Singapore goes by many names – the Garden City and the Lion City just to name a few – but no name can truly describe the experience of traveling and staying in this larger-than-life city. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, Singapore isn’t exactly an “off the beaten path” destination, but it’s a cultural melting pot rich with delicious food, art and wonderful people.

Top Things to See and Do in Singapore

Whether you’re staying for a long weekend or two weeks, there’s plenty to see and do in this futuristic city-state.

No stay in Singapore is complete without a stop in Chinatown. Known as the cultural heart of Singapore, this district is home to several beautiful mosques, pagodas, shops and more.

For luxury shopping, head over to Orchard Road, the city’s premier shopping district. Here, you’ll find high-end shopping, coffee shops, cafes, hotels and nightclubs.

 

If you’re hungry, head over to Kreta Ayer’s Food Street for a bite to eat.

For a unique nightspot experience, take a tour through the Night Safari, the first wildlife park in the world to offer night tours. The park’s tram will take you on a guided tour of the safari’s 40 hectares of forests. Where else can you catch a glimpse of wild animals in their natural habitats at night?

Merlion Park is another must-see for anyone visiting Singapore, with the park’s iconic lion offering a great photo opportunity. Don’t forget to stop by the Gardens by the Bay, a 101-hectare nature park that offers stunning views of the Marina Bay.

Sentosa Island is home to an artificial, sheltered beach, and offers attractions for visitors of all ages. From a 4D movie theater to a dolphin lagoon and insect conservatory, the resort is a vacation all its own.

If you’re traveling with the kids, Universal Studios is a must-do. The park is the only one in Asia with a Hollywood theme, and takes you on a journey through some of the most popular films, including Battlestar Galactica, Jurassic Park, Madagascar, Shrek and Transformers. Take a stroll down the Walk of Fame, and dine at one of the many restaurants in the park.

For truly stunning views, head up to the Tiger Sky Tower, the tallest viewing tower in Singapore. The Tiger Sky Tower offers panoramic views of the city at 131m up in the sky.

Head over to the Singapore Botanic Gardens to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The 156-year-old tropical garden is found just on the outskirts of Singapore’s main shopping belt. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this stunning garden has been ranked a top attraction since 2013. Top sites at the gardens include the Orchid Garden, Rainforest, Botany Centre, Ginger Garden and the Children’s Garden.

We managed to squeeze in all of these attractions during our week-long stay in this uniquely beautiful city, but there’s plenty more to see and do if you’re staying longer. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful getaway or something more adventurous, Singapore has something for every traveler.

Visiting Japan was like a dream come true. I started taking judo lessons in 1984, and that’s when I learned to count from one to ten in Japanese. I was intrigued with languages and Japanese fascinated me. Later in high school I began studying it under the instruction of a teacher born and raised in Tokyo. In 1992, I found myself in Tokyo with a group of my classmates for an exchange trip. I was anxious when I met my host family. Would my Japanese be good enough? Would they laugh when I garbled the words?

I told them I wanted to visit Akihabara, a section of Tokyo known for electronics. I remember the days when Japan was the most prolific manufacturer of electronic goods, and in the early 1990s Sony was a highly respected brand. I was mesmerized by the glowing neon signs I wasn’t quite able to read yet. Buying something wasn’t possible because Canada and Japan didn’t have the same voltage, so it was a strictly “look but don’t buy” trip. Still, I loved taking a peek inside these wonderfully exotic stores!

Tokyo Tower resembles the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and although it hasn’t gained the kind of international acclaim as its French counterpart, I had no complaints when my hosts took me there the following night. The evening view of Tokyo was stunning from the observation deck. Tokyo Tower is painted orange, not black. To be honest, I thought it was more attractive.

One part of the city I didn’t get to see, but have heard a great deal about, is Yoyogi Park. Located next to Harajuku Station and the Meiji Shrine, the park is known for its beautiful cherry blossoms. Rebellious youths gather in the park on Sunday afternoons to blow off steam and thumb their noses at Japan’s stiff corporate culture. My itinerary was already planned by my teachers who had accompanied our group, and Yoyogi wasn’t on it.

I spent three nights in Tokyo and that wasn’t nearly enough to savor everything the city had to offer. With almost twenty million people, the city is terribly crowded and it’s expensive. But, what I like most about Tokyo is that it’s remarkably safe to walk around at any time. I will go back!

I like Kuala Lumpur, a city that’s cheaper than Singapore and a tad more conservative than Bangkok. On the way to the city center from the airport, I caught the familiar scent of humid, tropical air I knew so well from previous visits to Asia. This was my first visit to Malaysia, and was anxious to find out what the nation’s capital looked like.

