My gate to the world has been Singapore. Why? It’s simple. It was the cheapest route to get to South East Asia, a 250€ flight with Norwegian from London. I thought the price was bonkers. As many things in life, Singapore came into my life by chance. It could have been Bangkok or Jakarta, for all I know. I just browsed Barcelona to anywhere, and the airplane tracker sent me to this awesome city.
I think Singapore is an unfairly disregarded destination for most people. It’s just a tiny country, a city encapsulated on an island just under Malaysia. There are, though, many interesting things to do and see in the city.
First of all, it’s important to notice that everything your eyes will see has been built over the last 50 years. The Singapore we know today was established in 1965 after Malaysia decided they didn’t need that useless piece of land in the tip of continental Asia. Well, if you come here now you’ll see they’ve proved them wrong. Singapore is one of the four Asian Tigers, and probably the friendliest country for occidental expats.
As a result of its short modern history and their meteoric rise in the global markets, Singapore’s skyline doesn’t fall short to others like New York, London or Hong Kong. What this means, really, is that Singapore is the perfect gateway to Asia and its culture. You still get all the perks of home (if home for you is any European or American city) mixed up with three major Asian cultures: Chinese, Malay and Indian.
A week in Singapore
The results are astonishing and that’s why nobody should simply discard visiting the country. The basic sightseeing can be done in three days, but a week in the city has more than enough attractions to keep the visitor busy.
Because of the merging cultures, Singapore’s food offer is unlimited and you can enjoy it in the numerous food courts spreaded round town. These are great for the appetite and good for your pocket, since the city is probably one of the most expensive in all Asia. Still, you can travel on a budget and enjoy numerous free attractions such as the lights shows in Marina Bay and Gardens by the bay. The city has also great green spaces like the Botanical Gardens, ideal for a morning walk to escape the skyscrapers.
A visit to the city’s neighbourhoods will take you to Little India, China Town and Kampong Glam, the muslim and hipster quarter (yep, sounds weird, but it’s awesome). You could rush those three days or spend a week, but you surely won’t get bored either way.
[Learn more in our Singapore travel guide]
Ah, and I almost forgot. Singapore’s airport is the main hub of the region and thus, flies the cheapest fares for all your ‘other-side-of-the-world’ destinations. Try it and you won’t regret it.
Singapore might not be a full vacation destination, but it’s a good place to start and then continue.
Tips: Ideal for architecture lovers. On extremely rainy days, there are plenty of museums and malls to entertain all your necessities.
