow downwards instead of shooting upwards, since the traditional Chinese belief is that water represents wealth and the tenants here want the water flowing directly into their shopping centre. Other malls and shopping arcades in this area include Millenia Walk (9 Raffles Boulevard; www.milleniawalk.com) and Marina Square (6 Raffles Boulevard; www.marinasquare.com.sg). The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (10 Bayfront Avenue; www.marinabaysands.com) is the place to treat yourself to a luxury shopping experience, with brands such as Chanel, Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès and Yves Saint Laurent.
The Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade (328 North Bridge Road; closed for restoration until 2018) has art galleries and luxury-brand boutiques. The Raffles City Shopping Centre (252 North Bridge Road; www.rafflescity.com.sg) nearby is linked to Suntec City Mall by a walkway and shopping mall, appropriately dubbed the CityLink Mall (1 Raffles Link; www.citylinkmall.com).
Other major malls include Funan DigitaLife Mall (109 North Bridge Road; under redevelopment to be completed by 2019) and Sim Lim Square (1 Rochor Canal; www.simlimsquare.com.sg), packed with computer and electronics stores. Bugis Junction (200 Victoria Street; www.bugisjunction-mall.com.sg) is a glass-covered mall that retains its shophouse architecture; across the street from it is the Bugis Street market.
Bugis+ (201 Victoria Street; www.bugisplus.com.sg) is linked via a bridge to Bugis Junction at Level 2. Mid-range stores and fashion boutiques are targeted at a younger crowd. There is a cineplex on the fifth level.
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is another major downtown shopping strip, renowned for its upscale international stores. ION Orchard (2 Orchard Turn; www.ionorchard.com) is the most exciting of the recent additions here, with over 300 retail, F&B and entertainment stores. 313@Somerset (313 Orchard Road; www.313somerset.com.sg) sits above the Somerset MRT station and caters to shoppers’ passions for fashion and food. There’s a huge food court on the fifth level. Next door is Orchard Gateway (www.orchardgateway.sg), which is made up of two buildings on diagonally opposite sites, linked via a glass bridge. Among its 100 or so tenants are American lifestyle store Crate & Barrel and the library@orchard public library. A stone’s throw away is Orchard Central (181 Orchard Road; www.orchardcentral.com.sg) filled with independent retail stores and eateries including Dean & Deluca from New York. Knightsbridge (270 Orchard Road) houses the popular Abercrombie and Fitch store.
Bustling Orchard Road is a shopping mecca
Corbis
Among the favourites of the older shopping malls are Wisma Atria (435 Orchard Road; www.wismaonline.com), noted for its fashion boutiques and Food Republic food court; Ngee Ann City (391 Orchard Road; www.ngeeanncity.com.sg), with the Japanese department store Takashimaya and Kinokuniya bookstore; Paragon (290 Orchard Road; www.paragon.com.sg), with numerous luxury boutiques, and Centrepoint (176 Orchard Road; http://thecentrepoint.fraserscentrepointmalls.com/), long a favourite of Singaporeans. Far East Plaza (14 Scotts Road) has trendy streetwear at low prices. Two popular home-grown emporiums are Tangs (320 Orchard Road) with well-loved fashion, beauty and household sections, and Robinsons (260 Orchard Road; www.robinsons.com.sg), Singapore’s oldest department store with a 155-year history.
DFS Galleria (25 Scotts Road; www.dfsgalleria.com) is a treasure trove of designer fashion and cosmetics with duty-free savings. Slightly further away Tanglin Shopping Centre (19 Tanglin Road; www.tanglinsc.com) has the city’s largest selection of Persian rugs, old maps and Asian antiques.
Chinatown
Singapore’s ethnic neighbourhoods offer more unusual shopping possibilities. Chinatown is headlined by Yue Hwa Emporium (70 Eu Tong Sen Street; tel: 6538 4222; www.yuehwa.com.sg), a department store where all the clothing, household goods and crafts are from Taiwan and China. People’s Park Centre (101 Upper Cross Street) is filled with Chinese vendors willing to bargain while People’s Park Complex (1 Park Road) has fabrics and streetwear.
