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Explorer - Journalist - Copywriter

I spent eight years in entertainment publicity, hosting tours throughout europe with the disney channel and turner broadcasting. this led me to a job in entertainment reporting in tokyo, and subsequently in travel writing for the airline publications of cathy pacific and singapore airlines, plus international editions of vogue. between 2020 and 2023 i led local content for time out and thrillist in the us, and authored multiple lonely planet guide books. in 2023 i returned to london and freelance travel content to publications both here and overseas. click below to read samples of my work., travel media.

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© James Wong

Hi! I'm a freelance writer based in Singapore, with more than 8 years of experience in print and digital publishing. I started my career writing for lifestyle publications, and also cut my teeth as a copywriter in the advertising industry.

My work has been featured in publications such as The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia, Time Out Singapore and FEMALE Singapore, to name a few. I am also experienced in client content and custom publishing, having worked with Mediacorp Brand Studio, SPH Sweet and the Singapore Tourism Board. 

I gravitate towards topics like travel, cruising and profile interviews, but I'm also adept at covering food, parenting, arts & culture, health & wellness, business and tech.

I also write about my overseas and local adventures at  Becscapades , my own travel & lifestyle website. 

In my free time, I love taking dance classes, travelling to faraway locales and indulging in a good murder mystery show or book.  

My services

Content Creation

I've been in love with the written word since young and love telling stories. If you need editorial content for your print/ digital publication or company blog, I can help produce compelling articles for readers. 

Editing & proofreading 

As a stickler for grammar, spelling and punctuation, I'll ensure your copy is flawless before it hits the printers or internet. 

Copywriting & copyediting

Whether it's content for your website, brochures or other marketing collateral, I'll craft the perfect copy to keep customers engaged. 

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"Rebecca is one of Click2View’s most reliable and talented writers. We’ve utilised her skills for some of our major clients with work that’s ranged from long form articles to smaller, easy to digest, blog pieces. Her work is well researched and when required she’s been able to track down sources to interview that make the work more engaging. Rebecca always keeps her deadlines and sticks to the brief, making for easier relationships with our clients."

- Tim Colman, Content Director Editorial, Click2View

"Rebecca has been our Singapore correspondent for over three years, writing news and reviews, conducting interviews with senior cruise executives and keeping our readers up to date on both consumer and trade events. She is thoroughly professional, with strong feature writing skills and interviewing techniques."

- Peter Lynch, Publisher and Editor-in-chief, Cruise Passenger, Cruise & Travel Asia, ASEAN Cruising, The Asia Cruise Directory

"Rebecca ended up being my go-to writer whenever I needed new content for SmartParents.sg. She was also game to tackle any subject - her stories ran the gamut from pregnancy and parenting to babies and big kid topics. She is professional, follows briefs conscientiously and, most importantly, can be relied on to turn in her work in a timely manner." 

 -  Julia Goh, Former Editor, SmartParents.sg

"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Rebecca on stories for a community publication, and have found her to be a reliable writer with a can-do attitude. Many of the assignments required her to cover events — sometimes on weekends or on short notice — but she readily took them on whenever she could. She always delivered her work on time, and would make the effort to research further or follow-up with interviewees without fuss."

- Dennis Yin, Editor, Brand Studio, Mediacorp

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Voyage Scribe

For Writers Who Travel

Writer’s Travel Guide to Singapore: Best Writing Spots

Hey! Interested in more content from Voyage Scribe? Want to get free travel-inspired writing prompts every month? Then sign up for the Voyage Scribe newsletter and get ready for some inspiration coming your way!

Welcome back! Interested in journals designed for writers who travel? Check out there Voyage Scribe journals here !

I strongly believe that any Sci-Fi writer (who has the means) should travel to Singapore at least once in their lives. Walking the streets of Singapore, I found new writing inspiration for my Sci-Fi book at every turn.

It’s also a very luxurious city, especially compared to the rest of Southeast Asia, so you’ll be sure to find spots to write in comfort.

Here are my recommendations.

This article contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commission at no extra cost to you. That being said, I would never recommend anything I didn’t or wouldn’t use myself.

Table of Contents

Where to Write & Get Writing Inspiration:

Changi Airport

Okay, if you’ve never been to this airport before, hear me out. If you have, you’ll know exactly why this  airport made it into this guide.

Changi Airport is- without any close competition- the coolest airport I have ever been to. It has facilities like a swimming pool, butterfly garden and cinema.

My personal favorite, and probably the crowning glory of the airport, is the new indoor waterfall, surrounded by an indoor forest.

Yeah, I know.

This futuristic area of the airport is just a taste of what the rest of Singapore has to offer to anyone writing a Sci-Fi book.

And it’s quite a good one.

And with free Wi-Fi, you can find yourself a very comfortable seat somewhere in the airport to research and write. I’d recommend either flying in early and staying the day at the airport, or planning to fly out late so that you can spend a few hours there before your flight.

You don’t even have to leave the airport to find a good writing spot in Singapore!

Marina Bay Area

But you definitely should leave the airport; there are so many other amazing writing spots in Singapore to explore.

The Marina Bay area is the easiest place to access water in the city, so sit yourself down on a bench near it if water is your ideal place to write- there’s plenty. I’d personally recommend the Starbucks near the Merlion statue . It has outdoor seating with a view of the marina and the futuristic Marina Bay Sands building.

It’s also here where, in addition to the Marina Bay Sands hotel , you’ll find the ArtScience Museum , a place I personally found very inspiring to visit. When I was there, I chose to visit the Future World exhibit and the Alice in Wonderland exhibit.

If you’re in the area at night (which you should be), don’t miss the free Spectra show . It’s a water and light show in front of Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands , accompanied with music and is a really cool thing to experience.

Gardens by the Bay

In other Writer’s Travel Guides , I’ve recommended city parks as places to take a break from the bustle of cities and get a little writing inspiration from nature to write.

Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay puts all those city parks to shame.

It’s hands down the coolest park I’ve been to, and I was surprised by how much of the gardens you can see for free. You could walk through the whole park, and only have to pay to enter the Skywalk and the two conservatories.

I decided to skip the Flower Dome and only buy a ticket for Cloud Forest. I’m so glad I chose that one, because as a forest lover, it was an amazing experience. It was very immersive and most probably the coolest greenhouse forest in the world.

There were also lots of educational exhibits, and of course I used them as research for my book! (Though I can’t guarantee everyone will find the exhibits as useful as I did.)

After you soak up all the inspiration you can hold, let those ideas explode on your page as you write them all out. You can either sit outside on a bench, or you can grab some food at the food court and eat there while writing.

[Mosque 37]

This place is located in Chinatown, and it wasn’t an easy place to leave. In addition to being a café, it’s also a bookstore.

Before entering, you are greeted with signs such as “Enter door on right to leave Earth,” “Landscapes, cityscapes, dreamscapes; to where do you escape?” and “Here on Earth for the love of books.”

And when you enter, the inspiration for this bookcafé’s name is revealed: “With freedom, books, flowers and The Moon, who could not be happy?”

They have a great selection of books, many I never heard of, and it was a struggle making myself leave and reminding myself I was backpacking and didn’t have room in my backpack for physical books.

The place was perfect for writing, with seating both inside and outside.

Platform 1094

[1094 Serangoon Road]

A Harry Potter-themed café and restaurant. Need I say more?

I’ll add in a few more words: the food was great, there were both alcoholic and non-alcoholic magical drinks and they had Hogwarts robes and other props to dress up in take photo shoots with.

Oh, and there was free wi-fi and they didn’t kick me out even though I spent almost the whole day there (though granted, it was a weekday and they had very few customers).

If you’re a Potter fan, there’s no better place for writing in Singapore than Platform 1094.

Where To Stay:

For the starving artist.

While extremely luxurious, this also means Singapore is very expensive. It’s not much in comparison to the prices of Europe and the U.S., but if you’re a starving artist, that still means expensive.

I ended up at NNV by accident, and I’m very happy I did. I will admit the rooms were not ideal. They were outdated and the bunk beds were shaky with uncomfortable mattresses.

But they were renovating while I was there, and even so, the rest of the hostel made up for the not ideal beds.

The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful, there was free laundry and, my personal favorite, there was a quiet rooftop. It was on that rooftop where I not only dried the laundry that desperately needed washing, but where I spent many hours sitting at a table and writing.

It’s also in a great location, across the street from a mall’s food court, near public transportation and within walking distance (though a long walk) to most places I recommended in this guide.

For the Bestselling Author

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

It almost feels like cheating to choose this one, because it’s such an obvious choice.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel is  the  place to stay in Singapore- writing or not. It’s probably the most iconic building in the city, and if you’ve seen pictures of Singapore before, you’ve probably seen it. It’s the three high rises upon which a spaceship-shaped structure balances.

I didn’t even stay at this hotel and was inspired by it. It’s one thing to see it in pictures, but it’s a totally other thing to look up and see a space ship hovering over you.

It’s also in the center of the coolest part of the city. On one side, you have the bay, the Spectra water and light show and the ArtScience Museum. On the other side, you have Gardens by the Bay.

It also has a shopping mall, which is probably the coolest one I’ve been to. It has features like the canal running along one part of it, on which you can take a boat ride pretending you’re in Venice.

On the top of the hotel, in the spaceship part, there’s a garden, bar and infinity pool, the latter of which you can only access if you’re a guest.

Find me a better place to write a Sci-Fi book. This place absolutely has it all.

And if I had the money to stay for a week, I bet I’d have my entire Sci-Fi book finished.

Okay, probably not; I’d be spending too much time in that infinity pool overlooking this amazing city.

Books to Read for Inspiration:

As a writer, it’s crucial to read other’s writing to improve your own. And what better way to learn more about Singapore’s culture and history before going than by reading a book set there?

Who knows, maybe one of these will even inspire you to write your own book set in Singapore. At the very least, these books will definitely convince you to visit the country if this guide hasn’t already.

Singapore Noir by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

This is an anthology of 14 stories from different writers telling a darker side of Singapore. You’ll likely be enamored by the luxury and beauty of Singapore, but these stories will show what many tourists don’t see.

Including some award-winning writers from Singapore, this book is a must-read before, during or after your visit to Singapore.

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

For a look at Singapore during World War II, read this historical fiction novel. It tells the story of the women forced into sexual slavery as comfort women for the Japanese troops who invaded the land.

Did you find any other great writing spots in Singapore that didn’t make this list? Share with other traveling writers in the comment section below!

Check Out Related Posts:

I love this! What a unique idea for a post. I’ve never been to Singapore, but for whatever reason it seems so hustle and bustle to me. Great to know you can find some spots to get creative!

I wasn’t expecting to love Singapore as much as I did- there were so many cool things to see there! 🙂

Singapore looks so unique and interesting! I love the writing theme, very cool!

This was such a unique and creative post, loved how you framed it and it bought back memories of my trip to Singapore, thank you! 😉

I have never been to Singapore. This post definitely inspires me to travel to Singapore and write about it. 🙂

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Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

Singapore Travel Guide

Last Updated: September 1, 2023

Singapore is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s a foodie’s dream, bursting with tasty hawker stalls, delicious Indian food, and fresh seafood. There are hiking trails where you can stretch your legs and beaches for chilling out and soaking up the sun.

Home to around 5.7 million people, Singapore is a cosmopolitan city-state that gained independence from the British in 1965. It is now one of the world’s leading economic centers in shipping and banking.

Because of its status as a global economic hub, Singapore is expensive by Southeast Asian standards, with everything costing almost double what it does elsewhere in the region. In fact, it consistently ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world!

For this reason, visiting Singapore isn’t as popular with budget travelers compared to affordable destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, or elsewhere in Southeast Asia .

But while most people come here for a couple of days just to see the highlights, the city actually has a lot to offer and requires more time than you might think. Don’t rush your visit if you can afford it; Singapore can fill any schedule.

Use this Singapore travel guide to help plan your trip, save money, and make the most of your visit to this lively multicultural metropolis.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Singapore

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Singapore

1. Eat at the Boat Quay

Boat Quay is the place to go for dining and entertainment. The alfresco pubs and restaurants make Boat Quay ideal for relaxing after a long day of sightseeing. Try Wakanui for quality Japanese steak cooked over a white oak fire, or Kinara for reasonably priced North Indian cuisine.

2. See the supertrees at Gardens by the Bay

This urban landscaping project is a series of towering metal “supertrees.” There are roughly 200 species of orchids, ferns, and other tropical plants coating their structure. It’s free to walk through the outdoor gardens, but you have to pay 8 SGD for the canopy walk (which is worth doing!) as well as for the stunning Flower Dome and Cloud Forest biodomes .

3. Hang out (and party) on Sentosa

This little island is home to a nighttime light show on the beach and a host of bars, restaurants, and beaches to enjoy. Hang out at Bora Bora Beach Bar or splash out and try the cable car sky dining experience (it isn’t cheap). You can get to Sentosa via the Sentosa Express train (4 SGD). Entering on foot/bicycle is free.

4. Tour the Singapore Zoo

Spanning 70 acres, the Singapore Zoo is massive, boasting over 3,600 mammals, birds, and reptiles. There are lions, tigers, sun bears, Komodo dragons, primates, and much more! The zoo offers a night safari featuring over 900 different nocturnal animals (41% are endangered). Admission is 44 SGD and the night safari is 48 SGD.

5. Hang with the Merlions

The Merlion is Singapore’s mascot and has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The original statute (and most impressive Merlion) can be found in Merlion Park, but the 37-meter-tall (121-foot) replica on Sentosa is also pretty cool to see. There is no entrance fee for Merlion Park.

Other Things to See and Do in Singapore

1. admire thian hock keng temple.

Thian Hock Keng (Palace of Heavenly Happiness) is one of the most photogenic buildings in Singapore. The temple originated as a small building that served the local Chinese population. It was expanded in 1840 and made from the finest materials available at the time, paid for by years of donations from the local community. It’s the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore, dedicated to Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea (Chinese immigrants came here to ask for safe passage before leaving to cross the South China Sea). The temple was designated as a national monument in 1973. Admission is free.

2. Explore Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Bukit Timah, located within Singapore’s only remaining stretch of rainforest, is the country’s premier eco-tourism attraction. On the hiking and biking trails, you’ll be able to get up close to the macaques, squirrels, flying lemurs, and various species of birds. The reserve covers over 400 acres and is 30 minutes from the city center. It’s open daily from 7am-7pm. The weekends get really busy, so come during the week if you want to avoid the crowds.

3. Wander around Chinatown

Chinatown encompasses two square kilometers of traditional Chinese life, nestled beside the modern Central Business District. This remains the place to get a real sense of Chinese culture within Singapore. The streets are filled with temples, craft shops, stalls, and restaurants and are a great place to pick up a bargain. Head down Chinatown Food Street to find some char kway teow (stir-fried noodles) or grilled meats. If you can, eat at Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (aka Hawker Chan), the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is another Michelin-starred hawker stall worth a visit. Like Hawker Chan’s, it’s located in the Maxwell Hawker Center.

4. Eat hawker food

Singapore’s hawker food scene is one of the best in the world. It has been recognized by Michelin in 2016 with the world’s first street food Michelin star and by UNESCO in 2020 with Cultural Heritage status. Whether you go to Newton Food Center (of Crazy Rich Asian fame), to the Old Airport Hawker (many locals’ favorite), or to one of the other 103 centers across the island, you won’t be disappointed and you can grab a cheap meal surrounded by locals. Don’t miss the chili crab, satay, dim sum (dumplings), or nasi lemak (fried chicken with coconut rice). If you’re not sure where to go or what to eat, take a guided food tour!

5. Take a trip to Pulau Ubin

This island lies off the northeastern coast. It’s incredibly different from the modern city; locals still use a diesel generator for electricity and fetch water from wells. Rent a bike and explore the sights, villages, and beaches of this island. To get there, hop on a bumboat from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal, which costs about 3 SGD and takes 10-15 minutes. There are no fixed departure times — just line up and wait. Very few tourists make it out this way; it’s one of the most off-the-beaten-path things you can do here.

6. Relax in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens lie close to the city and consist of 128 acres of gardens and forest. Founded in 1859, the main attraction is the National Orchid Garden, home to over 1,000 species of orchids. There is also a ginger garden, a rainforest, and various streams and waterfalls to explore. The Botanic Gardens are Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage site (and the only tropical botanic garden on UNESCO’s World Heritage List). It’s open daily from 5am-12am, and admission is free to everything except the National Orchid Garden, which is 15 SGD.

7. Eat in Little India

No trip to Singapore is complete without a visit to Little India, where you can get amazing, cheap, and delicious food, fresh vegetables, snacks, and souvenirs. Seek out local favorites like roti prata (pancakes) and teh tarik (“pulled” tea). Make sure you stop off at the Tekka Center, a hawker center with Indian clothing, groceries, and food. The food here is cheap and delicious and makes for an authentic Little India experience.

8. Learn about Singapore’s History

For a more cultural experience, visit the former British naval base of Fort Siloso located on Sentosa. It’s a decommissioned coastal artillery battery the only preserved fort on the coast of Singapore, providing a fantastic look into the city-state’s complicated history. You’ll get to see the coastal guns and the remains of tunnels under the fort. It’s a well-constructed, interactive attraction. Entrance is free.

9. Visit Sri Mariamman Temple

This extremely colorful, ornate temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, built in 1827 in Chinatown. It was constructed in what is known as the Dravidian style and is devoted to the goddess Mariamman, known for curing illnesses and diseases. During the post-war colonial period, it was a hub for community activities and was even the Registry of Marriages for Hindus. Admission is free.

10. Watch a free concert

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra hosts various free concerts at different venues around the country. You might just be lucky enough to catch one of their shows — just check their website for details during your visit.

11. Visit the MacRitchie Reservoir Park

MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore’s oldest reservoir, dating back to 1868. Today, this beautiful and lush city park is a relaxing place to spend an afternoon. Walk the 8-kilometer (5-mile) treetop hike, with bridges suspended high above the forest floor, where you might see long-tailed macaque monkeys, squirrels, monitor lizards, owls, and even flying lemurs. In addition to the TreeTop Walk, there’s also a network of walking trails. Admission is free.

12. Visit the National Museum of Singapore

First opened in 1849, this is the oldest museum in Singapore . Learn about the country’s history, culture, and people through the various permanent and temporary exhibitions. There are gold ornaments, 18th-century drawings and artwork, the mace used by King George VI when he declared Singapore a city in 1951, and the Singapore Stone (an indecipherable stone with inscriptions from the 10th century). Admission is 15 SGD.

13. Admire the street art

Singapore has some really incredible street art to admire. While none of it is spontaneous (unauthorized graffiti is illegal), it can be found all over the island. Yip Yew Chong is probably the best-known artist as he has murals everywhere from Chinatown to the East Coast. His images depict scenes from days gone by and range from small pictures to entire walls. Kampong Glam, Chinatown, and Little India all have masses of art to look at, as does the east coast, but you can find it on random buildings in most areas. Take a walking tour if you want more detail, or Art Walk Singapore has three self-guided walks outlined on their website.

14. Marvel at the rain vortex in Jewel

Located adjacent to Changi International Airport, Jewel Mall is home to the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Cascading from the roof, the water falls seven stories (around 130 feet) to the basement through a huge tiered garden. At night it is lit up for a light and music show. There’s more to do at Jewel if you have time including two mazes, a canopy bridge, sky nets, slides, and a topiary walk. It’s free to see the rain vortex and prices range from 5-22 SGD each for the other activities. You can get bundles that work out cheaper.

15. Explore Kampong Glam

Also known by its most popular street, Haji Lane, and as the Arab Quarter, Kampong Glam is one of Singapore’s oldest neighborhoods. The shophouses here are now stores selling textiles, rugs, and Turkish homewares such as dishes and glass lamps. There are some great Arabic restaurants around here all under the shadow of the enormous golden-domed Sultan Mosque. There’s some street art around here and Haji Lane has some cool eclectic shops by day and a buzzing nightlife with outdoor live music by night. If you have time, check out the Malay Heritage Center (admission is 8 SGD).

16. Get spooked at Haw Par Villa

Hands down the quirkiest thing you can do or see in Singapore, Haw Par Villa is a huge outdoor art gallery. It was built in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw, a millionaire philanthropist one of the men behind Tiger Balm, for his younger brother. Once a theme park for locals, Haw Par Villa was also used as an observation point by the Japanese army during World War II. It’s filled with dioramas depicting Chinese mythology and has recently reopened after a 9-month refurbishment and renovation project. Entry to the grounds is free but the museum — called Hell’s Museum as it includes an exhibit depicting the 10 Courts of Hell — is 18 SGD.

Singapore Travel Costs

A budget hotel room with amenities like air-conditioning, private bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, and a TV starts around 65 SGD per night. Most larger chain hotels cost at least 80-110 SGD per night.

