Singapore Itinerary

1. 8:30aKaya toast breakfast set

   The national breakfast at a kopitiam: toast with coconut-pandan kaya and cold butter, two soft-boiled eggs cracked into dark soy and white pepper, and a kopi-c.

   
2. ~10:00aGardens by the Bay

   The Cloud Forest's indoor waterfall and the Flower Dome under the Supertrees — book the first slot before the heat. Stay for the OCBC Skyway between the trees.

   
3. ~12:30pHawker-centre lunch

   Maxwell or Lau Pa Sat: Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice, a plate of char kway teow, and chicken satay with peanut sauce — follow the longest queues.

   
4. ~3:00pArtScience Museum & the waterfront

   The lotus-shaped museum, the Merlion, and the Helix Bridge — the full Marina Bay loop on foot before the day cools.

   
5. ~5:30pSands SkyPark at golden hour

   Up to the observation deck (or a rooftop bar) for the bay laid out in light as the sun drops behind the towers.

   
6. 7:30pOdette ⭐⭐⭐Anchor table

   Julien Royer's French-Asian tasting menu at the National Gallery — the heirloom-beetroot and the Normandy brown-crab are signatures. The city's defining table; book ~2 months ahead.

   

Singapore's soul is the hawker centre, not the mall — eat where the aunties and uncles queue. Odette anchors the trip; everything else flexes around it.

Day 1 in photos

1. ~9:00aChinatown temples

   The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple's golden hall, then the Hindu Sri Mariamman temple a few streets on — Singapore's faiths within a block.

   
2. ~11:00aCivic District & Raffles Landing

   The Padang, Old Parliament, and the spot where Raffles stepped ashore — colonial Singapore in twenty minutes.

   
3. ~12:30pKatong laksa lunch

   Out to Joo Chiat for the Katong style — rice noodles cut short so you eat it with a spoon, in a rich coconut-and-dried-shrimp gravy. Add a side of otah.

   
4. ~2:30pPeranakan shophouses

   Joo Chiat and Koon Seng Road's pastel facades with their ornate tiles — the most photogenic streets in the city. Pick up nyonya kueh from a corner shop.

   
5. ~7:00pSatay by the bay after dark

   Lau Pa Sat's Boon Tat Street closes to traffic at night for the satay grills — smoky chicken, mutton, and prawn skewers with cucumber and ketupat.

   

The Peranakan streets are residential — admire from the pavement. Evenings are the city's best eating window once the heat lifts.

Day 2 in photos

1. ~8:30aSingapore Botanic Gardens

   The UNESCO-listed gardens at their coolest — straight to the National Orchid Garden's 1,000+ blooms before the humidity climbs.

   
2. ~11:30aTiong Bahru market & bakery

   The art-deco estate's wet-market hawker stalls — chwee kueh (steamed rice cakes with preserved radish) and lor mee — then a kouign-amann from Tiong Bahru Bakery.

   
3. ~1:30pTiong Bahru shophouse browse

   Independent bookshops, record stores, and curl-roofed 1930s walk-ups — the city's most charming low-rise pocket.

   
4. ~5:30pSingapore Sling at the Long Bar

   Back at Raffles for the gin sling that was invented here in 1915 — toss your peanut shells on the floor, as tradition demands.

   
5. ~7:30pChili crab on the river

   A riverside seafood house for the national dish — whole mud crab in sweet-savory tomato-chili gravy, with fried mantou buns to mop it up, plus black-pepper crab on the side.

   

Botanic Gardens early, river late — the middle of the day is for air-conditioned wandering. Chili crab is gloriously messy; wear the bib without shame.

Day 3 in photos