Celebrate Christmas Singapore style

UK visitors to Singapore this festive season won’t miss out on their traditional Christmas celebrations. Instead they will have the added benefit of celebrating Christmas with all the trimmings – and more - in the balmy heat of tropical Singapore.

“Christmas In The Tropics” is already a big hit with British tourists. One in five visitors last year planned their trips to coincide with Singapore’s Christmas celebrations.

This year’s programme which runs from 17th November to 2nd January is packed full of festive performances, entertainment events, shopping specials, concerts and dance parties, as well as the traditional and highly popular display of Christmas lights at Orchard Road and Marina Bay.

A Fairytale Christmas
Christmas would not be the same without a children’s fairytale and this year’s Christmas Light-up, inspired by the Nutcracker Suite, tells the story of handsome Prince Noel who goes in search of his missing true love Princess Ballerina, through the Crystal Forest. Visitors can stroll down the route following the story as it unfolds. Alternatively, they can take a free tour on the Hippo bus each night between 7pm and 9.30pm.

Christmas entertainment – with a difference
Many people love to go to a show at Christmas. Christmas, Singapore style, includes alfresco performances as well as more traditional entertainment. Visitors can look forward to Christmas-themed performances nightly at various locations along Orchard Road as well as a colourful Parade of floats from 15th to 24th December. There is also an interactive Nativity Village at Plaza Singapura and the festivities culminate in a Grand Christmas concert on Christmas night.

Other entertainment highlights during Christmas In The Tropics include performances such as ‘Scrooge – The Musical’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, ‘The Nutcracker – Xmas Fairytale on Ice’, ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘A Crazy Christmas’; the popular ZoukOut outdoor dance festival on Sentosa; The Jewel Christmas Musical Light Show and ‘Snow’ Show at Mount Faber’s Jewel Box; Classical Greece at the Louvre showcasing priceless pieces from the famed Louvre Museum in Paris, displayed for the first time outside the museum, at the National Museum of Singapore, as well as myriad New Year countdown parties across the island.

Christmas Shopping Specials
Singapore is a shopper’s paradise. Visitors can escape the last minute rush in wintry Britain and shop, at leisure, in many malls and famous named boutiques in Singapore. There are a number of shopping promotions and discounts – some just for visitors. These include iPods, mobile phones and watches as well as other gifts.

As an added incentive visitors can ship home their buys without hassle, thanks to DHL’s special discounts of up to 75% shipping rates for its specially designed festive boxes.

Festive Feasting
Singapore’s cultural diversity is reflected in its delicious food and what better time to experience this than Christmas, traditionally a period of over-indulging! Savour seafood Singapore-style’, including Black Pepper Crayfish, Butter Prawns, and the fiery fish-head curry, served with rice on a banana leaf. A visit to the Imperial Herbal Kitchen to restore your ‘ying and yang’ is also a must.

Fusion of Cultures
Singapore’s culture is a tapestry of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan and Eurasion influences. As well as the Christmas celebrations, Singapore’s ethnic districts offer a host of shops, eateries and monuments to explore. Discover the colourful shophouses and roadside peddlers in bustling Chinatown or visit the Peranakan District, a unique community descended from Chinese settlers who married Malay women.

Singapore - A Natural Paradise
Singapore is one of only two cities in the world to have natural rainforest within its city boundaries. At Bukit Timah Nature Reserve you can trek to Singapore’s highest point. Or relax in Singapore's first garden spa, Spa Botanica, which offers a blend of indoor pampering with treatments outdoors which draw on the healing powers of nature. Alternatively, visit Aramsa Spa, Singapore’s newest garden spa situated in a beautiful national park.

Christmas Diary Dates:

17 Nov – 2 January: Christmas Light-Up.
15 - 24 December: Celebrate Christmas in Singapore with nightly stage performances at Orchard Road including the Parade of Floats.
25 December: Grand Christmas concert.

For more information, log on to Visitsingapore.com.