Singapore

Though she appears as a little dot on the map, Singapore’s global might as a finance and tourism centre far outweighs her size. And the fact that the island is so small – about half an hour’s drive from one side to the other – means that you can’t go terribly wrong when choosing which area to stay in Singapore. The main districts to choose from are Orchard Road, the original centre and shopping mall drag; Chinatown or Little India, where a crop of boutique hotels have sprung up; the CBD (Central Business District); the Marina Bay area, which is perhaps the most vibrant and exhilarating new hotel hub; and Sentosa Island, which has beaches and activities galore but is still barely a 10 minute taxi to the action of town.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson