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Photo: User:Sengkang, Copyrighted free use via Wikimedia Commons
Completed in 1869, this British-Malay-Indian hybrid building was once the Government House of the colony of Singapore, before being repurposed upon independence as the official residence of the President. The 100-acre grounds occupy some of Singapore's choicest real estate and incorporate several gardens and even a 9-hole golf course. A separate building on the Istana grounds known as Sri Temasek serves as the official residence of the Prime Minister, though no prime minister has ever lived there. There is a Changing of the Guards ceremony every first Sunday of the month at 5.45pm, with rifle-twirling displays by the military police. The Istana is open to the public on only five days a year: Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa, Labour Day and National Day. Apply online in advance for tickets.
The Istana houses the offices of the President and Prime Minister of Singapore and is a venue for state events and important official functions.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Balinese-style spa with over 80 face and body treatment options, including the inimitably named Kung Fu Bouncing Herbs. Ladies only.
If it's a rainy day and you have kids who need to let off some steam, let them jump around for a while in this giant indoor trampoline park. Various zones catering to children as young as 4. The same mall also has a large movie theatre complex.
Various beauty salons can be found on the fourth floor. Facials, a wax and mani-pedis for a fraction of the cost at salons in the rest of the city. Get a stylish haircut at a full-service salon for about $10, even for ladies. The best salons accept most major credit cards to cater to the demand of tourists.
A modern shopping mall (partly) hiding behind a stately 1939 art-deco facade, the main draw here is the eponymous cinema on the top floor. The Picturehouse, Singapore's first and only arthouse cinema, shows movies uncut, but many are restricted to 21 and above.
A nondescript late 19th-century two-storey bungalow just off Orchard Rd, which happened to be the residence of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew; the long-ruling People's Action Party was founded in its basement. Since Lee's death in 2015, it has been embroiled in a bitter decade-long dispute among his descendants and the government over whether it should be demolished, as Lee himself requested, or preserved, as his eldest son and successor Lee Hsien Loong wants. For the time being the building is still standing, but closed to the public.
One of two Orthodox synagogues in Singapore that have been catering to Singapore's small Baghdadi Jewish community since colonial times. Completed in 1878, it is the oldest active synagogue in Southeast Asia. Also home to a kosher restaurant and Singapore's only kosher grocery store.