Holidays in Singapore

Even though the island city-state of Singapore is famous for ensuring rules are abided by, the city itself doesn't really tow the party line when it comes to being a typical Asian city. While Singapore is certainly full of hustle and bustle it does not have the laissez-faire attitude to organisation which typifies most large cities in southeast Asia. Indeed, the ordered streets, safe neighbourhoods, pleasant parks and gleaming buildings can feel almost Utopian at times, especially when compared with the chaos, which characterises daily life elsewhere in Jakarta, Bangkok and Manilla. It's even possible to retreat from civilisation completely here as the centre of the island still has plentiful tracts of unspoilt rainforest.

Singapore holidays: Travel essentials

The fact that Singapore is positioned almost directly on the Equator means that it is hot, humid and and a little wet all year-round. While some guides may claim November to January is the coolest and wettest time of the year, and May to July the driest, there is actually very little distinction between the seasons in reality. As well as being easy to enjoy all throughout the year, Singapore is also one of Asia's most popular and efficient transport hubs for air travel so getting here is easy enough to do at any time. The time zone in Singapore is GMT+8.

Singapore holidays: Highlights

As well as being the best way to appreciate key sights like the Colonial District, Chinatown and Orchard Road (for Asia's best shopping); striking out on foot in Singapore enables visitors to experience the island's unique mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures at their most vivid. Activity highlights od Singapore holidays include diving with sharks at Underwater World on Sentosa, leopard spotting at Singapore Zoo's enchanting Night Safari and waterskiing on the Kallang River.