0 8 mins 11 yrs

West isn’t always Best

I spent a few days in Singapore to visit a good friend and also to break up the epic flight to Australia. Singapore is interesting but I just couldn’t connect to the place. I had a great time and there are some brilliant things to see but I prefer more authentic South East Asian countries that embrace their culture and do not gloss-over their roots with a coat of westernized paint.

The Singapore CBD is an amalgamation of featureless large shiny buildings that could be any city in any country. The ethos seems to be the bigger the better! There are only a few traditional Chinese teahouses left; most have been ditched in favor of ugly cloned high-rise buildings.

Shopping malls sprawl across the metropolis like giant glass spiders spinning a web of mass consumerism. Of course shopaholics love it there. I enjoy purchasing new outfits as much as the next Londoner, but it’s not a priority for me when exploring a new country!

Cosmopolitan 

The country is a cultural melting pot of people, most of which are of Indian, Malaysian and Chinese historically welded together by the historic port, not to mention a sprinkling of British ex-pats stirred in! Lots of Brits, Americans and Australians move to Singapore for the work opportunities and they typically live in high-rise condos. I wanted to learn more about the history so I visited the  Asian Civilizations Museum. This collection has plenty of Pan-Asian culture and is a good antidote to the many shopping centres!

www.acm.org.sg

How to get around

Trains

To get around on public transport you need to buy an EZ-Link card-this is just topped up with cash amounts -like our Oyster card. This can be used on Singapore’s light rail system called the MRT-Mass Rapid Transit.

Buses 

There are plenty of buses. You have to swipe in and out with your EZ card even on buses otherwise you get charged the maximum fare! Costs are generally between $1-3 per journey.

Cabs 

Coming from London, I take it for granted that you can simply hail a cab or call a local taxi rank and easily be in a taxi within a few minutes. In Singapore, the cabs don’t always turn up when you call and drivers don’t seem to know where they are going and even ask you which route they should take. This is a major problem if you are new to the country and have no idea where you are going! 

Singa-pour!

The weather is boiling hot, humid and wet! It’s difficult not to break into a sweat when you step outside and when it rains it pours! I was almost drowned by the buckets of water being tipped from the heavens as I slid around the streets in my flip-flops!

No PDA’s 

People are very well behaved and polite in Singapore and risk-taking is frowned upon. The stringent laws reflect this and carry penalties for walking around in your own house naked, hugging and kissing in public without permission and buying chewing gum! I agree that gum on the floor is disgusting but not being able to hug in public seems extreme! Singapore has earned itself the name ‘Fine City’. 

Flower Power

One of the highlights of Singapore is the Botanical gardens. When I visited it was of course raining! I battled the elements with my brolly as a weapon to see the Orchid garden. A horticultural hall of fame dedicated to world leaders and celebrities. You could see how they had personalized each flower. Margaret Thatcher’s orchid was harsh looking, prickly and had a curve just like the iron lady’s hair. In complete contrast the floral tribute to the late Princess Diana was beautiful, soft and white –it was recently in the spotlight when included in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Asian tour last year. I refused to take off my sunglasses, as it was the only thing that made me feel remotely star-like in the drizzle! I saw a couple getting married in the grounds of the gardens-not such a great day for a white wedding!

Thai Art Attack

The Singapore Art Museum didn’t disappoint with its Thai Transience exhibition. It was so interesting and completely different to anything I’d seen before. From s creepy drawings made from human hair to bright, bold pieces that delve into Thai heritage and faith. It was a mixed bag from Thai artists. There was even a room with black board walls where you could contribute your own art with a piece of chalk! 

www.singaporeartmuseum.sg 

Night Lights

Nightlife in Singapore consists of swanky establishments, karaoke bars and brash nightclubs. I went to Clark quay -a riverside ‘Disney inspired’ village. It has several bars and is connected to a shopping center. None of the bars there have loo facilities! To use the toilet you have to leave the bar and walk quite far into the center to join the massive queue! Alcoholic drinks are pretty pricey-expect to pay at least $20-£25 for a cocktail/ spirit and mixer. Ouch!

The Cuban bar with the live band/music for a touch of Latin passion in the middle of Singapore is called Cuba Libre and it’s in Clarke Quay: http://www.cubalibre.com.sg/

I also popped into some fun Asian-style bars that were loud, brash, and constantly played Gangham style.

My favorite nightspot was Lantern Bar. With the illuminated Singapore skyline and Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the backdrop, it is a chic poolside bar in the swanky Fullerton Bay Hotel. I had my first Singapore sling –it was pricey but delicious.

www.fullertonbayhotel.com

From Infinity and beyond! 

I popped into the Marina bay sands hotel for a quick tour. It was huge-the largest hotel I have ever seen! Its famous feature is the highest infinity pool in the world in the Sands sky Park! What struck me was how over-crowded it was. I suppose it is a hotel with 3,000 rooms, but it would have looked more spectacular with blue skies and no people!! It was good to see the city from above and the geography of the place made more sense.

On the opposite side of the Sky park- away from the infinity pool, you can see a gigantic bizarre space age style garden. It looks like a scene from the Matrix and you can see tiny ant-like people milling around.

Yummy Tummies?

To balance the opulence of the MBS hotel, I visited a local Hawker market and had the opportunity to enjoy culinary delights such as pig-intestine porridge and 

I declined and opted for a much sweeter sugar cane smoothie!

It’s bizarre what different cultures consider acceptable delicacies I consider myself adventurous but there are certain foods that I draw the line at, and animal intestine porridge is one of them! So I left and went straight to a Cedele for a salad! This place does really healthy but good food so the perfect place if you want to look as pristine as the city!

www.cedeledepot.com