Singapore: endless shopping malls, gleaming skyscrapers and strict social order spring to mind among travellers who assume this is all the city state has to offer. But give quintessentially Asian Singapore a chance and you'll see she really has much more to offer than duty-free shopping, all condensed into an area a third the size of Australia's Adelaide.

In Singapore, the economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia, country, city, state, island and metropolis are interchangeable concepts. This young nation only became independent in 1965, after a century and a half of British rule, and a short-lived union with neighbouring Malaysia.

English is almost universally spoken among the ethnically Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian population, but elements of their respective cultures and identities are still present in the cacophony of languages, churches, temples, historic buildings, restored shophouses, and most importantly, food. Singapore presents a fascinating meld of cultures, religions, languages; something of a meeting point between East and West, as she has been for centuries in her role as an important port.

In between sightseeing stops, you'll never have to eat the same thing twice, or even from the same cuisine — that goes for travellers on all budgets. Because of Singapore's modernisation, her local food may not seem as varied, cheap and colourful as in Thailand, but you can still eat phenomenally for very little. Take your pick, from Little India's sweaty hawker centres popular with locals, to splurging out on some of the most respected European, Chinese, or Japanese restaurants where you might still pay less than a regular meal out at home.

With excellent transport connections to all parts of the world, including cheap budget flights to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and, Indonesia, Singapore is well placed as your launchpad into Asia. Stop for a peek, settle down in Little India or Arab Street and Bugis, and see what she has to offer. It may not be the exotic and raw Asian city you'd dreamed of, but there's certainly enough fun to go around if you know where to look.