Henna tattooist in Little India
Vincent Ng/Apa Publications
Little India
Little India is the area to poke around for bangles, gold jewellery, silk saris and Indian spices. Little India Arcade on 48 Serangoon Road has over 50 small shops and the nearby Tekka Centre (665 Buffalo Road) has a wet market and scores of shops selling saris, batiks and brassware. Mustafa Centre (145 Syed Alwi Road; tel: 6295 5855; www.mustafa.com.sg) is a large 24-hour department store popular for its low-priced electronic goods, groceries and garments.
Little India fabric vendor
Jack Hollingsworth/Apa Publications
Suburbs
VivoCity (1 HarbourFront Walk; www.vivocity.com.sg), a shopping and entertainment centre with the largest retail venue in Singapore features cineplexes, a hypermarket and Jamie’s Italian, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s first restaurant in Asia.
Suburban malls offer many of the same goods available downtown, but often at much better prices. Century Square (2 Tampines Central 5; www.centurysquare.com.sg) is beside the Tampines MRT Station; Junction 8 (9 Bishan Place; www.junction8.com.sg) is served by the Bishan MRT Station, and JEM (50 Jurong Gateway Road; www.jem.sg) and Westgate (3 Gateway Drive, www.westgate.com.sg) are located next to Jurong East MRT Station.
Complaints departments
Singapore has several means to rectify retailer malfeasance. You can lodge complaints with the Singapore Tourism Board by calling its hotline 1800-736 2000 (toll-free in Singapore) or going online at www.visitsingapore.com. Alternatively, contact the Small Claims Tribunal (1st level, Subordinate Courts, 1 Havelock Square; tel: 6435 5946; www.statecourts.gov.sg). At the latter, complaints are heard on short notice and judgements are rendered on the spot.
Specialist shops
Antiques and handicrafts
There is a cluster of antique shops at Tanglin Shopping Centre (19 Tanglin Road); if you purchase something there, request shipping and certificates of authenticity. Stores include Lopburi Arts & Antiques (03-28; tel: 6738 3834); Antiques of the Orient (02-40; tel: 6734 9351; www.aoto.com.sg); Naga Arts & Antiques (01-48; tel: 6235 7084); and KenSoon Asiatic Art (02-57/58; tel: 6732 7380; www.kensoon.com). Dempsey Road (Tanglin Village; www.dempseyhill.com), near the Botanic Gardens, is also filled with many tiny antique and Asian collectible shops, such as Asia Passion (Block 13, 01-02; tel: 6473 1339) and Woody Antique House (Block 13, 01-05; tel: 6471 1770; www.woodyantique.com). Kwok Gallery (03-01 Far East Shopping Centre, 545 Orchard Road; tel: 6235 2516) has dealt in genuine Chinese pieces since 1918.
Quality control
Shops displaying the CaseTrust (CT) logo are accredited as reliable and honest by the Consumers Association of Singapore.
Bookstores
Singapore’s leading bookstores are Kinokuniya (03-09/10/15 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road; tel: 6737 5021; 03-50 Liang Court, 177 River Valley Road, tel: 6337 1300; 03-09/12 Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria Street; tel: 6339 1790; 04-23 JEM, 50 Jurong Gateway Road; tel: 6430 0868; www.kinokuniya.com.sg); and Times Bookstores (04-08 Centrepoint, 176 Orchard Road; tel: 6734 9022; 04-41 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road; tel: 6836 6182; www.timesbookstores.com.sg). The small, independent Select Books (65A Jalan Tenteram; tel: 6251 3798; www.selectbooks.com.sg) has a rich collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian books.
