Singapore: the metropolis of South East Asia

Singapore is the gateway to Southeast Asia and an international hub. This doesn't mean you should hop to the next destination right away. It has too much on offer to not explore it for a couple of days.

For hundreds of years, all kinds of nationalities have settled here because of the favourable location for trade. As a result, you can enjoy a multitude of cuisines. There are even three specific 'foreign' neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam.

After Singapore's independence in 1965 and subsequent economic development, the small state became the financial centre of Asia. This was accompanied by the construction of impressive skyscrapers. Now, it's a beautiful mixture of old and new.

In this mini travel guide, we take you on a three-day exploration of Singapore!

Day 1: Get to know Singapore and explore its highlights

An awesome way to learn more about Singapore is to visit the National Museum of Singapore. This way, you come to understand its history and therefore its present. It makes you appreciate its multicultural side to the max. You can then go on a stroll at the nearby Fort Canning Park. Whatever time of day, it's always a good idea to eat at a hawker centre. These are classical 'food halls', where all the locals eat. There are many different cuisines and it is very affordable. Every stand is specialized in just a few recipes, which ensures quality. Lau Pa Sat is one centrally located hawker centre we can recommend visiting.

Next to Marina Bay Sands is the second highlight of Singapore, the Gardens by the bay. This is a big park where you'll find the flower and cloud forest dome. We would not necessarily suggest visiting the flower dome, especially because it's quite expensive, but the cloud forest dome is definitely worth the money. It's a huge indoor botanical garden and probably the most impressive one you'll ever come across.

In the evening, there is an amazing light and music show at the super trees in the park, which is another must-do activity when in Singapore. Before you enjoy the show, we can also recommend having a meal at Din Tai Fung, which is an amazing Taiwanese dim sum food chain with several restaurants in Singapore. Dim sum is the name for a traditional Chinese meal consisting of small plates of steamed dumplings and other small snacks. Din Tai Fung is world-renowned for it.

From Lau Pa Sat, you can walk along the water toward the number one highlight of Singapore: Marina Bay Sands. This is a giant shopping centre with a luxury hotel on top of it. Being one of the highest buildings and shaped in the form of a ship, it's the architectural highlight and practically the symbol of the city.

It's also the best place to view the skyline late at night. To admire this you have three options: the lookout point, the Ce La Vi bar or an overnight stay in Marina Bay Sands. We would recommend the bar because an expensive but tasty cocktail gives you 'free' access to the top. The infinity pool that comes with a stay at Marina Bay Sands is even cooler, but $500 might be slightly above your budget...

Day 2: Explore Singapore's multicultural side

Start your day with a visit to the amazing National Gallery Singapore. We love going to museums and we can say this is one of our favourites so far. It has the biggest art collection in Southeast Asia. We loved discovering a diversity of Asian art, which is less common in European museums. You can easily wander around for hours if you like.

Afterward, we recommend treating yourself to a typical Singaporean drink: a bubble (milk) tea. This drink comes in many shapes and forms, but we especially love a 'regular' milk tea with tapioca pearls. Just try one and see if it's your 'cup of tea'.

Nearby the gallery is the Indian neighbourhood called Little India. It's nice to walk around and have a typical Indian meal. We didn't really enjoy this neighbourhood too much to be honest, so we might have to come back to update our opinion on this.

Also nearby you'll find the Arab neighbourhood Kampong Glam. Especially the Sultan Mosque is cool to see and there are many atmospheric bars and restaurants around. Nevertheless, we would have to say that Chinatown is our favourite. There are some beautiful temples to explore and the famous Liao Fan Hawker Chan. Here, you can enjoy the only version of the national 'chicken rice' dish that has been awarded a Michelin star (while still very cheap), although we have to admit that we liked the tofu dish better...

Day 3: Live like an expat

Now you have explored the 'highlights', you can take it easy and live a bit like an expat. The neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru has become quite hip in recent years. You'll find many fun coffee shops around here but there is also a beloved hawker centre. A lovely combination of old and new.

Another fun thing to do is to just walk around Singapore's waterside. The area along the Singapore River becomes quite atmospheric at night. You can opt to go on a river cruise if you like. Otherwise, a great way to spend the evening is to hang out at the old and luxury Raffles bar to get a hint of what Singapore was like during the British colonial period.

In case you still have time left on day 3, or have chosen to stay in Singapore for longer, then there are several more activities to choose from. For example, there is also the Singapore Art Museum. Outside of the centre are the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the Singapore Zoo. Locals also like to go to Sentosa Island, which can feel like one big amusement park, but it's a cool off-the-beaten-track place to visit and is the only place in Singapore where you have 'tropical' beaches.

How to travel around and where to stay

Singapore is a country but also one big city. Many locations are within walking distance but there is also a great public transport system of buses and trains (MRT). Singapore can be quite expensive, so you can opt to stay in a so-called capsule hotel if you're not too claustrophobic. If you prefer a luxurious experience, you should check out Marina Bay Sands. This hotel arguably has the most amazing rooftop pool in the world.