Singapore: A Look at Tomorrow’s World

Story and photography by
Nancy & Eric Anderson 

 

Too much has been said about how strictly Singapore is governed and how the rights of the community sometimes supersede those of the individual. Anyone visiting Singapore, the most advanced and civilized of all the countries in SE Asia, might wish some of its famous regulations were applied in the USA. The rules for visiting Singapore are simple. First, bring plenty of lightweight shirts because it’s really hot and humid. Second, be prepared to enjoy a safe, clean, well-rounded nation where people of all races live in peaceful harmony, where the food is fabulous and service in shops, restaurants and hotels is eye-popping in its appeal and sincerity. Third, expect to find the language is English, and better spoken than in some parts of North America.

At the Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore we’re assuring Cheryl Ng, the public relations manager we are finding the hotel perfect for our stay. She’s chatting to us in a voice worthy of a British Broadcasting Corporation announcer. Asked where she learned English, a question somewhat patronizing as it turns out English is their national language, she answers with a flashing smile, “From watching the Simpsons!”

The Simpsons never had it this good. Singapore’s upscale hotels are arguably the best in the world. Although Raffles Hotel has the history (the Singapore Sling drink first saw light in its Long Bar) the newer hotels like the Pan Pacific with its 35-storey atrium, huge pool and vast fitness center really create the private comfort long-distance travelers crave. It’s even hard to leave its soothing presence for the outside humid world although the Pan Pacific is right in the middle of tourist attractions. Three gigantic malls lie within walking distance from the hotel along air-conditioned corridors. A fourth mall surrounds the Esplanade. Its popular 4-level opera-style 2000-seat theater and its state of the art 1600-seat concert hall, is considered one of the top five in the world.

Other attractions include: the serene, taking the cable car to little Sentosa Island with its beaches at the southern tip of Singapore and returning via the Jewel Box on Mount Faber with its panorama of the city. And the frantic, shopping in Tekka Market near Little India – it’s got everything! The historical: taking the MRT (rapid transit train) to Chinatown’s Chinese Heritage Center and learning how the immigrants came looking for their new world. The unusual enjoying the Duck Tour in what was once a US Army amphibious vehicle or a bumboat ride that ends at the Merlion, the statue of the mythical half lion, half fish that’s the symbol of Singapore.

The Botanic Gardens have a magnificent display of orchids and, in the early morning, of locals practicing their Tai Chi. Later the Night Safari near the Zoo capitalizes on the fact that 90 percent of Zoo animals are nocturnal. The Jurong Birdpark nature shows are interesting as is Fort Canning Park with both its spice gardens and the underground Battle Box armory where the British garrison surrendered to the Japanese in 1942.

Dining experiences vary from the long established multiple ethnic booths at Newton Circus (take the MRT to Newton and follow the appetizing smell) to the fairly recent Doc Chengs at Raffles Hotel where you can sit in a screened booth like Lord Jim. Consider too My Humble House, a hip avant garde restaurant at the Esplanade Mall where the plates of cold deserts come out smoking on dry ice.

Singapore is a prime example of Asia’s advancement as a powerhouse of the 21st century. The country, an island about 24 miles by 14, is small enough for change to come quickly. It is fiercely pro-American, a captivating situation for today’s American travelers. It has long been on the globe’s main sea routes and now, with one of the world’s best airports and best national airline, it’s seeking its share in the world of air travel.