A tropical Christmas in Singapore

If you are fed up of the cold but still want a Christmas break with great shopping opportunities and plenty of bright festive lights then Singapore has both.

The temperate city-state is welcoming travellers keen to do their Christmas shopping with a cheerful dose of Christmas lighting from November 11th 2006 to January 2nd 2007.

Handicrafts, clothes, textiles, and antiques from cultures all over Asia are among the gifts holidaymakers can find in Singapore.

There is late night shopping available on the island, with shopaholics well catered for at the Mustafa Centre in Little India, which is open all hours.

More gifts from diverse ethnicities can be found in districts such as Arab Street or Chinatown.

For the modern and air-conditioned experience, shoppers can head to the malls off Orchard Road in the island's best-known shopping street.

An enchanted garden-themed light display has been created on street especially for Christmas, and the street will have a 100ft-tall Christmas tree.

Another of Singapore's main shopping areas will also feature Christmas decorations - with a Christmas Bells-style outdoor lighting at Marina Bay.

As well as shopping, Singapore has a lot more to offer travellers enjoying its all-year-round warm temperatures.

Having so many different cultures influencing the tastes of the island – including Chinese, Malay, Indian and Indonesian – gives holidaymakers a wide choice of options when it comes to eating out.

With no chance of getting sick of Turkey or mince pies, Singapore offers seafood-lovers dishes such as black pepper crayfish, butter prawns, and a spicy fish-head curry.

For those with really adventurous taste, then the Imperial Herbal Kitchen offers holidaymakers delicacies including deep fried scorpions and ants, as well as much more conventional foods.

And if eating so many exotic foods is too far removed from Christmas, then Singapore also has several festive events planned for 2006.

On December 2nd the Philharmonic Chamber Choir will be performing a Christmas concert, at The Esplanade, and tickets cost £4.

Late-night shoppers will also be able to see nightly performances from local and international groups on Orchard Road from December 16th to 25th, which will also feature floats and a life-size nativity scene.

Among the offers available from the Singapore tourism board is a five-night stay at a three-star hotel, travelling before December 31st 2006 including flights with Singapore Airlines for £691 per person.

A supplement of £165 applies for travel between December 10th and 23rd 2006 and £50 for travel from December 24th to 31st 2006.

For more information see www.visitsingapore.com XXX