Singapore

Head on down to Boat Quay - the trailblazer of the Singapore entertainment scene. With an eclectic mix of high end restaurants and alfresco dining and lively bars and pubs, Boat Quay is arguably the favourite place to "chill out" for most professionals and expatriates.

With over 9,000 feathered friends from more than 600 species, Jurong BirdPark is the largest and most impressive bird park in the Asia Pacific. From the Penguin Parade in a re-created Antarctic setting to the Southeast Asian Birds Aviary featuring a walk-in aviary with simulated tropical thunderstorms, the birds enjoy an environment designed to be as natural to their original habitat as possible. fs

The Merlion was first designed as an emblem for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1964 - the lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves quickly became Singapore's icon to the rest of the world.

Originally located at the Merlion Park by the Esplanade Bridge, the Merlion and the Cub became a popular tourist attraction for visitors. The installation ceremony took place on 15 September 1972, officiated by the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

As the sun sets, a different world comes to life. At the Night Safari, you can look a rhinoceros in the eye, hear the howls of a pack of striped hyenas or watch giraffes glide serenely across the plain in the still of the night.

Meet Singapore's most famous Grande Dame - born in 1887 and never looking better! Raffles Hotel is one of the world's last great 19th century hotels, having been the retreat and source of inspiration for many writers and movie stars, including Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin.

Tired of having the usual breakfast? Then feast with an orang utan, the Oriental small-clawed otter, or even the reticulated python! These are just some of the many unusual escapades that await you at the acclaimed Singapore Zoo. Over 3,200 mammals, birds and reptiles and fishes at this 28-hectare "open" zoo.