In my final post on the joy that was discovering Singapore, here’s a few random things I learnt/things to expect from the unique city-state:
If you board the front carriage of a metro train, you’ll discover there’s no driver. Just a big glass window where you can look directly out into the tunnel. Bit like being on a (very) tame rollercoaster. Adults and children get equally as excited.
Plugs are the same as the UK, they drive on the same side as the UK but, just to confuse you, they stand on the left of the escalator, not the right.
Jaywalking is illegal but all the locals seem to do it anyway.
Caning is still a thing there; just in case you were tempted to break the law.
It’s not possible to go to Singapore and not get lost in a shopping centre. At least for us anyway.
No one seems to cook at home because it’s so much cheaper to just grab something at the hawker centres. Genuinely, the concept of never sitting on the sofa with a bowl of pasta pesto stressed me out slightly.
You have to eat ice cream fast because, in that heat, it’ll have melted before you’ve even paid.
It’s so CLEAN. Cleanest place I have ever been to, no competition.
There are no mosquitos. I mean, okay, there are mosquitos but there’s a distinct lack of them. I didn’t get bitten at all the entire week, and Alice only got bitten once when we were on one of the islands.
Don’t make eye contact with a wild monkey. Thems the rules apparently.
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| Sunrise from our hotel room |
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| Views from Marina Bay Sands |
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| Southern Ridges |
People tell you that alcohol is ridiculously expensive but, honestly, if you’re used to London prices, you won’t bat an eyelid.
Having a cold in 35c heat is fucking horrendous.
‘Kusu’ means ‘Tortoise island’. Fun fact there for ya.
There are temples everywhere. And they’re all stunningly beautiful.
Aircon very quickly becomes your new best friend.
A merlion is a bit of mascot for Singapore. There are a lot of merlion statues dotted about all over the shop.
You can eat stingray… should you get a fancy.
The metro is insanely cheap. 35p-for-a-journey-level-of-cheap.
Everyone speaking English is no guarantee there won’t still be a language barrier; we definitely still had a few communication issues, particularly when ordering food.
Durians are a type of fruit that are famous for their potent stench – which is why you’ll see signs about them at stations; they’re specifically banned on the metro. Apparently they smell a bit like blue cheese…
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| Kusu island |
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| Sentosa |
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| Standing at the southernmost point of continental Asia |
On Wednesday nights, most bars have free drinks for women. In one place, at the end of the night, they started standing on the bar and pouring drinks on top of people. It was a bit weird.
When it rains, it’s so loud that it kinda sounds like rocks are falling to the floor.
If you have this image that walking the southern ridges will be quiet and tranquil… you’d be wrong. I’d recommend doing it but don’t expect to be alone.
Carrot cake is NOT the same as it is in England. It’s not cake and it’s not sweet. Nor does it have carrot in it. It’s either turnip or radish… we never quite got to the bottom of that one.
The bar at the top of Marina Bay Sands (views aside), Sentosa Island and the hawker centres did not live up to the hype in my opinion. Gardens by the bay, the light shows, the general bay area and Haji Lane 100% did. Little India & Island hopping were beautiful and two of my favourites - and bizarrely not really shouted about. Southern Ridges, Chinatown and grabbing a Singapore Sling worth doing if you have the time.
Other posts on Singapore:
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