Sunny side up in Singapore

Go Citybreak:It may rain a lot in Singapore, but don't let that put a damper on your visit. The city is best observed from beneath an awning at a street-side bar – just grab a Singapore Sling and watch the world go by, writes CLIFFORD COONAN

IT SEEMS TO RAIN every day in Singapore around the same time, as the intense midday tropical heat starts to cool and evening falls. The rain is warm, atmospheric, and it renders the city state's immaculate streets shiny. Singapore is best observed from beneath an awning at one of the city's street-side bars and restaurants, or a particularly fine place to watch the rain descend is in the Raffles Hotel. Grab a Singapore Sling and let it rain . . .

An ultra-modern city state of five million people, Singapore is about the size of New York, and is strategically placed at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula. It regularly tops Asia's most popular tourist destinations, and last year visitor arrivals averaged about one million per month, up 20 per cent on a year earlier.

That said, it never feels overrun. It is a terrific place to visit for a short stay – small, but compact, and easy to get around, and most of its worthwhile sights are in easy distance of each other by public transport or by plentiful taxis.

A lot of the fun stuff is down by the Singapore River, and there are lots of great restaurants on Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, where you can see the assembled army of expatriates enjoying their lifestyle in what is the leisure capital of Southeast Asia. The nearby Helix Bridge is spectacular.

Singapore has transformed itself from a post-colonial backwater into a tropical city of shiny skyscrapers looking down on well-maintained colonial buildings below.

The colonial heart of the city, where Sir Stamford Raffles first stepped ashore, is home to well-restored government buildings, cathedrals and churches, notably Singapore Cricket Club, and this area is also home to the Singapore Art Museum and the Asian Civilisations Museum.

WHEN IT COMESto great hotels, Singapore gives regional rival Hong Kong a run for its money – and the far-sighted decision to retain and renovate older hotels rather than build skyscraper facilities means that its hotels have a lot more character than those in other Asian centres.

One of the highlights is the aforementioned Raffles Hotel. Named for Singapore's founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, the hotel opened in 1887, and among its earliest guests were Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling.

Plenty of scribes came afterwards, including Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward. It's a rare pleasure to sip your cocktail as the rain falls and indulge bright fantasies about writers going through their notebooks while sitting under beautifully flowered frangipani trees.

And spare a thought for the last tiger to be shot and killed in Singapore, which was chased through the hotel in August 1902 before being finally dispatched under the elevated Bar and Billiard Room.

Much of Singapore's colonial history was sketched out in Raffles. Here were the first electric lights, the first ceiling fans and also its first French chef, the first of many culinary events in the city. As the city fell to the Japanese, the British residents gathered to sing There'll Always Be An England.

Post-war, it was a staging post for freed prisoners of war, but began to come back in favour in the 1950s, when Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner were among the guests, and there was a sense of the prosperity that would characterise Singapore ever since. The hotel has been extensively renovated many times over the years, but with great care, and you can sense how the Writers' Bar inspired some of the great prose stylists of the last century.

Another venue big on atmosphere is The Club, an Irish-managed boutique hotel built in a heritage building from the 1900s. From its rooftop bar, Ying Yang, you can watch the city unfold, looking down on the trendy Ann Siang Road area, or across at the downtown skyline.

For all of the focus on heritage, it was post-independence in 1965 when Singapore really came into its own.

Steered out of the colonial era by the firm hand of Lee Kuan Yew, the Garden City has consistently reinvented itself over the years and last year was the fastest growing economy in the world.

Singapore has an authoritarian image – its detractors call it Disneyland with the Death Penalty – with critical journalists jailed for criminal libel, the death penalty for drug smuggling, canings for spoiled expatriate brats and, of course, the notorious chewing gum ban.

But visitors will notice little of this side of Singapore, and most residents are fiercely proud of their city and its achievements.

English is one of the official languages, along with Chinese, Tamil and Malay, which means people from all around the region feel welcome here.

THE CITY'S LATESTtourist attractions, the Marina Bay Sands casino in downtown Singapore and its rival Resorts World Sentosa, which together cost about €7.5 billion to build, are a bit of a surprise. The story is that Lee Kuan Yew only gave the go-ahead to the casinos once he had examined the Swiss model and was sure it would not harm the fabric of society – Switzerland is one of the models that Lee approves of.

At the same time, the official line remains somewhat disapproving of gambling, and Singaporeans have to pay a special extra charge to get in.

The focus has been more on the wholesome, resort side of the attractions. Universal Studios has its largest theme park in Asia at Resorts World on Sentosa, a former British Army garrison linked by bridge to the main island of Singapore. This features the usual movie-themed attractions, ranging from Battlestar Galacticato Shrekand Waterworld.

