Singapore

Hello, and welcome back to our virtual abode.

Today we visited Singapore. This is the number one city that I was looking forward to on the trip, and it did not disappoint.

Singapore is an island city of nearly 6 million. While a majority of its population is primarily based on the main island, it also has 63 outlying inlet islands. Its landmass has increased some 25% over the years due to their ongoing land reclamation projects.

While its history dates back some 800 years, perhaps its most interesting backstory is that the country was ”expelled” from Malaysia in the 1960s due to political and racial violence. It definitely landed on its feet though. The country is beautiful and very unique. It population has one of the highest average incomes in Asia, and it is considered to have one of the world’s most competitive economies.

The city planing here is remarkable, and has resulted in perhaps the best organized cities we have ever visited. It is very clean, and very civilized, with virtually no crime or drugs. (As always, I try to keep things positive, so I won’t get into the details of why they do not have any crime.)

A few things that make Singapore stand out include the fact that it is (by far) the cleanest city I have ever seen. So much so that it is literally illegal to chew gum in the county, most of their population speak 4 languages (including English) and, one of their national parks has more tree species than the entire North American continent. Oh yea, in case I failed to mention it, this place is unbelievably beautiful.

So, there were several places that we wanted to see here, but our time was short, and the available excursions did not visit all of the location, so we made our own excursion. Luckily, the city is very well layed out, and the public transportation system is outstanding.

Our first stop was the subway, which we were able to jump on just a block or two from the cruise terminal. A change of trains and a few stop later, and we were at the first hot spot. The iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel (MBS).

This is funny. When Singapore wanted to build the world’s nicest hotel, they put the word out that they were accepting proposals. The Sands Hotel Las Vegas, persuaded them that that they were the best candidate, and they made it happen. Several years afterwards, their Las Vegas location was torn down. Now, this is the only one. Hmmm…

The towers that make up the MBS are considered the most complex towers ever built. As the hotel was being built, they were adding one floor every four days. It boasts the largest suites in the country (coming in at 6,700sf each), and the largest chandelier in the world. But the magic extends beyond their hotel, casino, mall, and event plaza. The adjoining SkyPark and Crystal Pavilions are amazing.

Someone said a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few visual paragraphs for you.

The adjoining Gardens by the Bay features the Super Tree Grove. The huge man-made trees have live plants on the outside, and put on quite a visual show at night.

The Gardens by the Bay trails between the exhibits feature the world’s longest bronze sculpture. The Love the Last March sculpture features 45 endangered animal species. Very cool!

Our final destination was the remarkable (and really huge) Cloud Forest Dome. This was the most plants we’ve ever see in one (indoor) place. Amazing!

Visiting Singapore was one of the highlights of our trip to day, and it definitely has made the cut for my must-come-back-here-again short-list.

Next stop, Malaysia, but you know how the saying goes. Yup, that is another story my friends…
😉

Au revoir.
– Mike
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” – Dr. Seuss