10 things to do in Singapore before 2011

Singapore is in full festive spirit and while Christmas here is a tropical experience with no white powder in sight, what we lack in snow and shivering noses we make up for in parties and things to do under the full-blown moon.

1. Party on at Sentosa

Dance, jiggle, and wriggle from dusk to dawn at ZoukOut 2010 (December 11; Siloso Beach; Tickets cost S$78-88), our annual Full Moon Party to the tunes of DJs Tiësto and David Guetta.

The year-end party, Siloso Beach Party (December 31; Siloso Beach; Tickets cost S$39-49) also promises to be a massive, sandy countdown of barely clad bodies. 

If you're still on the island the morning after, recover at Tanjong Beach Club (120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Tel: +65 6270 1355) who'll be throwing their To Be Continued: recovery parties (December 12 and January 1) complete with massages, brunch and the TBC house special: feel-good music and wicked cocktails.

2. Enjoy the Christmas light up

You know you want to take those cheesy snaps, so go on.

Every year, tinsel and lights go up above Orchard Road. This year it’s the same except that Tiffany and Co. have taken on lighting duties, decking our streets with pink, blue and purple fairy lights and other sparkly, dangly decorations along the 2.2-kilometer shopping stretch.

We'll take gaudy lights over the creepy "The Sweet Family" from 2008.

3. Take to the skies

The cable car ride is back and now you can cruise 106 meters above sea level from Mount Faber direct to Sentosa. For that whole-world-under-your-feet feeling, go luxe with the 7* VIP Jewelled Cabin which has a glass floor and Swarovski crystal decorations. 

Continue the sky-high feeling at the MegaZip Adventure Park (Imbiah Hill Road Sentosa, +65 6884 5602) or take a ride on one of Universal Studio's roller coasters (8 Sentosa Gateway, Tel +65 6577 8888).

4. Go ice skating

It’s about time we got an ice rink again.

Even though it's not as fancy as London's Hyde Park or New York City's Madison Square Garden rinks, the good people at Marina Bay Sands (Canal Level; Costs: S$7 per hour (adults), S$6 per hour (child)) have created a 600-square meter skating rink that will be big enough for 100 people to slip and slide on.

Champion skater Michelle Kwan will be at the opening on December 18 and 19, we're hoping she does a little performance to christen the rink.

5. View a fashion legend

Bad news: The gifted designer has shown his last haute couture show.

Good news: Now every man and his dog can view his work.

"Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future", curated by Les Arts Décoratif, an exhibition of 100 of Valentino's finest haute couture pieces will be on show at Resorts World Sentosa (December 22 Dec-February 13).

The show also includes present-day creations by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli.

6. Get physical

We can't think of anything worse to do on Boxing Day but the hardcore runners will be over the moon to hear about the MR25 Cross Country Ultra Marathon (MacRitchie Reservoir Amenities Centre; December 26).

The aim: Endeavor to complete as many 10-kilometer laps around MacRitchie Reservoir as possible in a 12-hour period.

7. Visit the Sengkang Floating Wetland

Get back to nature at Singapore’s largest man-made wetland housed in a reservoir.

Located in the remote northeast end of the island, at the size of half a football field, it is expected to be home to a vast marshland of flora and fauna ala Sungei Buloh Wetlands.

8. Create your own dining safari

If there was ever a time to indulge your inner gourmet, it's 2010.

Taste the very best that’s dished out by culinary masters who have struck out on their own

Restaurant André (41 Bukit Pasoh Rd; Tel: +65 6534 8880), Bistro Soori (2 Teck Lim Road tel +65 6438 3802) and Sky on 57 (Lvl 57 Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave) come highly recommended.

9. Explore alternative art forms

Sick of paintings, photographs, and the usual artsy stuff?

Get your own body of art work at the Singapore Tattoo Art & Culture Show (Pit Building; December 10-12) which features tattoo artists from Japan, Europe, and Australia as well as noted local tattooists.

10. Countdown to the New Year

Round off 2010 with the masses at Sentosa where there will be parties raging at Siloso Beach, Café del Mar, Tanjong Beach Club and Wave House.

Over on the mainland, there are oodles of party spots to choose from. Top picks include Clarke Quay, the Marina Bay Floating Platform, Zouk and Ku De Ta.