6 weeks, 24 Fun Activities | #SingaporeSignatures

1. Mustafa Centre in Little India

One of the fondest memories I took back to Mauritius after my visit to Singapore in 2011 was that of Mustafa Centre: one of Singapore's 24-hour shopping malls on Syed Alwi Road in Little India. I like to call it Singapore's Wal-mart. (#JustMacroeconomicsThings)

Mostly because it catered for and still caters for the budget market. Jewellery and household appliances, books, DVDs, watches, electronic goods, footwear and clothing. You want anything for cheap? Head to Mustafa Centre. It sells more than 300,000 items!

There are several Indian restaurants in its vicinity and I still saw great food spots like Shakuntala’s and Meenakshi’s from 5 years ago.

The only thing, the scenery is no longer as charming as it used to be. Immigration does change a lot of things about a country.

2. Marina Bay Sands Water and Lights Show

During my 2011 trip with my entire family: my parents, my little brother and my cousin and her parents, we were divinely mesmerised by Sentosa’s Songs of the Sea.

It was all about advanced pyrotechnics and projections in Sentosa’s lagoon which blew our minds away. The only thing that could hold my breath so tightly next was the Dancing Fountains of Dubai Mall, Dubai (U.A.E.). As such, probably I had high expectations for Marina Bay Sands’ Water and Lights Show.

But again, for a free 15 minutes show that runs twice every night, you can’t ask for more.

The show is not something that I would exactly recommend to go. It's not a bucket-list-worth-experience but it still is a good dessert after a night's walk around Marina Bay Sands.

However, Marina Bay Sands itself is a huge esplanade, probably thrice the size of Mauritius' capital city's Caudan Waterfront's esplanade and houses one of the most breathtaking sceneries in Singapore- this especially at night.

3. Helix Bridge

The Helix is one of the most fascinating bridges in the world for me personally and I was quite surprised how it was not as popular as other world-renowned bridged. Its structure is like the DNA- a double Helix and the lights would remind me of the guanine, the cytosine, the phosphate and glucose groups from the Chemistry classes of last year.

What's funnier is that the night I visited the Helix Bridge, all the lights were purple indistinctively. I got back home, researched about the engineers and architects that were involved in its making and was surprised when I found in the middle of my reading that actually at times, pairs of coloured letters c and g, as well as a and t are lit up on the bridge in red and green to represent cytosine, guanine, adenine and thymine, the four bases of DNA.

You can't imagine how that geared me into excitement. As a matter of fact, the bridge would move slightly while we were on it and I was confused as to whether I was fainting or was it just the bridge giving me dark time lapses with its unexpected motions.

4. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

We went to the Tooth Relic Temple during the City Tour by the Global Learning Out-of-Class Activities curriculum of the campus. I never knew that there was such a temple in Singapore and although it didn’t feel me up with any spiritual connection or soothing feeling when I got there, I cannot take away its acute finest in architecture.

It was hilarious how everyone wearing shorts and sleeveless t-shirts or blouses were asked to wear sarong and a scarf before getting inside the temple.

5. Arab Street

If I could, I would spend days on Arab Street. It’s actually a landmark street and if you come to Singapore and miss this one, you might be missing out on some exotic tourism.

I was dazzled by the splashes of colours screaming from everywhere on the walls of Arab Street. Suddenly, you find a huge ounce of creativity and folkloric sense in the middle of a city- an uncommon sight for a rule-following and stringent Singapore.

Its heart is the Masjid Sultan Mosque, with a history that reaches back 200 years.

But this is also an area of indie boutiques, restored shop-houses and street arts (not a common sight in Singapore).

What's more: I found a giant "I am" shop there. More than enough reason to rate this place positively.

6. Vivocity

VivoCity is the largest shopping mall in Singapore and is merely 5 minutes by bus from where I live, in the precinct of Bukit Merah. I had been there 5 years ago, I’m guessing but never cared to remember the name; what was more important for the 14-year-old me is finding the Sentosa Tram and getting to the so-talked-about Sentosa Island.

You cannot enter which multi-floor giant multiplex and not have your feet and legs aching while you are still on one floor. I was really frantically realist when I mentioned on my Facebook Timeline that it is a huge a 3 bus stops distance in Mauritius.

