Singapore would have to be my second favourite country that I have visited in Asia so far, Japan being number one. For such a small country, Singapore has impressed me so much that I have visited three times in three years. Singapore knows how to leave a good first impression, and in my opinion, Singapore just does things right. So, here are my top ten reasons why you should visit Singapore.
Hawker Centres
If you are wondering what a hawker centre is—basically it’s a large open food court where many small vendors serve freshly prepared meals. The food is generally the local cuisine and it is not only delicious, but also cheap.
Some of the main dishes to try at a hawker centre include kaya butter toast, chili crab, laksa, oyster omelet, Hainanese chicken rice, nasi lemak, BBQ stingray and fried carrot cake.
My three personal favourite hawker centres to eat at are Maxwell Food Centre, Old Airport Road Food Centre and Chinatown Complex Food Centre.
The best part about eating at one of the many hawker centres is that an average meal will only cost around SGD $3-$5 and a cup of refreshing sugarcane juice will cost about SGD $2-$3.
Safety
Singapore is more like eastern Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea in terms of safety. It’s one of the countries I feel perfectly fine walking back from a club at 2 a.m. in the morning without having to regularly check over my back.
I have also noticed people trust their fellow citizen so much that they will leave their phones and wallets on hawker centre tables while they order their food. I personally wouldn’t do this, and I don’t suggest you either, but it’s something you wouldn’t see in too many other countries.
You don’t really get the same feeling of safety in other Southeast Asian countries—Malaysia and Brunei being exceptions. I always appreciate not having to be overly cautious of being scammed and having locals trying to sell me shit.
As with travel in any country, it goes without saying, practice common sense in regard to your safety.
Cleanliness
Singapore takes their hygiene serious, and they take pride in keeping their streets spotless.
Something I always find amusing is how when you exit a bathroom, there will be a touch screen display where you can rate the cleaners performance based on cleanliness, service, etc. It’s also funny how as soon as you finish doing your business, the cleaner will ensure the toilet is immaculate for the next user. I am the type of person who will avoid using public toilets to do a number two at all costs. But in Singapore, I actually look forward to using the toilets . . . maybe I’m just weird.
People will usually tell you that chewing gum is illegal and there is no rubbish on the streets at all. So, the first time I went to Singapore I wanted to see if this was true. To my surprise, the streets weren’t 100% free of rubbish. I did find cigarettes butts, small pieces of plastic and yes, chewing gum occasionally on the street. But, for the most part yes, Singapore is a very clean city.
Architecture
During my most recent visit to Singapore, I remember saying to my friend, “everywhere you look everything is aesthetic and visually pleasing to look at”. It truly never gets old walking around the city and just admiring the incredible architecture of buildings such as the Marina Bay Sands—which I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to stay at.
Some other buildings with impressive architecture include Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Helix Bridge, Jewel Changi Airport, Parkroyal on Pickering, Gardens by the Bay, The Fullerton Hotel and the lotus flower shaped ArtScience Museum.
Changi Airport
Not often can you say that an international airport is one of the countries most impressive tourist attractions. Changi Airport is huge, and has four terminals, each with their own unique attractions within them. Undoubtedly the highlight of the airport is the Jewel Changi. Costing SGD $1.7 billion, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 40m is an amazing piece of architecture to appreciate.
Changi Airport has been named the best airport in the world seven years in a row. I’ll just list some of the many features this airport has proving it worthy of its status as best airport in the world. Butterfly garden, movie theater, tallest slide in an airport, art sculptures, free city tours, swimming pool, cactus garden and hotel; this is not including the extensive list of retail shops, and restaurants.
But above all, Changi Airport is clean, very efficient, safe, and offers an overall phenomenal airport experience which is unmatched.
Nightlife
Once the sun goes down, Singapore’s nightlife epicentre is undoubtedly Clarke Quay. The waterside venue is where you will find a range of high-end to casual restaurants, different themed bars, world class EDM clubs like Zouk, as well as attractions like the G-Max Reverse Bungy and Singapore River Cruise. Although Singapore’s nightlife is not exclusive to Clarke Quay, it is definitely the place to be if you want to get amongst all the action.
Excellent Public Transport System
Singapore is only a small country—this, and a well organised and efficient public transport system means you’ll have no worries getting around the city. If you are staying in the CBD or Marina Bay area, a lot of the main points of interest are within walking distance, like Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Merlion Park, Singapore Flyer etc.
The three main forms of pubic transport include the MRT, taxi, and bus. I personally find taxis to be the most convenient, and they aren’t as expensive as you may think. While using the MRT and buses is the cheaper option, I find most of the time everywhere I need to go is within walking distance, so I don’t mind using taxis. Taxis in Singapore are metered and easy to find. Something to keep in mind however is that surcharges do apply during certain times, so be sure to do your research.
Different Cultures
I hate the cliché ‘melting pot of cultures’. So, I’m going describe Singapore as being a nation of many unique cultures. Singapore’s population is made up of mostly Chinese, Malaysian and Indian people. There are four main languages spoken in Singapore, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English.
Visitors are able to experience these cultures throughout Singapore at locations such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. Hawker centres are also another great way to experience the cuisines of these different cultures of Singapore.
Rooftop Bars
When I first started travelling around Asia, I discovered the rooftop bar. I have since been to some of the best ones throughout many Asian cities. I can confirm Singapore probably has not only the best range, but also the highest quality rooftop bars out of most Asian cities.
The two main ones you should definitely checkout are CÉ LA VI and 1-Altitude.
CÉ LA VI is located on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands. Unlike accessing the infinity pool, you do not need to be a hotel guest to gain entry to the bar. CÉ LA VI is upscale while still being quite casual, one thing I am not a fan of however is the lack of seats available, so be prepared to stand.
1-Altitude is the world’s highest alfresco bar, and in my opinion has better views than CÉ LA VI. This is for a few reasons, 1-Altitude offers 360-degree views and is also higher than CÉ LA VI. From 1-Altitude you can easily see the Marina Bay Sands which regularly has an incredible light display projecting from the hotel. I find the atmosphere to also be more fun here as there are live DJ’s. It’s probably also easier to get a seat here compared to at CÉ LA VI.
Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool
The first time I went to Singapore was in 2016 when I was 18. I actually tried to sneak into the infinity pool. And . . . I was unsuccessful. It had always been a dream of mine—something on my bucket list, to one day lean over the edge of the worlds highest infinity pool and admire the Singapore skyline. Three years later I achieved my goal. The only real way to access the infinity pool is to be a hotel guest, so that’s what I done. The $500 per night price tag was worth it in my opinion.
As you can tell I love Singapore, and I am sure you will too. While Singapore may not be as cheap as Thailand, it doesn’t have to be expensive either. So be sure to give Singapore a visit when traveling around Southeast Asia or even consider Singapore as a layover destination.
