“Singapore Tour in 2.5 Days OK, But Tight!
1. some visitors have tried to ‘see’ Singapore in a 1-day stopover tour. But packing in a 1-day Singapore tour does not do justice to this beautiful city.

2. In 2.5 days, you’ll have enough time to see some of the major sights. However, you’ll need to be very selective with your choices. If you could tell me what your travel preferences are (e.g. shopping, museums, culture, etc.), I could point you more specifically to the nice spots.

3. Generally, first-time visitors have said that they enjoy:

a. Singapore Night Safari – plan to arrive before 7pm to watch the tribal show. Allow the whole evening for a leisurely stroll round the park.

b. Walking (or Shopping) Tours of the so-called Ethnic Quarters (Little India, Malay-Arab Quarter, Chinatown). Allow half a day for each area. Check out the links on the left-side menu of this site.

c. Late-Night Shopping at 24/7 Mustafa Centre.

Have a wonderful Singapore tour.”

The Dumpling Festival which is held annually is enjoyed by both locals and tourists alike. This significant national festival is related to an interesting ancient Chinese legend. Qu Yuan the patriotic poet and statesman is believed to have thrown himself to the Milo River to show his strong disapproval of injustice and corruption caused to the fishermen. It is also believed that the local fishing community tried hard to save his body from the demons. As a result they began to throw rice in to the river as offerings and started to beat drums and gongs.

So, with time this became an annual event. The Chinese community living in Singapore celebrates the Dumpling Festival on the fifth day of the fifth month each year. They celebrate this by organising colourful dragon boat races and consume hundreds and hundreds of dumplings. They relate the dragon races to the search for the body of their beloved Qu Yuan.
Zongzi or dumplings are small rice packets that are enclosed in bamboo leaves. To prevent the dragons from eating the rice packets, the people tied them with bright colour silk threads.

Since recent times many new items have added more colour and excitement to the Dumpling Festival. These new items include lion dances, Chinese opera and orchestra shows and karaoke evenings. The highlight of the festival happens when the people of the parade gather at the Albert Mall.

This vibrant and fun filled festival can be enjoyed by staying at a nearby Singapore luxury hotel such as Raffles Hotel, Singapore which is renowned for offering world class service along with an extensive range of contemporary amenities.