The barman is serving a long, cool Aperol Spritz and, as he hands it to me with a dazzling smile, the sunset glints behind the glass – orange upon orange. My only test now is capturing it on Instagram and then making sure I don’t spill a drop as I return slowly to my friends.
Why the extra care? Because I’m in a swim-up bar, inside the best infinity pool I’ve ever seen – overlooking a sandy beach and glorious bay. None
of this existed 50 years ago: the achingly cool beach club, the beach or even the island.
Welcome to Sentosa in Singapore. Like Dubai, it’s a man-made paradise that delivers on every level. It’s a pleasure island for adults and families alike.
Take the +Twelve beach club, which feels more like a scene from a Hollywood movie than real-life, affordable luxury. Music is pumping in the background and while my gang are hanging out beside the pool, we also have our own private cabana with a plunge pool behind us. .
I’ve flown here for a two-sided holiday split between the small island of Sentosa and the shopping and foodie haven of Singapore City – a mere 30 minutes away by taxi or a short hop on the air-conditioned Mass Rapid Transit train system.
If you love Dubai and the endless attraction of cool hangouts and beaches, you’ll adore Sentosa. We check in at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, which has a delightful art deco beach vibe.
It’s perhaps the most peaceful hotel I’ve ever visited, with lift lobbies opening out to beautiful balconies overlooking the swimming pool and private bay, and the rooms sporting individual balconies where a chorus of birdsong greets you every morning.
Eat at the delicious Italian Trapizza restaurant on Siloso Beach, a stroll from the hotel, and you’ll see polite signs asking you not to feed the monkeys. Tuck into your pizzas from their outdoor oven, and peacocks will strut around you. Like the rest of the island, it’s calm, enjoyable and a mixture of friendly locals and visitors.
The Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa has an awesome pool but I head for sun loungers on the hotel’s private beach with soft white sand (you can opt for kayaking or paddle boarding, too).
When we want adventure, we head for The Palawan @ Sentosa, an iconic beach playground, and book into the e-karting – real-life racing on a track and terrific fun.
There’s a zip line for those who dare, but I choose the more sedate cable car, which links hotspots on the island and gives you a bird’s-eye view (and the chance for spectacular selfies). There’s also Universal Studios for family fun.
But my own heaven is the aforementioned +Twelve Adults Beach Club, where a cabana for 12 with your own plunge pool costs just £200 for four hours. It’s the ultimate cool hang-out, filled with locals all enjoying the fresh platters of delicious food.
Back at the hotel, guests are lying on giant bean bags next to the beach to watch a free movie on the giant outdoor screen. Bliss.
Truth be told, I could stay for a month on sensational Sentosa. But
I have four days only – so off we head to Singapore City and one of the most famous hotels in the world.
The Shangri-La Singapore is the mecca for US presidents and Hollywood stars alike.
Thirty years ago, I went as a young twenty-something with my husband. When I return decades later, the same doorman who met us then – dressed in traditional splendour – greets me with the same wide smile. It’s a welcome I never forgot.
It’s very hard to leave the tranquil greenery of the Shangri-La, with its Wes Anderson-style yellow and white striped umbrellas on the verdant grass beside the pool.
Their kids’ club, Buds, is so incredible—with a piano and karaoke studio, wall art to decorate with fluorescent pens, giant ball pools, and a mini-kitchen for cooking lessons—that even the adults want to join in.
Origin Bar is ranked 32 on the list of Asia’s 50 best bars 2024 (colonial-style cool), and the restaurants include the opulent Shang Palace (steamed lobster a speciality) or the Origin Grill.
But it’s not all about splashing the cash. Because a short bus ride to Orchard Road leaves you hunting for bargains (real savings in the malls where hand-painted coasters in rainbow colours cost just £10 each), enjoying the history of Emerald Hill (pretty painted original homes which are an Instagrammer’s dream) or walking through the bustling areas of Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street and Haji Lane – where Chinese, Malay and Indian locals exist in perfect harmony.
For lunch, I’m tucking into a Michelin-rated meal for just £2.
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Yes, reader, in the nearby Tiong Bahru Market, one of many hawker food markets (or communal dining rooms), there’s always a queue for the Michelin-approved Hainanese boneless chicken rice (which tastes restaurant-perfect for £2) or the hong heng fried sotong prawn mee (Michelin-recognised dish for just £3).
Downstairs, in the market that sells fresh fish, meat and vegetables, one elderly stall holder recalls how chicken was such a delicacy in the 1960s that customers would ask for fillets to be hidden inside newspaper so their neighbours wouldn’t think them too rich and flashy.
For decades, Singapore was seen as a stopover. The script has changed – making it a go-to holiday destination in its own right.
From beautiful hotels, spotless streets, wonderful beaches and a foodie culture no matter what your budget – head there for your very own Singapore fling.
How to fly business class to Singapore for an economy price
Have you ever dreamed of a business class seat for economy class money? I’ve longed for such a dupe and I found a simple trade-off.
If you fly to stylish Helsinki (a delight of an airport, where changing gates is like walking onto another Tube platform) and then change for your onward flight, you can afford a business-class experience you’ll never forget on Finnair.
For a start, the business lounge is calm and comfortable, with sofas and 70s-style chairs, a huge bar, delicious food and beautiful showers.
Once on the aircraft, there are the most spacious businessclass seats/beds I’ve ever slept in, with wonderful soft blankets, a lie-flat bed and a touch-screen state-of-the-art entertainment system.
Here’s how the maths work: a return business class flight from London to Singapore is just £2,441 on Finnair – which is £1,451* less than the equivalent business class seat for another airline flying directly from London to Changhi airport.
You spend an extra three hours in the air both ways by flying via Helsinki – so that’s £241.84 you save for every extra hour you’re in the air. So lie back and sleep on that.
*Prices correct at time of publishing
Amanda stayed at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, where double rooms start at £269 per night and suites at £660, including bike rental, sea sports and outdoor movies. At Shangri-La Singapore, double rooms start at £250, while rooms in the luxury Valley Wing start at £410 per night.
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