On a recent trip to Burma, I booked a few days in lovely Singapore to stay with a friend before embarking on our exotic Asian adventure. Orderly, hygienic, and pristine: Singapore may in fact be the counter to all that is exotic about most of Southeast Asia.

EXPERIENCE

Upon arrival I was taken aback by the almost Disneyland-like perfection of the streets of this well manicured country. Because owning a vehicle is prohibitively expensive on this island nation, most utilize public transit, bikes or taxis. We had a laugh on the plane looking through newspaper ads in which nearly all American and European cars were being sold at a $100,000 USD premium– wow. 

There is a lot to do in this small place. Highlights included a river cruise to take in the architecture of the city. We enjoyed seeing the Quays which make up the little neighborhood centers along the river, each seeming unique in its cuisine and micro culture. From here we checkout the very impressive Gardens by the Bay, which are home to the Super Trees and Domed Flower Gardens. This is worth checking out and very well done. Within walking distance of these destinations is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel which towers over the Bay as a giant boat. From the Ku De Ta Lounge Roof Deck you can take in the bustle of the shipping marina and views of the skyline in all directions. This is a great place to appreciate the size of the city and its spectacularly diverse architecture. 

Other great places to walk while here are Arab Street, Chinatown and the Indian District. Each home to a lively population of native residents, these neighborhoods are great dinner destinations. We also visited several Buddha Tooth Relic Shrine. One day we took a bumboat ferry to Pulau Ubin. This is a national park island. Here we rented bikes for the day and enjoyed the wild boars, jungly landscapes and hiking through the wetlands. This is a great day trip if you are looking to get out of the city for a bit. One last stop before we left was the Level 33 Brewery. This boasts as being the highest brewery in the world and is a great place to take in the laser light show that happens over the bay each evening. 

STAY

While here I stayed in a friend’s high-rise condo. She, like many ex-pats taking residence in Singapore is enjoying a wonderful lifestyle, but not without paying a premium. There appear to be beautiful hotels all over the city and all areas are safe. I would assume staying close to the river is a way to stay in the heart of the action.

EAT

I cannot say a bad thing about the food in Singapore (aside from its prices!). The city posts an incredible diversity of local and regional cuisine. My favorite local dish was the Chili Crab. While here also check out Chinatown for amazing Chinese eats. Also, Arab Street was a hit! I hear the Indian food is also incredible, but we chose to steer clear of curries since we knew they would be dominating our cuisine while in Burma. My most memorable food experience while in Singapore was visiting the Hawker Center, which is basically an Asian Cuisine Food Mall. The booths each feature regional Asian cuisines that diners can mix and match at very reasonable prices, this seemed to be a hit with the local, native Singaporeans.