Doug Orens

Singapore, actually the Republic of Singapore, is a city/state/country located just beyond the southern tip of Malaysia, one degree north of the equator. Yes, it’s all of the above, and the capitol of Singapore is, you guessed it, Singapore! It’s very small at only about 275 square miles and has a population of just over 5.5 million. That area includes about 50 square miles of land that has been reclaimed over the last 30 years. It is very safe, very little crime, no panhandlers the entire time we were there, and the water is safe to drink. This is a great “first country in Asia” for people who might be a little nervous about traveling to the Far East. It is also one of the greenest countries in the world. Not only is about half of the country covered with greenery, but many of the skyscrapers have parks and gardens built into them.

The St Regis hotel is beautiful, and while not located on the famous harbor, it’s a very short drive. It’s also just a short walk from Orchard Road, which is a main shopping and entertainment area of Singapore. We never went anywhere during our entire visit that took more than 10-15 minutes due to the lack of traffic; one of the advantages of heavily taxing automobile ownership. I had an entry level room and it was beautiful, with a large sitting area and a beautiful bathroom. As is common at the St. Regis, each room comes with butler service. Very nice to get a fresh pot of coffee delivered each day at 3:30 am while trying to adjust to the time difference.

The official language of Singapore is English, although each of the melting pot of nationalities that call Singapore home also speak their native tongue. Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil are all widely spoken. This is very evident as you visit Kampong Glam, Little India, and Chinatown. You really do feel like you’re in different countries as you wander the narrow streets filled with the foods, goods, and smells of each culture. As a bonus, you get this variety of experiences all within a few miles of each other.

Taking a bumboat ride down the Singapore River is a great way to spend an evening. After dinner on the harbor, a short walk brought us to Clarke Quay where we boarded our Bumboat. They’re called Bumboats because in the “old days” when they were actually used to bring goods up the river, there were so many of them on the narrow waterway that they always bumped into each other. This is the perfect way to get those signature views of the Singapore skyline. Clarke Quay is also one of the main areas of nightlife in the city with dozens of clubs, bars and restaurants all surrounding fountains and art installations. And, no, we didn’t bump into anyone!!

The Mandarin Oriental is located right on the harbor with unobstructed views of the beautiful Singapore skyline, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the Singapore Flyer (Ferris wheel). As mentioned above, Singapore is very small and that includes the compact harbor area. A quick one hour walk from the Mandarin Oriental would allow you to encircle the entire bay passing by the Merlion, the mythical half lion and half fish creature that watches over Singapore, as well as all of the sites mentioned above.

No hotel breakfast for us! Off to Killiney Kopitam for a traditional breakfast of Kaya toast and soft cooked eggs mixed with soy sauce and spices, and a variety of noodle dishes, all shared at a communal table with the locals. One of the most popular ways for the locals to eat in Singapore is at the Hawker stalls. This is basically street food, but moved off the streets and into Hawker Centers. Most neighborhoods have their own Hawker Center with dozens, if not hundreds, of booths where you can find anything from simple noodle dishes and dim sum to chili crab and Peking duck.

At the other end of the spectrum, we also ate at some of the finest restaurants including the Michelin starred Corner House in the center of Singapore’s famed Botanical Gardens. So happy to have been able to experience the wide variety of dining options here. One more note about the food….napkins are a luxury here, only to be found in the finest restaurants or hotels. When eating anywhere else, napkins are either not provided, or are the equivalent of one tissue. Bring a bunch from home!

Gardens by the Bay is a beautiful 250 acre complex right on Marina Bay, pretty much the center of all activity in Singapore. As is the case with much of the waterfront, this is all reclaimed land. The three main features of the gardens are two huge domes, and the “grove” of Supertrees. The two domes are actually climate controlled greenhouses with the larger (but shorter) one, the Flower Dome, housing a variety of permanent gardens, as well as continually changing floral displays. We were there for Tulipmania, with more than 100 varieties of tulips and hyacinths. The other dome, the Cloud Forest, features a 140 foot tall “Cloud Mountain” with the focal point being a 115 foot tall waterfall that provides a refreshing cool mist to counter the typical hot and humid conditions found in Singapore. In addition to being beautifully covered with ferns, vines, orchids, and more, the Supertrees are actually environmentally friendly, harnessing solar energy and collecting rainfall that is used to irrigate the gardens and feed the fountain displays.

The Marina Bay Sands hotel is the main feature of those iconic pictures of Singapore, and as such, everyone kind of has to go there. It is a hotel with over 2000 rooms that is completely sold out most of the time. There are nicer hotels in Singapore, but this is the one many people want to stay at because it's the one in all the pictures. We went to the roof-top observation deck for great views of the city, the adjacent Gardens of the Bay, and a very expensive drink!

In the Malay speaking parts of Southeast Asia, Peranakan means “child of” or “born of” and is used to refer to a person of mixed ethnic origins. In the past, traders would come from all over Southeast Asia to exchange their goods in Singapore. Most only stayed long enough to do their business, but others stayed and married local wives. Their descendants are the ancestors of the current Peranakans. They lived in very colorful houses and have a rich history that we were able to learn about in the Peranakan museum.

The Fairmont Singapore is located in the Raffles City complex which also includes a huge shopping center and the Swissotel. It is located directly across the street from the most famous hotel in town, Raffles, where the Singapore Sling was created. When Raffles was converted from a private home to a hotel in 1887, it was an ocean front resort. Singapore grew and land reclamation became necessary, so Raffles is now about half a mile from the water. In addition to all that Raffles City has to offer, the Fairmont has very comfortable rooms and two beautiful pools. The 70th floor of the Swissotel is home to the Equinox Restaurant, which in addition to the gourmet food, boasts amazing views of Singapore. This a great area to be in and the Fairmont is also just one block from a great walking area called Chijmes that is home to dozens of bars and restaurants that encircle what used to be a Catholic convent.

I always try to ask my guides or other locals what we missed. The consensus this time was the Night Safari and Sentosa Island. The Night Safari is just that, you can walk the trails, or take a tram through seven different zones where you get to see 130 different varieties of nocturnal animals. Sounds really cool. Sentosa island is a small island reachable by bridge that is home to numerous resorts, golf courses, and Universal Studios Singapore.

Shoot an email to: doug@plazatravel.com if you have any questions or want more details about this, or any of my other trips!

Singapore, April 2017