Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Lau Pa Sat offer a variety of outdoor eateries.

mpty champagne glasses. Party hats and noisemakers tossed aside. A headache perhaps? You may think the party's over, but in Singapore, it's just warming up. The Lion City's year-long MillenniaMania will be going strong now through to August. If you've never been to the Far East, this sophisticated city of just over three million people offers an easy introduction to an exotic land. It's modern, safe, scrupulously clean and there's no language barrier—English is spoken almost everywhere.

A city of contrasts
Here in this cosmopolitan environment, visitors will find numerous ritzy hotels (including the renowned and historic Raffles Hotel, home of the Singapore Sling), fabulous restaurants, designer shops in gleaming malls and pristine monuments dating back to colonial days when Singapore was a British trading station. And, getting around town via the immaculate MRT is fast, efficient and economical.

On the flip side are the preserved neighbourhoods and revitalized historic quarters such as China Town, Little India, Arab Street, the Colonial district, and the restored shophouses of Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, riverside promenades with lively cafés and nightclubs. It's these colourful pockets that give this westernized city its spice.

Now to the end of February these various ethnic pockets perk up with traditional celebrations. The streets of Little India, for instance, light up as Muslim Singaporeans gather to do their festive shopping. January 22 to February 19, visitors and locals head to sprawling Chinatown to welcome the Lunar New Year—2000 is the Year of the Dragon. The banks of the Singapore River become party central February 6 to 19 with Hong Bao, a carnival-like event with rides, fireworks, cultural performances and fabulous food.

Food is one of the best reasons to visit Singapore. In fact, dining out could be considered one of the national pastimes and as many locals will tell you, "You can't find a bad restaurant in Singapore. They just don't last." While Singapore boasts every type of cuisine, do sample the local dishes, a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian influences. The Blue Ginger restaurant in Chinatown is a great spot to try the indigenous Paranakan cuisine, a fusion of Chinese and Malay.

Singapore's unique architecture contributes to its memorable skyline.

At many of the MillenniaMania festivities you're sure to come across the ubiquitous Satay-on-a-Stick. Last visit, I supped on satay at Lau Pa Sat, financial district by day; by night, Satay Street, a large, bustling outdoor food court. Other popular outdoor dining spots are the effervescent riverside strips of Clarke Quay and Boat Quay. For something a little more upscale, I liked the restaurants at Chijmes, a former convent-orphanage now restored and renovated into a trendy hangout for the well-heeled. The ultra-modern Lei Garden Restaurant, for instance, serves upscale Chinese cuisine in a very classy setting.

Celebrations abound
If you have a passion for parades, be there on February 12 to take in the Chingay Parade, a grand, multi-cultural street extravaganza with elaborate floats and cultural performances from around the world. Other MillenniaMania attractions include Asian Aerospace 2000, an exhibition and air show, February 26 and 27; the Singapore International Cup 2000 at the Singapore Turf Club, March 4 (with prize money totalling roughly $3 million, it's the sixth richest horse race in the world); the glorious Food Festival and the 13th Singapore International Film Festival both in April; and in May, the exhibition Titanic showcases a collection of Titanic movie memorabilia from actual set pieces to props and costumes used in the production.

The party continues into the summer months with the Arts Festival, the Great Singapore Sale (shopping is almost as popular, here, as dining out), the Dragon Boat Festival and the River Fiesta. Partied out? You can take a short ferry ride or cable car to Sentosa Island (Singapore's answer to Disney) to bask on a sandy beach, or head for the quiet Indonesian island of Bintan, a 45-minute ride by high-speed catamaran.

For travellers who need another incentive to visit, the Singapore Tourist Board is offering every visitor a chance to enter a daily draw for a return visit to Singapore, plus a chance at the Grand Prize: a trip for 20 including business class air fare and three nights' hotel accommodations. For more details on Singapore MillenniaMania, contact the Singapore Tourist Board at (416) 363-8898 or visit their special MillenniaMania Web site at www.millennia-mania.com.

Singapore Airlines offers direct service between Toronto or Vancouver and Singapore while a number of other airlines offer convenient connection service via Hong Kong or London.

Back to top