Earlier this year I explored the global city-state of Singapore as a side trip while adventuring in Thailand for a couple weeks. Since Singapore is so tiny, I knew this would be an ideal one-day getaway from the land of smiles. But don’t let Singapore’s size fool you— there is a ton to see, do, and eat.
Culturally, Singapore is unlike anything I’ve witnessed in Asia. It is a confluence of cultures— Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Middle-Eastern. It is one of the world’s most powerful economic centres and physically, it is one of the most gorgeous and stunning cities in the world.
So here are some things I did (and ate) with one day in Singapore:
We started in Chinatown
Had breakfast at the Maxwell Food Centre
We then headed to Arab Street where we were transported to the Middle-East. There were Turkish restaurants, shops selling Persian carpets and beautiful multi-colored scarves (my girlfriend purchased quite a few). Just as quickly, we emerged in Little India. To be honest, I thought I was in India. The people, smells, shops took me back to New Delhi or Mumbai. We had lunch here:
After lunch, I headed to the shopping district that would rival Rodeo Drive. Gucci after Prada after Louis Vuitton. We didn’t buy anything, but it was interesting to see the consumer culture in Singapore. The remainder of the day was spent walking around the Marina Bay Sands where the architecture was stunning and the skyline was in full view:
Exhausted, we headed back to our hotel in the red-light district (Geylang) and ate some more food:
So there ya go. Singapore in one day. When you are in one part of the world, see if you can create a memorable side trip. Explore on folks!