Holiday rentals in Singapore

With its modern architecture, tropical climate, and innovative food scene, this Southeast Asian island state is one of the world’s great metropolises. Asian and Western cultures fuse against a backdrop of hypermodern architecture, interspersed with lush parks and rainforest. From noisy hawker markets to top-rated restaurants, the culinary offering is world-class, with many glamorous sky-high rooftop bars serving beverages under the stars.

Your first port of call might be Marina Bay, whose skyscrapers look plucked from a science fiction novel, then the shopping districts of Orchard Road and Bras Basah before exploring Bugis, an arts enclave, home to the National Museum of Singapore.

There are many wildly varied neighbourhoods to occupy your time in Singapore. Chinatown’s temples, hip bars, and Chinatown Food Street are great fun; historic Tiong Bahru is the one for street art, boutiques, and cool cafes; and Joo Chiat/Katong is the place to experience native Peranakan culture and taste Nyonya cuisine. It’s not all hustle and bustle, though. Plenty of green spaces and unspoilt beaches are spread among Singapore’s 64 islands for finding peace among nature.

Hot and humid with frequent rain storms is the general year-round forecast in Singapore. Monsoons occur from December to early March and June to September. But don’t write off those periods, as they coincide with some major cultural events, such as August’s National Day on the 9th, with Air Force aerial shows and fireworks, and the Singapore Night Festival, with late-night opening of museums and galleries, and nighttime street entertainment. From 12 to 17 January the South Indian Pongal harvest festival is a great time to stay in one of the country’s apartments for rent and join in the celebrations in Little India, an area with Hindu temples and places to buy flower garlands and eat roti. January also brings Singapore Art Week, with tons of events in galleries.

Island hopping

Sentosa is the largest of Singapore’s satellite islands, famed for its family attractions, polished nature parks, and beaches. Its quieter side can be explored on the Imbiah Trail, a hidden cycling path. For trekking, swimming lagoons, and unspoilt beaches try less developed Saint John’s Island; Lazarus Island for beaches; Coney Island for cycling; and Pulau Ubin, where durian and mangosteen grow, for nature.

Green spaces

Singapore is teeming with lush parks and well-maintained green spaces full of boardwalks, skywalks, zip lines, and resident wildlife such as monkeys and long-tailed macaques. Visit Singapore’s Botanic Gardens to see the world’s largest collection of orchids. Climb Singapore’s highest hill in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, through which the Rail Corridor disused railway line walking path passes, and cross the 250-metre-long suspension bridge, 25 metres up in MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

Art galleries

Singapore sure has a thriving art scene. Some standout galleries include the Gillman Barracks, with 13 galleries across five buildings; Kult Gallery, showing “rebel creatives” in an old colonial house; the Red Dot Design Museum at Marina Bay; and Gajah Gallery for contemporary Asian art.