A few days in Singapore

21 November 2014 - 20:26 By Peter Malherbe
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Marina Bay Sands Hotel at night in Singapore
Marina Bay Sands Hotel at night in Singapore
Image: ERWIN SOO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Our travel expert answers your questions

I will be cruising over Xmas and New Year on HAL Volendam sailing out of Singapore and returning to same port. I have not been to Singapore and Malaysia before. I have time before and after the cruise to explore the region and ask for recommendations for places of interest. - Michael Bruce

Once you start checking out the attractions in and around Singapore, you may find you don't have much time to cross the border into Malaysia. If you do, the main places to visit would be the capital, Kuala Lumpur, or the popular islands of Penang, Langkawi and Tioman. You can find many affordable packages offering flights and accommodation from travel agents in Singapore. In Singapore one of the biggest attractions is the shopping options, from the glittering malls ofto the markets of Chinatown. One worth visiting is the Sungei Road Thieves’ Market. These days the goods are not stolen, but there are still plenty of bargains laid out on the pavement. But if retail therapy is not your thing, there is still plenty to keep you occupied.  Top of the list is Sentosa Island, with its golden beach, luxury resorts, theme parks and casino. You can even get there by cable car from the mainland. Other big attractions are the Jurong Bird Park, the  Singapore Flyer big wheel, the fascinating Night Safari and the Botanic Gardens, which has more than 1000 orchid species. For a glimpse into the city state's past visit Raffles Hotel for one of their famous Singapore Sling cocktails. Or you can go the contemporary bar that everyone is talking about, KuDeTa at the Marina Bay Sands resort. If it sounds intimidating start off with a hop-on, hop-off city tour, which takes you past many of the best tourist attractions

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