Day 1.Take a walking tour of the Historic District, and then cool off in the afternoon at the Asian Civilisations Museum.
ACM has two locations: one at Empress Place which is by the Singapore River and the other in Armenian Street (closed for renovation till 2008).
ACM at Empress Place was opened on 2 March 2003. There are guided tours or you can simply walk the whole museum with a map. You can get the map at the counter when you purchase your ticket.
The museum not only gives great historical background on Singapore, but nearby Asian civilisations as well, as the name of the Museum suggests.
ACM Empress Place houses a café and a restaurant, a museum shop, fully-equipped auditorium and a function room with a spectacular view of the Singapore River.
Have dinner at the exquisite Indochine Waterfront then cross the river to Boat Quay for an after dinner drink at Harry's.
Indochine Waterfront located in the gracious Empress Place Building has sparkling views of the water and food to match. The most delicious is pepper beef with sweet-sour sauce and Vietnamese prawns grilled on sugarcane.
The Singapore River had always been the heart of life in Singapore. But rapid urban development that began in the 1950s turned the river into a giant sewer, killing all plant and animal life in it. In the middle of 1980s the government began a vast cleanup project. It turned out to be very successful.
Then the buildings at Boat Quay and Clarke Quay were restored. Now one can find here a lot of entertainments, restaurants and pubs open all day long and at night.
Day 2. Explore the sights of Chinatown and visit the Chinatown Heritage Centre, followed by massive shopping at Yue Hwa.
Yue Hwa store is a city landmark, situated right in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown. With a history of more than 45 years, the leading Chinese oriented department store is housed in a 1900 old former Nam Tin Hotel and conveniently located near the Chinatown MRT station.
This store offers a wide range of reasonably- priced, authentic Chinese products, including tea and foodstuffs, silks and cheongsams, handicrafts, Chinese herbs & medicines, household items and antiques. The store also holds regular seasonal promotions, which feature such delights as hairy crab. Yue Hwa is indeed a «one- stop- shop" for authentic Chinese goods.Have a very unusual and authentic Chinese dinner at Imperial Herbal (read the next post about this restaurant), then cross the street to Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar.
The Long Bar was voted as one of the “World’s Best Hotel Bars” by Forbes Magazine. Singapore Sling is a highly recommended cocktail for anybody looking for a nice cool drink on a hot tropical day.
Day 3. Take an early morning stroll through the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and then tour the temples and streets of Little India. Savor local fish head curry at Muthu's in Little India before heading out for an evening at the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo.
