For such a tiny country Singapore truly bursts at the seams with diversity. While America struggles with the idea of being a melting pot Singapore is certainly the other end of the spectrum- the salad bowl. Not to suggest that it is a happy land of racial equality but rather that the distinct and various cultures that make up this small city state each claim their own space within it. From Little India to Chinatown and back via a swarm of British architecture there is a host of Asian and other cultures to be discovered in this compact country.

I stayed in a cosy, friendly hostel in Little India and, arriving there on a Sunday night, I found out that Little India has a great big soul. Most Indians in Singapore are of Tamil origin and there is certainly an interest in all things Indian evident on these streets. I was wafted away by the smells of Indian cuisine and bombarded by the sounds of Bollywood classics and latest releases. Sunday night is a big night out for at least the men of this community and the streets are jammed with friendly faces chatting away at high speed.

Aside from some of the architecture and, obviously enough, the pervasiveness of the English language I was surprised by some of the other legacies of the British; The double decker buses and upper class London accents (noticeably lacking in many other former British colonies) give Singapore a very charming old world meets new kind of feeling.

It's more than a little kitsch but sipping a cocktail in Raffles Hotel was certainly a good start to my Singapore experience. The hotel is self consciously old world but still in pristine condition. Throw in a few anthropologists and some gin sipping civil servants and you would nearly have the British empire in its glory days. Plus the cocktails are great. It's a majestic building and one that's worth taking a long stroll around.

The Asian Civilisations Museum is known the world over amongst Asia enthusiasts. It sets itself an ambitious task but pulls it off quite convincingly, mapping the ebbs and flows of civilisations across the continent.

I've never had much interest in zoos; it seems an odd way to experience nature. However, Singapore's night safari really can not be recommended enough. The enthusiastic (perhaps zealous?) nature of the tour guides adds a little spice to this collection of exotic animals who inhabit the large enclosures. They are not, for the most part, in cages but rather kept away from their human guests by means of ditches and pits. The effect is such that, at night when the pits can not be seen, it does appear as if the animals are walking around a few metres away from you with nothing between you. Snakes and tigers and boars oh my!

If you have any interest in Asian food (and let's be honest most people with a palette do) then Singapore will certainly satisfy. The full range of Asian cookery can almost certainly be found in this city. That's a bold claim but I have no doubt that Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Jakarta and Ulan Bator are all represented in the numerous food halls somewhere.

Singapore has a reputation for being too clean, too ordered, the prototype nanny-state and these facts are hard to argue with. Nevertheless, as a tourist destination you need only keep away from drugs, watch what you do with your litter and avoid getting too drunk to keep out of trouble and have a slinging time!