Airbnb is available in Singapore, with private rooms starting at 25 SGD per night (though they average closer to 60 SGD). Entire homes/apartments average 85 SGD per night.

Food – As a cosmopolitan hub, Singapore has food from all over the world, however, there is an abundance of Chinese and Indian food, which is usually around 8-9 SGD per meal. Rice or noodles are usually the backbone of most meals, and popular dishes include steamed chicken, chili crab, fishhead curry, satay, and nasi lemak (coconut rice cooked in a pandan leaf). The city’s hawker centers (large halls full of various food stalls) are one of the most popular and cheapest places to try Singapore’s vibrant cuisine.

As for Singaporean specialties, try the seafood, which costs around 20-35 SGD for a main dish. For drinks, beer is typically 8-10 SGD, a glass of wine is about 10-16 SGD, and a cappuccino is around 5 SGD.

There are also plenty of low-cost eateries around Singapore, with street stalls typically selling food for less than 6 SGD per meal. A fast-food burger is around 8-10 SGD while sandwiches at a café are around 11-14 SGD. There are many restaurants offering a set lunch menu for around 12-16 SGD, and a dish at dinner in most casual restaurants is around 20 SGD. After that, the sky is the limit.

If you want to cook your own meals, expect to pay 95 SGD per week for basic staples like rice, noodles, vegetables, and some meat or fish.

Backpacking Singapore Suggested Budgets

If you’re backpacking Singapore, expect to spend around 90 SDG per day. This budget covers staying in a hostel dorm, eating at the cheap hawker stalls and in Little India, cooking some meals, limiting your drinking, using public transportation to get around, and doing mostly free activities like walking tours and enjoying nature.

On a more mid-range budget of 175 SGD per day, you can stay in a private hostel room or Airbnb, eat out for all your meals at cheaper hawker stalls, enjoy a few drinks, take the occasional taxi to get around, and do more paid activities like visiting the zoo and the botanic gardens.

On a “luxury” budget of 300 SGD or more per day, you can eat out for all your meals, take taxis everywhere, stay in a hotel, and do whatever tours and activities you want. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages — some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in SGD.

Singapore Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Singapore isn’t a super cheap destination so you’ll need to tread carefully if you want to avoid blowing your budget. Here are some ways you can save money during your visit:

• Take public transit – Singapore’s public transit system is fast and efficient, making it the best way to get around. Unlimited travel on public transport is 10 SGD per day with a Singapore Tourist Pass. If you’re staying a few days, the pass gets cheaper per day, as a two-day pass is 16 SGD and a three-day pass is 20 SGD.
• Eat on Smith Street – The stalls here offer food for less than 6 SGD and are a great place to sample local snacks.
• Eat cheap – Save money on food by eating in Little India, Chinatown, or the hawker stalls throughout the city. Meals in these places cost only a few dollars and are some of the tastiest around!
• Stay with a local – Use Couchsurfing to stay with a local for free. You’ll not only save money but you’ll get to connect with someone who can share their insider tips and advice.
• Stick to happy hour – Alcohol is expensive in Singapore, so limit your drinking to save money. If you do plan on drinking, stick to the happy hours.
• Avoid bottled water – The tap water here is perfectly fine to drink, so avoid buying water and just refill your bottle. It will save you money and it’s better for the environment! LifeStraw is my go-to brand as their bottles have built-in filters to ensure your water is always clean and safe.

Where to Stay in Singapore

Looking for budget-friendly accommodation? Here are some of my suggested places to stay in Singapore:

• Dream Lodge
• The Pod Capsule Hostel

How to Get Around Singapore

Like the MRT, Singapore’s bus system is extensive and efficient. You can use your Singapore Tourist Pass on the buses as well. You can also pay with cash, but it has to be the exact change. A single trip costs between 1.40-2.50 SGD.

Trishaws – Trishaws (like rickshaws) are less popular these days in Singapore, and now they’re largely used for guided tours that cost around 40 SGD for a 30-minute run. Trishaw Uncle is the only licensed trishaw tour operator in the city, offering various guided tours by trishaw.

Taxi – Taxis are comfortable and convenient, but they’re not cheap! All cabs are metered, but there might be surcharges depending on the company and where you’re going. For example, if you’re hiring a taxi from midnight to 6am there is a 50% surcharge on the total metered cost, while rides in the mornings and evenings carry a 25% surcharge. Prices start at 3.20 SGD and then increase by 0.22 SGD every 400 meters. Skip them if you can!

When to Go to Singapore

It’s always a good time to visit Singapore! The island is warm year-round with a tropical climate that boasts daily temperatures in the high 20s°C (80s°F). December to June is the busiest time to visit, especially during the Chinese New Year. February-April is the driest period with the most sunshine and least amount of rain.

Monsoons occur between December-March, with December usually being the rainiest month. The weather is windy, cloudy, and humid.

Late summer and early fall (July to October) are also a good time to visit if you’re hoping to avoid all the tourist traffic. The weather is still pleasant, averaging around 30°C (87°F) each day, and accommodation might be a bit cheaper during this time as well.

How to Stay Safe in Singapore

Singapore is an incredibly safe place to backpack and travel — even if you’re traveling solo, and even as a solo female traveler. In fact, it’s one of the safest countries in the world (it’s currently the 11th safest country).

Solo female travelers should feel comfortable here, though the standard precautions apply (don’t walk home alone at night, don’t accept drinks from strangers, etc.)

Be aware that penalties for breaking the law here are stiff. For example, you’ll be fined up to 1,000 SGD for things like littering, spitting, and smoking in public. Singapore is also notoriously strict on drugs. If you’re caught even with marijuana in your system you could do jail time. In short, say no to drugs here!

Scams are rare in Singapore, however, if you’re worried about getting ripped off you can read about common travel scams to avoid here .

If you experience an emergency, dial 999 for assistance.

Always trust your gut instinct. If a taxi driver seems shady, stop the cab and get out. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary along to loved ones so they’ll know where you are.

If you don’t do it at home, don’t do it when you’re in Singapore. Follow that rule and you’ll be fine.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Singapore Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Agoda – Other than Hostelworld, Agoda is the best hotel accommodation site for Asia.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.

Singapore Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Singapore travel and continue planning your trip:

The 5 Best Hotels in Singapore

The 4 Best Hostels in Singapore

Where to Stay in Singapore: The Best Neighborhoods for Your Visit

Is Southeast Asia Safe for Travelers?

18 Free and Cheap Things to Do in Singapore

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As a freelance travel content writer , I often find myself lost in the writings of fellow travel bloggers. After all, the point of good travel content is to evoke wanderlust, is it not?

It comes then to no surprise that I’ve looked at many pieces of content over the years for inspiration to improve my writing.

In this piece, I will be sharing mostly travel blogs ran by Singaporeans, with a few honorable mentions at the end 😉

My personal list of the best Singaporean travel bloggers, blogs, and websites

1) simplypeiqi.

Peiqi is a Singaporean Technical SEO Specialist and who runs a lifestyle blog at the side. It concurrently serves as her diary of life’s little adventures. Her site has a section where she blogs about traveling experiences. She focuses a lot on writing reviews for travel accommodation and guided tour experiences.

2) Beyond The Red Dot

Beyond The Red Dot was started by Fabian Seow, a Singaporean Technical SEO Specialist. This was a project started in order to document his travels during his exchange semester in Peru. Naturally, his content focuses on South American destinations. For the average Singaporean who probably has never even thought of traveling so far beyond our shores, this is a fantastic travel site to get a glimpse of what it’s like on the other side of the globe.

3) The Long Direction

Also known by his alias The Long Direction, the adventurous Ganesha Balakrishnan is most known for traveling from Singapore to Canada without taking a single flight. He even published a book about it! Although his site is no longer active, he still runs an instagram account of the same name. As an adventurous traveler, he has been to many less-frequented countries such as North Korea, Tajikistan, and Iran. His adventure was even featured in many local publications.

Today, he runs a boutique and adventure travel agency called The Untold Direction. He organises trips to lesser-known travel destinations such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran.

4) A Girl and a Bald Traveler

A Girl and a Bald Traveler was started by a Singaporean couple to document their journey to achieve their dream of traveling the world affordably. The blog publishes content about their adventures to less-travel destinations. They aim to inspire their followers to visit beyond overrated countries.

5) I Wander

I Wander is an online travel guide run by Singaporean Bino Chua. His content focuses on travel tips and hacks, as well as itineraries. His blog has been featured on many major publications, including The Straits Times, BBC, and even Forbes!

6) The Petite Wanderess

The Petite Wanderess is a mindful travel and wellness blog created entirely by a Singaporean Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Health and Wellness blog. The blog curates content focused on the essence of travel. These include experiences, cultural appreciation, yoga, as well as health and wellness.

7) 2BearBear

2BearBear is a travel blog run by Singaporean couple Tom and Kate. What I adore about their travel website is that they replace themselves in their photos with two stuffed bears. Due to travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair has pivoted to write about things to do in Singapore.

8) The Occasional Traveler

The Occasional Traveler was started by a Singaporean woman in hopes of providing tips to those seeking to balance a full-time job and traveling. She provides useful tips on how Singaporeans can make full use of their weekends and limited annual leave days to maximize their travel experiences. She has been commissioned by famous travel companies like Culture Trip and Skyscanner.

9) Irene’s Travel Blog

Irene’s Travel Blog is one of the leading travel websites in Singapore. Known for her motto ‘work hard, play harder’, her travel blog has won multiple accolades through the years. 

10) Mr Brown

What’s not to love? Mr Brown has been THE quirky local media personality for over a decade. It comes as no surprise then that his travel content is a reflection of his personality. Weird selfies, unglam shots of his daughter on a plane, you name it. If it’s something ridiculous, he has probably already added it into his travel content.

11) Sunrise Odyssey

Started by Singaporean couple Gina and Daniel, Sunrise Odyssey is a travel blog that aims to share more about the less beaten paths of the world. Most notably, the pair completed a 279-day overland adventure. During which they traveled from China, towards Mongolia, through Central Asia, passed Iran, and finally to Turkey.

12) The Travel Intern

When it comes to Singaporean travel sites, one cannot simply not talk about The Travel Intern. It is a Singapore-based community of storytellers and explorers. They aim to inspire their audience to seek new experiences through writing, photography, and filmmaking.

13) Live Laugh Travel

Run by serial entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast Alvin Soo, Live Laugh Travel is a travel site that documents his adventures. His site covers travel and food content, focusing on content about the various continents he has traveled to.

