Experience the Magic of Singapore

Singapore is a great place to visit, either as a destination or as a stopover on your journey to Australia. Many Australians stop in Singapore on their way to Europe and an increasing number of travelers from America and Europe take a break in this exotic city, before continuing on to Australia.

Singapore provides many fine dining experiences and the following 2 were recommended to me by local residents. You will also discover the Lion City's 3 most popular tourism venues.

All major hotels have quality restaurants. However, if you wish to enjoy spectacular city and river views while dining, here are 2 special venues.

Equinox Restaurant sits on the 70th floor of Swissotel, The Stamford and is easily accessible from Raffles City shopping mall or City Hall underground station. The views of the city, river and South China Sea are stunning. The table service was impeccable, the staff were very helpful in our food selection and the food was of a high quality at a fair price.

This restaurant is very popular, so you will need to book. Meal booking times are 7.15 pm and 9pm and ask for a window table. A memorable experience for our final night in Singapore.

The Jewel Box Restaurant at the top of Mt Faber has similar views to Equinox, this time with the ambience of outside dining. The nights in Singapore are always warm, rarely windy and even if it rains, you are well protected.

Mt Faber is at the end of the cable car ride to Sentosa Island and is accessible by taxi or the cable car station at Harbour Pier. After an evening on Sentosa enjoying the "Songs of the Sea" performance, a meal at the Jewel Box made a fitting end to the day.

As with Equinox, the food was of the highest standard and the table service excellent. Highly recommended.

Singapore has a myriad of attractions for visitors, but 3 "must see" attractions are Sentosa Island and the zoo/night safari.

The holiday playground of Sentosa Island is just a short distance from the main Singapore Island, but is worlds apart. It is far more peaceful, there is much to see and do and it can be accessed in 3 ways.You can choose to travel by monorail,cable car or road. Here are some suggestions to get the most from your visit.

Try to arrive on the island in mid afternoon. This will give you time to visit the main daytime attractions before viewing the spectacular "Songs of the Sea" show commencing at 7.30 pm. For panoramic views of Singapore, Sentosa and the South China Sea, the cable car is the way to go.

When you visit Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, you have a choice. You can take a package tour, which usually will include either the zoo or the night safari, rarely both, even though the 2 venues are only walking distance apart. Your cost will be around $75s each for the convenience.

The other option is to travel independently and see both for far less cost. We chose the latter and paid only $32s for the zoo PLUS the night safari. Here's how we did it.

Try to arrive at the zoo by around 3.30 to 4pm. This will give you at least 2 hours at the zoo before moving to the night safari area, opening at 6pm. To reach the zoo, catch the north/south MRT train and alight at Ang Mo Kio. There is then a 5 minute walk within the station area to board bus 138, taking you direct to the zoo.
Allow about half an hour for this journey.

The first stage performance at the night safari starts at 7pm, so you will have time for a meal before moving to the venue. The performance, involving many nocturnal animals and birds, was fun and entertaining. Be prepared for a few surprises. You will then have time to walk along well defined paths to view the animals in the dimly lit night environment.

By this stage of the evening, you will probably be tired, so catch a cab back to your hotel. When you ask the price, most drivers will say "under $20". This is good value, particularly if you have a family, for the hassle free convenience. Our fare back to the hotel was just $15s.