Singapore is a world shopping hub, with thousands upon thousands of visitors flocking to the country every year to make the most of the bargains and masses of shopping malls and store. The most famous shopping area is Orchard Road.

This review of shopping in Orchard Road, Singapore is designed to help you get the best out of your trip to the "must see" area of the island.

This well-known road was not much until the 1970's, when the first malls began to open as the housing began to extend out, increasing the population and popularity of the district.

Prior to this, in the 1840s the road was lined with various types of orchards including nutmeg and pepper orchards, hence the name Orchard Road.

A $40 million face lift of the road in the 70s attracted much attention, with the newly widened pavements to accommodate more shoppers and the beautiful lights which now line the rows of outlets.

Every year the bustling road becomes even more crowded with crazed shopaholics during the annual eight week "Great Singapore Sale", when shoppers are promised huge discounts and cut price items.
The busy paved passageway through the country's capital starts at Tanglin Shopping Centre and the Orchard Parade Hotel and stretches all the way to Bras Basah Park, a totalof 3.6 kilometres.

Getting there is easy using the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as there are several stations along Orchard Road.  Ten of the station are directly on the road including Delfi, Tang Plaza, Orchard Plaza and MacDonald House with many other stations within walking distance.

There are masses of malls to get lost in, and I can guarantee that you'll definitely shop 'til you drop here. The first and tallest vertical mall in the country is Orchard Central. The 12 storey giant is an architectural masterpiece and looks fabulous.

Orchard Central has plenty to offer from ethnic jewelery to iPods and stationary. There is nothing you can't buy in here. It's a great place to start, and be sure to get a picture of the fantastic angular glass building it's housed in.

The Heeren is another of the popular malls, and has become a hangout for young locals. It has a reputation for quirky, modern and trendy designs and a great place to pick up something unique.

There are some fantastic bargain shops where you can pick up some wonderful items. My favourite is Scent Of A Woman in Lucky Plaza. You can guess by the name it's a fragrance store for women with great price tags.

Also in Lucky Plaza is The Time of Tea which is a low price Chinese tea store, offering excellent quality teas of all varieties.

After using all that energy on shopping you'll need to recharge, so head to Food Republic to fill your belly for as little as $3. It's lined with stall selling typical Asian food including chicken and rice.

For those with a little more to spend try out Central, at 391 Orchard Road offering Chinese food and tea.