Your wife is actaully right - you can do all three in one day. I like to wander - especially through markets (the market in Little India is my fave.) The ethnic quarters are rather small (though Chinatown is biggest) so are great for just wandering around.

It's our plan to do just what you say...wander around the various neighborhoods. Our daughter (9, but a shopper already) is keen on Holland Village.

Holland V is more of an expat enclave and food/shopping place rather than ethnic quarter. There's good and cheap eating places all over.

check out this blog for local food.

http://ieatishootipost.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for the inputs.

Nice to know how to plan your time. Expect to try all three and make a day of it. And that food blog instantly made me hungry.

The colors in Chinatown and Little India are amazing -- the photos you will get will just knock you out. You can definitely do all 3 in one day.

jenskar,

I found this site which shows those colors:

http://www.molon.de/galleries/Singapore/

If you can work your schedule, I would aim to be in Little India for lunch or dinner, there are some great restaurants there, esp. Woodlands or Banana Leaf Apollo:

Banana Leaf Apollo
78 Race Course Road
Tel: 6293-8682

A Singapore institution. Excellent curry served on a fresh banana leaf. I’ve been crazy about it since 1986. The Fish Head Curry is a must.

Madras New Woodlands
12/14 Upper Dickson Road
tel: 297 1594

Extremely cheap and cheerful, vegetarian. Very good.

I would agree that Holland Village is not at all an “ethnic” enclave (other than Chinese, which being the majority in Singapore, really don’t count IMO), although it certainly has some very good restaurants and some good shops. I would save that for an evening for dinner.

Vivaldi -- here's the Sing photos we took -- first two that load aren't that colorful but the rest most definitely are -- we were also there right before Chinese New Year and that definitely upped the color quotient.
http://web.mac.com/kitskarstrom/iWeb/Bali/Photos%207.html

There's a huge food court in Little India; many of the smaller shops were incorporated into a covered open air mall-like space across the street. The skytrain stop for Chinatown leads you right into a street filled with small shops as well.

Hope you have a great time !

Arab Street...where I buy gorgeous silk, tulis batik sarongs and matching shawls at Aljunied boutique. They have an amazing selection of both cottons and silks. I love shopping in Singapore. Happy Travels!

Little India is my fav. Although all of Singapore is a fav of mine.

I like to walk into a local Indian restaurant where everyone sits at communal tables, the "plate" is a banana leaf and you just signal the servers to come and ladle a big spoonful of whatever onto the banana leaf, eat everything with your RIGHT hand, and then wash off at the big communal sinks. Yummmm, some of the best Indian food I've ever eaten, India itself not excluded.

Appreciate the additional info.

kmloke, thanks for the blog site. great eating places. i was drooling at the wah kee prawn mee, and fattys char sui. i recognized a few of the places in katong but never went in. this time i will. i hope to go to as much of the "must really try list" as possible when i'm in singapore in oct. thanks again.

Wow, what a memory flashback. Fish Head curry at the Apollo. Fantastic itr took me back 30 years and I will never forget the head , teeth and all, sticking up out of the curry sauce. Fantastic meal and no washing up of plates!!! go for it

kuranosuke

You are most welcome.

If you do drop by check out Kim Choo or True Blue for peranakan cuisine.

For steak, poultry, fish etc check out Astons. They are close to each other. Right now Astons is my family's favourite. They have wagyu steak going from $50 onwards (grade 5). Love the super burger.

http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/