PREP AND PACK
If you don’t have a passport, get ready for the consulate cameras immediately. Your application will most likely take four to six weeks to process; so head on over to your nearest participating post office, court or even public library to fill out an application. For more information on passport protocol, visit the official government site travel.state.gov/passport.
► An electrical adapter is an essential, albeit oft-forgotten, component in ensuring a comfortable stay while abroad. Simply visit your friendly neighborhood Best Buy and explain that you need to convert to 230 volts. Even though you’ll have no idea what you’re saying, rest assured that your sales attendant will.
► Singapore’s tropical climate, which makes for the lavish and lush landscape, breeds hot and humid holiday afternoons sprinkled with intermittent showers (November is the start of the monsoon season, after all). With temperatures ranging from the upper ‘70s to high ‘80s, Singapore is the place to sport your
lightest, loosest T’s, jersey dresses, comfy caps and hardiest pair of walking shoes.
► Your digital camera (complete with a spare memory card) should be handy at all times, as Singapore’s notable natural beauty makes for Kodak moments worth treasuring forever – or at least until new Facebook albums bump them to the bottom of your viewing queue.
WHERE TO STAY
Do yourself a favor, and book a reservation today at the lavish Orchard Hotel occupying prime real estate on bustling Orchard Road. Forget the award-winning ground-floor restaurant or the elaborate ballroom, this hotel has a pillow menu available upon request. Enough said. If you’re looking for a more intimate, eclectic enclave, try one of these boutique hotels: Chinatown’s Hotel 1929, a premier four-star spot featuring 32 unique rooms (with a different designer chair in each), proves the perfect respite for the trendy yet thrifty traveler; the New Majestic Hotel, just a stone’s throw away, similarly serves up a sizzling soufflé of delicious design (the original artwork is reason alone to warrant a 16-hour flight across the Pacific): while the Scarlet Hotel – lauded by Conde Nast Traveler as one of 2005’s “Best New Hotels Worldwide,” would astonish even Ms. O’Hara herself.
WHERE TO EAT
Featuring posh pan-Asian cuisine in an ultra-modern setting, IndoChine’s Restaurant Madame Butterfly is nothing less than IndoCHIC. While the food is as craveworthy as it is eco-conscious (the IndoChine restaurant group refuses to serve meat of any kind identified as endangered), many visitors flock to this restaurant just to lay eyes upon the rows of terracotta warriors that line the sleek space. For a truly authentic experience, mingle with locals as you savor the sights and sounds of Hawker stalls, a lively market with a veritable oldworld feel. Extend your walk on the wild side with a visit to vegetarian restaurant Original Sin and sample a seductive selection of mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes. Truly feel like throwing caution to the wind? Load up on carbs like there’s no tomorrow at Caffé Beviamo, a quaint establishment that, apart from offering a mean sandwich, also features the best latte in town.
WHAT TO SEE
First stop: Orchard Road. Brimming with notable shops and restaurants, this broad, tree-lined thoroughfare is truly the Miracle Mile of Singapore society. Apart from the hours upon hours of sweat-inducing shopping available for the fearless fashionista, Orchard Road is also home to a smattering of Singapore’s best museums, including the grand National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore Museum of Art. Plan your stay for December in order to view this picturesque, sculpture-lined street allaglow in glimmering lights and festive holiday decorations. Clarke Quay, Singapore’s rendition of the Riviera, boasts a bounty of boutiques and a selection of the best restaurants on the island, all flanking a quiet river. Resort island Sentosa promises a sumptuous spot to relax by the beach, view magnificent aquatic life at Underwater World’s Dolphin Lagoon, bask in the beauty of the Butterfly Park or simply ogle the majestic Merlion statue, a symbol of Singapore’s ancient roots.
WHERE TO SHOP
Orchard Road is truly your one-stop-shop for all things under the moon that bear a price tag. From mega-size malls to bitsy boutiques, Orchard Road is nothing less than the Garden of Eden for shopaholics on a serious mission. While the Far East Plaza proves an oasis of affordability among dollar-devouring high-end shops, Paragon, indeed the paradigm of designer mega-mall, is worth a visit; make sure not to gloss over the ultraglam GG5 for fun, fashion-forward clothes you can’t find anywhere else. Head on over to Holland Road Shopping Center for a similarly unique shopping experience: one-of-a-kind antiques, artwork, crafts and furniture grace the free-spirited space.
WHERE TO PARTY
Well-traveled tourists sing the praises of Singapore’s vibrant club scene, notable for its swanky style yet refreshing lack of pretention. The best part? All clubs are 18 and over (18 is the country’s official drinking age). Skip a night of zzz’s and head to Zouk to dance the balmy night away at one of the most spectacular nightspots in town. Officially awarded the title of “best night spot in Singapore” by the esteemed Singapore Tourism Board, Zouk offers everything from pulsating pop hits to sumptuous settees for the less rhythmically inclined. The Ministry of Sound in Clarke Quay is a similarly award-winning venue for spectacular dance-floor delirium, while the St. James Power Station is an aptly named powerhouse of trendy, trippy clubs.
By Jeremy Allen
DIRECTORY
WHERE TO STAY
Orchard Hotel Singapore
442 Orchard Rd.
Singapore, 238879
Tel: 65-6734-7766
Hotel 1929
50 Keong Saik Rd.
Singapore, 089154
Tel: 65-6235-2498
New Majestic Hotel
31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd.
Singapore, 089845
The Scarlet Hotel
33 Erskine Rd.
Singapore, 069333
WHERE TO EAT
Madame Butterfly
3A Merchant’s Court,
River Valley Road, #01-02
Singapore, 179020
Tel: 65-6557-6266
Original Sin
Blk 43 #01-62 Jalan Merah
Saga
Singapore, 278115
Tel: 65-6475-5605
Caffé Beviamo
163 Tanglin Road #02-K1,
Tanglin Mall
Singapore, 247933
Tel: 65-6738-7906
WHERE TO SHOP
The Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Rd.
Singapore, 228213
Paragon
290 Orchard Rd.
Singapore, 238859
GG 5
#03-15/16 Paragon Shopping
Center
290 Orchard Rd.
Singapore, 238859
Holland Road Shopping Center
211 Holland Ave.
Singapore, 278967
WHERE TO PARTY
Zouk
17 Jiak Kim St.
Singapore, 169420
Tel: 65-6738-2988
The Ministry of Sound
Block C The Cannery
River Valley Rd.
#01(02)-(07) & #02(01)-(08)
Clarke Quay, Singapore, 179022
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