Sustainable Singapore

February 26–March 4, 2027

Pricing: $6,550 per person; For a single room add $1,175

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For more information, contact ATA at 855-395-6100 or CHQtravels@academic-travel.com

Overview

Join Mark Wenzler, Director of Chautauqua’s Climate Change Initiative, for a week-long journey through one of the world’s most dynamic laboratories for sustainability and urban innovation. Examine how vision, policy, and community shape a resilient society. Along the way, learn about the tiny island nation’s pioneering approaches to water management, urban planning, food systems, biodiversity, and renewable energy, from verdant “living” architecture to cutting‑edge climate adaptation strategies. Explore Singapore’s remarkable mix of cultures—Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Peranakan—reflected in its neighborhoods, cuisine, architecture, and religious traditions. With excursions that span historic temples, bustling markets, serene gardens, and neighboring Malaysia’s mangrove ecosystems, the itinerary offers a richly layered perspective on sustainability in practice.

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Trip Highlights

  • Learn how visionary planning, water security, clean energy, and low‑carbon transit have transformed a resource‑poor island into one of the world’s most resilient cities. Experience these innovations firsthand as you navigate the MRT (recognized as one of the world’s best transit systems), learn about urban design, and stay in an award-winning green hotel.
  • Discover how Singapore reimagines scarcity through the Marina Barrage, reclaimed land, and “toilet‑to‑tap” innovation—turning rainfall, seawater, and wastewater into a secure, climate‑resilient resource.
  • Follow food beyond the plate—salvaging market produce, composting “ugly” vegetables, and exploring urban farming with microgreens—to understand how cities can reduce food waste and maximize limited space while strengthening sustainable food systems.
  • Immerse yourself in Singapore’s rich cultural diversity with walking tours through Chinatown and Little India, where incense, spices, temples, and street life reveal how Chinese, Indian, and Malay traditions coexist.
  • Enjoy views of the Singapore skyline during an evening tour on a chartered wooden bumboat in the Singapore Harbor, atop aerial walkways in the Gardens by the Bay, and from rooftop terraces and restaurants.

Trip Host: Mark Wenzler

Mark Wenzler serves as the director of the Climate Change Initiative at Chautauqua Institution. Under Mark’s direction, the Climate Change Initiative has three primary areas of focus: Developing robust programming for the Institution, focused on nature, climate, sustainability, and environmental stewardship; advancing the Institution’s work to protect and restore the ecological conditions of Chautauqua Lake; and helping advance a Climate Action Plan for the Institution’s operations. Before Chautauqua, Mark served as senior vice president for conservation programs at the National Parks Conservation Association, a not-forprofit organization working since 1919 to protect and enhance America’s National Park system for present and future generations.

Mark also directed the climate and energy programs at the National Environmental Trust. He is a lawyer who began his career as a deputy attorney general prosecuting environmental cases for the New Jersey Division of Law, Environmental Practice Group, and later joined the Public Justice legal advocacy organization to represent organizations and communities in pursuing environmental justice against polluters.

Mark volunteers as chair of the board of trustees of Experience Learning, a high-alpine wilderness-based nonprofit focusing on experiential learning adventure programs for children and adults. He also volunteers as secretary of the board of directors of Climate Ride, a nonprofit that runs multiday cycling and hiking adventures around the globe, raising awareness and funds to fight climate change and advance a just and sustainable future. Mark resides in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys backpacking, bike touring, backcountry skiing, paddling, wilderness running, and adventure travel.

Mark Wenzler

Itinerary

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 1

Welcome to the Little Red Dot

Arrive at Changi International Airport and transfer to your hotel, a pioneering example of sustainable urban design. Begin your journey with a private bumboat ride along the Singapore River, offering a striking introduction to the city’s skyline and the iconic Merlion. Then celebrate Singapore’s local flavors with a peranakan dinner, combining Chinese, Malay and other influences, at the National Kitchen by Violet Oon — heralded as the “grande dame of Singaporean cooking.” Raise a welcome drink on the balcony as you begin your exploration of Singapore’s cultural diversity and environmental ambitions.

