Singapore

Singapore occupies a main island and some sixty smaller ones, just north of the equator. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and also one of the greenest, the result of a deliberate policy of planting that has left rainforest reserves, roadside canopy and vertical gardens throughout the built area.

The city divides into the colonial Civic District around the Padang, the CBD and Marina Bay with the towers and the reclaimed waterfront, and the ethnic quarters of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. The Singapore Botanic Gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Singapore has the most developed hawker culture anywhere — it is recognised on UNESCO's intangible heritage list — and it is possible to eat exceptionally well for very little money, all day.

It is also the easiest introduction to Asia for a first-time visitor: English is an official language, transport is excellent, and the city is compact enough to cover thoroughly in a few days.

• Gardens by the Bay. The Supertree Grove, free to walk beneath with a light show in the evening, and the paid Cloud Forest and Flower Dome conservatories.
• A hawker centre. Maxwell, Tekka, Old Airport Road, Chinatown Complex. This is the single most characteristic thing to do in the city.
• The Botanic Gardens. Free to enter, with the National Orchid Garden inside it charging separately; the oldest part dates from 1859.
• Marina Bay waterfront. The promenade from the Merlion past the Esplanade to Marina Bay Sands, best at dusk.
• Kampong Glam. The Malay-Arab quarter, with the Sultan Mosque, Haji Lane's shophouses and the best independent shopping.
• Little India and Chinatown. Temples, wet markets and food, both denser and less polished than the rest of the city.
• The National Gallery. Southeast Asian art in the joined former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings.
• MacRitchie Reservoir. Rainforest walking trails and a treetop suspension bridge, twenty minutes from downtown.

Singapore is hot and humid all year with very little seasonal variation — expect around 30°C by day and high humidity in every month.

February to April is marginally drier and the most comfortable stretch.

November to January is the north-east monsoon, the wettest period, with frequent heavy afternoon downpours that clear quickly.

Haze from regional land fires can affect air quality between roughly June and September. Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Hari Raya each bring major celebrations and, in some cases, closures.

Marina Bay and the CBD are central and spectacular, and the most expensive.

Chinatown and Kampong Glam are the best value with character, in restored shophouses and close to the MRT.

Little India is the cheapest central area and the liveliest at street level.

Orchard Road suits shopping-led stays. Sentosa is the resort island, convenient for families and detached from the rest of the city.

Marina Bay: the reclaimed waterfront, with the Gardens, the Sands complex and the promenade.

Civic District: the colonial core, with the National Gallery, the Padang and the museums.

Chinatown: temples, the hawker complex, restored shophouses and Ann Siang Hill.

Little India: Tekka market, Sri Veeramakaliamman temple and the most unfiltered street life in the city.

Kampong Glam: the Sultan Mosque, Arab Street, Haji Lane and the Malay Heritage Centre.

Tiong Bahru: art deco public housing, an old market and independent cafés.

Sentosa: the resort island, with beaches, attractions and a cable car.

The MRT is fast, clean and reaches almost everywhere; buses fill the rest. Contactless bank cards work directly at the gates, so no separate ticket is needed.

Taxis and ride-hailing apps are reliable and metered honestly. Changi Airport is connected by MRT, bus and taxi, and is itself worth arriving early for.

Walking is pleasant in the covered and shaded parts of the centre, and less so in open sun. The city is well set up for wheelchairs and prams.

Hawker centres are the heart of it. Hainanese chicken rice, chilli crab, laksa, char kway teow, bak kut teh, satay and roti prata are the dishes most associated with the city.

Kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs and strong coffee is the traditional breakfast, served in kopitiams.

Stalls display hygiene grades, queues are the best guide to quality, and it is normal to reserve a table by leaving a packet of tissues on it — a local convention known as chope.

Pulau Ubin, reached by bumboat from Changi Village, is an island of old kampong houses, bicycles and mangrove boardwalks — the closest thing to rural Singapore.

The Southern Islands — St John's and Lazarus — are reachable by public ferry for quiet beaches.

Johor Bahru, in Malaysia, is across the causeway and a common shopping and eating day trip; queues at immigration can be very long, particularly at weekends.

Bintan and Batam, in Indonesia, are short ferry rides away and are usually overnight rather than day trips. All of these require a passport and normal immigration formalities.

Singapore is expensive for accommodation and alcohol and cheap for food and transport, which is an unusual combination.

A hawker meal costs a fraction of a restaurant one and is often better. The MRT is inexpensive. Alcohol carries high duty and is the fastest way to spend money here.

Many of the best things are free: the Botanic Gardens, the Supertree Grove and light show, the Marina Bay promenade, the MacRitchie trails and the ethnic quarters. Attractions on Sentosa and the conservatories are the main paid items.

Use a contactless card on the MRT. No ticket purchase is needed and fares are deducted automatically.

Eat at hawker centres. They are regulated, graded and the best food in the country; queues indicate quality.

Know the rules. Fines apply to eating and drinking on public transport, littering and smoking outside designated areas. Chewing gum is restricted, and drug offences carry extremely severe penalties.

Carry a light layer. Indoor air conditioning is very cold compared with the street.

Rain is heavy and brief. An umbrella is more useful than a raincoat in the humidity.