Singaporeans are proud of their gleaming city - but don't often mention that the hard labour is done by an army of migrant workers imported from around the region. On their (rare) days off, each nationality gravitates to a different part of the city, where you can find great food, cheap CDs and other products from their homelands, and some crazy karaoke-disco bars.

For Burmese stuff, head for Peninsular Plaza; for Thai, hit Golden Mile Complex. The Phillipino maids have made Lucky Plaza their own, while the Bangladeshi construction workers descend on Little India in their thousands on Sundays to chat and shop and eat.

Peninsular Plaza: 111, North Bridge Road
Golden Mile Complex: 5001, Beach Road
Lucky Plaza: 304, Orchard Road
Little Dhaka: around Veerasamy Road

...and for more info on migrant workers: twc2.org.sg/

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Holland Village is the closest thing Singapore has to an organic hip neighbourhood. Head there on a Sunday morning, buy the fat Straits Times and a couple of magazines from the stall on the corner, and settle in outside Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf with an eggs benedict and an Iced Mocha Blended while watching the people go by.

Holland Village. You can get a cab, or a bus, or an MRT to Buona Vista then walk (not too near) from there. Just get a cab!

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Changi beach is quite long and makes for a decent walk (e.g.,with good toilet facilities). The only thing to note is that there are homeless people (yes, even in Singapore) camping on the beach, but they pose absolutely no threat. There are also voluntary campers, as it is permitted to camp on beaches in Singapore.

Walk on the pavement that runs parallel to the beach until you get close to Changi airport, and then catch the awesome sight of the 747s which seem to descend to land just about 50 feet above your head.

You can see the planes queueing for miles on a clear day and about one a minute coming in which look like they are going to land on you. The wheels descend just before they reach the beach. It may seem surreal, but it is a truly awesome experience - bring a camera!

Changi beach lis ocated at the north eastern tip of Singapore.

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