Singapore is an incredibly diverse city that lives entirely from its contrasts and is completely absorbed in them. The most diverse Singapore sights impress you in the smallest of spaces.
Colorful Hindu temples and lively markets in the lively district of Little India. Ancient pharmacies full of mysterious herbs and waters, as well as a magnificent temple, which allegedly houses a tooth of Buddha himself, in Chinatown. A magnificent mosque with domes shining gold in the sun and cool street art in Little Arabia. Or the fabulous view from one of the hip skybars in the financial district: Singapore often leaves you with your mouth open in amazement!
Singapore is wonderfully tidy and clean. The city enchants with multicultural and heavenly delicious food and also has the most beautiful landscapes in many different nature reserves outside the center and on the offshore islands to offer.
Tip 1: Marina Bay Sands
A hotel as a tourist attraction? Alongside the tradition-steeped colonial Raffles Hotel, the Marina Bay Sands has developed in a flash into one of the city-state’s best-known hotels, which is also of interest to Singapore tourists who cannot afford or do not want to stay there overnight.
Behind the Marina Bay Sands Hotel is the U.S. Company Las Vegas Sands Corp, which operates the Venetian Hotel and the neighboring Palazzo in the American gambling capital. The name alludes to the historic Sands Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, which opened in 1952 and was long owned by the legendary Howard Hughes.
In the newly created Marina South in Singapore, the world’s most expensive hotel resort was built on 15.5 hectares of land at a cost of a staggering $5.7 billion and opened in 2010.
The biggest tourist magnet is the SkyPark, which extends 200 meters above all three towers of the hotel and offers a unique view over Singapore. Non-hotel guests can also visit the rooftop terrace for an entrance fee. In addition to the view over Singapore, there are beautiful tropical gardens to admire, “The Sky on 57” restaurant and the KU DÉ TA nightclub. The hotel’s no less famous infinity pool, which is also located on the roof terrace, on the other hand, is NOT accessible and can hardly be seen from the public area. If you want to swim here, you have to book a hotel room.
The heart of the complex is the Marina Bay Sands Casino, which is equipped with 1,500 machines and 600 gaming tables.
Tip 2: Marina Bay Gardens
The largest part of the Marina South area in Singapore is occupied by the “Gardens by the Bay”, a beautiful garden complex consisting of three different areas.
The “Bay South Garden” covers around 54 hectares of land. Probably the most eye-catching structures in this park are the two huge conservatories made of glass, called “Flower Dome” and “Cloud Forest”.
In the Flower Dome, a total of seven different gardens are set up at constant temperatures around 23°C to 25°C, showcasing the plant life of Australia, South America, Africa and the Mediterranean region. The somewhat smaller Cloud Forest recreates the cool moist living conditions in the higher altitudes of the tropical rainforests. Orchids, camellias and Venus flytraps are among the plants on display here. The gardens are arranged thematically.
Most famous are the “Supertrees,” metallic structures 25 to 50 meters tall that act as vertical gardens and are filled with numerous plants. However, the Supertrees are not just a tourist gag, but fulfill many important functions. For example, they are equipped with solar cells that generate enough solar energy to in turn produce light. The Supertrees also collect rainwater and serve as an outlet for the two greenhouses’ air-conditioning systems. A bridge (the OCBC Skyway) runs between two of these structures, providing a magnificent view of the gardens. The Supertrees Grove is particularly atmospheric after dark, when the trees are transformed into a veritable enchanted forest with thousands of twinkling lights.
Tip 3: Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Singapore that is a must-see. For a while it was the largest Ferris wheel in the world with a height of 165 meters. The official opening of the Singapore Flyer was on March 1, 2008 and since that day many tourists ride it every day. One turn of the Singapore Flyer takes about 30 minutes and you have a gigantic view of the Singapore skyline during the ride. By the way, the highest Ferris wheel in Europe is in London and it is the famous London Eye which is a bit smaller.
The Singapore Flyer is currently still one of the highest Ferris wheels in the world, with a stately height of 165 meters. The Ferris wheel has 28 gondolas with 28 seats each. Thus it offers place for 784 passengers. The gondolas are mostly made of glass, so you can enjoy a wonderful view. In good weather, you can even see up to 45 kilometers away. In addition, the gondolas feature luxurious furnishings. After all, every guest should feel comfortable and be able to really enjoy the ride. Each gondola is equipped with four air conditioning units. This is also imperative, as the glass windows can generate a lot of heat. The Singapore Flyer is located in a green area, near the shore, on the outskirts of Singapore. The complex also includes many restaurants and stores.
Tip 4: Botanic Gardens
Worth seeing is the Singapore Botanical Garden, which can even be viewed free of charge and has existed for 150 years. The Botanic Garden is a very large green area in Singapore where you can find peace and relaxation. You should plan enough time for a visit. In the Botanic Garden in Singapore is also the famous National Orchid Garden, a famous orchid garden that you should definitely see. This costs entrance fee but is very worth seeing. Flower and plant lovers come there fully at your expense and the photo should not be forgotten. The National Orchid Garden has the largest collection of orchids in the world and you can see 1,000 different orchid species.
The Singapore Botanic Garden has a size of about 60 hectares and there are many lakes, plants, trees, shrubs and much more.
The Singapore Botanical Garden is one of the most important botanical gardens in the entire Asian region and attracts about 4.2 million visitors every year. In 2015, the “Singapore Botanic Gardens” was added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles founded a botanic garden to grow important commodities such as nutmeg and cocoa. After the death of the founder, the garden was closed in 1829 due to financial difficulties. The present garden was founded by the Scotsman Lawrence Niven in 1859. Since 1988, under the leadership of director Tan Wee Kiat, the focus of the garden has been on scientific work.
Tip 5: Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island, south of the Singapore mainland, is a curious mixture of Disneyland, Las Vegas and tropical paradise. The word “Sentosa” means “peace and tranquility” in Malay and even if both have become rare today, a day trip to this place of Singapore is still worthwhile.
The cable car is still the most beautiful way to get to Sentosa, but in the meantime there is also a pedestrian bridge and a monorail.
Formerly known as Imbiah Lookout, the theme park-like part of the island is now home to Resorts Worlds Sentosa and many other attractions. Resorts World includes the Universal Studios Theme Park, Adventure Cove Water Park and Marine Life Park.
Other attractions at Imbiah Lookout include the Tiger Sky Tower, a 110-meter observation tower that offers beautiful views of Singapore; Sentosa 4D Adventureland; and the Images of Singapore exhibit, which uses tableaux vivants and multimedia to recreate the past of colonial Singapore. For relaxation, take a stroll through Butterfly Park, where more than 15,000 colorful butterflies flutter about. The MegaZip Adventure Park promises thrills with Asia’s longest and highest ZipLine, which stretches over 450 meters at a height of 72 meters to Siloso Beach.
Stretching along the southern coast of Sentosa are three beautiful sandy beaches, Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong Beach, which were artificially created to provide a seaside retreat for city dwellers.
The rest of the island is now almost entirely occupied by exclusive luxury resorts and two golf courses.
