Hi
My husband & I are going to Singapore for my 40th birthday in March.
Any suggestions on what not to miss?
We are also staying at the Swissotel Merchant Court.
Can't wait to hear back from someone.

There are lots of things to do in Singapore. Which to choose depends on your interests. What made you choose Singapore? What do you hope to do/see/experience?

I love food. When we went to Thailand we were told not to eat street food. That was a shame because thats the whole experience of traveling but I didn't want to spend my whole trip in the bathroom either.
We like Museums, Parks, Hiking, eating, shopping and just relaxing.

8 days in my opinion may be a bit too long- you are close to Malaysia why not work a few days in for KL?

Do the night safari in Singapore, and of course Orchard road for shopping.

Hawker stalls in SIngapore are safe, so enjoy the food! Of course, there are wonderful restaurants as well. Singaporeans are serious about their food. There are many threads here about food in SIngapore, look for a few. Several threads refer to SIngapore food blogs.

The Museum of Asian Civilization is excellent. It has two branches, so visit both. There is a small museum inside Raffles Hotel that is charming, so pay it a visit.

The zoo, especially the night safari gets good reviews. I enjoyed the Jurong Bird Park, especially the aviary where you walk though natural habitat with the birds. There is also a rainforest park (the name escapes me) that many people like for a hike.

I'm not that impressed with the shopping in SIngapore these days. For one, it's pretty expensive with the US dollar being low. Second, the malls are virtually all western goods. You have to go to the ethnic areas (which I recommend anyway) to find interesting crafts to spices, etc.

While you could go to KL for a couple of days, I find much more to do in SIngapore. If you wanted an overnight trip outside the city, I'd recommend Melaka.

BTW, the Singapore Tourist Board has the best literature of any tourist board I've ever seen. They have great maps, books, etc. Find them on the web and send away for some literature.

I agree with Kathie that the shopping in Sing is not very interesting as she describes- however I do think a few days in KL is worthwhile- you will get a very different culture there and the shopping is much better.

Definitely eat Black Pepper Crab at Eng Seng. It is near Juchiat road. Get there at 5:30 p.m. to avoid lines. Bring lots of paper napkins. This will be one of the best meals you have in Singapore.

I agree that eight days in Singapore may be too much. I would look at popping over to Malaysia for four days for a change.

If you like food, Singapore will not disappoint! The hawker centers are amazing... great food at inexpensive prices.

I do agree with others that 8 days is too long though-- unless you really, really like shopping for western goods in big malls (though to Kathie's point, the ethnic areas do offer interesting markets and shops). I would check out some of Malaysia, and there are several nearby islands that may be of interest.

We have already booked our trip so I'am not sure we can change our arrangments.
I'am not big on shopping at Mall's so the ethnic areas would be perfect for us.
I can't wait to have the chili crab.
Thank you for all your responses.

Eight days is more than most people spend in SIngapore, but you can find enough to fill eight days.

One of my favorite places in SIngapore is the Orchid Garden located within the botanical gardens (which are also worthwhile).

As for ethnic areas, Little India is fun, especially the markets, and Arab Street. Chinatown seems redundant in a city where the official languages are Mandarin and English, but it is an interesting area.

A bus tour to Changi prison camp brings home the horrors of the Japanese occupation and suggests motives for the post-war development of Singapore as a multi-ethnic economic powerhouse.

Samy's justly renowned Indian curry house will reward the adventurous with a riot of flavours at low prices. They will supply spoons and forks to those who don't want to eat with the traditional utensil -- the right hand. Next door, cool off at the Red Dot brewpub beside a lovely reflecting pool. These businesses are part of a redeveloped military base in a parklike setting. A real park, the botanical gardens you mention, is nearby.
Samy's is in Block 25, Dempsey Road.

Thank You again for all your replies.
It's all useful info.
How are prices? I know that the SGD is 1.40 to the US 1.00. Say what is the price for a bottle water?