Singapore is home to many places that embolden and inspire passions. In the National Gallery Singapore, the world’s largest public collection of local and Southeast Asian art gives culture shapers plenty to admire. Yet, it’s also where foodies such as Yugnes Susela thrive—the bartender lives out his obsession for cocktails on a balcony of the gallery, shaking up tipples as a stunning view of the Civic District opens up before him. We’re also known as a “City in a Garden”, and for good reason: almost a third of the island is draped in green. Places like these are where passions converge in Singapore, but it’s the people who splash colour and vibrancy across the city.
Best Season to Explore
July-September:While tourists visit throughout the year, the festive season is a great time to explore the many facets of Singapore, especially around July when the Great Singapore Sale and the Singapore Food Festival take place. Feb-April: The months between the summers and winters are quite pleasant.
How to reach from Kolkata.
It takes about 4 hours 21 minutes to fly from Kolkata (CCU) to Singapore (SIN).
Diversity in Culture
Singapore’s resident ethnic makeup predominantly comprises the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and Peranakan* communities. While we live, work and play together, there remain traditional ethnic enclaves that you can explore to learn more about each community—for example, Katong-Joo Chiat is a historic Peranakan neighbourhood, while the earliest Indian settlers laid their roots in what is known today as Little India. And the indigenous people of the land, the Malays, have long considered Kampong Gelam as the ancestral seat of their sultans, well before Singapore became a colony.
Flavours of Singapore
Singapore is, undeniably, one of the greatest food cities in Asia, if not the world. Eating and drinking is pretty much a national pastime, and for good reason: our Little Red Dot is chock full of dining destinations for all tastes, cuisines, pursuits, and occasions, just waiting to be explored.
The beating heart of our local food scene, however, is our unique hawker culture. Born out of our status as a global port, Singaporean cuisine is both distinct, and in debt to many other ethnic and national cuisines.
Our hawker food scene is also so ingrained into our national imagination and the way we eat day-to-day that our hawker landscape recently earned itself a place on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list in 2020.
Dining in Singapore can be overwhelming, especially if you’re visiting for the first time. To help you skirt past the tourist traps and get to the real, locals-approved stuff, here is our guide to the best food in Singapore you must eat.
Vibrant Festivals
There is no doubt that there are many events and festivals in Singapore that are celebrated with zest and zeal. Pongal, Chinese New Year, Thaipusam, Lantern Festival, Vesak Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali, Food Festival.
