Singapore Flights And Sights

Pint-sized Singapore is a mosaic of contrasting cultures. It's easy to be dazzled by Orchard Road's wall-to-wall malls, but you can take a breather at Chinatown's immense Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Hindu shrines draped with marigold garlands. The city's mix of traditional, colonial and futuristic is best seen at the mouth of the Singapore River, where the spiky domed Esplanade theatre is steps away from the neo-Palladian Asian Civilizations Museum, home to Islamic calligraphy and Vietnamese sculptures.

Things to Do

Singaporeans start the day with tai chi in the fragrant Botanic Gardens amid towering rainforest trees. Step back to Singapore's colonial days at the Corinthian-columned Supreme Court, near cricket matches on the Padang's grassy expanse. Juxtaposed with the babble of street markets and malls, the city's spiritual side surfaces in Chinatown, where incense plumes fill the Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple with its immense, ornate gopuram (tower gateway). All-day, outdoor recreation is popular on Sentosa Island.

Shopping

Orchard Road is crammed with gleaming malls selling the latest laptops, digital cameras and designer fashion. Pick up some Gucci and Cartier at the Takashimaya department store. Browse Buddha heads and Burmese teak furniture at antique stores around lush Dempsey Hill, once a British army barracks. Style mavens love tiny Haji Lane, tucked away in the Arab Quarter, for tailored dress shirts and psychedelic cushion covers.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Strobe-lit Zouk club is the throbbing center of Singapore's nightlife, home to top techno DJs and slinky dance floor moves. On Emerald Hill near Orchard Road, colorful wooden-shuttered Peranakan shophouses have been converted into relaxed bars with bijou terraces -- ideal for a cold beer. At Chinatown Night Market, red lanterns light up Pagoda and Sago streets, their stalls crammed with Chinese calligraphy and glamorous cheongsam dresses.

Restaurants and Dining

Apartments are small so eating out is essential for Singaporeans. The dining scene boasts a staggering range of cuisines. Squeeze up at a table with office workers on their lunch break at noisy Lau Pa Sat hawker center, where myriad stalls serve up dishes like Hainanese chicken rice and fried carrot cake. On the weekends, seaside East Coast Parkway is filled with families dining on chili crab, and in Little India, vegetarian restaurants serve coconut curries on banana leaves or tin plates.

Find flights to Singapore with American Airlines and discover this captivating destination. No matter where your interests lie, you certainly won't lack for things to do in Singapore, from reveling in a rainforest to soaking up history to exploring a vibrant nightlife. Combining ancient culture with bustling modernity gives everything in Singapore a fascinating edge.

One of the most relaxing activities in Singapore is discovering its rich wildlife, wetlands and rainforests. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is home to Singapore's highest peak as well as more than 500 species of animals and over 840 flowering plants. As Singapore's oldest rainforest, it was one of the earliest areas to be protected, and therefore it has been left largely pristine. Admission is free and it's open daily from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. At the Singapore Zoo, you'll find the world's largest butterfly dome in addition to more than 3,000 animals in their natural habitats, including Asian elephants. You'll even discover orangutans in the world's first free-ranging habitat. Another world's first for the zoo is its wildlife night park, featuring more than 1,000 nocturnal animals. Singapore Zoo Night Safari Tour is a fun way to see them all, led by an expert local guide.

Another of our favorite things to do in Singapore is to spend a day soaking in the magnificent collections in the city's museums and galleries. The Singapore Art Museum has one of the world's largest collections of modern works by artists from Southeast Asia, while the Arts House is Singapore's oldest surviving government building, updated to feature a different form of the arts in each space, including performing arts.

You'll also gain a sense of Singapore's history through visiting its many heritage centers, another one of our top activities in Singapore. There is both the Chinatown Heritage Center and the Chinese Heritage Center, which highlight Singapore's Chinese influence. Then there is the Eurasian Heritage Center and the Malay Heritage Center, which is housed in the former royal seat of Malay sultans.

Try to save some energy for after the sun goes down so you can experience the city's active nightlife. From wine bars and a wide variety of restaurants to live performances all over Singapore, you'll be able to find something that's exactly to your taste. The local music scene is especially thriving, so you'll be able to hear truly talented performers. Hands down, this is one of the most memorable things to do in Singapore.

If that all sounds enticing, let American Airlines help you fly to Singapore so you can experience it all for yourself. Search flights and book your trip today.