There is basically nothing that you cannot find in Vivocity. For shopping addicts, I believe you can consider this one as one of your paradise.

As for me, the only reason I'm getting to Vivocity so often lately is because it is the only connecting point to Sentosa- beautifully so by a walking promenade recently built. It's an 8 minutes walk from Singapore to Sentosa and that too free of charge for a platform built on water with just as enough amazing things to see as you would have on land!

7. Dragon Boating

Again, as part of our Global Learning Classes, we went for Dragon Boating on the Kallang River, just next to the Sports Hub in Singapore. It was one engaging activity that required physical strength, teamwork and technique and yes, I want to mention our team won the race! :P

Safety jackets buckled, it’s one soaking activity and any one should better be prepared for that. The worst part is when one crew member would not follow the beats at which the boat has to be driven, our instructor would poured a bucketful of water on everyone. It was a water battle, more when the enemy boats would come near and with their spades splash water onto your board.

With removing the water from inside the boat, to maintaining the energy, it was a hit activity!

8. Navratri Night

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9. Hort Park

Hort Park. It’s awe-inspiring for me. I cannot fail to highlight how both high school and college for me are being associated with such greenery in my life. Hort Park is all about losing yourself in this dreamscape of stunning gardens that will make you forget the bustle of city. It's wet. It's humid. It's green and botanical.

Imagine a place where a collection of well manicured and fantastically designed gardens lay together in a charming space where you can picnic on the lawns in daylight or a enjoy glass of wine at the bistro on the grounds at night. That's what Hort Park is all about.

What’s incredible is that it is attached to our campus!

10. Clarke Quay

You said ‘nightlife’? In Singapore? Prepare your ears to hear “Clarke Quay” being shrilled around by everyone in the room.

Sure, Clarke Quay is famous for its stunning waterside restaurants and exciting collection of bars and clubs, but the area has so much more to offer from a historical perspective!

Clarke Quay used to be the trade centre of the region in golden times and has now been converted into a pedestrian mall after restoring five blocks of warehouses.

It happens to be busy on Wednesday Nights for it is free entrance for all ladies.

11. Zouk Club

The first stop for any club goer has to reportedly be Zouk, which has set the pace for the nightlife scene in Singapore and the region. One of the most famous clubs in the world, Zouk is touted as one of the best by critics and clubbers alike.

I was there one of these days and I would second that any time of the day. This place is huge with high security and the top-notch interior design of a proper club. On top of that, you can expect international which is obviously great!

12. Moon Cake Festival

In my World Culture class, I had a paper to write on the Mid-Autumn festival aka Moon Cake Festival. I know its meaning and why it is celebrated but I don’t want to repeat that all over again. In a sense of speaking, consider it to be the Chinese version of Divali. The tradition of exchanging moon cakes in present day is exceptionally popular in Singapore. In fact, the practice of gifting moon cakes to families, friends and/or business partners is seen as a way of maintaining personal and professional relationships.

While the inherent meaning has transformed, it is still heart-warming to see an age-old ritual integrated in modern society. However, the moon cake I tasted in Chinatown was not exactly tasty. A Vietnamese friend went to clarify that real moon cakes do not taste like that.

13. Chinatown

The cramped five-foot-ways, dingy alleys and raucous street hawkers are relics of Chinatown’s past.

Yet pockets of history remain in Chinatown, along with more modern sights. You could easily spend a few days wandering through these still-narrow streets.

Family-run goldsmiths, medicinal halls and teahouses ply their trades next to sleeker neighbours such as hipster bars and lifestyle shops.

For Mauritians, all of this is not new. It's a replica of our own Chinatowns except for the MRT dominated scenery!

These busy streets encapsulate all the sights and sounds visitors expect of Chinatown, with hundreds of stalls selling everything from silk robes to lucky cats. There are plenty of ‘Made in China’ goods on display and lanterns swaying in the breeze above your head. There’s also a fantastic range of street food carts amongst the shopping, with fresh dim sum and crispy duck.

Remember to haggle with a smile if you want the best price. The market is open during the day, but it looks its most picturesque at dusk, with the lights shining brightly and the sound of hawkers tempting you to check out their wares.

Best of all, there’s free Wi-Fi throughout the Chinatown area so you can continue to be plugged in while you sightsee, shop and eat.

14. Ion Art Gallery