Trifter

When most of us hear of Singapore the first thing that comes to mind is a strict country where you get fined for spitting and for not flushing. Many of us still recall the incident back in 1995 of a stupid American teenager who was sentenced to four strokes of a flog for having nothing better do to than vandalize cars.

Just to let you know, Singapore is one of the world’s safest countries, having a crime so low that even other Asian countries with low crime rates envy it. Law and order is taken very seriously in this city-state of 4.8 million. But it’s a shame that, instead of praising it, the western media likes to make Singapore out to be a very strict society that doesn’t tolerate even a shred of disorderliness.

A visit here, however, and you’ll see that in many ways, being one of the world’s most ethnically-diverse countries, Singapore tolerates a lot more than most other countries. People from all over the world have made this tiny island republic home. There is something here for people of all nationalities and religions. Everyone lives here in absolute peace and harmony.

Although tiny with almost no natural resources, Singapore is an economic dynamo and its citizens enjoy one of highest standards of living. After Tokyo and Osaka, it is Asia’s most expensive city. It is the 5th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita.

Things haven’t been rosy for the country throughout its history, however. A British colony during much of its history, it was easily overran by Japanese forces during World War II and suffered harshly under Japanese rule. Gaining independence from the British in 1963, it joined the Malaysian federation soon after. It was a very rocky marriage and in 1965 it was expelled from Malaysia, independence literally forced upon it. (Its history museum shows footage of then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew tearfully addressing the people of Singapore of the news.)

Being a tiny country with no natural resources, many feared that the country would completely collapse. Prime Minister Yew had other plans, however, and the result is a country that now enjoys a much-envied standard of living.

The main island of Singapore covers only 228 square miles, roughly the size of Chicago’s city boundaries. It also administers about 30 other smaller near-by islands. Located less than 20 miles north of the Equator, Singapore enjoys year-round tropical weather with daytime temperatures averaging 85 degrees year-round.

There is something for everyone here. History buffs can visit Sentosa Island, which is connected to the main island by bridge. You can see the big guns that the British horribly mistakenly believed would protect the island from the Japanese. There is also a show with the island’s original natives. Sentosa is also Singapore’s only beach resort, with a nice, pristine beach that sits near the Shangri-La Resort.

Singapore is like one great big shopping mall. It is Asia’s best place to shop and most vendors bargain very happily with foreigners. It is very common to end up paying only 60 percent of what the price tag indicates. And the items are of surprisingly good quality. And with the country’s wide ethnic diversity, you can sometimes get the feeling of having shopped in over 100 hundred countries using just one shopping center.

The city-state is also an eater’s paradise, with a wide variety of ethnic cuisines dotting the city. Although most restaurants specialize in Asian cuisines one can easily find cuisines from other continents as well. And, yes, McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken are here, too!

Although one of the world’s most expensive cities, the average price for accommodation in Singapore is surprisingly fair, unlike in most other Asian financial giants like Tokyo and Shanghai. Most hotels are of very good quality, the staff is very friendly and burglaries in the hotels are almost unheard of so your values are quite safe.

Forget what you hear in the media and make Singapore your next foreign destination!