Festival

Deepavali

Termed as the most important festival of the Hindus, it also marks the New Year of the Hindu lunar calendar. Deepavali is celebrated by Hindus to commemorate the return of Lord Rama to his home in Ayodhya after a fourteen year exile. It also celebrates the victory of good over evil. Homes and streets are lit up in celebration and devotees from all over the city visit the Sri Mariamman Temple. The act of walking across a pit of red hot embers takes place among cheers, garlands and lights. The Little India neighborhood is a frenzy of activity in the days leading up to the festival with people thronging shops to buy clothes, gold, household goods and decorations. Traditional oil lamps are lit in homes and sweets are offered on the altar and distributed among family and friends.

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Overview & visitor information

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The Chingay Parade

Activity

The Chingay Parade, the biggest parade in Singapore, also Asia's grandest street parade, is certainly an event worth attending, being celebrated with full enthusiasm and excitement. The huge procession marks the festivities of the Chinese New Year. The celebrations feature Taiwanese acrobats to Salsa dancers who stop at designated spots along the parade route to perform. The traditional lion dance along with performers from far-flung countries giving cultural shows also feature in the parade which goes from City Hall to Suntec City.

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World Gourmet Summit

Activity

Food experts from around the world bring the best cuisines and wines to Singapore's top food and beverage establishments resulting in a gourmet paradise. Various programs including a gourmet safari are part of the summit. Master classes are held where participants can satisfy their curiosity and get a tip or two from the top-notch in the field.

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Dragon Boat Race

Activity

Held at Marina Bay on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the dragon boat race has contestants hailing from all over the world. The event is primarily observed to honor the death of a renowned poet who took his life by drowning in an effort to bring light to political corruption. This is also a time to enjoy traditional rice dumplings.

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Hari Raya Celebrations

Activity

Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims. Singapore's ethnic Malay enclaves come alive at this time of the year with brilliant light displays and bazaars bustling with traditional food, clothes and souvenirs.

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Thaipusam

Activity

Mostly observed by Hindus, this event occurs at the end of January to honor Lord Subramaniam. Devotees from all over the place gather at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Little India region and offer their thanks to the idol and seek forgiveness. As an act of penance and consecration, devotees also shave off their heads and pierce their tongues. The event is usually followed by a long, procession by Hindu devotees who chant prayers with religious fervor and march down the Serangoon Road and Tank Road (a three kilometer walk) bearing a kadavi ( shrine) on their heads. Spikes pierced on the body support the kadavi. Sometimes the kadavi is dragged by the devotees like a chariot.

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Chinese New Year

Activity

This fifteen day celebration marking the beginning of the Chinese New Year is without question the most important festival of the Chinese Lunar calendar. Featuring music, dance, fireworks and festivities that last several days, this a time when families get together to feast, merry make and enjoy being together. An annual family reunion dinner is held and people throng the streets shopping at various stalls set up along the roadsides. The whole city seems to be enveloped in a mood of celebration but Chinatown which erupts in a frenzy of cultural performances, fireworks and light displays, is the place to be to get the full impact of this festival which commences in January and continues until February. Red is the prominent color during these celebrations and is seen in clothing, decorations etc.

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Singapore Fashion Festival

Activity

With the onset of spring season, Singapore transforms into a gateway to fashion trends. Showcasing the latest colors, materials, styles and trends in vogue, various fashion events takes place to mark the beginning of the season. Exhibitions and fashion shows unleash creativity and trends to follow throughout the year. Coupled with new brands and style launches, this is the time to avail the most profitable promotions and discounts on the offer as fashion fever infects the island.

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Singapore Arts Festival

Activity

The summer fiesta is in full swing via this colorful event in May-June that highlights dance, drama and music. Performers from across the globe visit Singapore to be part of this event. The festival is also marked by an eclectic program of cross-disciplinary, multimedia productions and performances that take place throughout the city at various venues.

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Singapore Food Festival

Activity

Again the sizzle of summers comes alive through this mouth watering food festival that unfolds an array of thrilling food fare. Chinese, Indians Malay and many other cuisines are on offer. The launch of the festival is celebrated at Parco Bugis Junction. The festival which lasts for 3 days from July 2 to 4 sees the transformation of the street into a food junction with mouth watering cuisine for all to sample.

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Hungry Ghosts Festival

Activity

Dedicated to the dead, the festival occurs either in August or September coinciding with the seventh month of the Chinese calendar. The main theory behind the celebration of this is basically to ward off evil spirits who, according to Chinese superstition, come down during this time on earth. People burn incense and paper money to keep away the spirits. Opera performances and offerings of food to the needy are also part of the celebrations. Children are discouraged from being outdoors after dusk. This is considered an inauspicious time and no business deal is signed nor property bought.

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Mandai Orchard Garden

Garden

Situated in close proximity to the Zoological Gardens, the Mandai Orchard garden offers the most captivating sights of natural botanic beauty in its numerous varieties of various plants and their refreshing presence.

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Chinatown

Town

One of the most intriguing places in Singapore to amble around, Chinatown is considered to be the cultural and social nucleus of the country with the wide range of temples, merchant shops and activity. Even though the place has been experiencing some reconstruction work for a long time, it nevertheless is a place which deserves a visit for people coming to Singapore for the first time.

