Having a girlfriend who is a PR here, her friends naturally pop the same question, “Tell us a great place where we can have a date here in Singapore! We want to have fun!” Well, I firmly believe there are many places of interest here in our little tropical island country and to begin with, the Singapore Botanic Gardens should be one of the best settings for a fantastic date in Singapore. If you thought the streets of Singapore were already green enough, check out the 52-hectare multi-garden park that is the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Enjoy a sunny day in the park with your date, have a picnic or simply admire the thousands of plant species that spring from the grassy carpet. The National Orchid Garden alone contains 20,000 orchid plants and there is the Symphony Lake where the two of you will be serenaded with beautiful live music from bands on a raised platform.

In fact, if you are new to Singapore, why not head down to the Botanic Gardens this weekend on 19 January for a free English tour of its National Orchid Garden? The guides will bring you on a journey that explores the impressive beauty and diversity of the many species of orchids. The tour times are at 9am, 10am, 11am and 4pm and last an hour each.

If you have had enough of frolicking on the grass, and the stomach calls for a refill, drop by the clean foodcourt and have a taste of the delicious chili crab that Class 95FM radio deejay The Flying Dutchman so recommends. Singapore’s weather can get a little hot and humid at times, and if that happens on the day you bring your date out to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the city centre and main shopping district Orchard Road is just by the corner with its air-conditioned comforts.

I’ll crack my head for a few more great suggestions of dating places in Singapore in future posts, without being too touristy, even though the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a prime attraction. There might be other popular attractions like the Singapore Night Safari, which is perhaps more suited for married couples with children, or maybe couples from overseas who wish for a place that is more engaging. Certainly we can do better than just another day out at the cinemas or foodcourts – there’s certainly more to Singapore than just food and drinks!