I'm going to SIN for four days in Dec (18-21) for a vacation/MR and have found enough stuff on-line to do that well lets just say I'm probably going to need to go back again next year. I can always use the miles

In order to make the most of my time over there what would you put on your list of things not to miss?

I couple of things I have on my to do list are:

Night Safari
A half day tour of spice gardens, wet market, Little India, Chinatown.
A full day tour that takes me to some of the sites outside the city such as Tiger Balms Garden and Ming Village
Cable car to Sentosa
A day tour to Kukup and Orchid Valley in Malaysia
General tour of the city

Afternoon tea at the Swisshotel. Not your usually "prissy" tea... this is a full-scale late lunch/early dinner.

Buffet style, they have all sorts of entrees (from sushi to dim sum to various noodle dishes as well as satays and soups and salads) and a fabulous dessert selection (scones and cream, sundae bar, candies, pastries, cookies, and breads).

Best of all, it is held on the top floor with windows all around... so you get amazing views and can take some incredible photographs.

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A trip to one of the hawker markets to sample the incredible (and cheap) street food. A great place to grab a snack in between destinations.

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Chili crabs at a riverfront or seafront outdoor restaurant. Lots of threads here on FT about the favorites. Don't like chili crabs? Try the pepper crabs... or curry prawns... or any one of dozens of other fresh dishes.

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Grab a late night Tiger beer and go for a walk along Boat Quay. This has become tradition for me when I land (since most of the flights get in between 11:30 pm and 1 am. Drop my bags at the hotel and head there in a taxi for a bedtime snack. Flight late or still hungry? There is an all night hawker market about four blocks away.

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Electronics shopping at Sim Lim... just be sure you have priced before you left the US. Be sure and wander about a bit and check out/comparison shop several vendors. Not all are created equal. I got a great deal on a Sony 5.1 digital camera w/ add-on wide angle and telefoto lenses. None of the Black Friday sales have come close to what I paid.

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A Singapore Sling at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel. Gimmicky? Yeah... but it was the first thing almost everyone back home asked if I had done. The hotel itself, as well, is full of history... it is a great throwback to old British colonial times.

maybe you can skip Tiger Balms Garden and Ming Village, and try the Zoo and Bird Park instead...

a short boat ride from the Esplanade/Collyer Quay during the afternoon could also be nice (although the stop at Kusu Island could be a little dull)

and of course, don't miss the shopping, and night-time Christmas light-up all happening in Orchard Road!

I would advise you to skip Tiger Balm Garden and Ming Village, you'll probably be the only 1 there.

Night Safari and the Singapore Zoo is good but just pick 1, there's no need to see both.

Cable Car to sentosa sounds fun you can either take it from Mt Faber or WTC. And then spend a day in sentosa.

If you need more info... you can just PM or e-mail me

Singapore Air runs a "Hop On Hop Off" bus around the city that hits many major sights. Riding the bus is a good basic tour and you can exit the bus at each place you want to visit.

Mandai Orchid Gardens are beautiful and would be a good choice if you don't have the time to see the more distant gardens.

I think Sentosa is overrated and kind of boring.

You can make a reservation for breakfast or afternoon tea at the Zoo, your companion will be one of their orangutans. The Night Safari is the only nocturnal zoo in the world.

The afternoon tea at Raffles Hotel is very nice, as previously mentioned a drink at the Raffles Long Bar is fun (touristy, but almost a must).

If you are interested in WW2 history, the "Battle Box" dioramas and dramatization are located it Ft. Canning Park. You walk through the large underground bunker system, HQ of the British during the fall of Singapore in 1942.

Four days in Singapore is a bit much for me. All the suggestions given above were fine. But I think you can do most everything to get a feel for the city-state in two days.

If you feel adventurous, take a bus from Singapore to Melaka [Melaka], Malaysia. It a very historic town. See Melaka and Malacca. I'll just be leaving the region as you arrive.

Cheers,

Z

You might need one day just to climatise to the heat and high humidity!

More literally than you think -- I know for a fact that the Ming Village has been closed for many years now, and I believe Haw Par Villa (which is probably what you're referring to as "Tiger Balm Garden") is undergoing some much-needed renovation right now.

Just wanted to say Thank You for everyone's helpful advice. I've narrowed down my list of things I want to do into something much more reasonable. The rest of it can wait until next year.