Singapore

The best way to get a sense of the city is to see it from the Singapore River. The waterway meanders past historical landmarks and popular city districts before widening into Marina Bay. When colonial Singapore was a bustling trade port, the river was a crowded avenue of bumboats delivering goods and supplies to warehouses that lined the shores. Today the river is calm and pristine, and the only bumboats left plying the waters are the ones that ferry tourists on sight-seeing excursions. These modern low-slung bumboats offer indoor and outdoor seating, and run on electric power which makes them just quiet enough to hear a pre-recorded narration of your journey. You’ll see the river’s three unique quays, including Clarke Quay, where colorful warehouses have been converted into a bustling entertainment and dining district. You’ll pass the grand Parliament House (now a cultural arts center), and the majestic Fullerton Hotel (originally the main post office), and loop around at the famous Merlion statue, a mystical creature with a fish body and lion head, that stands 28 feet high at the entrance to Marina Bay. The best time to take the river tour is at sunset, when the sky goes pink and the city starts to light up before your eyes.