14) Travel Inspiration 360

This is a travel site started by Singaporean Training and Development Program Facilitator Keith Yuen. Unlike most Singaporeans who generally prefer traveling within the Asia Pacific region, Keith has actually been to every single continent on the planet!

15) Roamscapes

Roamscapes began in 2012 as a personal travel journal by content strategist and writer Brooke Thio. Over the years, the travel site has evolved into a blog focusing on culture, slow travel, and sustainability. Since the inception of the site, Brooke’s stories have been published in Lonely Planet Magazine (Asia), food & travel, Meetings & Conventions Asia, Travel Weekly Asia, and more.

16) Travelfolio

TravelerFolio is an award-winning and established travel blog from Singapore. Started in 2008 by Singaporean woman Eunice, the site publishes content contributed by a bunch of like-minded professionals and travel enthusiasts. 

17) Learn Thai In Singapore

Learn Thai in Singapore is a Thai language learning site started by Joanne Tan, a Singaporean who’s fluent in the language. Apart from providing language learning tips and Thai translation services , her site also has a Thai travel blog where she documents her experiences of living in Thailand.  

18) Pohtecktoes

This is a travel site started by the founder of The Travel Intern, Hendric Tay. in 2013, he quit his full-time job to travel the world. This site was built to document his journeys. His adventures eventually caught the attention of local publications, leading him to win the OMY Best Travel Blog Award in 2015.

19) The Shutterwhale

The Shutterwhale is a luxury travel site born from the desire to wander and the desire to escape the monotony of day-to-day life. Founded by management consultant Mark Chua in 2013, the site aims to update affluent readers on the latest deals in the market. The blog’s content focuses on luxury hotel reviews and exclusive travel experiences such as First Class and Business Class flights, as well as airport lounge reviews.

20) The Lazy Holiday

Started by Singaporean traveler Carys, this travel blog was started for the traveler who is on the lookout for a travel experience beyond the typical ‘things to do in xxx’ itinerary. Rooted in the belief that “time wasted is time well spent”, Carys’s journey takes her readers to places outside of the most frequented locations. To the peaceful rural countryside where people can truly have a ‘lazy holiday’.

21) Railtravel Station

Railtravel Station is a website that focuses on travel adventures experienced primarily through railways and trains. It predominantly publishes content about travels within Southeast Asia, with a unique focus on Malaysia and Singapore.

Honorable mentions! Some non-Singaporean travel blogs I absolutely adore

1) gays that travel.

Gays That Travel is a gay travel blog started by Australian-British couple Michael and Charlie. They focus on travel content about Australia and they provide tips on LGBTQ-friendly travel content. They also run an Instagram account ( @husbands.thattravel ) where they share snippets of their adventures on the road.

2) Nomadic Matt

Matt’s journey as a digital nomad began in 2006 when he quit his full-time job to travel. For over a decade, he lived vicariously as he journeyed around the world . Only recently did he decide to settle down at a more permanent spot. Formerly a fast-paced budget backpacker, he is famously known for his budget travel guide ‘How to Travel The World on $50 a Day.

Which of these travel blog sites will you start with?

So there you have it! My personal list of the top 23 travel blog s and websites for  those seeking information to plan their next vacation .

Whether you are a budget traveler , an adventure traveler, or luxury traveler,  I hope this list has something just for you. 

Happy reading!

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How to write an awesome & engaging blog post for a business, top 21 finance & investment blogs in singapore, 10 reasons why content writing is important for business & marketing.

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Travel Writing Tips for Beginners: How to Structure Your Travel Tales

Part two in this week’s three-part series: beginnings, middles, and endings.

By Dave Fox Tioman Island, Malaysia

Welcome to part two in this three-part series on how to turn your travel diaries into publishable travel tales. In part one , we looked at writing about specific events or topics rather than skimming the surface of an entire trip. Today, we explore how to structure those stories – the beginning, the middle, and the end.

Artwork: “Joshua Writing” – flickr/kafka4prez

Start with a compelling lead. Your “lead” paragraph must reel in readers right away. If you can’t hook them in the first 35 words, chances are you’re going to lose them. You’ve dreamed for years of visiting Africa? That’s not an exciting first sentence. You’re on a trip with your significant other? That’s not interesting either. You taught Kalahari Bushmen how to play Frisbee? Now we’re getting somewhere. Many beginning travel writers clog their leads with too much background information. When they do this, readers never get to the exciting part. An audience will move on to something else if the beginning of a story is mundane. So pounce into the action right away. Make your theme clear  and enticing at the outset.

Develop your story thematically or chronologically, but keep it moving. Many travel tales unfold with a simple chronological sequence. Others follow a series of scenes or anecdotes. Let’s go back to that flan in Guadalajara we talked about in part one of this series. After your first toe-curling taste, you decide to embark on a weeklong mission to find the best flan in town. Over the next seven days, you scarf down twelve helpings of the caramelly custard. You might write about your five or six favorites. And maybe a couple of not-so-favorites. You don’t have to cover them in the order you ate them. Instead, write in the order that best builds excitement. Just as you want to catch readers’ attention right away with a strong lead, the body of your story must hold readers’ fascination by maintaining – and ideally increasing – the action and energy. Occasionally, you need to include a detail that’s not so enthralling to keep the story flowing. That’s okay, but get through those points concisely. Move on quickly and then zing your readers with more thrills.

End with a lesson, a discovery, or a personal transformation. Riding into the proverbial sunset can be a natural way to end a tale but you’ll conclude on a more powerful note if you demonstrate some sort of transformation. Have you learned something new about yourself or the world? Changed your way of thinking or seen somebody else change theirs? Big insights come frequently when we’re away from our everyday world and culture. Share those insights with your readers so those who wander vicariously through your writing can share in your discoveries.

Want to Learn More?

I offer two fun and super-informative online workshops to help you become a travel writer. Once you sign up, you can watch the video lessons and do the writing exercises whenever you have time. You get lifetime membership in the course and each workshop comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.  Follow the links below for discount coupons, free sample lessons, and all the details!

• Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals  offers creative and effective techniques to capture the most exciting details of your trips. You’ll discover how to splash lots of bold detail into your travel diary –  quickly  – so that journaling enhances your journeys rather than gobbling up precious vacation time. Includes 75 minutes of lessons plus fun writing exercises and access to our online classroom.  Follow this link for a big discount!
• Travel Writing: Explore the World and Publish Your Stories  picks up where the above course leaves off. Learn how to turn your “rough draft” journals into polished travel tales that readers (and editors) will love! Share your adventures with friends and family, post them on a blog, or publish them professionally in newspapers, magazines, and anthology books. This comprehensive travel writing course includes three-and-a-half hours of video lessons plus hands-on writing exercises and access to our online forums.  Follow this link for a huge discount!
• Part 1: Travel Writing Tips for Beginners: Get Specific
• Part 2: How to Structure Your Travel Tales
• Part 3: Putting the Final Sparkle in Your Stories

If you’ve got questions about travel writing, I’m happy to answer them! You can send them to me on the  Ask Dave  page and I’ll try to cover them in a future online column. 

You may also be interested in

• Be Your Own Travel Writing Coach
• Free Travel Writing Webinar
• Story Overload: The Tales You Don’t Have Time to Write
• Travel Writing Lesson: Storyfinding and the Art of Talking to Strangers
• Travel Writing Tip: The Question You Must Answer Before Writing Your Story
• A Lucky Strike in France
• Adventures in (Travel) Writer’s Block
• Podcast: Travel Writing - Live from the Singapore Writers Festival
• Travel Writing Class in Singapore
• Migraine Memoirs
• The Most Overused Cliché in Travel Writing
• Travel Writing Tips for Beginners: Putting the Final Sparkle in Your Stories
• Travel Writing Tips for Beginners: Get Specific
• Travel Catastrophes for Fun and Profit
• Ask Dave: Maintaining Post-Travel Writing Momentum
• Travel Journals: The Ultimate Souvenir

3 Responses to “Travel Writing Tips for Beginners: How to Structure Your Travel Tales”

It is very interesting and inspiring particularly for those writers who want to write but due to one reason or another they can’t

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Travel writer milestones: I co-wrote a Lonely Planet Singapore guidebook!

By: Author Jaclynn Seah

Posted on March 29, 2024

Categories Singapore , Travel Reads

This year is a milestone birthday year for me but unlike other years where I usually plan an epic birthday trip, I can’t really do too much this year because of the timing of my impending tourist guide license assessment. (Yes, I’m working on becoming a licensed tourist guide in Singapore!)

Regardless, it’s been a pretty epic start to the year so far. For starters, the 13th edition of Lonely Planet Singapore that I co-wrote is finally out in print! It’s always been one of those lofty daydreams that baby travel writers have when they first get started, to see your name on one of these guidebooks that help people get around, so I’m pretty proud and stoked to have contributed to this edition.

This blog’s been around since 2010, and I started writing for others around 2013, but the novelty of seeing my stuff published has never really faded.

It’s a great way to kick off a new decade :) I’m curious to see what new insights I’ll have to share in future when I look back on these posts, like my 30s travel and 20s travel posts.

If you’re wondering what the new Lonely Planet Singapore guide looks like, here are some snippets that I contributed to that they’ve shared on their shop page. It’s a bit of a change from the original LP style which was more info-heavy, but they’ve had to pivot with today’s new reliance on the internet and instant updates, so I hope you’ll find this new format useful as well.

Researching for this travel guide and all the additional studying I’ve had to do for my tourist guide license (if anyone wants to do this, know that it’s not a walk in the park) has definitely made me learn even more about my home country. I thought I knew Singapore pretty well before, but I definitely appreciate how much more I’ve learnt.

Anyway that was just a quick update of what’s going on here in the background. While the consistency of posts is very dependent on how my life is going, I still love travel and love writing about it, so thanks all of you still reading for sticking with me all this time.

Next year I’m definitely going to have to do something properly epic to make up for this birthday though!

Want to see what my idea of a proper birthday celebration looks like? Check out past epic birthdays celebrated overseas here:

Solo in Seville: My recs on what to see, do and eat

Hot air ballooning in Bagan on my birthday

How to Survive Hanami Season in Japan

• Asia / Asia Travel Writing / Books and eBooks / Creative Writing and Travel Writing / Singapore

Singapore Travel Writing

by ooarevo · Updated on March 9, 2024

Singapore Fever – Travel Writing Diaries OOAsia

For more from Singapore, read the Singapore 3 Day travel tips and see all travel stories, videos, photos and writing on Rolling Coconut’s Travel section.