Included Meal: Dinner

Accommodation: Oasia Hotel

Day 2

Planning and Pluralism

Your day begins with a lecture by Mark Wenzler on Singapore’s ambition to become one of the world’s greenest cities. Walk to the Singapore City Gallery, which documents decades of meticulous urban planning. Continue on foot through Chinatown, exploring temples, traditional medicine shops, and streets shaped by Singapore’s layered past. Visit the breathtaking Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, a scarlet monolith built in traditional Chinese style. Participate in a Chinese tea ceremony with a master before enjoying a dim sum lunch. Continue your exploration of Singapore’s melting pot in the colorful Peranakan enclave of Joo Chiat, showcasing a rich blend of Chinese, Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, and Indonesian influences. Step inside a preserved mansion and indulge in local confections (“Nonya Kueh”). End the day with time for dinner on your own at the famed Lau Pa Sat hawker center.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Oasia Hotel

Day 3

Seeds of Sustainability

This morning, ride the MRT – an integral part of the city’s low-carbon transportation strategy – to the UNESCO‑listed Singapore Botanic Gardens for an in‑depth exploration of one of the world’s most important tropical research centers. Join a specialist guide to learn about the National Orchid Garden and the Botanic Gardens’ seed bank, highlighting the global importance of preserving genetic diversity. Observe multiple methods of seed dispersal and learn how conservation science underpins food security and climate resilience. Enjoy a tai chi session in the gardens, followed by lunch onsite. Later, learn about urban farming, renewable energy – including a floating solar panel installation – and the benefits of micro-green cultivation in a land-scarce city.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Oasia Hotel

Day 4

Managing Water, Shaping Futures

Join Mark Wenzler for a morning lecture about water conservation and management. Then stroll through the vibrant sights and scents of Little India. Visit Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple – one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples – along with sari boutiques, flower markets, and sweet shops, with time for lunch at leisure. In the afternoon, take a private tour of the Marina Barrage and Sustainable Singapore Gallery, examining the country’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including its pioneering “toilet-to-tap” initiative to convert sewage into potable water. Learn how the Marina Barrage has created an inland reservoir and stabilized water levels. Continue to Gardens by the Bay built on nearly 250 acres of reclaimed land. Visit its landmark indoor conservatories and the Cloud Forest’s soaring indoor waterfall, before experiencing the illuminated Supertree Grove. Enjoy dinner as a group at a local restaurant this evening.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Oasia Hotel

Day 5

From Market to Table to Garden

Learn about local efforts to reduce food waste during a guided visit to a neighborhood wet market. Collect unsold produce that would otherwise be discarded and work alongside researchers and volunteers to transform the rescued produce into nutrient-rich compost. This afternoon, travel to Fort Canning Hill where you will gain a broader historical perspective during a short visit to the National History Museum of Singapore. Then, explore The Battle Box, a World War II underground command center on Fort Canning, that sheds light on Singapore’s wartime history and resilience. Then enjoy dinner at a tranquil garden café.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Oasia Hotel

Day 6

Mangroves in Malaysia

Following a morning lecture, journey into neighboring Malaysia to explore Singapore and Malaysia’s shared ecosystems and regional history. Board a boat with a naturalist guide to navigate narrow mangrove waterways, learning about coastal ecosystems, sustainable aquaculture, and traditional fishing practices. Try crab catching and visit a mussel farm before savoring a fresh seafood lunch. Continue to the Sultan’s Grand Palace for insight into Johor’s royal heritage. Return to Singapore in the late afternoon with time to refresh before a final celebratory dinner high above the city.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Oasia Hotel

Day 7

Departure

Before departure, take a private sustainability tour of your hotel—designed as a “living tower” with natural ventilation, vertical greenery, and energy‑efficient systems—to see how green principles are embedded in daily operations. Transfer to the airport for individual flights home.

Included Meal: Breakfast

What’s Included?

  • All accommodations for the duration of the tour
  • Meals, as noted in the itinerary
  • All sightseeing and visits as noted in the itinerary
  • Expertise of a Chautauqua expert, ATA-hired travel director, and local guides throughout the tour
  • All gratuities for on-tour guides, drivers, hotel, and restaurant staff as part of the group program
  • All on-tour transportation, unless otherwise noted
  • Quietvox listening devices to facilitate audibility and social distancing on tour
  • The assistance of an ATA professional travel team to assist with pre-trip questions, travel arrangements, including flights, extra hotel nights and other services
  • Comprehensive pre-departure mailings and materials with information about the destination and what to expect on tour, including a suggested reading list
  • Emergency evacuation insurance

Accommodations

Oasia Hotel Downtown (6 Nights)
Rising in Singapore’s Central Business District, the Oasia Hotel Downtown is an award‑winning example of sustainable urban design. Conceived as a “living tower,” the building replaces the sealed glass skyscraper with a porous structure wrapped in lush vertical greenery, allowing for natural ventilation and passive cooling. Sky gardens and open-air terraces create shared social spaces and support urban biodiversity. The property features a fitness center, multiple outdoor pools, and spaces for relaxation high above the city. On‑site dining focuses on fresh, contemporary cuisine. Spacious guest rooms offer floor‑to‑ceiling windows that frame city views while reinforcing a connection to nature.