We're in the Chinatown area and naturally we start here: it's a Chinatown very different from the others in Asian metropolises, rather tidy and quiet, without the classic strong smells, but very pleasant. The main street (Pagoda Street) is entirely pedestrian, full of little shops and temples. We go barefoot into the Sri Mariamman temple, where we witness a curious Hindu ritual, with sounds, chanting and offerings to the deities. A little further on, equally fascinating, the Chinese temple Thian Hock Keng dominates the view. Finely decorated pagoda roofs, imposing dragons and reliquaries of every kind. Leaving the main streets a little behind, you realise the city is a constant building site, intent on endlessly renewing itself to stay projected into the future. The restaurants offer food of every kind, while the tech shopkeepers invite you to see their displays.
No one bothers you, no one is insistent; the locals don't even notice you even when you're the only European strolling among them. My guide to Singapore:
a stroll through China Town, the city's most characteristic neighborhood, among skyscrapers and temples until reaching the river where you can have dinner at the food center at Clark Quay. Finally, from Boat Quay you take the water taxi to admire the city with the sparkling lights of the night.
Visit to the colonial center of Singapore: the Sultan's Palace, the Mosque, the Supreme Court and the Parliament, until reaching the riverfront and the original bay theater.
Afternoon at Sentosa, one of the city's main tourist attractions, reachable by a futuristic monorail that crosses the bay. There you find the white beach of Panangan, facing the dolphins' bay, the Dragon trail that goes deep into a tropical rainforest, or you can experience the thrill of driving go-karts and then go back up on the chairlift and even climb onto the Merlion, the gigantic lion symbol of the city. For dinner there's the food center, with all types of cuisine from around the world. To finish, the dancing fountain show Song of the Sea, with a ballet of light, laser, color and music.
Night Safari, characterized by natural barriers made of water, rocks or vegetation that separate animals and visitors and convey the concept of the "open" zoo. The tour is done aboard a little train that lets you discover the fauna, and on foot by walking along themed and evocative trails..
From Arab Street, with its characteristic mosques, to Little India with its streets that smell of spices, treasures, silver and brass goods, ethnic jewelry, jasmine garlands and silk saris. Orchard Road, the city's commercial and modern kingdom with wide streets for shopping and the botanical garden famous for its splendid orchid park.
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