SINGAPORE - SABBATICALS & EXPERIENTIAL HOLIDAYS === DESTINATION OVERVIEW === This is the world's only city-island-nation, just off the southern tip of Malaysia between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. Though best known for its immaculate, modern character, it's actually an extraordinary mix of old and new, with a diverse cultural population. Traditional districts (Little India, Chinatown and the Arab District) sit alongside glittering skyscrapers and huge modern shopping malls; there are ancient Buddhist temples and heritage shophouse restaurants, plus a wild contemporary nightlife scene. The food's superb, the streets are immaculate (chewing gum is illegal) and as you'd expect from the one of the most expensive cities in the world, the shopping is world-class. For us, though, the biggest draw is the myriad green spaces, an amazing amount for a city, including the futuristic Gardens by the Bay and the elegant Chinese and Japanese Gardens. Families will adore the Singapore Zoo, with its world-famous nocturnal Night Safari, and the aquariums and amusement parks of tropical Sentosa Island. It's a really easy place to travel with kids. === BEST OFF THE BEATEN PATH EXPERIENCES === PULAU UBIN Take a bumboat out to Pulau Ubin and step back in time; this virtually uninhabited island was abandoned in the 1970s when the granite quarries closed. TEN THOUSAND BUDDHAS PAGODA AT BTRTM The Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda at the BTRTM is breathtaking with a vast prayer wheel. GILLMAN BARRACKS Swap the National Gallery for the contemporary Gillman Barracks, with its pop-up galleries. HAW PAR VILLA Haw Par Villa is an 'Asian cultural park', designed to teach traditional values through its statues and murals. Colourful, fascinating, bizarre. THIAN HOCK KENG Visit Thian Hock Keng, the city's oldest Buddhist temple, built without using a single nail. SRI MARIAMMAN TEMPLE Visit Sri Mariamman Temple at sunrise. BUKIT TIMAH MOUNTAIN BIKING Mountain bike through the jungle at Bukit Timah. CHINA TOWN HAWKER STALLS Eat local food: chilli crab and laksa from the hawker stalls around China Town. === MOST POPULAR EXPERIENCES === • Exploring the space-age Gardens of the Bay, to admire the mechanical Supertree Grove and 114ft indoor waterfall • The UNESCO-listed Botanical Gardens are extraordinary, with tropical tunnels, black swans and the world's largest collection of orchids • Book a seat on the Singapore Flyer, the world's biggest Ferris Wheel, for outstanding views of the city centre • Wandering around the National Gallery and Asian Civilization Museums • Rattle around the Night Safari at Singapore Zoo on a tram; the world's first nocturnal zoo, with everything from tigers to tarsiers • Eating noodles in one of the heritage shophouse restaurants on the East Coast Road • Exploring the colourful Kampong Glam quarter • Visiting the Merlion statue • Photographing the glorious white Neo-Gothic St Andrew's Cathedral • Universal Studios and the Tiger Sky Tower observatory are the chief attractions on tropical Sentosa Island • Walking along the Southern Ridges trail, which includes the 256ft-tall Henderson Waves bridge. Don't look down! • Bar-hop along the buzzy Clarke Quay • Catch a show on the Esplanade • Go shopping on Orchard Road === WILDLIFE IN SINGAPORE === SUNGEI BULOH WETLAND RESERVE The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is as wild as Singapore gets, its mudflats, mangroves and forests home to monitor lizards, otter and crocodile. NIGHT SAFARI Come face to face with tapirs, pangolins and clouded leopards on a Night Safari. CENTRAL CATCHMENT NATURE RESERVE Early mornings are the best time to spot the Malayan colugo and endangered Raffles banded langur in Central Catchment Nature Reserve. PULAU UBIN BIRDLIFE Pied oriental hornbill live in large numbers on Pulau Ubin. SISTER ISLANDS MARINE PARK Scuba dive with Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins and hawksbill and green turtles in the Sister Islands Marine Park. PULAU TEKONG Endangered small leopard cats live on Pulau Tekong. BUKIT TIMAH NATURE RESERVE Spot flying lemurs and anteaters in the trails around Bukit Timah nature Reserve. === WHEN TO GO TO SINGAPORE === The climate here is tropical, mostly warm, humid and sunny, with indistinct seasons. BEST TIME TO VISIT Rain falls almost daily but showers are short, falling in sharp bursts, and there are impressive thunderstorms throughout the year. November to January are the wettest months; February to April is the most popular time to visit, but it's very much a year-round destination. Temperatures range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). === HOW TO GET TO SINGAPORE === BY AIR You can travel overland from Peninsular Malaysia, or across the water from nearby Indonesian islands. Most people arrive by plane, though. Changi Airport is one of the world's busiest international hubs. FROM THE UK AND USA There are direct flights from the UK (approx. 13 hours) and the US (18-20 hours). TRAVELLING WITHIN SINGAPORE Once you're here, the MRT is a traveller's dream: zipping all over the city. The bus network is excellent too, and taxis are plentiful. === WHO WILL LOVE SINGAPORE === Singapore's cutting-edge urban attractions, colourful mix of religions and cultures, and imaginative outdoor spaces are particularly suited to: • Culture lovers • Families • Solo travellers • Keen photographers === MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SINGAPORE === Singapore offers numerous opportunities to engage with conservation and cultural preservation projects. The city-state's commitment to green spaces and wildlife protection provides various volunteer and educational experiences for visitors interested in environmental conservation. === WHERE TO STAY IN SINGAPORE === We work with luxury city hotels, smaller boutique hotels, upmarket guesthouses and 5-star beach resorts on Sentosa Island. Accommodation types: • Luxury city hotels • Smaller boutique hotels • Upmarket guesthouses • 5-star beach resorts on Sentosa Island === HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO SINGAPORE === Our experienced team will guide you through a number of ideas based on how you would like to experience Singapore. MULTI-COUNTRY OPTIONS Consider visiting Singapore in combination with neighbouring countries Malaysia and Indonesia. BESPOKE PLANNING No matter how long you wish to travel, we'll guide you through the planning process to ensure a trip is carefully pieced together to suit your interests, pace of travel and budget. Contact us to start planning a holiday or sabbatical to Singapore. === ABOUT LINGER === Linger specialises in Sabbaticals & Experiential Holidays. We focus on authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences that allow travellers to deeply engage with destinations. Our Singapore offerings emphasise this world's only city-island-nation, the extraordinary mix of old and new with diverse cultural population, traditional districts of Little India Chinatown and Arab District sitting alongside glittering skyscrapers and huge modern shopping malls, ancient Buddhist temples and heritage shophouse restaurants plus wild contemporary nightlife scene, superb food and immaculate streets, world-class shopping, myriad green spaces including futuristic Gardens by the Bay and elegant Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Singapore Zoo with world-famous nocturnal Night Safari, and aquariums and amusement parks of tropical Sentosa Island, making it a really easy place to travel with kids. --- Contact: www.linger.co.uk Last Updated: December 2025