SINGAPORE
The idea to visit Singapore came about while I was searching for flights from Malaysian Borneo to Java. The best option suggested by the travel search engine was a connection flight through Singapore. Rather than have a long day of flying, we decided to make a 3-night stopover visit.
This city-state greatly exceeded our expectations. I was reluctant to book more than three days here. Many people characterize the country as 'boring' with plenty of details to back it up. I was also uninspired while I was researching for an itinerary. Top attractions and activities in Singapore included shopping, the zoo, a bird park (another zoo), amusement parks at Sentosa, an artificial cloud forest, and more shopping. I saw nothing that seemed particularly exciting and certainly nothing that could justify a 9000-mile journey!
Nevertheless, Singapore is not at all boring for a short stay and unquestionably worth seeing. On the plus side, the city is super-clean, well-organized, has many convenient amenities, and has excellent restaurants with many options of cuisines. It is not a place to visit for a distinct culture. The main draw is to wander and explore the neighborhoods of a very prosperous and unique city. The city preserves historic districts, and modern architecture is tasteful and creative. Visitors from Western countries are likely to feel quite comfortable here while still experiencing southeast Asia. Singapore can provide a welcome break from culture shock on a multi-country trip in this part of the world. We could have easily entertained ourselves for many more days than three.
We spent our time on walking tours exploring the entire Central District of Singapore. We also explored part of the adjacent Geylang area where we had booked our hotel.
Travel Tips:
The currency exchange rates offered at Changi Airport are not good. There are many money-changers in the city center with very competitive rates. Taxis from the airport will accept credit cards, so there is no need to change any money at the airport.
Exploring the City
Kampong Glam was the first neighborhood we visited. When the city was settled in the early 1800s, this was the Malay district. The Sultan Mosque is its most prominent landmark. We walked down the pedestrian street behind the mosque and selected a Middle Eastern restaurant for lunch. The area has many trendy restaurants, cafes, and shops.
Little India lies adjacent to Kampong Glam to the northwest. We headed there after lunch. Dating back to 1881, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (pictured to the right) is one of the most prominent Hindu temples in that district. On Serangoon Road (the main commercial street), the kids found an Indian confectionary and purchased barfi.
Chinatown
MORE INFO COMING SOON
Food
Singapore is the most diverse city in Asia, if not the world. It offers a large number of national cuisines and dining out relatively inexpensive.
MORE TO COME ...
Sims Street in the Geylang area has many large shops that sell exotic Asian fruits. The langsat is one fruit to look for in Singapore. You will probably not find it in Western-nation Chinatowns. Its flesh looks similar to that of lychees, mangosteens, rambutans, and longans, but it has a distinct flavor. In the process of searching it, I found a very similar-looking fruit that the shopkeeper described as a duku. At first, I thought it was a language translation issue. I later looked it up and discovered that a duku is, in fact, a distinct cultivar. We purchased dukus and langsats. I found it difficult to distinguish the flavors, but locals know the difference!
While most of the fruit prices looked like great bargains, there was one notable exception. We were in Singapore during the prime season for durians (June through August). A few of the shops had stockpiles of durians for sale, and prized varieties get very pricey. One shop had charts describing the different types and regions where they are grown. I had no idea that there are so many varieties. To be noted, however, they were not selling any of the small wild durians that you find in Borneo. Anyway, despite their tremendous popularity, there are bans on durians in taxis, the MTA, and many hotels!