Taking the rapid transit trains in Singapore is not only better for the environment, but it also allows you to experience Singapore a little bit more like a local. Grab an EZ-Link card or buy a Singapore Tourist Pass and use the MRT, buses, and your feet to explore the city. With the help of public transportation you can see more of Singapore in one day than most visitors can fit into a week. Start your tour at HarbourFront. Have breakfast, spend some time strolling along the water and enjoying the morning sun before you embark on your journey on the Yellow Line. Stop at Labrador Park, Kent Ridge Park, or Haw Par Villa. Switch to the Green Line and make a stop at Chinese Garden with picturesque pagodas, statues, bridges and plants. You can spend the afternoon here, wandering between the linked islands on Jurong Lake. Still on the Green Line, Tiong Bahru is great for lunch. For more parks, head to Pasir Ris, where you can cycle, ride horses and kids can have fun at a playground. In the evening, switch to the Purple Line to get to Chinatown. Colourful architecture, heritage temples and traditional eateries that serve dim sum and yum cha wait for you here. You can finish your day of exploration by taking the Blue Line to Bayfront, next to the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark. Have a drink with a panoramic view of the bay at sunset and enjoy the laser light show.

For those not quite ready to descend underwater, snorkelling provides a great alternative. A mask and breathing pipe are all the equipment necessary to see fascinating marine life unfold before your eyes as you swim through the dashingly clear waters.

At Batu Caves you can climb up 272 steps, 61 metres, and be amazed by the Hindu’s Lord Murugan shrines built in natural limestone. Watch out for the monkeys who unscrupulously steal any loose items or visible food.