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Singapore the Switzerland of Asia
This pint-sized nation of only 5 million residents, offers a variety of experiences and in one day it is possible to stroll through a rain forest, visit a variety of places of worship from a multitude of religions, shop in a sophisticated mall on Orchard Road, dine on a variety of meals from all over Asia and the Middle East, take a night safari at the zoo, cruise along the bay, and see world class art in one of its major museums.
Its mosaic of ethnic groups from Chinese (75%) to Malays, to Indians, to Arabs, to Armenians, to British --all living in some way separately, yet coexisting in this crossroads of east and west. Over the decades, as each group moved into the city, it was given its own quarter. The lingering rivalry with Malaysia, with whom Singapore was united (for two years in the early 1960s), has waned overtime, as the country has work hard to mend its racial discord. Singapore even celebrates Racial Harmony day on May 21.
Famous for its strict laws defining public behavior, Singapore prohibits chewing gum, spitting, littering, jaywalking, “unusual sex acts, and even failing to flush a toilet. I am happy I gave up chewing gum earlier this year!
I hope I remember to only use my right hand while interacting with others as the left-hand is reserved only for toilet activities.
Singapore, like Monaco the Vatican City, is a city state which means it's both a city and a country.
Languages spoken are Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil.
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| Raffles Hotel |
The tropical waterfront city of Singapore is known for six major districts: The Civic District, Orchard Road., Marina Bay, Little India, Chinatown, and Bugis (A few mosques and temples and lots of youthful shopping)/Kampong Glam where the Malay and Arab quarters are located
I will be there for two days after my cruise and I plan to visit all the major quarters of the city, take a night Safari, explore on the hop on hop off bus, and I will dine in a hawker center.
Update:
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| Cable car ride to Sentosa |
After leaving the ship, I toured Singapore for two days and evenings. I took two routes of the hop on hop off bus, toured Chinatown and Little India, took the cable car ride over to Sentosa, had drinks and dinner at the Raffles Hotel, and spent that first evening at the top of the famous Marina Sands Hotel on the 57 floor lounge terrace with a spectacular views of the bay.
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| Marina Sands Hotel |
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| Views from top of Marina Sands hotel |
I highly recommend taking the hop on hop off bus because its 4 routes provide a nice overview of all the city’s districts.
It rained intermittently the first day but I was fortunate to have been seated in a covered section of the top deck of the HOHO.
It was easy to stroll through bustling China Town (a HOHO stop) with its multitudes of shops containing everything from jade, to lacquerware, to screens, to silk clothing, tea sets, electronics, figurines, and everything beautiful, practical, and impractical–you can even have a suit or dress tailor-made in a day. In Little India, they were celebration the Deepavali festival, so the streets were crowded with merrymakers and the colorful shops and restaurants were packed with celebrants.
My hotel, The Ibis on Bencoolen, is ideally situated near Little India and Bugis and close to bus lines and the MRT/metro.
I would even stay in this area again, if I didn’t have the option to stay at the Marina Sands.
