Start with a light, local breakfast at Amoy Street Food Centre (in the MND Building, at 7 Maxwell Rd), where hawker stalls serve quick Singaporean fare of dumplings, noodles and savoury cakes, alongside salads, muffins and ramen. Get your morning caffeine fix while you're here. Coffee Break sells regulation flat whites and mochas, but you should keep it local by going for the traditional kopi or teh. Alongside your cup of java, try their black sesame toast for a breakfast of champions.
Get your sense of perspective early with a ride on the high Singapore Flyer early on your first day. The 30-minute rotation will give you a decent idea of the layout of downtown Singapore and with an early arrival (doors open at 8.30am) you can avoid the crowds. It helps to be able to pick out the bigger buildings and waterways to give you an idea of distances and the time you'll need to get between places. Don't underestimate the distances — remember it gets very hot out there. Taxis are plentiful, cheap and air-conditioned.
From there, you're near the famed Gardens by the Bay,
the somewhat crazy result of a modern megacity fetishising fresh air and greenery. The Cloud Forest glasshouse replicates the cool, moist conditions of tropical mountains, and the Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse in the world, while the Supertree Grove towers over all with connecting walkways 50m in the air.
Both the Singapore Flyer and the Gardens present terrific views of the Marina Bay Sands. Access to the rooftop infinity pool — the largest (and surely the most photographed) in the world — is limited to guests at the hotel, but you can admire the architects' freakish self confidence from street level.
