Singapur, Insidertips mbt. de Lioncity

Living in Singapore

Singapore has been my home for the past 14 years. ToursOnTheWeb is incorporated here. My wife is 100% born and raised Singaporean.

In Singapore everyone is equal regardless of race, language or religion. This is a belief that is written down in the constitution and defended with all it has, even if it means censorship. Singapore is multi-cultural with the majority of Chinese ethnicity (approx. 65%), while Malay and Indian race are major population groups. A small percentage is other-Asian or Caucasian. Harmonious living together between races and religions and working together to build a peaceful society, is top priority.

There are many rich people in Singapore who enjoy the variety and lifestyle, but not everyone is rich. Most have a normal job and a normal income. 80% live in an HDB apartment that the residents leased for 99 years. After this period the unit returns to the government.

Public transportation is one of the best and most affordable in the world. Trains and buses run everywhere from early morning to late at night. Taxis and private-hire cars (Grab, comparable to Uber) are available. Buying a car is very expensive here, but there is no real need to own a car.

English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil are the official languages.

Travel in Singapore

Singapore is small and travellers usually stay here on their way to somewhere else, unless they have family or business here. Changi Airport is one of the very best Airports in the World and Singapore Airlines is alike in the skies.

Travellers usually stay here for 3-4-5 days to see the famous sights and enjoy the incredible food. Singapore is also one of the safest countries in the world with almost no corruption or violent crime. There are security cameras everywhere.

Tourism has grown in the past 20+ years. The government realised that is was possible and important to attract more people (leisure and business) who spend more time and money here. The largest groups of visitors are Chinese and Indonesians.

Singapore has cleaned up the city and the river and top attractions like Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa Island were added for multi-day stay-overs and events. For short stop-overs of a few hours there is now Jewel at Changi Airport, a shopping and entertainment area with huge indoor waterfall.

The Formula 1 Car-racing as well as tennis, golf, table tennis and other sport and cultural events (like the Coldplay, Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga concert) also put Singapore on the tourist map.

Marina Bay Area

The heart of Singapore is without a doubt the Marina Bay area with the famous Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel, the water spitting Merlion and the Central Business District. This area with the Flyer (a large wheel), theatres, museums, hotels and restaurants attracts visitors of all ages.

The MBS hotel is not only a fancy hotel, but also an event and conference centre with shopping, a casino and a little canal like in Venice. Its three tall towers with a ship on top has become the face of Singapore. And for guests only… there is this infinity pool on the 55th floor. The MBS building is one of the most expensive buildings in the world.

Between the MBS hotel and the sea is Gardens by the Bay, a nature area with gigantic artificial trees. They are quite impressive and come alive with music every evening.

One remark: the MBS and Gardens by the Bay are built on reclaimed land. A few decades ago this was all water.

Orchard Road, Sentosa Island, Botanic Garden and Zoos

Most visitors will also visit the other main attractions. Orchard Road is the famous shopping area with all big, exclusive fashion brands. It is easy to spend a lot of money here. Takashima includes a food court in the basement with nice bakeries, chocolates and other goodies.

Sentosa Island is a location for serious entertainment with superb hotels, a casino, the Universal Studios theme park, an aquarium, sky diving, Bungee jumping, sandy beaches, a cable car, etc. Spending a day here is easy.

East Coast Park is where locals go to and ride a bicycle, have a BBQ on the beach or eat Chili Crab. The water may be dirty and dangerous and the sea views may be spoiled by cargo ships, but it is still entertainment.

With extra time you can also spend some time in the green, away from cars and buildings. UNESCO heritage site Botanic Garden with Orchid garden is one option. Singapores Animal parks in Mandai another. They include the Zoo as well as Bird Paradise, River Wonders and Night Safari. Park rangers and keepers try to give the animals space and natural habitat. You can even find two Giant Pandas here.

China Town, Little India, Kampung Glam

In Singapore all different ethnicities and religions live together in harmony. Yet, different areas exist for the main different population groups. It is easy to visit all three in one day on foot.

China Town is the home for the many Chinese. Especially before Chinese New Year it becomes alive with red lights, zodiac animals and predictions for the new-year. Year-round you find souvenirs. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is beautiful even if the tooth itself is not human.

Little India has the typical Indian articles, markets and flowers as well as sarees and lots of gold jewellery. Along Serangoon Road you will find Hindu temples and good restaurants.

Kampung Glam is the area for the Malay / Muslim community. The street in front of Sultan Mosque is very picturesque. You will find Turkish & Lebanese stalls here as well as a busy outdoor bar area.

Where to eat out? Along Singapore River?

Thanks to the cultural mix there is a wide variety of food. Singapore is a top destination for dishes of any kind including Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean or Western, in any budget. You can eat a simple dish for US$ 5.00, or enjoy a great diner or lunch in a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars for US$ 500+ per person. There are food places all around Singapore and usually it takes a few minutes to find something.

A special place to eat out at night is along the Singapore River. In the past this river was dirty, dead and smelling, but after the cleaning up in the 1980s it is full of fish and even otters. After construction of the Marina Barrage in 2008, the river is no longer getting any salty sea water in and now serves as a spare drinking water reservoir.

The Singapore River starts at the Merlion (Marina Bay) and leads past Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay towards Great World shopping mall. Most of this 3km stretch is covered with nice restaurants and great city views. Locals exercise and have fun here, just like tourists and business people. I highly recommend a visit and a meal at one of the Quays.

There are many food courts in Singapore where you can find different stores with simple, good food close together under one roof. One special place to enjoy this is Lau Pa Sat, in the heart of the Central Business District. There is a wide variety of food here. Every evening, at 19:00 sharp during weekdays, the road closes off and serves as a large outdoor restaurant for satay, satay and more satay.