July 6 th 2:30AM

I begin the datation of the ooAsia diaries as we’re awoken by customs officers armed to their yellowed teeth in Changi, Singapore’s international Airport.

“We gotta go. The cops are here.” Coco’s voice comes from afar, barely bridging the ghostly frontier between reality and my soggy dreams.

I’ve seldom felt as groggy as I unclasp my eyelids and slowly rise from the airport’s carpet, tugged behind a row of seats, to see the two customs officials.

To say that I’m beginning these diaries is not quite true: we’ve been on the road for just about 5 months now, and have just crossed our 11 th or 12 th border. I’ve written about our previous travels – only I’m now resuming the daily practice of journaling and dating our travels, rather than bullet-pointing some notes about the places we visit.

We’re led through customs – we had sought to sleep in the arrival area because of post-midnight arrival, unwilling to hitch a cab at this late time of night and spend a minimum $45 on two dorm beds. Yet our night had begun chalorously, greeted by free foot-massage chairs and drinking tap water – ah, the comforting luxuries of Singapore!

Thus we finish our night in the departure area, much more uncomfortably. At noon we take the MRT and arrive safe and sound at our hostel on the newly built Circle line, where we bunk up for one of the first times of the trip (had somehow managed to avoid this thanks to the cheap price of private doubles thus far).

Later that day we walk through the charming neighborhood of Little India and the Marina, an absolute prowess of architectural teamwork and visionary urban planning. I’m wondrously discovering the eclectic array of architectures and colors that adorn the city.

Our first encounters with Singaporeans are lukewarm, to put it mildly. We chalk it up to a bad day as our first interactions are met with the locals’ snazz, one might say haughtiness, regarding tourists and their ludicrously idiotic questions about, for example, how to get somewhere, or the price of a metro card. We have pleasant encounters with the Singaporean slash Indian community, whose warm smile gives us some hope yet.

Fall sick. Timelapse of skyline. Get chills, high fever.

Lo, what have I done? On our last day in Phnom Penh, after wandering the streets before our flight, sat at a cafe and made the deliberate, thoughtless yet reasoned decision to take a sip from the glass of tap water which is customarily served with clients’ coffee. Though a seemingly small sip, could a single drop turn deadly to my yet unattuned digestive system?

I had opted for an experimental approach, as we were now five months into the trip, with hopes that I had perhaps developed necessary resistance. This turned out to be a predictably costly mistake.

July 8 th -9 th  

Survive the night in absolute delirium. Crossroads between Phnom Penh and Kuala Lumpur. Three-dimensional shapes rolling about for optimal heat. Directions given are always inversed.

Digestive. In bed. More delirium, awoken in sweat.

Another day and night with more of the same. Toilet. Sweat. Fever.

Vietnamese Canadian French Chinese Indonesian Filipino Indian doormates. Dormmates.

The Chinese conversations:

Are you Christian?

“Of course.”

“Buddhism? What is Buddhism?”

Arranged marriage.

“China, all about money. We are rich, but we don’t have enough money not to care about it.”

“In China, if you can’t pay, get away.”

They ask each other about job, property, salary. 

“Those things are usually secret in our culture.”

“Her father will say: ‘My daughter also is a secret. Go away.“

“What will you do if you don’t get along with her?”

“Oh my God. Kill her.” Answer came a wee bit too fast.

“You can do anything in China if you have some money and connections with government. Even kill people.”

Well, time to get out of here.

Go out to Holland village. Get a free burger, the first one in a long time.

Not sure about the timeline. Had to check in with a doctor, got medicine. Don’t mess with the water.

Less respectful new batch of roommates and off to a bad start. Sickness lingering.

Rushed day as we decide to leave.

Important pictures of the harbor.

Rush to bus. Luxurious super VIP bus, most seats empty. Circus border as people run about in an effort not to miss their bus.

Leave Singapore stomach tied into a knot still, the last days a broiled haze, and the bus sputters into the night and the border to Malaysia.

This destination and travel story is part of OOAsia , a Year-long Journey and Travels through Asia. This the second installment in the OOA Journeys:

• OOAmerica – Travels through North America and USA Road-Trip
• OOAsia – Travels through Asia
• OOAmericaS – Travels through Central and South America
• EurOOA – Travels through Europe
• OOAfrica – Travels through Africa
• OOACeania – Travels through Oceania
• OOArabia – Travels through North Africa and the Middle East

Looking for Travel Tips, travel reviews, itineraries and practical travel information ? Check out the OOAworld Travel section by Rolling Coconut and browse stories by country.

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As in all good writing, travel writing is far more than a sequential account in prose. Learn techniques from other literary genres to make your travel writing come alive on the page. Key literary techniques like voice, dialogue, pace, narrative arc and humour will be showcased to commence and improve your travel writing.

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He is the author of ten books of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. His most recent books include the climate-crisis novel Our Sands (Penguin Random House, 2020), as editor, Teaching Creative Writing in Asia (Routledge, 2022) and The Best Asian Short Stories 2022 (Kitaab, 2023). His writings such as Canadian Stories, Best Canadian Essays and Best Asian Short Stories  have been selected for awards.  

Dr Whetter also held positions as a  festival or campus author in Bali, Singapore, London, Penang, Swansea, Perth, Sydney and Canada. His forthcoming books include the 2023 poetry collection #Travelsend: Poems at Travel’s End and, from Routledge, Teaching Creative Writing in Canada (2024).

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Singapore: Singapore City

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What seems like a long time ago, my sister visited Singapore. I remember thinking how brave this was, and my mind conjured up images of sparkling skyscrapers catching the equatorial sun, Chinese lanterns hanging in the streets, and junks lapping in the harbour. I imagined Singapore to be like Hong Kong, with its distinctive smells, immense crowds and tiny people... and I was almost completely wrong.

Singapore is just another city. It has neither the insane appeal of Hong Kong or, from what I gather, Bangkok; it's much more a western city than an Asian 1 one, and feels no different from big Australian cities. I would say that it's no different from most European and American cities, but Singapore has almost no historical feeling to it, as most of the old buildings have long been razed to the ground to make way for skyscrapers, and even those still standing are pretty modern, in the great scheme of things.

So is Singapore a city with no soul, as its critics have been heard to say? That's not so easy to answer; arriving from Indonesia, Singapore's soul reached out and mesmerized me, right from my arrival at the sprawling metropolis of Changi Airport. As the taxi sped through sparkling lights towards the skyline of glowing skyscrapers and huge neon signs, the taxi driver told me about his workaholic brother who didn't take a holiday for three years, took his accrued time off in one go, and after a week was back at the office, working during his holiday because he didn't have a life outside of the office. This was more than a little hard to imagine after the astoundingly lackadaisical world of Indonesia.

I was staying with a friend – Philip, an investment banker, a showman, an excellent host, a city socialite, a work-hard-play-hard go-getter and an entertaining conversationalist rolled into one – and because he was only going to be there for one night before shooting off to Bangkok , we hit the town. It almost proved too much. Real beer, yuppie pubs, a late night and high-powered people with brains... the tentacles of western civilisation reached out for me with its promises of a better life and solutions for all. I had visions of what this short but sweet visit to Singapore might offer me: hot showers, a kitchen in which I could cook, supermarkets 2 , phones that didn't crackle and hiss, pizzas and burgers... my pupils were probably dilated with the opiate of Singapore.

The effect of seductive Singapore lasted well into the next day, despite my waking up with Indonesia's parting gift; yes, you guessed it, I left Bali with a few extra friends living in my stomach, and it took about five days to shift the bastards and get my temperature down to normal. I simply wandered around, shamelessly gawping at the scenery.

And it rained! 3 I'd forgotten what it was like to be soaked by nature; the last rain I remembered had been in the Bada Valley towards the end of the trek with Peter. It was simply wonderful, cleaning the air, removing the humidity, reducing the famed haze to almost nothing. I was truly in the Promised Land, and then I realised; for the first time in 25 months I was back in the northern hemisphere, my home. Perhaps Singapore was putting on a special English weather pattern to welcome me back into the bosom of the north, where a northerly wind is cold, where the sun is in the south, and where the constellations are those of the ancient civilisations 4 .

Exploring Singapore

Singapore has a smell, too; it smells of perfume. If you're in one of the millions of immaculately manicured parks dotted between the high-rises, the smell of flowers permeates the air; maybe the gardeners, of which there are many (most of Indian descent), spray the flowers with scent, but I've never experienced a city's gardens in such an olfactory way before. And if you're walking down the street, well away from the parks, the smell is of Opium, Escape, Kouros, Obsession... it's like a nasal trip through the pages of Vogue. The result is a city that smells divine, and reeks of expense.

For Singapore is a monument to money and capitalism. Every sign and advert is in the language of business, English, and everyone speaks English too (or, at the very least, the local version of English, known as Singlish, in which 'chequebook' becomes 'che-boo', 'last week' becomes 'las-wee' and so on). The money is printed in English. The street names are in English. I presume the meetings held on the executive floors of those sparklingly phallic tower blocks are in English. There are half a million ex-pats living in Singapore – an astounding number when you consider the entire population of Singapore is a little over three million – and the whole place reflects this. If I had visited Singapore straight from England without first having explored the multiculturalism of Australia, the European-Polynesian confluence of the Tuamotus, or the insanity of Indonesia, I would no doubt have been bowled over by the Asian character of Singapore; but having come straight from the jugular, so to speak, Singapore appears to be so different from the rest of its region that it's hard to think of it as Asian. It's Ameropean, Euramerican or some other disgusting nouveau-word; it's not soulless, it's just an amalgam, and as with all amalgams, some things get lost in the mix.

The high standard of Singaporean technology is also to blame for hiding the city's character behind closed doors. It's those closed doors that drive home the difference between the plastic world of Singapore's offices and the harsh reality of equatorial life; if you walk past an office block just as the next stock market guru is bursting through the automatic doors, the rush of chilled air that blasts out is intense. Air conditioning is a way of life in Singapore – not a bad thing when the average temperature at this time of year is 35 degrees with 90 per cent humidity – but being blasted by office blocks is a novel experience. You've got to be careful if it happens when there's a crowd about; I swear that if I'd bumped into someone as they strolled out of an office I'd have shattered them into lots of tiny pieces. It really is that cold.

And the crowds are guaranteed at lunchtime. Standing outside an office block at 12.30pm is fatal; millions of clean-suited and perfumed people suddenly appear, whisked by on a breath of frozen oxygen, all heading for the local food market, clogging up the pedestrian crossings and pavements in a crowd scene that makes the London Marathon look like a few old ladies out for an evening stroll. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it's more destructive than a plague of locusts.

