A sprawling metropolis where East meets West, and old world Asia meets the 21st century, Singapore has plenty to shout about – including the Golden Jubilee of independence being celebrated in 2015
WHY WE THINK YOU’LL LOVE IT
- Little India is an assault on the senses – traditional shop houses, vibrant colours, aromatic spices, and a weekend bustle unmatched anywhere else in the city
- Food! Indulge in char kway teow in Chinatown, sip teh tarik on Serangoon road, or sample the signature chilli crab at one of the East Coast Parkways seafood hotspots
- Escape the city, and hike the rainforest trails in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, or visit the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari
It’s popular to dismiss Singapore as a kind of Asia Lite – blandly efficient and safe, an unadventurous place where citizens are robbed of their cherished freedom to spit on the street and chew gum. Utter nonsense. Singapore is in fact one of the most enjoyable cities in Southeast Asia, with fascinating museums, world class concert programmes, family attractions, a vibrant nightlife and of course the first F1 Grand Prix night circuit.
As you zoom in from one of the world’s best airports along the lush tree-shaded expressway or on the zippy MRT train line, you’ll quickly realise this is no traffic-snarled Bangkok. And as you stroll through the fashion emporiums of Orchard Rd, poke around antique shops in Chinatown or take a walk around one of the dozens of beautiful city parks, you’ll know the city bears no comparison to chaotic Manila or Jakarta. Then, as you are drinking and dancing until dawn in the city’s pubs and clubs, or sipping a cocktail at the Ku De Ta rooftop bar overlooking the Singapore skyline, think of your fellow travellers in Bangkok, who are being turfed onto the street at midnight.
Explore the cultural foundations of Singapore in the Asian Civilizations Museum, sip a Singapore Sling and chuck your peanut shells on the floor in Raffles’ iconic Long Bar, marvel at the colourful Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple – you’ll run out of time before you know it.
There’s no law that says an Asian city can’t be well run. It may have been a long and difficult haul from swampy colonial outpost to powerhouse industrial nation, but those who say that Singapore has lost its soul along the way couldn’t be more wrong.
