Wrapping up your retail therapy for happy hour in Singapore

Ladies Nights in Singapore are also an option for drinkers with arms that are shorter than their pockets or thirsts.

The air-conditioned shopping malls that line Singapore's streets are ideal for giving your credit card a work-out, but if you really want to blow the cobwebs off your magnetic strip you need to check out the city-state's bustling nightlife.

Shops stay open until about 10pm, but you will need to wrap up your retail therapy a little earlier than that if you want to take advantage of happy hour prices.

Happy hour is fairly common at most bars between about 7pm and 9pm, but even then a pint of beer is likely to set you back about $S10 ($8.77), due to heavy taxes on alcohol.

Make sure you ask when happy hour is and what's on offer before you order, because not all brands will be included.

"Ladies Nights" are also an option for drinkers with arms that are shorter than their pockets or thirsts. A number of bars throughout the city offer free bubbly for women on a Tuesday night, with Boat Quay and Far East Square a good place to look.

The free refreshments usually lead to free entertainment, with plenty of drunken booty being shaken in the now-legal art form of bar-top dancing.

There's a large expatriate scene in Singapore and the city's bars and pubs glitter with the flash of gold and platinum credit cards most nights of the week.

Popular expat haunts include Harry's Bar in Boat Quay, which is where rogue futures trader Nick Leeson used to indulge.

For a more civilised tipple you can't go past the colonial grandeur of Raffles Hotel.

You can play 'spot the tourist' upstairs at the Long Bar, where most drinkers down at least one frothy pink Singapore Sling as they sit shelling peanuts underneath gently swaying fans.

There are also a multitude of bars, cafes and shops downstairs at the grand old hotel, including the Bar & Billiard Room, where the last tiger in Singapore was supposedly shot in 1902.

The Equinox Bar, at the top of Singapore's tallest hotel, the Swisshotel Stamford, offers a stunning 360 degree view of the city.

The heat and humidity leave you dehydrated at the best of times, so if you don't want the local Tiger beer to bare its claws the next morning, don't forget to drink plenty of water -- it's usually free.

While alcohol might be pricier than back home, Singapore has a fantastic range of food outlets to suit every budget. Most locals eat out every day, so the city abounds with cheap hawker stalls and food courts where you can pick up a tasty meal for about $S5.

Local favourites include Chicken Rice and Roti Prata, and sprinklings of chili on everything.

One of the largest food courts, Lau Pau Sat, is open 24 hours and is an attraction in its own right. Located in the business district, the building is the largest Victorian filigree cast-iron structure in Southeast Asia.

Other cheap eats can be found in the stalls at China Town or restaurants in Little India -- both accessible on the city's train service, the MRT.

For mid-priced meals take a wander down Boat Quay, but be prepared for some quite full-on courting from the restaurateurs.

The restaurants continue down Boat Quay into Clarke Quay, where you'll also find the Satay Club, which is a small street lined with satay stalls. You can grab a table and eat from any stall.

For a more upmarket experience, Singapore is also bursting with fine-dining experiences, including a range of restaurants and bars at the theatre centre The Esplanade.

One of those restaurants is My Humble House -- a delicious modern Chinese restaurant with a funky decor.

And after a big night out eating or drinking you can give yourself and your plastic a sleep-in. The shops don't open until about 10.30am.

*Kate Perry travelled to Singapore courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board.

- NZPA