Law and Order

Of course, if this were London or New York, the crowd would disperse into the jammed traffic, spreading out like ink in water. But Singapore is the law and order capital of the world, where jaywalking is just one of millions of offences that will get you a hefty fine; being arrested for jaywalking in the West is simply unlucky, but in Singapore there are even signs everywhere, warning you not to cross the road outside of the glare of the little green man. Other heinous crimes include importing chewing gum (which is illegal in Singapore, though individual possession isn't an offence), not flushing public toilets, smoking just about anywhere and criticising the government. The result is a wonderfully clean, fresh and clinical city, populated by people who are treated like children.

You know that feeling in the pit of the stomach when you're at a wedding and the priest says, 'Speak now, or forever hold your peace,' and you think, 'I wonder what would happen if I stood up and said something?' Or when you're in a meeting with your boss, and you think to yourself, 'Wouldn't it be great if I stood up and told him exactly what we all think of him?' Well, I kept getting the same feeling when walking round Singapore, except my thoughts were more along the lines of 'I wonder what would happen if I crossed the street right here?' or 'I wonder what they'd do if I didn't flush'. It quite unnerved me to be in a city where passing wind in a public place probably contravenes the Health Regulation Code of 1987, Appendix C Subsection III. No wonder everyone suffers from executive stress.

It is a peaceful and relaxing place, though, despite the draconian government and its desire to make sure everyone is safe and happy – by decree. I was able to realise my dream of the last two months, to sit in parks undisturbed, able to type up my travelogue, read a book or just snooze. Indeed, in the whole time I was in Singapore I was approached by just one chatty local, who turned out to be a well-educated, well-travelled and interesting man, speaking fluent English, French and Mandarin; our conversation was only terminated because the heavens opened. What a difference from Indonesia!

Love or Hate?

But is this place a Utopian paradise or an Orwellian nightmare? Damned if I know, but I do know that in this modern-as-tomorrow city, not everything's as ultra-futuristic as it might first appear. For example, at the supermarket you still have to weigh your fruit and vegetables at a separate counter, as the checkouts don't have scales; I thought this had gone out with Fred Flintstone. And neither the supermarket nor the post office would accept credit cards, unlike almost everywhere else in the city that leapt on plastic like a hungry dog does a bone; I had to cash an extra travellers cheque to mail off my photographs.

And then there are the stories of the government that go beyond belief. The birth control programme introduced in the early 1970s was so effective that it had to be reversed, and now there are tax incentives for families to have three children, and adverts everywhere about how wonderful families are; it seems too many Singaporeans are caught up in office life to appreciate that there's a world out there. Then there was the government's statement that they are actively seeking more people from abroad to reside in Singapore, because the current younger generation is too damn lazy to push Singapore into the next century; they've grown up with everything, and have no reason to struggle like their parents and grandparents had to.

The talented and driven members of the younger generation aren't that interested in staying in Singapore either, an understandable attitude, and they have the skills to bugger off, so Singapore needs to bring in foreigners to help it continue to be a success. And this true story has to be the best summary of Singapore's attitude towards life; when asked to comment on what he thought of the fact that some foreigners found Singapore dull, the Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs, George Yeo, said, 'We have to pursue this subject of fun very seriously if we want to stay competitive in the 21st century'. Doh!

Still, I found Singapore to be an addictive drug, in the same way that an easy life in London was addictive until I left. Cable television, a fridge, air conditioning, swimming pool, nearby shopping malls (millions of them), peaceful parks, no language barrier... it's easy to understand why it was hard to break away in the end. Indeed, the company was excellent, and although I'd planned to spend only a few days hanging round the parks and malls, I ended up staying for 12 days, 12 days of sheer bliss.

For example, one Friday night I hit the town with Rebecca (Philip's flatmate) and her boyfriend Daniel; Rebecca, a 6 ft-something stunner from Australia, had proved to be wonderful company through the week (on the few occasions that she wasn't staying round Daniel's), and Daniel, the proprietor of a local bar/restaurant called Brewerkz, was a scholar and a gentleman. I'd forgotten how mesmeric intellectual conversation could be, and Friday night – supposedly a quick meal and maybe a beer, seeing as Rebecca was suffering from exhaustion 5 – turned into a huge meal, copious beers and back-home-somewhere-around-3.30am night. I enjoyed every lip-smacking second of it, not least because Brewerkz makes its own beer on the premises, and it's quite superb.

Saturday night saw Philip and I hit the town for a curry and a couple of beers, in a little restaurant situated right on the Singapore River in the area known as Boat Quay. A hundred yards away are the skyscrapers of the Central Business District, over the river is the first landing point of Sir Stamford Raffles – the British Governor who is regarded as the father of modern Singapore – and milling round the quay is the most wonderful collection of people you're ever likely to see: ex-pats, tourists and locals of all sorts of nationalities; suits, shorts and T-shirts; young people, old people... as an exercise in multiculturalism, Singapore excels.

1 You'll often see the countries in this part of the world referred to as ASEAN , rather than Asian. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, namely Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, so these are all Asean countries. Asian is too broad an area to be useful, so you'll often see this acronym used to refer to the Southeast Asian area.

2 Yes, Singapore has plenty of supermarkets whose aisles stretch so far that when you look down them, you can see the curvature of the earth. I feel no shame when I tell you I happily spent hours staring at things like loaves of bread, packaged meat, frozen peas and chips, milk cartons, apples and oranges... and one joyous night I was shopping in the Cold Storage supermarket, and I spotted something on special offer: Heinz Baked Beans. That night, I made some toast, heated up the beans, cracked a can of Coke and sat down to the culinary equivalent of sex. As I shovelled the beans in and tomato sauce dribbled down my bristly chin, I realised that I had unwittingly discovered where advertising agencies get all those plonkers who appear on TV commercials, sitting at the breakfast table and eating Kellogg's new Krispy Coco Frosty Bix, faces lighting up the instant the food hits the mouth, regardless of the fact that the brain can't have processed the taste sensation yet; the sort of people who glare wide-eyed into the lens and say things like, 'All this taste... and it's healthy too!' All the agencies do is find people who have been stuck in bloody Indonesia for two months; my face as the beans slid down was a picture, and I could have sworn I kept making those little whooping noises, the ones you make when you finally get to have that piss that's been bursting your bladder for hours.

3 It's the monsoon season now and the rains, which might only last for an hour or so each day, are spectacularly heavy, often accompanied by thunder and lightning. One memorable time I was returning from a sodden wander through Fort Canning park, only to discover that the drainage system simply couldn't cope with the sudden downpour, and muddy water was gushing right down the main street, desperately trying to find a river to flow into. It was quite a sight; the buildings are so modern they've got amazingly efficient water-shedding systems, channelling all the rain that lands on them into specially designed drains that take the water down to street level in super-quick time, making sure that not a drop ends up on a veranda or – heaven forbid – inside any of the condos. Unfortunately some of the condo designers forgot to connect the drains to anything downstairs, and in some areas the water simply pours out onto the pavement; in a storm, that's a hell of a lot of water crashing down onto the pedestrians, who are already pissed off enough by the buses and trucks splashing them from the other side. It's one of the few design faults I found in Singapore, but I doubt anyone else knows about it; they're all probably inside, sitting in moisture-free controlled environments, with virtual fires and computer screens showing sunny beaches. Bastards.

4 Even if the southern hemisphere has far more stars and is a much more impressive sight, there's nothing quite like seeing Orion rising in a cold, clear European night sky. In my very humble opinion, anyway...

5 Singapore is full of stressed executives. Rebecca, in her job for a huge multi-national accountancy firm, had just completed something like thirteen consecutive days at work, during which she'd had to have an operation to remove samples of her stomach lining to discover the cause of her latest acquisition, a stomach ulcer. Philip had just spent nine days in Bangkok and Beijing, staying up until the wee hours to prepare presentations and meetings. Rebecca had to take Friday off work, because she felt absolutely terrible; Philip slept until 3pm on Saturday. It made me appreciate travelling more than usual...

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‘So good I went five times’: travel writers’ favourite discoveries of 2023

We asked 23 Guardian travel writers to share their best experiences of 2023, from elegant spas and an art deco cinema to a new ‘megalith’ and a futuristic hotel

A hotel from another planet lands in rural Brittany

There are many places where you expect to see jaw-dropping architecture, but the quiet Brittany countryside isn’t one of them. As we walked toward Hotel l’Essenciel (not a typo, ciel means sky) with its 36 rooms, or “nests” suspended around its central structure, with the flying-saucer shaped restaurant La Table des Pères at its foot, I had to wonder if I’d stepped into a parallel universe or on to another planet.

Inside, the cocoon-like room was as stylish as any boutique hotel, only with a slight bounce in the floor – thankfully not gravity-defying. From the window, we had an incredible view of the sculpture park in the grounds of the 18th-century Château des Pères, once a monk’s retreat and now a centre for woodwork, sculpture and pottery workshops. These classes give a clue to why the hotel was built here, surrounded by farmland 50 minutes south-east of Rennes. Its owner is the Legendre family, founder of the Groupe Legendre construction firm, who wanted to showcase the industry’s ingenuity and talent by creating something with a wow factor. They did not disappoint. Doubles from €180 room-only Carolyn Boyd

The Roker riviera, Tyne and Wear

To my mind, Sunderland is the best city in the north-east. I went for a city break a few weeks ago, and left the former shipbuilding heavyweight irreparably smitten: with its people, its pedigree, its architectural spread, and by what it’s putting on the table (the tacos at Mexico 70 were ineffable, the sandwich at Pop Recs sublime).

Other gleaming features include the Penshaw Monument (a whopping folly on a hill), the National Glass Centre (a revealing experience by the river), and a local speciality called Pink Slice . Jordan Pickford aside, Sunderland’s brightest asset must be its beach – the Roker riviera. LS Lowry used to journey across the Pennines to holiday here every year, and it’s not hard to see why. As I ran along its spirit-lifting length, the beach appeared to go on forever. Oh that it did! Ben Aitken

The Canary Islands’ Little Venice

When a friend invited me to Gran Canaria this summer, I thought I knew what to expect. I’d been to Tenerife and Lanzarote, and was keen to explore another lunar landscape. To an extent, I was right. We trekked around Pico de las Nieves, the summit in the centre of the island, and ventured out on to the vast Maspalomas dunes.

