Having an insatiable wanderlust means that far and away places will be visited. On my list are many destinations in the South Pacific, Singapore is one of them with its many kudos, including cuisine, shopping, and a very respectful, polite, and clean culture.

Although, I have investigated much about Singapore and talked at great lengths with ex-pats that have lived and worked in Singapore, I wanted to enlist the assistance of a real Singapore and travel enthusiast, Joey Ong. Take the floor Joey.

Exploring the Garden City: Singapore in a Day

Singapore is popular stopover on long-haul flights, and popular reasons to visit the city include Singapore’s great shopping and dining. If you like food and retail therapy, look for cheap flights to Singapore – Singaporeans are experts in eating and in shopping.

Try Singapore’s Street Food

Singapore is a mix of cultures, and the best place to see the influences of different cultures is a hawker centre. A hawker centre is a cluster of food stalls that serve excellent Singapore street food. You can choose from many types of Chinese food, try Malay or Indonesian delicacies, or go for Indian, Thai or Japanese cuisine. There are hawker centres in almost every street corner in every part of the city, and the food is delicious and affordable.

Go Shopping in Orchard Road

Orchard Road is Singapore’s main centre for shopping, entertainment and dining out. Orchard Road is lined with luxury shopping centres and designer shops, and many of the best cinemas in Singapore are found here. There are bars and clubs and coffee shops, and dozens of great restaurants.

The nearby Botanic Gardens are a good place to relax after shopping. The gardens are centrally located near Orchard Road, and most parts are free to enter. You can walk through a small rainforest, visit the National Orchid Garden (there is a small entrance fee) or admire the exotic plants in the Ginger Garden.

Walk Around Chinatown

If you prefer to do your shopping at a market, try Chinatown. Here you can explore street markets and small shops, try acupuncture in one of the Chinese medicine clinics or buy traditional Chinese products. Chinatown has many good restaurants, and it is a nice place to walk around. It is especially interesting during Chinese festivals, such as the Chinese New Year.

Visit the Colonial District

The Colonial District was once the centre of British colonial Singapore. This area is home to some of the main sights in Singapore and many beautiful colonial buildings: the Parliament House, the Victoria Concert Hall & Theatre, the City Hall and the National Museum with its exhibitions of the history of Singapore. One way to explore the area is to take a sightseeing boat trip along the Singapore River. Finish your day out in Singapore with one of the most famous cocktails in the world, the Singapore Sling, in the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar where the cocktail was invented in 1915.

**Guest post written by Joey Ong, travel writer at Dealchecker,  a UK based travel comparison site. Dealchecker.co.uk has been in operation since 2005 and is used by over 1 million visitors a month.