Nevertheless, Singapore is not the type of place that rates high on many people’s “Must Visit” list. It certainly wasn’t a priority for me to go there; while fellow travellers went on and on about the exoticism and excitement of places like Thailand and Cambodia and Laos, those same people had nearly nothing to say about Singapore. “It’s very clean and expensive,” they would repeat over and over. “And it’s very safe and great for families,” they would continue. Still, hardcore travellers who had eaten dog in Vietnam, trekked in Nepal, and survived China only curled their lip when I asked them if they had ever been to Singapore. “Yes,” they would sneer, “I have been, but it’s not the real Asia. Go see the other stuff first”. Then, cocking their head to the side, they would offer, “Go there if you must, but don’t stay long. You can do Singapore over a weekend”.
Armed with this information, I diligently followed their advice and saw all the other stuff first. I trekked in Nepal. I ate chicken in Vietnam (sorry, couldn’t do the dog. I just couldn’t). I (barely) survived China. And then I thought about going to Singapore. Finding a plane fare online that had a price too good to refuse, me, Liebling, and six other friends bought tickets.
We arrived in Singapore late on a Friday evening of what was to be a long weekend. We had a day off on Monday, thanks to Buddha and his birthday. Our group, tired from the 3.5 hour flight from Hong Kong (and a busy work week) split off into two cabs at the Singapore airport and took the 30-minute ride to our hotel, the Carlton, where we promptly went to sleep.
The next morning we rounded up the troops and headed out to breakfast at a restaurant called Food for Thought.
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| Aren’t we just adorable? |
The boys took silly pictures outside the restaurant (somebody must have put something funky in their eggs), and the girls followed suit with some crazy pics of our own. Then we moved on, doing our own self-directed walking tour of Singapore. We stopped to take pictures in front of the National Art Museum ( I didn’t go in as I don’t like museums, remember?) and along Orchard Street, which is the major shopping street in the city.
We hit the row of malls and did a bit of “window”-shopping, which of course resulted in me buying a dress and Liebling picking up a pair of sandals. I loved the shopping atmosphere in Singapore: the malls were large, stylishly decorated, and air-conditioned. Even better, I was reunited with a lot of my favourite stores from back home that unfortunately don’t exist in Hong Kong.
Singapore is a very developed country and is super clean. Apparently, this cleanliness is due in part to the fact that there are no wads of sticky, melted gum on the sidewalk. Did you know that chewing gum is banned in Singapore? They don’t sell it anywhere, and, though rarely enforced, it is against the law to chew it while in the city. My shoe soles very much appreciated this phenomenon.
Continuing further, Liebling and I ditched our companions, who were determined to go shopping again (I should mention that the malls in Singaporean are generally cheaper than the ones in Hong Kong, hence the shopping urgency!), and instead went off in hot pursuit of Singapore’s Little India. With no map to speak of, we erred in the streets, passing this lovely wide avenue and even lovelier park (where I begged Liebling to strike a model-esque pose for the shot below). Isn’t Singapore just amazingly green and gorgeous? The tree-lined streets reminded me of Canada.
Throats parched, we passed this 7-Eleven, but it was closed. I was a bit bummed, until I saw this sign:
All you need is a little love from your local 7-Eleven to make you feel okay about having to stay thirsty…
Moving on, we found Little India’s Hindu temple, which is a sight to behold. Take a look at those colours!
Unable to resist, we crept inside, acutely aware that we were the only tourists checking the place out at that particular moment. The temple was busy with activity as there seemed to be some sort of service taking place. Liebling and I observed and I discreetly snapped a couple of pictures.
After our temple adventure, we took to walking along the boardwalk. Singapore has a beautiful harbourfront, which is bordered by Clark’s Quay, a very nice area with many restaurants and night clubs.
Looking at these pictures once more, I really can’t believe how clean Singapore is. Singaporeans can take real pride in how well kept and attractive their city is. After travelling the bustling, and often polluted, major metropolises (metropoli?) in Asia, I truly felt as if Singapore was in a league of its own.
I couldn’t resist taking a photo in front of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, which is reportedly the most expensive hotel in Singapore, and has a world-class casino. Apart from it being extremely exclusive and “chi-chi”, the architectural design of the structure is really impressive! And of course, I am very vain and love having my photo taken in front of monuments. HA!
Hot and tired after our adventure, Liebling and I went back to the hotel to meet up with our friends, and prepare for an evening out in Singapore, which I’ll detail in my next post!
What do you think of Singapore so far? Does it look like someplace you’d like to go, even if it’s not an “exciting” destination? What qualities do you look for when deciding on a place to travel to?
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72 Comments
Wow! IC read this Happiness book about some of the happiest places in the world – and Singapore was one of the top places. Apparently people really feel like the government will take care of them there.
I've heard many of the same sentiments about Singapore that you have but I am dying to go! Why? Every single thing I've seen about the food culture there looks amazing. I would probably go there for a long weekend and just explore the food stalls alone.