What I wasn’t expecting to find was a Little Venice. Puerto de Mogán is an old fishing port linked to a newer marina by a series of canals and bridges, hence the nickname. Visitors can wander around the flower-filled streets and boardwalks, take a boat trip (no gondolas, sadly) and swim off the sandy beach under high cliffs. We climbed to a lookout point above the fishing quarter, then headed down to one of the numerous waterside restaurants to eat garlicky lapas a la plancha (grilled limpets) washed down with Canarian white wine – at a fraction of Venetian prices.

On the edge of town is the fascinating archaeological site of Cañada de los Gatos, a pre-Hispanic settlement thought to be more than 1,300 years old. The Museo Canario in Las Palmas, the capital, is a good place to learn more about the indigenous Guanches who built it – yet another aspect of the Canary Islands I had been in ignorance about. Rachel Dixon

A chilling experience in an ancient tomb, County Meath

At the end of a country lane about 15 minutes’ drive west of Drogheda sits a big grassy dome fronted with quartz and engraved kerb stones. From afar, you could mistake it for some sort of military installation. Or, as an Irish colleague put it: “Post-restoration, it looks like a 1960s Methodist church.” But Newgrange tomb is among the oldest buildings in the world – it predates the pyramids by five centuries. The late archaeologist Michael J O’Kelly excavated and restored Newgrange from 1962 to 1975, and made a remarkable discovery, which he eerily related in Arthur C Clarke’s 1980s television series Mysterious World.

O’Kelly found a slit above the entrance to a vaulted inner chamber that contained the bones of four adults and one child. His theory was that the slit was put there to let in the rays of the rising sun to wake the spirits of the dead. But only on one day of the year, the winter solstice.

“The first shot of orange-red light penetrated right to where I was sitting,” O’Kelly said. “It gradually widened to a 17cm band that illuminated the whole interior. I could feel the spirits of the dead all around me … and then a point came after 17 minutes, a sudden cut-off. Darkness.”

As we weren’t there on the shortest day of the year, we had to make do with the guide’s torch to simulate the sepulchral light. Even so, it was a chilling experience. And mind-boggling to think that 5,000 years ago, without the aid of mathematical tools, stone age builders had arranged this aperture to be perfectly level with the horizon when the sun casts its first rays, on only one day a year. Booking essential, heritageireland.ie Andy Pietrasik

Vineyard revival, Czech Republic

While on a tour of the Czech wine region of Znojmo, I was initially a little dubious when we pulled up in Vrbovec (population: 1,200). This unassuming town, however, is the site of a spectacular cultural renaissance. When German speakers were expelled from Czechoslovakia after the second world war, Vrbovec lost almost its entire population, along with its wine-related traditions and festivals. But in the early 2000s, its residents (now mostly Czech speakers) revived these traditions, and they’ve been a huge hit nationally – helped along by their delectable wines, which are also making a comeback after decades of neglect under communism. Their summer harvest festival, featuring Moravian folk dances and lots of wine, drew about 2,000 people last year. Outside of festival time, a folk culture trail and wine cellars are open every weekend – owners will place a yellow bike outside to indicate that a cellar is open to visitors. I suggest arranging a visit through a local tour operator (try Wine Tours Moravia ), as it’s still so off the radar – but I suspect that will soon change. Sarah Gillespie

Here for the beer – and the decor, Cwrw pub, Carmarthen

The name Cwrw (“kooroo”) means beer in Welsh. Selling all kinds of craft ales, lagers, sours, stouts and wheat beers, this colourful pub in Carmarthen does what it says on the sign and more. It hosts tastings, comedy nights, poetry readings and regular live music.

What drew me in was the motley decor: pot plants and bunting trail round a window that says BAR in neon letters. Lighting ranges from repurposed traffic lights to filigree lamps; postcards paper the beams and international number plates hang over the bar. One of the wooden tables sits under a wall-sized photo of sunshine streaming through a misty forest.

Upstairs, above a patchwork sofa, there’s a record store. The streets nearby are home to independent shops, cafes and art galleries. The Oriel Bevan Jones gallery opposite is run by the Arts Care charity and sells elegant textiles. Phoebe Taplin

‘Peerless’ kebabs, Ankara, Turkey

Checking my credit card statement recently, I saw that Ciğerci Aydın restaurant (on Tahmis Çarşısı street) had charged me the same amount twice on the same day. I worried I’d been double charged, but then remembered I visited it twice in the space of a few hours, ordering the same thing each time.

I was in Ankara to catch the Doğu Express train , and had ordered lamb and chicken skewers, adana kebab (seasoned ground lamb) drowning in yoghurt and tomato sauce, Turkish tea poured from a stacked metal kettle, and syrupy hot knafeh (a gooey, cheesy dessert). All common menu items in Ankara, but peerlessly sumptuous here.

I waved a skewer at my friend and said: “It’s just meat on a stick. How can they make it taste this good?”

By my fifth visit, the charming waiter laughed and ushered me to my favourite table. Jamie Fullerton

A very special island – weather permitting, Devon

This is one of those well-known places that few visit. Lundy sits 11 miles off the coast of Devon, isolated by storms, winds and tides, accessible only when the elements allow. My trip this year was almost abandoned , but the storm blew itself out and a three-night stay was trimmed to a day. The high possibility of cancellation seems only to sharpen the appreciation when the venerable MS Oldenburg ferry does operate.

Rock climbers have a cornucopia of great routes, including the classic, Devil’s Slide; hikers enjoy magnificent panoramas; swimmers get seals and lots of smaller creatures. There is even a convivial pub where you can sit and read about the colourful history of this rock, barely a half a mile across and three long. Seabirds are a particular attraction and a growing one: the population hit 40,000 in 2023 , the highest figure since the 1930s. Kevin Rushby

Mural trails and top tapas in Torremolinos, Spain

This well-trodden – and some might argue, tacky – Costa del Sol resort may seem an unlikely candidate, but off-season it yielded unexpected delights. Blame it, perhaps, on the balmy subtropical climate, but wandering the newly scrubbed-up streets – it’s recently benefited from a €10m regeneration scheme – my partner and I enjoyed bargain verdejo and tapas at frenetic 60-year-old institution Bodega Guerola on Calle San Miguel, explored the bars and restaurants of Pueblo Blanco (a labyrinth of alleyways around a picturesque white courtyard) and strolled along the palm tree-lined paseo to the sleepy fisherman’s quarter, La Carihuela.

We also marvelled at the new trail of vast public murals ( Ruta de Murales ) celebrating iconic past visitors from Sinatra to Bardot, as well as LGBTQ+ history on Pasaje Begoña, where a key artwork marks a pivotal 1971 police raid of its pioneering gay venues. Happily, in 2023 the queer scene is ever-expanding, especially in the La Nogalera neighbourhood: another welcome discovery. Stephen Emms

Slow cooking at its finest in Sofia, Bulgaria

Like most of my finest discoveries, this cosy old restaurant came recommended by a fellow passenger on a train. It was midwinter and I was travelling from Bucharest to Sofia, snowdrifts rising around our carriage as I yearned for stodge, stew and maybe a fireplace. “Go to Staria Chinar ,” she said, scribbling in my notebook. On arrival in the Bulgarian capital my friend and I set off on foot, passing the golden dome of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, from which it was a five-minute walk to what appeared to be an old house with a courtyard and antlers for a door handle. Winding up the stairs, we passed a warren of low-lit rooms with worn floral wallpaper.

Only one other couple was seated in our nook as we tucked into sticky wodges of lamb slow-cooked in the outdoor clay oven along with gooey beef cheeks in black pepper sauce. My fingers were slicked with the saltiness of fried cheese and my stomach full and sated. Monisha Rajesh

The history of Bordeaux under one roof, France

It was a family holiday and we needed cheering up, so had spent the morning at the old Chartreuse cemetery. When sudden rain sent us looking for shelter, I didn’t expect much from the Musée d’Aquitaine , except that we’d be dry. But it was a revelation: a Roman altar to a lion-headed god; golden coins stamped with galloping horses; a medieval carving in which an angel stilled the sword Abraham held poised to cut Isaac’s throat. Here were ancient objects imbued with undimmed power.

Best of all was the Venus of Laussel , the most exciting prehistoric rock art I’d seen. Carved into limestone at least 22,000 years ago, she is naked, pregnant and holds a bison horn. I wished she wasn’t behind glass, that she was still part of the cave where she was discovered in 1911. But to fall into her company by chance was a blessing. Peter Ross

Spas, vineyards and hilltop castles in Croatia

It’s easy to be sceptical when tourist brochures talk about “fairytale lands”. But then you look at the Zagorje region of northern Croatia and think: fair enough. With a glass of crisp Croatian sparkling wine in hand, I lounged on a deck chair overlooking the vineyards and gentle hills of Vuglec Breg guesthouse and winery, watching the autumn light work its magic. Weekenders from Zagreb and Slovenia stay in rustic houses called hiže and enjoy swimming in the hillside infinity pool, wandering through vineyards, tasting the family’s wines and feasting on roast duck.

This luscious green region between Zagreb and the Slovenian border is home to hilltop castles (including 16th-century Veliki Tabor ), thermal spas such as Terme Tuhelj , and Europe’s largest collection of Neanderthal remains at Krapina . Boutique wineries make superb graševina , traminer, pinot noir and muscat. Vuglec Breg has doubles from €105 B&B and apartments from €170. All have terraces, and some feature saunas and hot tubs. Mary Novakovich

Zurich’s lakeside ‘bathing palace’

“What are your plans for the stopover in Zurich?” My son and I had bumped into Vicky, an old friend, in the Eurostar queue and when we realised we were booked on the same trains between London and Milan we started plotting meet-ups. A two-hour transit in Zurich opened up the possibilities and, as the co-author of wild swimming books, Vicki soon had us digging out our swimming gear and catching a tram to Seebad Utoquai .

Reachable in 15 minutes from the main railway station, the Badi (built in 1890) is a historic “bathing palace” on a lakeside promenade. Though it looks out over Lake Zurich’s glacier-blue waters to mountains, its elegant wooden jetties, changing rooms, sun terraces and yoga classes give it the feel of a beach club. We swam out around the baths’ pontoons, giddy on fresh air and endorphins, before hauling ourselves out of the water for hot chocolates in Utoquai’s cute cafe – a fine way to wash off a long train journey, we agreed. Rhiannon Batten

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Ancient beech and fern forests in Romania

I love Romania’s wild beauty, and on a trip this year discovered an ancient beech forest just outside the village of Nucșoara , on the southern slopes of the Făgăraș Mountains . They are among the oldest and most spectacular beech trees in Europe, over 5,000 of them, gnarled and huge, some up to seven metres in girth.

