Five Reasons Why You Should Travel to Singapore this Long Weekend

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Cruising to the coast for the long weekend? That sounds pretty great. Jetting to Singapore for an impromptu overseas jaunt? That sounds even better. How better to celebrate the Queen's Birthday public than travelling abroad, doing something different and treating yourself like a queen — or king, or some other type of royalty?

Just think: Singapore is only an 8-and-a-half-hour flight away, which is something you could do in your sleep — literally. In partnership with Mastercard, we've put together a quick things of things to do to convince you to make the most of the weekend with a trip. It'll be worth it.

THERE'S SO MUCH SMOKED MEAT TO TRY

Meat, glorious meat: if it's your kind of food, then this smoked meat experience at Meat Smith is your kind of meal. American-style meat smoking a fairly new thing in Singapore, and this is your chance to get some one-on-one time with the chef to hear the tricks of the trade. You'd best be a fan of pork, as devouring a suckling pig — or opting for a platter of delicious pork options — is on the agenda. You'll eat, you'll learn, and you'll drink craft beer and barrel-aged cocktails. Arrive hungry.

THERE'S A LATE-NIGHT JAPANESE THEMED CLUB

Yes, you're in Singapore — but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a taste of a completely different country while you're there. Club kyō is the city's Japanese-themed late-night hangout in the middle of the CBD. Expect minimalistic yet naturalistic decor heavy on stone, wood and sleek surfaces, as well as sake, Japanese whiskey, and gourmet sashimi and sushi. And, because it's a nightclub, expect to dance the evening away to everything from funk to reggae to nu-disco.

THE ARCHITECTURE IS INCREDIBLE

Wandering, moseying, roaming: there's no better way to get to know a new city, even if you're only there for a few days. During September and early October, Singapore calls attention to its varied architecture at architectre festival Archifest, which includes walks, talks, activities and more. It's the Architours that you'll want to flock to, featuring a carefully curated mix of designer houses, public institutions, expansive landscape projects and religious buildings. You can also head to Raffles Park for a heap of other fun bits and pieces, including a pop-up inner-city farm and a class on taking kickass architectural photos for Instagram.

MANY MANY PARKS

Singapore has a heck of a lot of parks. The 156-year-old, 182-acre Singapore Botanic Gardens stay open until midnight and are home to the largest orchid collection in the world. There's even one particularly delicate species named after Margaret Thatcher. At HortPark, in the southwest, you'll wander through 21 themed gardens, including one filled with butterflies. For a longer walk, take on the ten-kilometre Southern Ridges hike – an adventure through coastal panoramas, lush rainforest canopy, a 36-metre high undulating bridge called Henderson Waves and Singapore's second highest peak, Mount Faber.

THE FOOD IS WORTH THE TRIP ALONE

To get the low-down on where the locals queue for food, jump on the Makan Bus Culinary Tour. You'll sample numerous tasty and eye-opening morsels from a diverse array of tucked-away eateries on this bus tour that's run by locals. Try everything from fried chicken and frogs' legs to soup at the rather charmingly and perhaps too-honestly named Pig Organ, for starters. Somewhat surprisingly, vegetarians can be catered for at every stop.

Visit priceless.com to see a Singapore long weekend itinerary from @clairecollected and @mrgumbatron, and more priceless experiences exclusive to Mastercard cardholders.