I'd love to go 🙂 Don't knock it till you try it, right? What's the official language in Singapore? I'm surprised by all the english!
Despite what others have said, Singapore ranks high on my list. In fact, I doubt I would go back to Asia without paying a visit. Look forward to part 2..
I never thought about it before, but…yes, your photos make me want to go there. It looks beautiful. And the cleanliness has it's own appeal. (Um…as does the shopping. 😉 ).
@Deidre: I'm not surprised! It's really orderly from what I've seen and I would imagine that the government and social programs are out of this world!
@Terri: It has a really cool mix of Indian, Chinese, and British cultures. Another good thing about it is that it's really close to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, so you can do them both in the same trip.
@Ashley: I think that the official languages are English and Mandarin Chinese, but I'm not sure!
@Deej: It really seems like a livable city and it's a great expat hub. It's proximity to other places in SE Asia makes it even more attractive!
@Teresa: I would have loved to stay longer just so I could shop more!! Soooo many malls!
My husband and I visited Singapore in September – he had a training course there (nothing like someone else paying for your travels!) It was so refreshing from the dirtiness of West Africa. We ate a lot of great food and did a lot of exploring and shopping and relishing the first world again. (I even found Clamato so I could make myself a caesar in the hotel.)
But like you, we didn't fall in love with Singapore. It lacks a little something I can't quite put my finger on – that being said, if my husband's company offered to move us there we certainly wouldn't turn it down 🙂
(PS. We stayed at the Carlton for part of the stay as well – not bad.)
wow, it looks gorgeous! nothing like manila! LOL i would love to visit!
I think I would feel the same way about Singapore!
It has been on my list of places to visit because of how clean it is. I know that sounds odd, but there are cities (countries) that I would like to visit because I want to view them from an Urban Planning perspective and there are others that I want to visit out of sheer interest, word-of-mouth or meeting a host country national. At least I know I can see Singapore in a weekend. Did you find that it was sufficient time?
It has been on my list of places to visit because of how clean it is. I know that sounds odd, but there are cities (countries) that I would like to visit because I want to view them from an Urban Planning perspective and there are others that I want to visit out of sheer interest, word-of-mouth or meeting a host country national. At least I know I can see Singapore in a weekend. Did you find that it was sufficient time?
I have heard people talk about Singapore with no love. Everyone says you cannot fall in love with it that it is too perfect. I am planning to go in March and also visit Kuala Lumpur again.
@intowestafrica: Thanks for commenting! Singapore is literally a breathe of fresh air, but you're right, there's something missing. Could it be a little too sterile?
@SinglePAP: Is that where you're working? Manila reminded me a lot of Mexico, I really liked it!
@Andi: I think you would love the shopping!
@kvowels: We were there for 3 days and managed to see all the sights and get a basic overview of the place. I definitely think that from the urban planning perspective that Singapore would be a very interesting city.
@'Lara: That's a great observation- maybe Singapore is just too perfect to fall in love with! Could it be that its "neatness" makes it lose some charm? It's so strange because I could totally see myself living there. I just feel like it's not a particularly exciting city to visit.
Hi Oneika,
First, I love your blog and read it regularly. What camera do you use? I am leaving for Malaysia on January 2nd and I'll be there a year. I am in the market for an easy, no fuss camera that takes good quality pictures. I always think your photos look awesome.
Singapore's not that high on my list but only because it's so far away. It looks colorful and green, and I'd love to spend a weekend there someday!
People in my expat bubble LOVE Singapore. That's because, with the expat work packages many get, it usually means full time household help and some of the best shopping around.
It's not high on my list, but I'd happily do a stopover for a couple of days on my way to Australia.
@Marquita: Hi!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I use a Lumix LX5 to take pics- it's a great compact camera! I love it because I'm not good with technology and refuse to edit my pics. This cam is great!
@Emily: I would definitely tie it in with a trip to Malaysia!
@Monique: Yup, I agree. Best done on a layover!
Interesting comments about Singapore. Singapore has been my home for 3 years and I have a love hate relationship with the city as many expats do! It's very clean, very safe (in every sense of the word) and the expat community here is great. There are many expats that come here who are at the top of their game in terms of career and education. The social programs (ie. health care) are stellar and you can find all the comforts of home as well as culture when you really look for it!
Perhaps I will blog about expat life in Singapore and shed some light on the issue 🙂
Hi,
If you visit Singapore, you MUST:
1) Eat as much as you can because there is a vast variety of food without worrying about food poisoning.
2) Their zoo! Worth the money
3)Observe how different races and religions mingle happily with each other. You can see a group of friends of different races and religions hanging out.
@Bubbles: These are all true and great tips!
Hey Oneika! I really love reading about your exciting adventures. Thanks for brightening up my day! P.S. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't actually illegal to chew gum in Singapore. It's only illegal to sell it. (;
Haha I was going to say the same thing. Also, you can actually buy chewing gum in pharmacies in Singapore! So it’s not completely verboten.
The most important question: How was the food?
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