It’s stunning to wander among these giants and contemplate the history they have lived through: anti-communist partisan Elisabeta Rizea and companions spent years hiding out in these woods. Her cottage is in the village and now a guesthouse, Caezu , has opened there (the owner’s great-grandmother was Elisabeta’s sister). Visitors can “ adopt a beech tree ” in a scheme started by the mayor and Foundation Conservation Carpathia, with funds going to help preserve the forest.

The beeches are not the only remarkable natural attraction in the area. Nearby is a fern forest (they grow up to two metres in summer) and it’s close to Moldoveanu, the highest mountain in Romania, at 2,544 metres. The hiking is wonderful. Jane Dunford

A spontaneous stopover in Denmark

I love spontaneous overnight stops when making long train journeys. Unplanned and with nothing booked in advance, I chanced on Ribe , a town which punched far above its weight in the middle ages as ecclesiastical centre and trade hub. Ribe boasts oodles of history and with its millstreams, parks and cobbled streets, it makes a perfect stopover for anyone travelling through Jutland.

I’ve long been fascinated by social reformer and documentary photographer Jacob Riis (1849-1914) and was surprised to find he was born in Ribe. His How the Other Half Lives (1890) mapped the squalor of American slums and galvanised politicians into taking action on poverty.

Ribe never quite acknowledged Riis’s remarkable work in his lifetime but has made amends by opening a museum in his childhood home. The exhibits probe the life and work of a man who used powerful words and images to cast light in dark places. Nicky Gardner

Discovering Lusty the limestone man in County Fermanagh

“I think we’ve just passed it – again,” said Mairead, my wife and navigator, just before I hit the brakes. The lonely, unwaveringly straight road appeared to go on to infinity, a thin streak of asphalt that cut through Boa Island ’s lush, flat countryside from causeway to causeway. I pulled off the road and eased down a laneway. Ahead, Lough Erne glistened through the branches of ancient trees and birds called and sang at the height of nesting season.

As we entered the old turnstile to Caldragh cemetery, it occurred to me that everything about this discovery was shrouded in ambiguity and contradiction. For starters, Boa Island has nothing to do with snakes. It was, in all likelihood, named after the druid goddess Badhbh. As for Lusty Man, who we had come to visit: he’s a stubby chiselled figure with zero trace of testosterone, sculpted from limestone in some indeterminate time between the bronze age and the early middle ages.

Lusty stands low in the middle of the small graveyard by the slightly taller Janus figure – the mysterious muse of Seamus Heaney’s poem, January God. It’s a two-headed, two foot-high stone statue with sharp features like a Guy Fawkes mask. Both statues blend into the slabs and stumps of weathered, forgotten headstones in the bumpy terrain. Experts cannot decide whether the figures are Christian or take the form of earlier Irish deities, but that ambiguity just adds to the ethereal setting and made it my discovery of 2023. Vic O’Sullivan

A gorgeous B&B amid spectacular gorges in Piedmont, Italy

“If only we’d brought water,” I wailed. In this year’s heatwave, we’d stupidly set off from Monteu Roero to “just have a look” at one of several walking trails around the rocche, a stretch of spectacular gorges, cliffs and rocky pinnacles. The route was so beguiling we were tempted on and on. Then, just as we were telling ourselves it was mad to walk a five-mile route in 34C without a drink, I spotted a tap in an open farmyard. No one was about so we hurried over and bent under the tap to gulp the cool water. “Would this help?” came a gentle voice. Elettra Griseri had silently appeared holding a jug and glasses.

And that’s how we discovered L’Ottavo Sapore – farm, shop and three-room B&B (doubles from €65), where the remarkable Elettra grows vines, hazelnuts, honey, saffron and sweet chestnuts. She also makes and sells biscuits, cakes and a hazelnut spread that will spoil Nutella for you for ever. This and more go into generous breakfasts served under a traditional brick-vaulted ceiling, fuel for more dramatic walks – with full water bottles, of course. Liz Boulter

One of the world’s most beautiful cinemas, Amsterdam

I only went to escape the relentless Amsterdam rain; I wasn’t expecting the Tuschinski theatre to be the most beautiful cinema I’d ever seen. But it was clear even from the dramatic sculpted facade – which blends art deco, art nouveau and Amsterdam school architectural styles – that this was somewhere special.

The dazzling interior was even more impressive – gold plastering, ornate metal lights, glazed tiles and red velvet in the style of a grand old opera house (it’s a live performance space as well as a cinema). It was created by Abraham Tuschinski and opened in 1921, with a lobby designed to give cinemagoers a feeling of “stepping into an illusion”. A century on, it remains spellbindingly opulent.

At the ticket booth I remembered a line by Vincent (John Travolta) in Pulp Fiction: “You can walk into a movie theatre in Amsterdam and buy a beer. And I don’t mean just like in no paper cup; I’m talking about a glass of beer.” Happily, it’s true – and I don’t mean no ordinary beer; I’m talking about an 8% Brouwerij ‘t IJ, a delicious, heady, fruity blond served in an elegant bespoke glass. I rested it on a small table (with its own art deco lamp) beside my plush reclining velvet chair … This place was as cool as Pulp Fiction!

The only thing I got wrong was my choice of film: Scorsese’s interminable Killers of the Flower Moon. I could have done with at least another couple of beers to get through it. Gavin McOwan

At last, East Sussex gets its own ‘megalith’

I live in a county that boasts the mighty Wilmington Giant and 20-odd Neolithic hill forts. However, unlike Wiltshire, further west, it was until recently bereft of stone monuments. This year I was delighted to discover that thanks to the musical duo Jem Finer and Jimmy Cauty (the latter best known for being one half of the KLF ), East Sussex now has the mighty Gurdy Stone – two and a half tonnes of Welsh slate that sits up in the South Downs overlooking the village of Kingston.

Its arrival on Lovebrook Farm in April – via lorry then a digger – was heralded by a ceremonial procession (Wicker Man style), speeches, music and plenty of yellow smoke bombs to create the right atmosphere. Here it is expected to remain for the next 50,000 years – enough time, as decreed by its custodians, to herald the return of the Green Comet, last visible during the stone age. In a time of great resurgence of interest in paganism, the Gurdy Stone is a fitting new monument for honouring our past and our future. The stone is on Lovebrook Farm and can be visited on Saturdays, dawn-1pm David Bramwell

A slow drive around a peaceful Highland peninsula

Every year I go on a driving trip with Bob, one of my oldest friends. He likes to drive; I’m not keen. We have honed these trips over the years, going slowly, stopping often, avoiding motorways.

This year we booked a cabin in rural Inverness-shire and played it by ear. We travelled via Loch Lomond and the Glen Coe beauty spots but avoided the busy NC500. This opened up new areas on the map.

A few years ago, while “researching” (idly websurfing) Scottish weather, I read that Portmahomack was the driest place in the country. I’d also read about the north-east coast in an Inspector Rebus novel , which gave me an idea. It’s always an interesting experiment to see if you imagined a place correctly.

We crossed the Kessock and Cromarty bridges and turned east to Easter Ross, a peninsula of low-lying farmland that looked rich and golden under the late summer sun. Portmahomack was pretty and blissfully quiet. The road took us through the so-called Seaboard villages , huddling down but facing outwards. We rode the ferry back.

Our cabin was close to Loch Ness but not too close: the balcony looked out on to Loch Ruthven, where I saw Slavonian grebe chicks following their mums around the reedbeds. These birds are as rare as they are beautiful. The sun shone warmly for five days and I fell for Scotland all over again. Chris Moss

Chugging across Spain’s Bay of Cádiz was a revelation

To my surprise I found myself in a naval review with the king of Spain last year, an experience that reminded me how much better it was to be actually on the water than admiring it from a fish restaurant.

The event led me to begin craving boats. Not resort-style banana boats or sunset cruise catamarans but the sailing dinghies and basic things with outboard motors you hire on holiday in Greece and Turkey but don’t in Cádiz. Why not? Because hardly anyone knows you can. The discovery that I could take a small boat out (without a licence or captain) from the back (east-facing) side of Cádiz or the ports at Sancti Petri and El Puerto de Santa Maria, opened the way to a series of sub-discoveries.

I simply hadn’t noticed the estuaries, salt marshes and water meadows, island castles, wading birds, inaccessible beaches, or the recreational sailors tacking across the Bay of Cádiz every weekend. Essentially, after a decade living in this seafaring province, this year I discovered the sea. Dinghies from Zaida sailing school cost €35 for two hours (courses also available), and motor boats from Argosailing start at €80 Sorrel Downer

Fine art meets heavy industry at this brilliant Polish museum

Poland keeps pulling me back to its world-class museums. At the interactive Warsaw Rising Museum , for example, I followed a route past improvised sewers and a Liberator bomber telling the story of the Polish resistance in 1944.

This year, in Katowice (40 miles west of Kraków), I happily lost an afternoon at the brilliant Silesian Museum . Built on the site of a former coalmine, it showcases regional Silesian fine art and archaeology and narrates the journey of Katowice via videos, photography and modern art, from a centre of heavy industry through to the 1990s – when the closing of some mines saw homelessness and drug consumption soar – to today’s city, a hopeful hub of culture and conferences (Cop24 was held there in 2018).

I plan on returning to Katowice for a concert by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in its modern hall next to the museum, and for another cherry vodka at slick bar Wisniewski , which serves nothing else. Caroline Eden

Hot springs and indoor rain in Veneto, Italy

It is more than 40 years since I visited the Italian town where my father was born, and the only thing I can remember is a toy shop with an enviable lineup of dolls in the window. It has taken me four decades to return and discover that Abano Terme is a spa town blessed with hot springs that come out of the ground at 70-90C (tempered to a comfortable thirtysomething degrees for use in the pools) and is famous for its therapeutic mud treatments. Abano lies at the foot of the Eugenean hills, a 45-minute drive from Venice and 20 minutes from Padua, but despite its proximity to these popular visitor destinations the town seems to have fallen off the radar for most visitors to Italy. It does, however, attract plenty of Italians and Germans, who seem to have cottoned on to its full-on sense of wellness at affordable prices.

Each hotel has a plethora of pools, many in acres of gardens. Hotel Mioni Pezzato , among the more modern, has six thermal baths and 16 pools, not to mention indoor rain, a pool with exercise bikes and a whirlpool. If only I’d known it existed when I was eight. My dolls would have loved it. Max Benato

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