Singapore

New from Bradt is Singapore, written by Daniel Robinson, a southeast Asia specialist and former Singapore resident who has written scores of travel guidebooks since 1988. Robinson shares his local expertise and insights to escort visitors, locals and expat residents off the beaten track and get the most out of this unique island-state. Smaller than Anglesey and teetering at the Malay Peninsula's southernmost tip, Singapore is the world's third most densely populated country, yet doesn't feel like that at all - partly thanks to spectacular parks and wild spaces. Singapore stands apart from many Asian capitals in being carefully planned, reassuringly safe, English-speaking, spotlessly clean and - thanks to this guidebook's detailed advice - remarkably easy to explore on public transport, rented bicycle or foot. It abounds in eye-catching architecture, including high-end hotels, yet also hosts rainforest reserves where monkeys can be seen from a canopy walkway. Travellers who treat Singapore merely as a brief layover en route to further-flung destinations are missing out. You can visit the world's largest orchid garden (with 60,000 flowering plants), the world's tallest indoor waterfall and the world's first nocturnal zoo. Gastronomes can experience both Michelin-starred restaurants and hawker centres selling scrumptious, inexpensive street food. The longer you stay, the richer experiences you can find. Applying a particular focus on family-friendly activities, Robinson reveals the best places to take a stroll, have a picnic and find engaging public art (including government-sponsored 'graffiti') - but also places that even Singaporeans seldom visit: hot springs, a ruined Japanese temple and hidden beaches on offshore islands. Moreover, Changi airport - voted the world's best an astonishing 12 times - is a destination in its own right, with residents flocking to shops even if not flying anywhere. A truly global city for two centuries, Singapore offers visitors an historic, cultural and culinary microcosm of south, southeast and east Asia, seasoned with its unique dynamic blend of trade, banking, innovation and cultural fusion - with a dollop of the rest of the world thrown in. This is a city-state that rewards those who give it time - provided they have Bradt's Singapore guidebook in hand.