Singapore in 5 Days with Islands and Nature

From Sea to SkylineAccording to the URA, Singapore began land reclamation along the downtown shoreline in 1971, with the final 38 hectares at the Bayfront reclaimed in 1994. The new land became home to the financial district around Marina Bay Financial Centre and Asia Square, the Esplanade, the Singapore Flyer, and eventually Gardens by the Bay. Significant portions of the Formula 1 Marina Bay Street Circuit also stand on reclaimed land.The Bay as a Water ReservoirIn 2008, the Marina Channel was dammed with the Marina Barrage. Since then, Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin have formed a freshwater reservoir that supplies additional drinking water, maintains stable water levels for water sports, and protects areas like Chinatown from flooding.

An Immigrant DistrictTelok Ayer, by the former shore, is the oldest part of Chinatown and developed from the 1820s, with Kreta Ayer following in the 1830s. Clan associations, organised by dialect groups, supported the newcomers. Shophouses were often overcrowded: at the Chinatown Heritage Centre, you can see reconstructed living cabins, such as those of a clog maker and a Samsui woman.Temples Side by SideThe district was never purely Chinese. Indian traders settled on South Bridge Road, where in 1826 the mosque of the Tamil Chulia Muslims and in 1827 the Sri Mariamman Temple were established. The Thian Hock Keng Temple on Telok Ayer Street is dedicated to Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, whom sailors honoured after a safe voyage.

Research Garden of the Colonial EraFrom the start, the garden was more than a park: economic crops were trialled here, above all rubber. Henry Nicholas Ridley developed tapping methods and promoted cultivation among planters. Also from this period is Burkill Hall, an 1886 plantation bungalow that once served as the directors' residence and is named after directors Isaac and Humphrey Burkill.Orchids as a National SymbolOrchid cultivation is closely linked to the garden. According to NParks, the National Orchid Garden has displayed over 1,500 species and 3,000 hybrids since 1995. In 2021, the Tropical Montane Orchidetum was added, featuring cool and mist houses where plants from tropical mountain regions thrive.

The Open Zoo ConceptUpon its opening on June 27, 1973, the Singapore Zoo adopted a concept that was unusual at the time: instead of cages, hidden moats, glass, and low barriers separate animals and visitors. Its most famous animal was the Sumatran orangutan female Ah Meng, who appeared in tourism advertising and died in 2008.Expansion to a Wildlife ReserveThe Night Safari followed in 1994, according to Guinness World Records the world's first nocturnal zoo. The historic Jurong Bird Park relocated to Mandai in 2023 as Bird Paradise, while the West and East parts of Rainforest Wild Adventure opened in 2025 and 2026. With the okapi, the park shows this forest giraffe for the first time in Southeast Asia.

Straits Chinese HousesThe Peranakan, descendants of Chinese immigrants who absorbed Malay influences in language, dress, and cuisine, shaped Katong from the early 20th century. Their terraced houses blend Chinese, Malay, and European elements; the URA calls the houses on Koon Seng Road some of the finest examples of the Straits Eclectic style in the district. Peranakan families lived there until the 1970s. Parts of the area have been under conservation since July 1993.Laksa, Kueh, and KopitiamKatong Laksa, a spicy coconut milk noodle soup with dried prawns, cockles, and fishcake, is served with short-cut noodles and eaten only with a spoon. In the 1940s, brothers Ng Juat Swee and Ng Chwee Seng sold it on the streets, making it famous; today, several laksa eateries are located side by side along East Coast Road. Traditional establishments like Kim Choo Kueh Chang (since 1945) and Chin Mee Chin (around 100 years old) showcase their history in small exhibitions that are part of the heritage authority's Street Corner Heritage Galleries program.Diverse CommunitiesThe district isn't solely Peranakan: the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple traces its origins to Ceylonese Tamils, and at the northern end of Joo Chiat lies Geylang Serai, the heart of the Malay community in the east of the city.

Quarrymen and FishermenChinese settlers operated private quarries from about 1847 onwards; later, the colonial administration extensively mined granite for structures like the Pedra Branca lighthouse, Fort Canning, and the harbor. The workers were predominantly Hakka, later also Hokkien and Teochew; from the 1880s, Malay fishermen joined them. Today, only a few dozen people live permanently on the island. In the Ketam area stands the German Girl Shrine, a small shrine that, according to tradition, commemorates a young German woman who died in 1914.The Rescue of Chek JawaThe approximately 100-hectare wetland at the eastern tip was slated for reclamation from 1992. After its biodiversity became known in late 2000, the government halted the land reclamation in 2001. Since 2007, a visitor center, a boardwalk, and an observation tower have made the area accessible. Six habitats converge here, from sandy beaches and seagrass meadows to mangroves.

Military HistoryIn the 19th century, the British built several coastal forts on the island to secure the entrance to New Harbour, today's Keppel Harbour. Fort Siloso was built in the 1870s and, at the beginning of World War II, was one of the twelve batteries of "Fortress Singapore". After the Japanese occupation in 1942, it served as a camp for Australian and British prisoners of war. In 1967, the British handed over the island to the armed forces of independent Singapore, after which its development into a tourist destination began.Resorts World and New AttractionsResorts World Sentosa opened in 2010, and in March of the same year, Universal Studios Singapore, the first Universal park in Southeast Asia, also opened. In 2025, Minion Land and the Singapore Oceanarium, successor to the S.E.A. Aquarium, were added. The Sentosa Sensoryscape walking trail is the first component of the Sentosa-Brani Master Plan.

From Sultan's Palace to MuseumSultan Ali Iskandar Shah, son of Sultan Hussein, commissioned the construction of the Istana Kampong Gelam palace; its building history is currently being re-examined, as evidence emerged in 2026 suggesting completion around 1890. After an inheritance dispute in 1896, the estate became state property. Since 2005, it has housed the Malay Heritage Centre, which, following a redesign from October 2022 to April 2026, now presents six new permanent exhibitions under the title "Dari Rantau Ke Rumah". In the adjacent Gedung Kuning, the "Yellow House", Malay cuisine is served today.Fabrics, Pilgrims, and MurtabakIn the 1970s and 1980s, Arab Street was the hub of textile trade; shops like Osman Silk House (established 1935) still sell silk and batik today. Haji Lane is named after the Mecca pilgrims who once found accommodation here. Indian-Muslim family businesses like Zam Zam (1908) and Victory (1910) have shaped the culinary scene on North Bridge Road for over a hundred years. For mosque visits: shoulders and knees must be covered, and women must also cover their hair; cloaks are available at the entrance.