8 Must-Do Singapore Attractions for Every Traveller

This post originally appeared on Flight Centre Australia's blog

Boasting plenty of high-quality restaurants, trendy new nightclubs and a stunning water-lined location, there’s so much to see and do in Singapore you won’t know where to start! The landscaped, cage-free Singapore Zoo is a premier attraction, famed as one of the prettiest zoos in the world.

Those visitors who don’t have the zoo on their list of things to do in Singapore may well be planning to shop. Orchard Road is comparable with New York’s Fifth Avenue or Tokyo’s Ginza when it comes to retail therapy.

Universal Studios Singapore, the Botanic Gardens and Sentosa Island all ensure there’s no shortage of familiar sights to enjoy in the ever-changing Lion City.

With towering 16-storey-high Supertrees that illuminate the night, and rare plants from around the world in climate-controlled conservatories, Gardens by the Bay is an attraction that must be seen to be believed. These man-made landscapes in the Marina Bay area cover 250 acres and contain more than 500,000 plants.

This nocturnal zoo is a must for any visitor to Singapore. The family-friendly safari park offers the chance to see leopards, tigers, sloth bears, hyenas, hippos, zebras, elephants, rhinoceros and more. The best way to see it is on a 40-minute guided tram ride that takes you through seven world zones, including the Asian Riverine Forest, Equatorial Africa and the Himalayan Foothills.

Since opening in its present form in 1859, the Singapore Botanic Gardens have played an integral role in the city’s reputation as one of Asia’s greenest cities. This sprawling 182-acre urban oasis acts as a green lung in the heart of a shimmering steel city, attracting thousands of nature-lovers each day with its treasure trove of plant life and exotic flowers.

What better way to experience Marina Bay Sands in all its resplendent glory than with a bird’s eye view from above? SkyPark is perched some 200 metres above Singapore’s bustling city streets and commands an impressive view over the shimmering bay below. Its crowning glory is a spectacular 150-metre-long infinity pool, which offers unparalleled views of the city as it cascades over the edge of a jaw-dropping 57-storey drop.

If you’re after sun, sand and at least some degree of surf, look no further than Singapore’s Sentosa Island. Once a military fortress, these days the island is a playground for world-weary Singaporeans and travellers alike. One of Sentosa’s most obvious attractions is its 1.2-mile stretch of sheltered beach.

Vertigo sufferers may wish to look away, but one of Singapore’s most popular attractions is the towering Singapore Flyer. Standing a dizzying 165-metres tall – or a staggering 42 storeys – this massive structure remains the world’s largest Ferris wheel. Built over a period of three years and completed in 2008, the Singapore Flyer is taller than the London Eye.

Right from the get-go, the Singapore Zoo made a name for itself as an industry leader where animals roam free in open, natural landscapes to the delight of visitors and the comfort of the wildlife. Formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens, the grounds are set in the midst of the rainforest on the edge of the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

Film buffs and thrill seekers will delight in an outing to Universal Studios Singapore, Southeast Asia’s lone Universal theme park jam-packed with movie magic. If you’re expecting run-of-the-mill American attractions, think again – the majority of the experiences here have been designed specifically for Singapore…