Tailors
CYC The Custom Shop (02-11/12 Capitol Piazza, 13 Stamford Road; tel: 6336 3556; www.cyccustomshop.com), established in 1935, was the first company in Singapore to offer custom-made shirts. Fabrics from Italy, Switzerland, France and Japan are used for the fine-quality shirts. Coloc Tailor (03-07 Mandarin Hotel Gallery, 333A Orchard Road; tel: 6338 9767; www.coloc.com.sg) can complete a suit in 24 hours. Pimab’s (20 Cavan Road; tel: 6538 6466; www.pimabs.com), helmed by local fashion designer Leslie Chia, specialises in bespoke services for men at reasonable prices. Far East Plaza at 14 Scotts Road also has tailors that offer made-to-measure clothes. Solito (02-95; tel: 6732 8468) and Ascott Tailors (02-88; tel: 6734 2207) can have your clothes ready within eight hours.
Entertainment
In addition to its shopping, eating and cultural attractions, Singapore has a thriving nightlife scene, although it remains a tamer one than those found in some other Asian and Western capitals.
Performing arts
Singapore’s impresarios bring in performances by international groups and artists. Current attractions are listed in tourist magazines such as Where Singapore and in the dailies. Tickets can be purchased at SISTIC (tel: 6348 5555) box offices; bookings can also be made at www.sistic.com.sg. The Singapore International Festival of Arts (www.sifa.sg), held in August and September, is well regarded for its line-up of innovative works. The Singapore Night Festival, a nocturnal festival held over two weekends in August, showcases spectacular aerial performances, music and dance performances, and installation artworks at various museums in the Bras Basah district.
Chinese opera performers
Jack Hollingsworth/Apa Publications
The Fort Canning Centre hosts outdoor performances such as rock concerts and ballets. Singapore has some Chinese opera companies, which often perform on outdoor stages in Chinatown and at annual festivals, particularly during the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts around August. The Chinese Opera Teahouse (5 Smith Street; tel: 6323 4862; www.ctcopera.com) offers performances of opera excerpts with English subtitles (showtimes Fri and Sat 7–9pm; admission fee inclusive of set dinner).
The iconic Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (1 Esplanade Drive; tel: 6828 8377; www.esplanade.com) is Singapore’s world-class performing arts centre. Music, theatre, dance and outdoor performances are hosted in this large complex. The noted Singapore Symphony Orchestra performs here regularly; check www.sso.org.sg for programme updates. The Esplanade also hosts the Mosaic Music Series, featuring exceptional world musicians.
The Marina Bay Sands integrated resort includes The Sands Theater and The Grand Theater (10 Bayfront Avenue; tel: 6688 8868; www.marinabaysands.com), with stunning interior design and sophisticated technology. Major musicals such as West Side Story and Sister Act are shown here.
Nightlife
With hundreds of clubs, bars, and karaoke lounges, late-night entertainment options are plenty. Some places have dress codes so check with the venue beforehand if you’re unsure.
Head to Boat Quay for chic bars and lounges
Vincent Ng/Apa Publications
Singapore River
For those seeking a leisurely drink, Singapore has a large number of chic bars and lounges, many with outdoor seating. The Boat Quay shophouses are home to a few such establishments. Harry’s Bar (28 Boat Quay; tel: 6538 3029; www.harrys.com.sg) offers live jazz. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub (56 Circular Road; tel: 6536 2029; www.molly-malone.com) and the Victorian Penny Black (26–27 Boat Quay; tel: 6538 2300; www.pennyblack.com.sg) are excellent places to down pints of Guinness.
Clarke Quay (tel: 6337 3292; www.clarkequay.com.sg) has hip restaurants, bars and dance clubs like Attica (01-03, 3A River Valley Road; tel: 6333 9973; www.attica.com.sg). The top club Zouk in the Cannery (3C River Valley Road; tel: 6738 2988; www.zoukclub.com) is unmissable. Ever the trendsetter, it features a wine bar, three clubs and international DJs.