I stayed in the centrally located Concorde Hotel, and felt as if this was the best place to crash for a few days because it was so close to the action. Like the World Trade Centers which used to stand in New York City, the Petronas Twin Towers dominate the skyline of Kuala Lumpur. The external design of these buildings has a noticeable Islamic motif and serves as the headquarters of Petronas – the national oil company of Malaysia. Next to the Petronas complex is the Suria KLCC mall – one of Kuala Lumpur’s more popular centers for material consumption. The place was huge, of course, with six levels and an ultra-modern interior.

I’ve always had a fondness for history, and always make it a priority to learn something about a country’s past. I spent a few hours around the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Merdeka Square (or Independence Square) was where Malaysia declared its autonomy from Great Britain at the stroke of midnight on August 31^st, 1957. The British used this square as a cricket pitch, which I suppose isn’t all that surprising. Didn’t they play cricket in just about every country they colonized?

On the east side of the square is the impressive Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which the British used as an administrative center in colonial times. The architecture is Moorish in appearance and reflects the Islamic heritage of Malaysia.

I had eaten great food (Malaysian satay is scrumptious), seen wonderful sights and met nice people in Kuala Lumpur. It was a pleasant taste of a country that I would like to visit again. Kuala Lumpur isn’t so ostentatious and it takes a while to find the city’s charms but they exist, and the infrastructure is impressive. And, many locals speak English! That eliminates any communication worries, particularly for tourists from North America and Britain.

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Beijing twice. The Chinese capital has so many layers of history, politics, and conflict. The city is a beast, an incredibly pushy and crowded nucleus in which personal space is a coveted luxury. Beijing cyclists have to be particularly careful on the edges of the city’s wide avenues: cars, trucks, and buses are all competing in one big race and the right of way isn’t observed here. I had to remember this when crossing the roads.

A bus tour took me to Tiananmen Square, a big plaza where so many skirmishes, uprisings, and revolutions began. The event that came to my mind was the pro-democracy rally in 1989. Just about everyone in Beijing who is old enough can recall the iconic image of the “tank man,” the nameless individual who stood in front a convoy of tanks the day after the massacre. Nobody knows who he was or even if he’s alive. During my visit in 2006 I didn’t fail to notice the police officers and soldiers in the square, ready to pounce on any serious demonstrator who dared to challenge the regime, still intent on clinging to power.

The Forbidden City commanded my respect. For centuries, all the political power in China was concentrated in this imperial complex. This was the home of Chinese emperors, their empresses, eunuchs and concubines. To think of the decadent lives they lived within those walls! It’s hard to imagine the wealth of those ancient monarchs.

The Great Wall of China isn’t a single entity; in fact, it’s a collection of walls built over the course of many dynasties. The Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang wanted to keep those pesky invaders from Mongolia and points further north out of China, so he conscripted thousands of men – soldiers, criminals, and peasants – to build the wall. Not an easy task, by any means. I was in awe of this feat of defensive engineering. To see photos of the Great Wall of China is one thing; it’s quite another to actually walk on it. Ironically, it’s drawing foreign tourists to China instead of keeping them out. Perhaps Chinese rulers planned it that way!

 

I can use many words to describe Bangkok: hot, humid, vibrant, riotous, cosmopolitan — and, I daresay, beautiful. Well, saying the Thai capital is beautiful as a whole would be stretching it a bit. However, the city has remained charming and attractive even though the rush into modernity has continued unabated. Bangkok may lack the order of Singapore and the sophistication of Tokyo, but there’s no doubt that it’s the most popular city in Asia — and the world, apparently. In 2013, Bangkok beat London as the world’s favorite tourist destination. I find myself wishing to return to experience the unique Thai hospitality and the ever-present desire for “sanuk,” the Thai word for fun. And believe me, there’s plenty of fun to be had in Bangkok. It’s not hard to find.

For newcomers not used to a tropical climate, the heat of Bangkok can be difficult to adjust to. This is Asia! I would suggest carrying a big bottle of water while sightseeing on foot and they cost next to nothing. Start the day by touring the Grand Palace Complex, the spiritual heart of Thailand. This used to be the home of Thai nobility. The grounds are immaculate, with gold spires and roofs with green and dark orange tiles. There is a dress code in effect for men and women. Don’t show up with tank tops, shorts, see-through shirts, etc. The Thai Royal Family still uses the complex for state functions, but they don’t live there. Still, appropriate clothing is a must!

The humidity in Bangkok is suffocating and the traffic can be horrendous, but stepping into an air-conditioned mall is a heavenly sensation. MBK Center (Mahboonkrong) is a great place to escape the heat while shopping for bargains. Locals and foreign tourists from various corners of the world seem to like this malla lot, because the prices are cheaper than the Siam Paragon. I got lost in the MBK mall once, and didn’t really want to leave.

End a long day of sightseeing at the Moon Bar on the top floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. All of Bangkok will be laid out below, and at night the city lights up and the sight is wonderful. Who ever said Bangkok isn’t romantic?