Arrived in Singapore - the Lion City

Our trip through Southeast Asia starts in the smallest country in terms of area, the Republic of Singapore.

After a 12-hour flight from Berlin, which was much better than expected from the low-cost airline Scoot, and 10 hours of travel from Auckland, the Changi Airport was our meeting point. From now on, we will be traveling together for a while and will report alternately.

Day 1

Arriving in Singapore, the heat hit me (Gerdi) first (even at 4 am...) and in the airport it was time to put on shorts, take out sandals, and get into travel mode. Three hours later, Flo also arrived and we took the subway to our hotel.

The room was very small but rewarded us with a wonderful view from the 28th floor over the city. We could even check in at 8 am and so our first day together went as well as it started.

First, we explored our street, Orchard Road. Like many other streets in Singapore, it is lined with designer stores, shopping malls, and food courts. Overall, it seems that the Singaporeans like to spend their time indoors and underground. It feels like all the malls and subway stations are connected underground and extend several floors deep. You can wander for hours without seeing daylight. With the humid heat and the often sudden monsoon downpours, this is not a bad idea. The first day ended at bedtime, we were just exhausted (but thanks to jet lag, we were the first to have breakfast at 6:30 am...).

Day 2

Well rested, we visited the 'must-see' attractions recommended by the hotel's breakfast chef, Flo. First, we marveled at the Gardens by the Bay, a huge garden landscape that also stretches upwards. It is a government project to make the city a 'city in a garden' and thus greener and more livable. Overall, there is a lot of green to be seen in Singapore. Everything reminds you of a world of glass, concrete, and steel in the middle of a tropical greenhouse.

Then we went to see the huge Marina Bay Sands hotel with its characteristic three towers. In the evening, we watched the water and laser show organized by the hotel. Since Marina Sands is also the most expensive standalone casino facility in the world (4.6 billion euros in construction costs), a visit to the casino was a must. The funny thing is: as a foreigner, you get free access to the facility and can enjoy unlimited soft drinks, coffee, and tea for free by showing your passport. Locals have to pay 100 Singapore dollars just for admission. The good news: we didn't gamble away our entire budget. The bad news: we are not poker millionaires.

Also nearby is the 'Merlion', the symbol of the city. The figure, half lion, half fish, is one of the major tourist attractions. To get there, you walk across the Formula 1 circuit of Singapore.

Day 3

So far, we have had the impression that Singapore is missing a bit of its 'soul'. So we went in search of tradition to Little India and Chinatown.

Both are very authentic neighborhoods that you should see. In Little India, we were overwhelmed by the mixture of colorful-golden kitsch, Bollywood music, and above all the 'exotic' smells. And the temples are definitely impressive.

In Chinatown, you get what you expect: Chinese hustle and bustle on the streets, colorful, noisy, funny.

In the evening, our feet were sore and we were happy to go to bed. But before that, we had to pack and set the alarm. At 7 am the next day, our taxi was waiting to take us to the airport. Next stop: HONG KONG!

Conclusion

Singapore is worth a visit, but 3 days were enough for us personally. If you don't want/can't spend a month's salary on a designer bag, shopping doesn't make much sense. However, the food is exceptionally delicious and affordable. The city is also remarkably clean, which is probably due to the sometimes very harsh fines, imprisonment, or even caning that await those who smoke illegally, litter, or (true!) possess or chew gum!