DESPITE ITS STATUS AS A GLOBAL CITY, SINGAPORE IS A
FLORAL DELIGHT, WITH A MYRIAD OF SURPRISES AWAITING THE THOSE TEMPTED INTO A
PROLONGED STOPOVER
Along with Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, Singapore is one of the premier air travel hubs in East Asia and wherever you are travelling to you, this status makes all these cities prime candidates for a great stopover as part of your wider travel aspirations.
Singapore, however, has invested much of its considerable wealth and talent to create something far more rewarding than a temporary diversion, an endeavour so successful that it has become a holiday destination in its own right, with a truly stunning array of brilliantly conceived and exquisitely creative attractions hidden beyond the skyscrapers.
As exciting and sometimes thrillingly chaotic as they can be, most major Asian cities are cacophonous and, to the western perspective, can appear disorganised and, beyond their main historic areas, often dirty. Not so Singapore, a wonderfully floral city with a serious environmental strategy in place, characterised by its respect for nature, modernity, cleanliness, orderly traffic and an excellent public transport system.
With all the extravagances of designer shopping, sophisticated fine dining, elegant charm and a host of high quality visitor attractions, Singapore is not only in the super league of global city experiences, but despite the popular perception of complete urbanisation, the wider island also hosts bird sanctuaries and nature reserves. It is thus surprisingly even possible to do a spot of serious trekking through Primary forest.
Situated at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore’s meteoric economic rise from a little-populated island to one of the World’s richest nations has been an inspiration to many of its neighbours.
Although the British can take much credit for the founding and development of Singapore as a major trading port, and its transformation from a swampy and sparsely populated area, they also shoulder responsibility for the legacy of crippling poverty prevailing for most of its populous when this little island nation achieved its independence.
In spectacular style, with the resolve of its government and citizens, plucky Singapore has defied all the odds, and triumphed socially and economically, lifting most of its population out of poverty into good housing, health and welfare in tandem with its enviable financial acumen and adaptability.