In a space only three-and-a-half times larger than Washington, D.C., Southeast Asia's smallest country is a model for harmonious multiculturalism. For those who want to experience many cultures in one of the safest places in the world, Singapore is the place to be.
Singapore's rich heritage is reflected in its neighborhoods. Visitors soon learn that there is a district for everything in this city-state, including “Convention City,” a self-contained area surrounding the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The main ethnic neighborhoods in Singapore—Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street--are all next to each other on the southern point of the diamond-shaped island, close to Convention City. While there, it's worth visiting nearby Orchard Road—the Rodeo Drive of Asia, with hotels to boot—and the Colonial District, where one can sip Singapore Slings in the historic Raffles Hotel Singapore just like the British who used to call this area home.
Chinatown, with a night market that's not to miss, was founded in the early 1800s and is the best reminder of what Singapore was like 150 years ago. Out of all the neighborhoods, this is probably the cultural heart of Singapore. The Chinese are the majority population on the island state, with Malays the next most-numerous ethnic group, followed by Indian, Arabs and a host of other ethnicities.
Tanjong Pagar in Chinatown features a number of pre-WWII buildings that house restaurants, pubs and yes, even that Asian favorite, karoake. The area will satisfy the thirstiest conventioneer with dreams of being the next American Idol. Hungry visitors should also check out Food Street, where budget gourmets can sample more than 20 local dishes from street vendors.
Little India lives up to its name. Imagine the distinctive smell of curry spices mingling with jasmine incense in narrow streets where hundreds of colorful silk saris hang for sale. Spice and souvenir shoppers will find what they are looking for here, especially at Tekka Centre, the main market, where parrot fortune tellers divine the future for a small fee and henna tattoo artists ply their craft. The Temple of 1,000 lights is one of the main cultural attractions here, and during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, Little India is transformed into a lantern-lit wonderland.
Arab Street is the traditional textile center of Singapore, and shoppers can find a variety of batiks, silks and lace. Those with a taste for the exotic are sure to love this area—at this Old World bazaar where haggling is still encouraged, one can buy ostrich feathers, gold thread and semi-precious stones. The gold-domed Sultan Mosque is the biggest place of worship for Muslims in Singapore, and the friendly locals encourage visitors to go inside and observe Muslim prayer; just stay covered up and tastefully dressed as you would in any place of worship.
With ethnic strife beleaguering so many parts of the world, citizens of Singapore are proud to show visitors how it celebrates and honors the people that make this small island a big player on the world stage.
