We stayed in Hostel 166 which, although out of town, suited our needs as it was quiet and just outside the centre of the city making it only a short busride to the border with Malaysia. Our host, Yang, was really friendly and gave us lots of tips for things to see, eat and do over our 3 days there.

On the first day we went to Orchard Road, the biggest and probably most expensive shopping street in the city. Almost every Western big-chain shop you could think of was represented. It was cool to go into some of them (quite literally, their air-con was on full blast :-) ) and we even managed to fit a wee trip into M&S to buy some much needed Percy Pigs. It didn't take us long to finish them.

After that we went on a walking tour of Little India. The place was so busy and full of market stalls, people selling food, clothes, jewellery, spices...almost anything. And all on these small sidewalks that left room for only single-file walking. There were a couple of temples and a mosque on our self-guided tour, but there was just so much going on it was hard to keep pace with everything, especially in the stifling heat of the city. I think it gave us quite a good idea of what life in India would be like!

Nearby to little India was the Sim Lim Square Electronic Mall, basically 6 floors just ram-packed with people selling everything and anything electronic. I was in heaven, although I thought that things might have been a little cheaper than they were. Some of their selling was quite aggressive and the choice was overwhelming! We both needed a memory stick for our photos and managed to pick up a couple of 4GB ones for about 10 pounds each.

We then stopped off in Merlion Park on our way to the Colonial District. Loads of people were there (including us) taking pictures, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was all about...! The colonial district is amazing. Rule Britannia all the way. Hehe. The buildings are all really British in design, the cricket club looks perfect for a G&T on the balcony on a balmy afternoon but all the while the district is totally different to the rest of the city. Raffles, a temple to the Empire, is nearby and what trip to Singapore could leave out a bona-fide Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. Very good indeed. What with the cocktails and Tiffany's next door it was pretty difficult to drag Sheona away!

The next day we headed off to nearby Singapore Zoo. Apparently it is one of the world's best zoos and when we got there we realised why. All of the exhibits are pretty much open plan (with the exception of the dangerous ones!), with really good viewing areas, excellent shows and the animals all look very well looked after. The Orangutangs had loads of space with tree-top vines that crossed over the pedestrian pathways, we were just a bit worried that we might get pooped on! We spent the whole day walking around, but we didn't leave in the evening. Oh no! We had dinner nearby and then went to their sister park; the Night Safari. It is basically a zoo in the dark, with the option to drive around or walk around the different exhibits. We walked around and saw all the nocturnal animals out and about, all bathed in a really gentle light that looked a lot like moonlight. The fishing cats, flying squirrels and leopards were the highlights as was the animal show. Someone had a snake pulled out from under their seat!

Exhausted, but eager to make the most of our time here we visited Little China on our final day. The Thian Hock Keng Temple, was really impressive with a huge golden Buddha in the centre surrounded by hundreds of other statues and engravings. We were going to go to Sentosa, a tourist island, for the afternoon but thunder and lightening was threatening so we went to Clarke Quay to pass some time. The heavens opened but we found a pretty cool bar to sit and relax in.

For starting off your trip into SE Asia, Singapore is ideal. Not only does everyone speak pretty good English, but there is such a mix of cultures, foods and customs from all around the area that it acts as a very good and safe introduction. The public transport is excellent too, so getting around is cheap and hassle-free.