by Lokemun Magar

Created on: July 04, 2009

Singapore is a country you can travel from East to West in thirty minutes using a combination of highways, so you can be sure you will have lots of fun in twenty-four hours. Apart from fighting heavy traffic in the wee morning hours and the evening homeward bound crowds, there is little to worry about.

Hotel.... or none

The first thing you would need to do is to check in your luggage at the luggage deposit center within the airport, if you do not have a hotel and you are not going to waste time on one that you will hardly sleep in, even for a night. If you are indeed checking into a hotel for a night, you might want to do so at the one and only airport hotel just beside Terminal 3 at the Changi Airport. Anywhere along Bras Basah Road or Marina Bay from USD75 to USD500 per night will do fine or if you would rather spend your cash sight-seeing and shopping, the next nearest and cheapest budget hotels to the airport are found in the Geylang, Katong, Pasir Ris and East Coast areas from USD40 upwards.

Flora and Fauna

If you are a budget traveler and love flora and fauna, you can visit the Jurong Bird Park, the Mandai Zoo and the Night Safari all in a single day if you do not mind the sunshine or the occasional shower. Wet days are in February and June, so you might want to consider the weather and the outdoors when traveling Singapore those months. A special Park Hopper ticket covering all three or just two of the three parks is available. Note that this Park Hopper offer covers only the entrance fee and not the tram rides within the parks. You can cover each of these parks in four to five hours. Three or even two parks a day may be too many to handle for many, so a park and a trip to the Botanic Gardens may be more manageable. Make sure you visit either the Orchid Garden in the Botanic Gardens or the Mandai Orchid Garden which is along the small road to the Zoo and the Night Safari. Local buffets are available at both the Zoo and the Night Safari.

Sentosa

Visit the island resort of Sentosa within seven hours. You will find the beach with pink dolphins, a man-made lagoon, a butterfly and insect park, a wax museum, massage salons, the Merlion where you could catch a 360-degree view of Singapore and the seas around her, the Underwater World, the CineBlast with its simulation rides and the majestic "Songs of the Seas" multi-sensory extravaganza in the evening.

Fashion and Gastronomic Shopping

Beginning at one end nearest the Botanic Gardens, walk along the Orchard Road an all the way up to Marina Bay and shop till you drop. There are shops to cater to all shoppers' needs. Food is never more than a few metres from any shop - there is at least an eatery at any shopping center. Hop on any bus to the next stop and shop again. The MRT train stations along this stretch include Orchard, Somerset, Dhoby Gaut, City Hall and Marina Bay. From City Hall, catch the train to the Airport.

Sightseeing

Select these cultural hot spots Chinatown, Little India, Malay Village, Emerald Hill Road to experience the beginnings of Singapore. You should be able to cover all of them within 24 hours. Changi WWII War Trail and Museum Tour and Raffles Hotel Singapore Half-day Tour are among the many you can select from to learn about the beginnings and struggles of Singapore into what she is today.

Not too sure about what to do at night? Go on the Chinatown Night walking Tour and if you are not with children, visit the Red Light District there. Or visit the East Coast Park food centre near the Bedok jetty and watch locals and tourists alike binge on the tastiest street food in Singapore. Join in for a bite if you dare.

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