Civic District
Paulaner Bräuhaus (01-01 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard; tel: 6883 2572; www.paulaner-brauhaus.com/singapore), is a popular German microbrewery serving delicious Bavarian bites and entertainment, especially during Oktoberfest.
At the Long Bar (Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road; tel: 6337 1886; under restoration until 2018), Singapore Slings are must-haves, and the vertigo-inducing New Asia Bar at Swissôtel The Stamford (71st & 72nd Floors, 2 Stamford Road; tel: 6837 3322; www.swissotel.com/hotels/singapore-stamford/) offers fabulous city views. Anti:dote at the lobby level of Fairmont Singapore (80 Bras Basah Road; tel: 6431 5315; www.fairmont.com/singapore) is a cocktail bar that has received rave reviews for its experimental concoctions and modern tapas.
Loof Bar (331 North Bridge Road; tel: 9773 9304; www.loof.com.sg) at Odeon Towers has attracted crowds for many years now. A popular spot on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel is Cé La Vi Singapore (Marina Bay Sands North Tower, 1 Bayfront Avenue; tel: 6508 2188; www.sg.celavi.com). Barber Shop by Timbre (1 Old Parliament Lane; tel: 6336-3386; www.barbershop.sg) is a much-frequented live music venue and Mr Punch Public House (26 Seah Street; tel: 8339 8966) is a funky little bar on top of the Mint Museum of Toys.
New Asia Bar at Swissôtel The Stamford
Singapore Tourism Board
Orchard Road
On Emerald Hill beside the Centrepoint Shopping Centre are several hot spots. The Spanish-inspired wine bar Que Pasa (7 Emerald Hill Road; tel: 6235 6626; www.quepasa.com.sg) presents sangria and tapas while Ice Cold Beer (9 Emerald Hill Road; tel: 6735 9929; www.ice-cold-beer.com) serves beer straight from the tanks. At the western end of Orchard Road are Brix (Basement One, Grand Wing, Grand Hyatt, 10 Scotts Road; tel: 6732 1234), with beautiful people and special theme nights, and the ever popular Hard Rock Café (02-01 HPL House, 50 Cuscaden Road; tel: 6235 5232; www.hardrock.com) with live music. There’s also Alley Bar (180 Orchard Road, Peranakan Place; tel: 6738 8818; www.peranakanplace.com), a stylish bar just off Orchard Road.
Sentosa
Sentosa Island has a few laid-back beach bars, great for sunset drinks. The stylish Tanjong Beach Club (120 Tanjong Beach Walk; tel: 6270 1355; www.tanjongbeachclub.com) is an all-day beach hideout offering excellent food and cocktails. Sip cocktails on a deck chair at Coastes (50 Siloso Beach Walk; tel: 6631 8938; www.coastes.com) or pick up a surfboard and ride artificial waves and enjoy live music and modern Californian-Asian cuisine at Wave House Sentosa (Siloso Beach; tel: 6377 3113; www.wavehousesentosa.com).
Across Sentosa and next to VivoCity is St James Power Station (3 Sentosa Gateway; tel: 6270 7676), which offers several bars and live music venues under one roof.
Sports
Singapore has good facilities for sports activities. Active visitors should take heed of the high humidity and schedule outdoor workouts for early mornings or evenings.
Biking. Rentals are available at Sentosa, East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park and Pulau Ubin.
Sea sports. Kayaking is available at Sentosa, East Coast Park and Changi Point while cable skiing is found at East Coast Lagoon (1206A, East Coast Parkway; tel: 6442 7318; www.ski360degree.com). Waterskiing and wakeboarding are available at the Kallang River. Windsurfing, sailing and kitesurfing equipment can be rented from Constant Wind (11 Changi Coast Walk; tel: 6445 5108; www.constantwind.com), a seasports and sailing school.
