Sometimes you fall in love at first sight. Usually people are talking about falling in love with someone but I am talking about falling in love with a country, Singapore! Despite being thousands of miles away from the US, it just felt like home. I can’t explain all the reasons that I love Singapore since you need to experience it for yourself but here are my Top 6.
- Clean. Singapore is one of the cleaniest cities that I have visited. After traveling Southeast Asia for two months, it was a very welcome change. I went from bathrooms with no toilet paper or soap in them making me need to carry tissues and hand sanitizer in my purse to immaculate cleaned bathrooms . I never spotted a single piece of garbage on their streets. Every big city has a homeless population but in Singapore I never once saw someone sleeping on the street or begging for money. Singapore is known for luxury so many of the stores had fancy lights and fixtures.
2. Beautiful. You can’t visit Singapore without noticing what a beautiful city it is. Head to one of their many rooftop bars, for a beautiful view of their skyline. I especially like Ce La Vi. I love being by the water and enjoyed the walk along the promenade from Merlion over to Gardens by the Bay . For a beautiful beach area, take a day and get out of the center of the city and visit Sentosa Island. It was on my list but unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to fit it in. I also looked their architecture. Many of the houses in their neighborhoods were two stories with the first story being a store and the second story where they actually lived. They were painted in many different beautiful colors.
3. Safety. Singapore consistently ranks as one of the safest countries in the world. For a female solo traveller, that is exactly the place I want to be. Where I can walk around and feel extremely safe. I never felt like I was avoiding unwelcome stares or comments from men which can happen quite regularly as much as I walk around during my Sabbatical. I never felt the urge to hold by purse closer to me. For example, when I was in Singapore there was a wallet left behind and sitting on the machine to pay from your MRT card. When it was discovered, the person asked around if it was anybody in line and then immediately walked it over to security. I would like to say the same would happen anywhere but that is not always the case. When crime does happen in Singapore, it is usually petty crimes like theft or vandalism.
4. Orderly. This may be a weird thing to love about a city but after the chaos in some countries, it is a refreshing change. People line up to enter the MRT Trains and wait for everyone to exit before entering. There is none of the shoving or pushing that you can commonly see on public transportation systems. Nobody tries to cut in a line and if they do, you can obviously tell they are a tourist. Their airport was incredible high-tech and a breeze to get through. They had automated systems set up to check you in, verify your identity, and check your bag in. To board the plane, they even had automated gates that scanned your boarding pass to let you on through.
5. Take a trip around Asia all in one day. You can feel like you are in India or China all in the same day. I have visited China Towns in numerous cities but never really felt like I was in China until I came to Singapore. Their population is made up of ??% Chinese . Therefore Chinatown, isn’t a measly couple of blocks but closer to a mile of stores, restaurants, and reflexology places to visit. Once you have had your fill of China, then you can head to Little India. Singapore is made up of ??% Indians. I had fun visiting their temples, restaurants and stores. I managed to run into a free walking tour that told me the history of Little India.
6. You can have a weekend of luxury or cheap weekend depending on what you choose. After seeing Crazy Rich Asians, Singapore didn’t disappoint on being the land of luxury. You can shop your heart out at the high end fashion malls and find any top label from around the world. Then dine in some of the best Michelin rated restaurants in the world and have one of a kind dining experience. End your day, with bottle service at Ce La Vi Club on top of the Marina Bay Sands or gambling in their casino. Sleep at Marina Bay Sands setting you back $400 or up per night for a room. This is on my wish lists for places to stay mainly for the infinity pool overlooking the city.
On the other hand, you can use their transportation system or Grab to move around the city cheaply. Save your money, by spending your time wandering their neighborhoods for free and window shopping. For nature lovers, you can walk the 10km Southern Ridges which connects a variety of nature parks. Then dine at their hawker stalls including the first one star Michelin rated hawker stall called Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken and Noodle and get their signature dish for just $4.50. Or try another one Michelin star restaurant called Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. At night, wander over to the Gardens of the Bay and watch the free nightly show at 7:45 or 8:45pm every night. I was there during the holidays when the show played Christmas favorites. Even without the music, the Supertrees are light up with different colors and amazing to watch. Nearby, the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay has free performances so check out their website for the recent listings. I got to watch the
So don’t just take my word on how great Singapore is, consider including Singapore in your itinerary the next time you are in Asia.
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