THOUGH I was in Singapore only for four days, I was impressed by what I saw and experienced.
It is particularly clean. Everything seems to run smoothly and without much of a hint of chaos. It is, like New York, very walkable. The pavements are wide and cars even stop to let you cross the road!
The signposting is clear. It's not so big that you have to rely on public transport to get everywhere. I walked solidly for about eight hours on my first day and covered a large portion of the city.
There is a lot going on - loads of attractions - and, for a city, there are plenty of trees and green spaces. No wonder Singapore is known as 'Garden City'. I noticed government initiatives in many places encouraging the population to make their city more ecologically friendly.
The modern architecture is pretty spectacular. With the warm, humid climate, tall skyscrapers and waterfront, downtown has a Miami feel to it (without the tackiness), but with a touch of Monte Carlo thrown in and an atmosphere that is, for want of a better word, orderly.
There's a mostly Chinese and Indian culture served by Chinatown and Little India (the best place I found for internet shops). Languages spoken are English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
Foodwise, you can get almost anything you like. Actually, you can get your hands on everything here. Singapore is shopping mall crazy. They are abundant downtown and all are stunningly large, containing the designer stores. There's a Starbucks on every corner it seems. The economy, it appears, is booming. Singapore is, according to most lists, one of the richest countries in the world.
Although goods are not as cheap as in Thailand, it doesn't cost anywhere near as much to eat out in Singapore as it does in Europe or the US - if you operate prudently.
For a more authentic feel, you can munch at the many hawker centres where the food markets are. They are everywhere. I also went into the ethnic areas for a more genuine feel of the city and to escape the giant malls.
Little India has restaurant after restaurant and shops selling goods at discounted prices. There is also a small arab quarter and ample choice for vegetarians/vegans if you look hard enough.
But the Singaporians like their meat. Frogs are something of a delicacy, too. Most nights and especially on weekends, the streets are full of tables and restaurants jammed with customers. TV screens in restaurants show the Premiership football live from England.
Remnants of the former British Empire are everywhere, not least The Raffles hotel, named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who turned Singapore into a busy port and the city created by Raffles remains practically the same today in layout as it was nearly 200 years ago.
Singapore is a mix of old and new and contrasting cultures. People work hard and, from what I saw, spend hard, too.
The island (only 604sq km) is densely populated and though everything seems so clean and controlled, Singapore is not without its problems, waste disposal being one of them. Most of it being incarcerated. But the need to find alternative solutions has prompted the urgency to work with the people to improve methods of recycling.
People clearly care about their city although the cost of living here is one of the highest in all of asia (behind Japan). I didn't notice it too much, probably because I declined to shop at all the modern stores. There's definitely a cheaper way to surviving a place like this, though the heftiest costs are for accommodation and schooling, something that is more difficult for most residents to avoid.
so nice to know that many tourists love our country ;) hope you visit again soon! :)
Posted by: singapore hostels | 12 April 2012 at 07:21 AM