displays, films and audio effects transport you to the battle scene.

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Address 177 Hindhede Dr, Butik Batok Phone tel: 1800 468 5736 (info) Transport underground rail: Orchard MRT, then bus 171
bus: 170 from Queen St Bus Terminal Web www.nparks.gov.sg Keyword national park, forest, physically challenging This 164-hectare tract of undeveloped primary rainforest clinging to Singapore’s highest peak – Bukit Timah – was established as a reserve in 1883. Bukit Timah has never been logged – the closest it’s come to human domination was as a strategic battle point during the WWII Japanese invasion.

Guffawing British naturalist David Bellamy once noted that a measly hectare of Bukit Timah holds more tree species than the entire North American continent.

The unbroken forest canopy also shelters what remains of Singapore’s native wildlife, including long-tailed macaques (monkeys), pythons and dozens of bird species.

Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom
Address Sentosa Island Keyword park, butterfly farm You’ll be fluttered by more than 50 species of butterfly inside the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom. The Insect Kingdom museum has thousands of mounted butterflies, rhino beetles, Hercules beetles (the world’s largest), scorpions, and other critters and varmints – kids stare wide-eyed.

Carlsberg Sky Tower
Address Sentosa Island Keyword architectural feature, views, tower Resembling a camembert impaled on a carrot, one of Sentosa’s newer tourist magnets is the Carlsberg Sky Tower. Take the slow ride up the 131m column for magical Singapore views. More terrifying is the prospect of the ‘Carlsberg Float’ – a beer and ice-cream monstrosity at the bar.

Chinese Gardens
Address Singapore Phone tel: 626 13632 (info) Transport underground rail: Chinese Garden MRT Email explore@juronggardens.com Keyword architectural feature, garden, lake The highlights of the 13-hectare Chinese Gardens, on an island in Jurong Lake, are the 176-step pagoda and the contorted Chinese bonsai (the 300 year-old Pemphis acidula steals the show). Pre-wedding photo sessions dominate weekend proceedings.

Little India
Address Little India Transport underground rail: Bugis
bus: 65, 97, 103, 106, 139 This modest but colourful area of wall-to-wall shops, pungent aromas and Hindi film music is a relief from the prim modernity of many parts of the city. Centred around the southern end of Serangoon Rd, this is the place to come to pick up that framed print of Krishna you’ve always wanted, eat great food and watch streetside cooks fry chapatis .

The Zhujiao Centre is the main market, but there are also interesting spice shops nearby. The best temples are Sri Veeramakaliamman, Sri Srinivasa Perumal and the glitzy Temple of 1000 Lights.

Pulau Ubin
Address Singapore Keyword island A 10-minute chug from Changi Point Ferry Terminal lands you on the shores of Pulau Ubin. There’s no timetable; boats depart when 12 people are ready to go (not usually too long). Singaporeans like to wax nostalgic about Ubin’s kampung (village) atmosphere, but it’s only a matter of time before the developers come knocking. For the moment though, it’s a rural, unkempt expanse of jungle full of lizards, weird shrines and cacophonic birdlife.