103 Best Sights in Singapore

Also known as Hong Lim Park, this spot was declared a "free speech zone" by the government in 2001. It looks like nothing more than a small patch of grass, but from 7 am to 7 pm on some days, you may be able to catch carefully crafted words and speeches from people with an opinion to share. Those who wish to speak need to register with the police at the park station or online. This was intended as a place for people to express their opinions freely, but it hasn't been very successful: you can't address religious or racial issues, and having to register means that your presence has been noted.

Also known as Chettiars' Temple, this southern Indian temple, a national monument that's home to numerous shrines, is a replacement for the original, which was built in the 19th century. The 75-foot-high gopuram, with its many colorful sculptures of godly manifestations, is astounding. The chandelier-lighted interior is lavishly decorated; 48 painted-glass panels are inset in the ceiling and angled to reflect the sunrise and sunset. The temple is the main gathering point for devotees during the Tamil festival Thaipusam and a sight to watch, as attendees pierce their bodies with metal spikes and hooks and walk over burning coals as part of the festival's pilgrimage.

Dedicated to Kali the Courageous, a ferocious incarnation of Shiva's wife, Parvati the Beautiful, this temple was built in 1881 by indentured Bengali laborers working at nearby lime pits. Inside is a jet-black statue of Kali, the fiercest of the Hindu deities, who demands sacrifices and is often depicted with a garland of skulls. More cheerful is the shrine to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of wisdom and prosperity. Perhaps the most popular Hindu deity, Ganesh is the child of Shiva and Parvati. During the temple's opening hours you will see Hindus going in to receive blessings: the priests streak devotees' foreheads with vibhuti, the white ash from burned cow dung.

Indian convicts were brought in to construct this cathedral in the English Gothic style. The structure, completed in 1861, has bells cast by the firm that made Big Ben's, and it resembles Netley Abbey, in Hampshire, England. So impressed were the British overlords that they granted freedom to the designer. The church was expanded in 1952 and again in 1983. Its lofty interior is white and simple, with stained-glass windows coloring the sunlight as it enters. On the walls are marble-and-brass memorial plaques, including one commemorating the British who died in a 1915 mutiny of native light infantry and another in memory of 41 Australian army nurses killed in the Japanese invasion. Services are held every Sunday. A few historical artifacts are in the south transept.

St. John's was first a leper colony, then a prison camp, and then a place to intern political enemies of the republic. Today it's a great place for picnics and camping. You can stay overnight at St John's Island Lodge, and there are camping facilities as well. The island is also home to a Marine Aquaculture Centre and Tropical Marine Science Institute. Visit the 2.8-km (1.7-mile) St John's Island Trail marked by 15 stations and signboards detailing the island's history and diversity of flora and fauna. You can get to St. John's via the ferries at Marina South Pier with Marina South Ferries and Singapore Island Cruise.

Explore the mediums of print and paper at this creative workshop and art gallery by Robertson Quay. Exhibitions and work from visiting international artists change regularly, so check their website for further information. There are also works from leading artists available for purchase.

Shaped like a numeral three from above, this stretch of beach is busy on weekends thanks to the always vibing beachfront Tanjong Beach Club. It's also popular with dog owners and their water-trained pooches. Come on a weekday if you fancy having the beach all to yourself. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming solitude.

You'll struggle not to pull out your camera as you walk along this road. The 220 shophouses that line the street have been restored to an idealized version of their 19th-century appearance—a collection of brightly-colored facades standing in symmetrical unity. The buildings contain tea houses, calligraphers, mahjong tile makers, shops, bars, and restaurants, and although there is no one house that is especially worth visiting, the road itself makes for a pleasant stroll as you admire the striking architecture.

Sentosa Island isn't all fancy hotels and beach bars—there's also the natural, biodiverse area of Tanjong Rimau. Located at the far end of Siloso Beach, it is home to many creatures like red egg crabs, hairy crabs, sea snails, and occasionally, octopuses that can be spotted at low tide. For an experiential journey led by volunteer guides, join the Siloso Headland Intertidal Programme. The closest amenities are at Fort Siloso Skywalk or Silver Shell Cafe. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; walking.

The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya is better known by its popular name because of its lightbulbs surrounding a 50-foot Buddha. Sporting a fusion of Indian, Thai, and Chinese influences, the entire temple as well as the Buddha statue, was built by the Thai monk Vutthisasala. Until he died at the age of 94, he was always in the temple, ready to explain Buddhist philosophy. Among the relics he procured: a mother-of-pearl-inlaid cast of the Buddha's footprint and a piece of bark from the bodhi tree under which the Buddha is believed to have received enlightenment. Around the pedestal supporting the great Buddha statue is a series of scenes depicting the story of his search for enlightenment; inside a hollow chamber at the back is a re-creation of the scene of the Buddha's last sermon.

Built in 1826 by Teochew Chinese from Guangdong Province and dedicated to the goddess of the sea, this is one of Singapore's oldest Taoist temples. It's also known as Wak Hai Cheng Bio Temple, which means Temple of the Calm Sea. Traders and travelers returning from China visited the temple on disembarking—believe it or not, Philip Street was then very close to the water—to offer their thanks for a safe journey. It has been maintained by the Ngee Ann Clan Association since 1845 and was rebuilt in 1895. Inside, there's an imperial signboard presented by Qing Dynasty Emperor Guang Xu in 1907. Each of the structure's twin wings can be accessed by its own entrance, each of which has different ornamental features. Besides dragons and pagodas, human figurines and scenes from Chinese operas are depicted on the temple's roof.

The Chinese Circle Theatre (CTC) is a nonprofit organization that's been cultivating an appreciation of Cantonese opera since 1981. Check out one of their dinner performances every Friday and Saturday night from 7 to 9 and gain some insight into this particular art form. The Theatre Circle is set up along a stretch of Smith Street that transforms into a pedestrian zone nightly and brings to mind the hustle and bustle of the street hawkers from the 1970s.