Central Business District

Singapore's CBD is the generator at the heart of a powerhouse economy, bristling with skyscrapers and well-dressed financiers. But it's not all sharp suits and sharp elbows. The "Downtown Core" has plenty of attractions to offer a traveller as well: group tours of the sombre-looking Parliament of Singapore, a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of the modern-day city-state, musing on the spot where he's first thought to have set foot on the island, and exquisitely-presented dishes and drinks in the restaurants and bars which line Telok Ayer Street.

Retrace the history of Singapore as you explore riverside quays and stand on Raffles' Landing Site where the modern nation was born. Enjoy a performance from the renowned Singapore Chinese Orchestra, headquartered in the Singapore Conference Hall, or check out Merlion Park with its giant water-spitting sea lion mascot. Then pop into Lau Pa Sat for a flying lunch of satay or roti prata at one of the stalls of the city's most popular hawker centre, or throw caution to the waves and sample still-wriggling octopus tentacles, a Korean speciality which is taking Singapore’s business lunches by storm!