Singapore is in fact one of the most enjoyable cities in Southeast Asia. As you zoom in from one of the world's best airports along the lushly tree-shaded expressway or on the zippy MRT train line, you'll quickly realise this is no traffic-snarled Bangkok. And as you stroll through the fashion emporiums of Orchard Rd, poke around antique shops in Chinatown or take a walk around one of the dozens of beautiful city parks, you'll know the city bears no comparison to crime- and poverty-ridden Manila or Jakarta.
Few cities in Southeast Asia can boast Singapore's fascinating ethnic brew. Where else in the world can you dip into the cultures of China, India and Muslim Malaysia all in one day, against a backdrop of ultra-modern Western commerce? Not only has Singapore's history of migration left a rich cultural and architectural legacy that makes wandering the streets an absorbing delight, it has created one of the world's great eating capitals.
Food is the national obsession - and it's not difficult to see why.
Sitting out under the stars at a bustling hawker centre with a few
bottles of Tiger beer and diving into an enormous array of Asian dishes
is one of the iconic Singaporean experiences.
Sambal stingray, char kway teow, oyster omelette, chicken rice, clay-pot seafood,
fish head curry, beef rendang…the list is as long as it is delicious.And, of course, if your credit card hasn't already taken a battering in the shops,
the city's restaurants are some of the most stylish and innovative in the region.
Besides, it's not all strait-laced conformity. You don't have to look far to find echoes of the island's colourful, rakish past, or evidence of a thriving and creatively unfettered artistic community. Singapore's soul is alive and well - and it is unique