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Chinatown Heritage Center

Museum

Take a walk down the Heritage Centre to get a glimpse of the history of Singapore from the time of the earliest settlers to the present. The place mainly characterizes the strenuous routine living of Chinese people in Singapore. The Heritage Center also conceptualizes the major social evils prevalent in the society which include prostitution, gambling and opium addiction. A visit to this place will help you appreciate the challenges faced by people and the ways they overcame them. Hourly guided tours are available.

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What to Do with Children in Tow

Activity

Singapore is a place which offers equal advantages to adults and children alike. Some of the major attractions for children in Singapore are:

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Changi Memorial and Chapel

Museum

The place reminds one of the mass scale destruction caused by the WWII through various drawings, pictures and other sundry illustrations. The centerpiece of this historic site is the duplicate copy of the Changi Chapel which has always been considered a symbol of strength and courage for the people of Singapore. Along with this, the place also displays some of the ammunition and artillery which was used in conventional wars.

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Changi village

Village

The place provides a magnificent blend of an urban and rural village along with the most awe-inspiring views of natural beauty. The place is not considered idyllic for swimming but is not a bad option for having a wonderful evening. The place is highly congested on weekends but is desolate on weekdays.

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Sentosa Underwater World

Aquarium

The place is one of the prime tourist attractions of Singapore which introduces tourists to a wide diversity of marine life which include various species of sharks, stingrays, turtles and sea dragons which can be seen at very close quarters through the 80 meter transparent acrylic tunnel. All such features make this place one of the most opulent oceanariums of the world.

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Singapore Butterfly Park and Insect Museum

Park

The place gives you an opportunity to interact with over 50 species of butterflies along with various species of insects belonging to different phyla. These insects include rhino beetles, Hercules beetles, mounted butterflies and scorpions.

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Carlsberg Sky Tower

Tower

The Carlsberg Tower is Asia's tallest public observation tower. Tourists can enjoy a full 360 degree view from a height of 131 meters above sea level.

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Botanical Gardens

Garden

Established in 1859 this 52 hectare park offers a diverse range of flora which allows you to enjoy plant varieties of all four seasons in a single season. The park has up to 250 varieties of Palm trees only which have been planted in a specific area known as the Palm Valley. On Sundays jazz concerts are also organized to attract greater quantity of people. Situated in close proximity to the Botanic Garden is the National Orchid Garden which provides an enormous variety of flora estimated to be up to 60,000 species along with different species of Vanda Miss Joachim, Singapore's national flower. Admission timings in the National Orchid Garden are from 8:30am to 7pm daily with an admittance fee of $2.

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Sour Puss

8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore SG 39802 Cuisine: Fusion Phone: +65 6338 9003

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L'Angelus

This grand restaurant offers a diverse French cuisine. The interior of the restaurant has been designed very distinctively with French film posters draping the walls from floor to ceiling. Major cuisine items include prawns with garlic, and pastis and lemon sherbet with vodka is perfect as a dessert.

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Crossroads Café

Crossroads café provides an idyllic combination of all categories of cuisines whether it be western or traditional. Breakfast which is prepared according to western design is served till 1pm and along with this a diverse variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers and other fast food items are also provided.

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Blood Café

This unique restaurant pioneered by the Blood brothers is a one of its kind restaurant. According to an emigrant magazine, the Blood Caesar salad has been regarded as the best salad in the entire country. Other specialties of the restaurant include laksa pesto, sambal and fish cakes.

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Equinox

This 70th floor restaurant provides you a crystal clear view of Indonesia and Malaysia. The atmosphere of the restaurant is extremely tranquil and dissonance free, providing a purely sophisticated environment to the visitors. The opening cuisine for the evening should be Iranian cavier tuna and from here you can move on to grilled beef with foie gras. Any chocolate taster would be highly welcomed to fill up his tummy completely.

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Aoki

If you are looking to experience some of the best Japanese cuisine then Aoki is your dream destination. The restaurant offers some of the most mouth watering Japanese dishes in elegant surroundings. These include the famous shabu shabu, sukiyaki which is basically grilled beef with vegetables and kaiseki which is a proper feast.

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Golden Peony

Get the most splendid cuisine representing the culture of Hong Kong at the Golden Peony. Some of the traditional dishes of the restaurant include crispy prawns with walnuts or stuffed chicken with rice which has always been famous in the restaurant because of the expertise of their chief chef Kit Lams. Some of the other prominent cuisines include Yunnan ham, de-boned chicken and ginger sauce.

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Jade

The theme of the restaurant is pre dominantly Asian providing a combination of Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. As a matter of fact the cuisine of the restaurant is also Chinese presented in a more contemporary way. Homemade spinach along with Japanese mushrooms with dried scallops is highly preferred for lunch. If something light but a highly energetic meal is required then pen-seared scallops and greens with lemongrass with mango attire is an appropriate choice.

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Brazil Churasscaria

The restaurant offers a diverse range of BBQ items and their associated mouth watering cuisines. Delicious treats are prepared from various meats; beef, lamb and pork. The hotel has a separate salad bar for vegetarians where they can easily find something to satiate their appetites.

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Szechuan Court

Szechuan strives to provide the most magnificent and extravagant mixture of all kinds of salty, spicy, hot, sweet tastes in their cuisines. Spicy rice noodles with diced chicken pieces, beef rolls with garlic sauce and spare ribs in honey sauce are some of the prominent mouth watering treats offered here.