Welcome to the Lion City! The TJs will be visiting Singapore from 22 - 27 May. Tell them all about this island in the sun, and where to find a Singapore Sling.

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Who says singapore is soulless?!

what ever you do dont bother with a cliche singapore sling in the cliche raffles hotel. however if colonialism is your cup of tea. have a vampirinha (tequila bloody mary) at post bar in the fullerton hotel (former post office, who-knows-what during the japanese occupation, now a very haunted but gorgeous 6 star hotel) and walk down boat quay for vestiges of singapore past and a fabulous river view.

you must must must see little india (tell the cab driver serangoon rd) Parrot fortune teller, spice mills, rowell st transvestites and 'little africa.' not to mention sari shops and singapore's BEST fish head curry at apollo on race course rd! End it off with a beer at the backpackers enclave of dunlop st. OH! and indian ice cream at khulfi bar on upper dickson rd!

then there's kampong glam, (tell the cab driver arab st) where you must must must have a shish kebab, smoke shisha, and check out the basket shops, fabric stores and perfumeries - custom-made! Ambrosia is where all the cool kids are, but i like Kaki5 on Haji Lane, a hole in the wall bohemian cafe - the roti bawean is to die for! On skinny Haji Lane nip into the commes des garcons guerilla store, and the second hand vinyl and clothing shops too.... enjoy a cuppa while the ezan frm the nearby mosque sings the call to prayre - there's nothing like it

AND!

don't forget the hindu temple in chinatown - sri mariammam temple. stop by the wet market off smith st where youll find snake, frog, and virtually every creature known to man. if that works up your appetite, have a bowl of ah balling sweet dumplings in the open air food street.

who says singapore is soullesS!?!??!?!

Lots of information I know but i found all this on the expat's website. addresses phone numbers and websites are on www.theexpat.com

Welcome to the Singapore section of this forum.
I am from the programming department of Travel and Living channel and I am most pleased to answer any questions you may have on the series, or even the channel as a whole.
Remember that YOU have the power to decide where the TJs go, what they do and what food they will taste so keep those suggestions coming; and be sure to catch the Singapore episode of 5 Takes on June 10, Sat 9pm SIN/HK!

I agree - skip the Singapore sling at Raffles. It's overpriced and not very tasty anyway.

Bars: try Coco Latte for hip hop or indie nights. Nearby is the sound bar (next to river by the Gallery Hotel) which is a great place for an al fresco beer. Loof - on the roof above Mod Living, opposite Raffles Hotel is another al fresco must - very cool so long as it's not raining.

But, considering your budget and the price of alcohol in Singapore, you might prefer to drink at the nearest Hawker Centre - definitely the cheapest places for beer.

Shopping: On the weekends you should check out the Thieves Market (near Selegie Rd) for some of the craziest flea market buys you could imagine. After that, duck up Serangoon Rd to Mustafas - a 24 hour store that sells everything, inlcuding many products you never knew existed.

Check out Asylum on Ann Siang Hill Rd - they sell a lot of design oriented books, cameras, magazines and fashion, and double as an art gallery for local artists with a design bent. Around the corner is Cosmos Café on Amoy St – cute little music store *** bar/café with open decks some nights.

Eating: Must try Roti Prata - Roti bread cooked with fillings like egg, cheese, onion, whatever you like. Mmmmm, Prata! It can be found at most hawker centres. Chilli or Black Pepper crab at East Coast Park is on most people's list of things to do in Singapore.

See: For a slice of Singaporean life you should check out some of the wet markets. Also Albert St Mall (off Middle Rd, opposite Waterloo St) is always interesting. It has two major temples - one buddhist and one hindu - almost next door to each other. During the day you'll often find people selling everything you need to clean your bathroom with lively and loud sales techniques, and occasionally some Chinese acrobats or contortionists.

Across the road on the corner of Middle Rd and Waterloo is Sculpture Square – they usually have some pretty interesting exhibitions.

The great thing about Singapore is that all of these places are pretty close, public transport is frequent, clean and cheap, and taxis are also pretty affordable.

Have fun!

Must eats:

1. Komala Villas at Little india. (Vegetarian Indian food). Try the thosais and rice with various curries on banana leaves. Do end of your meal with traditional Indian sweets.

2. Teh Tarik (aka pulled tea). Very popular amongst the locals.

3. Chicken Rice! (must try!, touted as our national dish)

4. Satay. It is available in chicken, mutton or beef. (mmm, the peanut sauce is just mouth watering)

5. Durian fruits (thorny, smells funny but it tastes great!)