Golf. Several of Singapore’s golf courses are world class, attracting such international tournaments as the Johnnie Walker Classic. There are 11 private golf courses offering limited access to non-members and four public courses that have no restrictions on visitors. Green fees range from S$40 for a nine-hole course on weekdays to S$400 for a full round at a championship course on weekends. Some clubs may ask you for a proficiency certificate. Clubs include Changi Golf Club (20 Netheravon Road; tel: 6545 5133; www.changigolfclub.org.sg) with a nine-hole course and sea views; Orchid Country Club (1 Orchid Club Road; tel: 6750 2111/6755 9811; www.orchidclub.com), which offers night golfing; the Singapore Island Country Club (180 Island Club Road; tel: 6459 2222; www.sicc.org.sg) with four 18-hole courses amidst the verdant MacRitchie Reservoir; Sentosa Golf Club (27 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa Island; tel: 6275 0090; www.sentosagolf.com) with two beautiful championship 18-hole courses, and Tanah Merah Country Club (25 Changi Coast Road; tel: 6542 3040; www.tmcc.org.sg), also with two 18-hole courses.
Hiking. Despite the heat and humidity, hiking is one of Singapore’s most attractive outdoor pursuits. The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (177 Hindhede Drive; tel: 6468 5736/1800-471 7300; www.nparks.gov.sg), Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (301 Neo Tiew Crescent; www.nparks.gov.sg) and MacRitchie Nature Trail (off Thomson Road at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve; www.nparks.gov.sg) are the three most popular trekking areas.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Vincent Ng/Apa Publications
Spectator sports. Among the most popular are cricket and rugby, matches of which you might see at the Padang across from City Hall. The annual SCC International Rugby Sevens tournament is held here. Singapore also has its own soccer league (www.sleague.com), in which local and international teams compete at stadiums around the island. The F1 Singapore Grand Prix in September (tel: 6738 6738; www.singaporegp.sg) is the first night race in F1 history.
Horseracing. Races can be enjoyed at the Singapore Turf Club (1 Turf Club Avenue, beside the Kranji MRT Station; tel: 6879 1000; www.turfclub.com.sg) on selected Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Singapore for children
Singapore has many attractions and entertainment options designed for visitors of all ages, most offering child discounts.
With its beaches, oceanarium and theme parks, Sentosa (for more information, click here) is practically made for children. One of the most exciting attractions in recent years is Universal Studios Singapore (8 Sentosa Gateway; www.rwsentosa.com) housed in the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort. Other attractions include a Marine Life Park and the Trick Eye Museum.
Opened in 2016, MOSH! is an interactive family ‘edutainment’ park in Sentosa (31 Beach View; www.mosh.com.sg), with technological attractions including Paper Plane Adventure (see your paper planes come to life on screen) and Hide-and-Seek Table (interact with digital cartoon characters). Next door, KidZania (31 Beach View; www.kidzania.com.sg) is a child-sized replica of a city where children can even perform adult jobs.
The zoo (for more information, click here) has a special area for younger children, and the Night Safari (for more information, click here) provides something exciting for families after nightfall. The River Safari (for more information, click here), home to the giant pandas from China, is a must-visit. The Jurong BirdPark (for more information, click here), whose inhabitants range from hornbills to pelicans, has highly entertaining shows.
The Haw Par Villa (for more information, click here) gives kids a chance to experience Chinese culture. The Singapore Discovery Centre (510 Upper Jurong Road; tel: 6792 6188; www.sdc.com.sg) is a high-tech ‘edutainment’ attraction celebrating the history of Singapore. The Singapore Science Centre (15 Science Centre Road; tel: 6425 2500; www.science.edu.sg) has over 850 exhibits, an aviation gallery and an Omni-theatre. Nearby is Snow City (21 Jurong Town Hall Road; tel: 6560 2306; www.snowcity.com.sg), where there is skiing and snowboarding indoors year-round.