10 reasons not to sleep in Singapore

1. Indian prata shops

Prata shops in Singapore are well known to be late-night establishments and they remain open on most days of the year, except on Indian festivals and holidays. You'll be able to find a crowd of night shift workers, post clubbing partiers and undergraduate students here at any time of the night enjoying a cheese prata or Milo dinosaur.

Prata shops are such a part of the culture here that the menu offerings at these prata shops probably originated in Singapore too. Items like tissue or paper prata, Milo dinosaur (or Milo godzilla, or Horlicks dinosaur/Godzilla, essentially an iced beverage topped with a mountain of powder for that extra kick) have evolved onto the menu based on the likes of the Singaporean palette.

Try: Al Azhar, 11/11A Cheong Chin Nam Road; tel: +65 6466 5052 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6466 5052 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; Open 24 hours

2. No. 5 Emerald Hill

At No. 5 Emerald Hill, the name of the bar is its address. It nests along a row of traditional Peranakan shophouses that have mostly been converted to watering holes, but unlike the snazzy new bars around town, No. 5 has an authentic charm.

Its interior walls are lined with nostalgic black and white photographs from its early days and patrons can freely throw peanut shells anywhere on the floor, which gives this bar a vibe that cannot be manufactured and keeps people coming back for more. They also serve great martinis.

5 Emerald Hill Road; tel: +65 6732 0818 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6732 0818 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; open Monday - Thursday 12 p.m. - 2 a.m., Friday - Sunday 12 p.m. - 3 a.m.

3. Kopitiams

Kopitiams (local-speak for coffee shops) are not just a place for heartlanders to have their meals. Although kopitiams have been known to be breakfast joints (seeing how drinking coffee is usually for the morning), kopitiams these days also sell beer and screen football matches in the wee hours of the night to cater to the population of middle-aged men who follow the English Premier League loyally.

Additionally, locals also speak their own coffee language at these kopitiams. Coffee is referred to as kopi and tea is referred to as teh, and various different jargons explain how much sugar or condensed milk you want in your drink.

Kopitiams are located all around the island

4. Zouk

Zouk is one of Singapore's oldest and most iconic nightclubs that still manages to draw large crowds weekly amidst stiff competition with newer clubs such as Stereolounge. Zouk has three specialty clubs within its premises, the main club floor of Zouk, Phuture for R&B music and Velvet Underground for more laid back club tunes.

Zouk is the kind of place in Singapore where just about any Singaporean would have gone to for its famous Mambo Jambo ladies nights, and is the kind of spot where you can bump into a long-lost primary school classmate that you can’t even find on Facebook.

Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim Street; tel: +65 6738 2988 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6738 2988 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; Zouk main club open Wednesday, Friday - Saturday 8 p.m. - 3 a.m.; Wine Bar open Monday - Saturday 6 p.m. - 3 a.m.; Velvet Underground open Tuesday - Saturday 9 p.m. -late

5. Changi Village

Changi Village is a place to go for a bit of peace. It’s a little far off from the city area but it makes for a good place to escape to when you just want to get away from the densely populated city.

It’s next to the sea (where ferries to the nearby island Pulau Ubin depart from), hardly has any high-rise buildings, but there is life aplenty here in the night time. Other than the plethora of great hawker stalls at the food center, Changi Village also has many holiday bungalows, an old haunted hospital where teenagers explore and the boardwalk by the sea is popular with local anglers.

Changi Village: located on Changi Village Road

6. Blu Jaz Cafe

In recent years, the development of the Haji Lane enclave has resulted in some of the old shophouses in the area there being converted into new and eclectic boutiques, cafes, and thrift stores. One of these is Blu Jaz Café that serves western food in an alfresco setting.

They also have a live band on their second floor and if you are seated on the ground floor, you can even indulge in some shisha smoking. This makes for an evening of a special ambiance as you have your dinner, lay back and relax, seated right in the midst of the historical Malay cultural district in Singapore.

Blu Jaz Café, 11 Bali Lane; tel: +65 6292 3800 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6292 3800 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; open Monday - Thursday 12 p.m. - 12 a.m., Friday 12 p.m. - 2 a.m., Saturday 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.

7. Prawn fishing

Singaporeans have taken to a very unlikely pastime in the night -- prawn fishing. Prawn fishing usually takes place in enclosed ponds where farm owners rent out fishing rods and provide barbecue pits for patrons to grill their catch.

The night time is preferred because it is cooler then, and socializing with friends while catching prawns becomes quite a delightful thing to do.

Leisure Village Pte Ltd, Marina Country Club, 600 Ponggol Seventeenth Avenue; tel: +65 6310 1012 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6310 1012 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; open 24 hours

8. Mustafa shopping centre

Mustafa centre, the only 24-hour shopping mall in Singapore, is also the same mall that sells just about everything you will ever need. Having been located on the Little India stretch for about 30 years now, Mustafa center is one of the most prominent landmarks in the area.

The entire Mustafa complex is a giant departmental store, selling a wide range of electronics, luxury watches, jewelery, household crockery, sports gear, groceries and basically, everything.

It may not be the best looking mall around, but the prices offered at this mall are hard to beat.

Mustafa Centre, 145 Syed Alwi Road; tel: +65 6295 5855 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6295 5855 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; open 24 hours

9. New Asia Bar

The New Asia Bar at Swissôtel The Stamford sits at a spot with one of the best views in town. After all, Swissôtel The Stamford used to be the tallest hotel in the world and is still among the tallest hotels in the world.

One of the classiest late-night hangout places in Singapore. Be prepared to spend here as the prices at this bar are rather pricey compared to most, and cover charges apply on the eve of public holidays and weekends.

New Asia Bar, 2 Stamford Road Level 71, Equinox Complex, Swissotel The Stamford Singapore; tel: +65 6837 3322 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6837 3322 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; open Monday - Sunday 3 p.m. onwards

10. Yishun Dam

This last haunt on the list is Yishun Dam, where life really comes around the later it goes into the night. Frequented by many fans of the “Initial-D” culture, many car enthusiasts drive their modified vehicles here late at night for some races along this road.

The area has great night views of the reservoir and the nearby ships and islands, and an ice-cream man is almost usually parked there throughout the night.

Yishun Dam, end of Yishun Ave 1 and before Seletar Club Road

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