A Singapore dollar is a fickle entity. Without any warning, it whooshes out of your wallet, wings its way into a shiny mall and flutters onto a cash counter begging to take your leave. It does this so often, that finally you succumb and willingly transform into the real thing – an accomplished mall rat, ever eager to swipe, cash be damned. The other spell that the city-state weaves over unsuspecting tourists is putting them into a soporific stupor, ably aided by over a 1,000 food choices and delectable intoxicants. Nursing a simple Starbucks the morning after, on the wind-washed, viewing deck of the water-spouting Merlion – symbol of Singapore – I ponder on the anomaly of the Singaporeans themselves. They ingest and imbibe with unrelenting frequency and can still walk at trotting pace (on stilettos) at 8 a.m., always looking so primped and polished. Genetically blessed, I decide, as I later follow Singaporean friend, Winnie Ubbink, into the pink portals of Dashing Diva to give my nails a relaxing spin à la brand addicts, Beyonce Knowles and Christina Aguilera. Cocooned in an illuminated corner of Suntec City (receptacle of the world’s largest fountain), this local arm of its swishy New York sibling is one of the many American chains, like Borders Books, Music & Café, McDonald’s, to have cheerfully broken boundaries. Watch fashionistas play footsie with vibrating massagers as you plunge your own tootsies into swirling warm liquids and relinquish your hands into those of an expert hand masseur. For a taste of the traditional, head towards the legendary Orchard Road, where pepper plantations once lined the street and step into Straits Kitchen at the Grand Hyatt. Conceptualised by Japanese design firm, Super Potato, the buffet restaurant specialises in mind-boggling, multicultural cuisine, ranging from fresh dim sums and tandoori kebabs to the Indonesian Nasi Goreng and Chinese Peking Duck. Then, wander into vintage stores, Takashimaya and Tangs and zip in and out of trial rooms with armfuls of designerwear or check out the swanky, newer entrants on the block, Paragon and Ngee Ann City for a surfeit of Prada and Burberry. For a cocktail dress like no other, drop by at Song+Kelly 21, the homegrown label, at Wisma Atria in the same neighbourhood. When the shopping bags begin to scrape the ground, enter the soothing environs of Kenko for a reflexology foot massage and drift in the wafting aromas of lavender oil and sea salt. Located in the imposing Esplanade at Marina Bay, the Kenko chain of wellness spas, founded by Jimmy Tan – special appointee to the royal families of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait – are famed for their hydrotherapy treatments and revitalising massages. Cross the street to the fan-shaped Oriental Hotel and bask in the renovated splendour of the Oriental Suite. Sip champagne from the bottle, mulling over the spectacular waterfront view and get ready for an intimate dining experience at the poolside, glass-panelled Dolce Vita, the hotel’s signature, award-winning restaurant, offering a striking palette of Mediterranean flavours. We begin with a gazpacho and lobster bisque to the accompaniment of a New Zealand Mount Riley white wine, followed by roasted fillet of cod, sautéed wild mushrooms and garganelli pasta, progressing with some merriment to a red Domaine Francois and a platter of decadent desserts. Rise with the sun and join enthusiastic cookery hobbyists on a spice walk at At-Sunrice, Singapore’s culinary academy and spice garden at Fort Canning Park. A master chef guides our group through shady, wooded paths along flowering bushes of lemon grass and ginger and turmeric, as he peppers his descriptions with a dash of the mystical. Return to an aromatic breakfast of herbal teas and light refreshments, a buoyant start to another day of retail therapy. En route, I allow myself to be wrenched away from the shops to discover the secrets of the past at the 119-year-old National Museum, recently refurbished with new, edgy innovations, some of which recreate unexpected historical trails of food, fashion and film. Recommended is a stroll through the 11-metre Glass Passage, one of the world’s largest outdoor self-supporting glass structures ever constructed. Later, acqu-ainting ourselves with Singaporean contemporary art, we chance upon the fascinating pen and ink drawings of Sandra Lee at a hotel gallery. In her second solo show, The Plight of the Ever After, where she reworks ideas and images from western nursery rhymes, are canvases imbued with autobiographical elements and brooding washes, reminiscent of Lee’s own brush with death which left her with a shattered pelvis. ‘There’ll always be a part of me wandering; there’ll always be a part of me wondering…’ observes the Kuala Lumpur-born artist and toy collector, in a brief encounter, as she prepares to create a two-storey high mural for the Majestic Hotel. In our wanderings, while marvelling at the speed at which Singapore reinvents its skyline – whether in the spiralling skyscrapers or the upcoming Singapore Flyer (an upgraded clone of the London Eye) – a sampling of its wealth of street food is a must. Hawker centres and food courts offer authentic culinary journeys of searing chilli crab, multi-layered roti prata, creamy laksa noodles and the piquant rojak salad. Lau Pa Sat, located in the central business district of Raffles Quay, which becomes a car-free zone at twilight, is a satay-lover’s delight. Charcoal-roasted to fragrant perfection at any of the numbered cooking stations (9 was our favourite), the grilled meat-on-a-stick dunked in peanut sauce, does its Malaysian roots proud. And successive rounds of beer by the jug are enough to send decibel levels soaring! For more seductive – and sophisticated – options, join the well-heeled at Chijmes, the entertainment quarter boasting gourmet experiences of black truffle pasta, braised duck, ginger martinis and the like, in an ambience of chandeliers and live bands. Alternatively, drive to the trendy Rochester Park, near the bohemian Holland Village, whose vintage colonial bungalows, infused with candlelight and dew-drenched foliage, make great table settings for al fresco dining and romantic barbecues.

Close to midnight, our gang of four, showing imminent signs of metamorphosing into lounge lizards, are hustled into the nearest cab by Winnie to join Pleasure-seekers Inc at Singapore’s riverside retreat of Clark Quay, former warehouses, now home to dazzling, theme bars flaunting customised sound systems and innovative menus. British outfit, Ministry Of Sound, envelops in its cavernous 40,000 feet, dance floors, chill zones, bar counters and private rooms; at Forbidden City, guarded by towering terracotta warriors, we sink into the opulence of an Emperor’s abode as a taut, slant-eyed performer shows off her prowess with the bongos; The Clinic, split into two levels, has areas named after pills or phobias, where you sip drinks from drip bags or saline tubes and the waitresses, costumed as mini-skirted nurses, prance around giving injection-type shots of daiquiri straight into the mouth. Definitely a place for the already inebriated. Looking for the ultimate thrill? The G-Max Reverse Bungy, invented by New Zealander, Troy Griffin, catapults strapped-down bravehearts 600 metres into the air at a speed of 200 km per hour and brings them shrieking back to solid ground three minutes later. We watch open-mouthed. As the end of our trip looms forth, one last fling beckons. The 1.5 million square feet of the city-state’s largest retail and lifestyle destination, VivoCity, seduces our sensibilities with its vibrant array of 350 stores, live concerts and 15 movie screens. Not yet a year old, the five-storeyed complex, in its first month of opening, lured 4.2 million visitors, equivalent to the population of Singapore! The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an outlet here as has the premier Gap store in south-east Asia. And when the mindful and mindless splurging sets all our credit cards on fire, we find ourselves being ferried across the harbour to Sentosa to cool off!