Chinese Culture >> Asian Culture >> Singapore
The Real Singapore
Interestingly, Singapore is in fact one of
the most enjoyable cities in Southeast Asia and arguably in the World. Famous
for having a clean and green environment, the country is rumored to be "blandly
efficient and safe, a boringly tasteless, disciplinarian and unadventurous place
where citizens are robbed of their cherished freedom to spit on the street and
chew gum" - this is utter nonsense!
Singapore, is an island city-state and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.
It is rather small being a small city-state having an area of 699 km2 being the
reason for its dense population. Geographically, Singapore is located on the
southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Malaysia state of Johor, and
north of the Indonesia Riau Islands. It lies just 137 kilometers (miles) north
of the Equator.
The climate in Singapore is hot and humid as it is located in the tropics. The
temperature ranges from 34C in the day to 22C at night. The rainy season is from
November to January while there may be some rain the whole year through. The
skyscrapers occupy 50% of the land of Singapore; however, there are still many
parks, zoos, botanic gardens and waterfalls for you to visit on your trip to
Singapore. Most of this is artificial where even beach sand is imported to make
Singapore a tourist destination for millions of tourists every year.
Singapore has four official languages - Mandarin, English, Tamil and Malay.
Accordingly, the population is a mix of Chinese, Indians, Malays and a minority
of other nationals. Despite being a small city, Singapore is presently an
industrial country having one of the busiest ports of the world.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Few cities can boast Singapore's fascinating ethnic brew. Where else in the
world can you dip into the cultures of China, Indian 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 greatest eating capitals. You don't have to look far to find echoes of
the island's colorful, rakish past, or evidence of a thriving and creatively
unfettered artistic community. Singapore's soul is alive and well - and it is
"Wonderfully Singapore".
There are 58 smaller islands surrounding Singapore of which the most famous is
Sentosa. This island is an attraction of Singapore and has museums, beaches,
aquariums, camping sites and sports centers for tourists. There are lots of
hostels and hotels that cater to your stay in Sentosa too.
Moreover, Singapore is not all about tourist attractions, shopping and food. Nor
is the notion of Singapore as completely urbanized anything more than popular
myth. Adventure activities include diving with sharks at Underwater World on
Sentosa, mountain biking around Bukit Timah, leopard-spotting at the Singapore
Zoo's magical Night Safari, waterskiing or wake-boarding on the Kallang River,
Go-Karting and Rock Climbing. And if you want to retreat from civilization
completely, the centre of the island retains large tracts of forest where the
only sound you can hear is the monkeys swinging through the trees. In fact,
Singapore is one of only two cities in the world that still retains a patch of
primary rainforest, in the form of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
FOOD
Food is the national obsession in Singapore - 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 Omelet,
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.
SHOPPING
Shopping is what brought Singapore its fame. Everything can be bought here from
electronic goods to clothes to herbal medicine. Orchard road is the hub of
activity of Singapore and is the best place for shopping addicts. You find the
latest in the fashion world and are sure to enjoy yourself even just window
shopping here. This is also the dining center of Singapore where you can find
international cuisine to tingle your taste buds.
If there's one thing more stylish than the Bars and Restaurants, it's the
boutiques that have made Singapore the byword in Asia for extravagant Shopping.
Away from the Gucci and Louis Vuitton onslaught of Orchard Road, however, there
are bargains to be found on everything from clothes to electronics - and a range
of art and antique shops that few Asian cities can match.
About the Author:
Singapore Lifestyle Wiki, created by a team of Singaporeans, aims to create an interactive lifestylepedia to "showcase the BEST of Singapore to the rest of the World on the Internet!" Simply put, we WANT the World to find out about OUR Singapore Lifestyle.