Meanwhile, Marina Bay Sands, owned by Las Vegas Sands, recently opened the world's first ArtScience Museum, while Genting's Resorts World will open its Maritime Xperiential Museum this year. Also due at some point at Resorts World are two more hotels and a marine life park.

Singapore is among the most multicultural cities on the planet, and the cultures there happen to have some of the great cuisines, which means street food is particularly good.

Chinatown, Arab Street and Little India all offer terrific examples of their respective cuisines. Because this is Singapore, you can rest assured that every restaurant has got its health certificate sorted out, so you needn't worry when ordering up the chicken satay or the fabulous soft-shelled crab.

Singapore where to . . .

3 places to stay

Value:The Club Hotel, 28 Ann Siang Road, 00-65-6808-2188, theclub.com.sg. Ann Siang Road is a deeply trendy spot, and The Club, a 22-room luxury boutique hotel in a refurbished 1900s building, kitted out in exquisite black and white by Harry's Hospitality, fits right in. Managed by Irishman Ross Glasscoe, The Club fuses the ultra-modern and the heritage beautifully, and is very comfortable as well as being a design classic. The Ying Yang roof terrace is a great place to sit and watch over the rooftops. Doubles from €150.

Mid-market: Naumi, 41 Seah Street, 00-65-6403-6000, naumihotel.com. Naumi Hotel is located in the heart of the central business district, opposite Raffles Hotel. It is five minutes away from Suntec Singapore International Convention Exhibition Centre, a rake of upscale shopping malls and culture zone, the Esplanade. Premium double rooms from €224.

Upmarket: Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road, 00-65-6337-1886, raffles.com. Raffles Hotel, named after colonial founder Sir Stamford Raffles, is a legend in Singapore. Prices range from a Courtyard Suite with two twins/one king-size bed for €395 per night to the Presidential Suite at €4,467 per night.

3 places to eat

Value: Orange Lantern, 1 Maritime Square, 01-98 HarbourFront Centre, 00-65-6274-1968, orange-lantern.com. Singapore's position at the heart of Southeast Asia means it is a great place to sample cuisine from around the region. This Vietnamese restaurant is a case in point – the imperial rolls are tasty, as is barbecued beef in betel nut leaves and the beef soup which is slow-boiled for 18 hours. Price about €12 per person.

Mid-market: Ku Dé Ta, Marina Bay Sands, 1 Bayfront Avenue, 00-65-6688-7688, kudeta.com.sg. Elevated dining 200m above sea level on top of the Marina Bay Sands, Ku Dé Ta is a very swish place indeed, with a team of chefs from all over the world preparing the food. From here you have a 360-degree view of the city's skyline. Be warned, drinks can be pricey. Expect to pay €22.50 per person for lunch.

Upmarket: Fiftythree, 53 Armenian Street, 00-65-6334-5535, fiftythree.com.sg. Fiftythree is firmly ensconced at the top of the list of Singapore restaurants. With just five tables in the main dining area, people come here for the atmosphere at this supremely elegant venue, especially its beautiful courtyard. Particularly popular here are the seven- or nine-course tasting menus, which start at about €100 per person, and feature some of Fiftythree's specialties, including lobster and Spanish pork.

3 places to go

Heritage: Pulau Ubin, wildsingapore.com. Pulau Ubin is known as the last kampung (village) in Singapore, a throwback to the 1960s, complete with coconut palms and secluded beaches, and is a popular day trip from the city. You get there by public transport from Changi jettynear the Changi Village Hawker Centre. Cycling is another great way to explore Ubin, and you can rent bikes there.

Viewing point: the Henderson Wave, nparks.gov.sg. Admire the Singapore skyline from this 274m-long pedestrian bridge that spans Henderson Road to connect Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park. At 36m above Henderson Road, Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. The structure itself is also interesting, with its distinctive wave-like design consisting of a series of curved "ribs".

Gardens: Botanic Gardens, sbg.org.sg. Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore and a keen naturalist, established the first botanical and experimental garden on Government Hill (Fort Canning Hill) in 1822, shortly after his arrival. Today, the Botanic Gardens are a tropical botanical institution of international renown. Opening hours 5am to midnight daily. Admission free.

Shop spot

Ion: Orchard Road, 00-65-6238-8228. This shopping centre describes itself as the "centre of gravity" in the Singapore retail scene. Eight levels of shopping space – four above ground and four below – totalling 66,000sq m of retail space at the prime site of Singapore's commercial and shopping artery. All the big brands, and a food hall to boot.

Hot spot

Singapore Flyer: this is the world's largest observation wheel, and takes you up to 165m from ground level where you get some spectacular views of Marina Bay, as well as the Singapore River, Raffles Place, Merlion Park, Empress Place and the Padang. Tickets cost about €15 for an adult.

Get thereBritish Airways (ba.com), Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) and Quantas (quantas.com) fly to Signapore from London Heathrow