Sir Stamford Raffles played an enormous role in Singapore's history, founding a British colony here in 1819. His vision for Singapore's future came true, and Singapore became a vital international port and trading center for the Far East. You'll retrace the course of Sir Stamford Raffles' dream on your Raffles Hotel Singapore tour, visiting the site where Raffles first set foot in 1819 and seeing an exhibition on the history of the Singapore River. The highlight, of course, is visiting the centre of high-society colonial Singapore, the stylish Raffles Hotel.

The river cruise by bumboat, the traditional vessels that ferried cargo up and down the river in times gone by, is another highlight of your Raffles Hotel Singapore tour. Today your bumboat will steer you along the historic Singapore River, past colonial buildings, Chinese shop houses and the modern skyscrapers of Singapore's business district. The cruise ends at Clarke Quay, a riverside festival village. You'll visit a pewter gallery to discover the history of pewter and its role in the development of Singapore as a trading port, and witness a demonstration on pewtersmithing.