Singapore

Ultramodern, multicultural and verdant at every turn, Singapore knows how to blue the boundaries between a city and a garden. Once seen as merely a stopover city, Singapore has broken out of that shell and is proving it harbours plenty of its own allure.

Singapore is home to an abundance of futuristic, sky-scraping architecture. But it’s also awash with urban greenery, an island country where there are plenty of places to escape into nature, including several pristine outer islands and a web of walking and cycling trails. The UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay are not just two examples of nature fighting back but two of Singapore’s key landmarks and poster children for Singapore’s reputation as one of the planet’s greenest cities. Singapore isn’t always thinking about the future; it has one foot firmly planted in the past too. It’s a surprise as to how smoothly blended history and the high-tech are here and a stroll among its richly different neighbourhoods will show you first-hand, from the ornate temples of Little India to the Arabic architecture of Kampong Glam.

At ground level, heritage buildings are adorned with vibrant murals and old-world markets jostle with ancient temples and shophouses for your attention; concrete proof of Singapore’s mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian heritage. It’s a city-state you can easily see through your stomach, too, with Singapore’s legendary hawker centres not only home to some of the most delicious street food on the planet (as well as some of the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred cuisine) but also opportunities to chat to locals – the real heartbeat of Singapore.