I’ve been in Singapore for a few days now, marking my third time in the city. I was first here in 1999 and was last here during the 2008 Olympics. (Read my previous thoughts on Singapore from 2008.) When I first visited Singapore in 1999 I became fascinated with the city. I read several books on the history of Singapore and Lee Kwan Yew immediately after leaving Singapore and have always kept an eye on the news from the country.
I like writing about Singapore because it is such an oddball country. It is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is one of the most diverse countries in the world. It is one of the richest countries in the world. It has a government that can only be described as….unique.
If someone from a western country wanted to visit Asia for the first time, and they were not an experienced traveler, I’d probably recommend Singapore. It is the only country in Asia where English is widely spoken. All signage and commerce is done in English. While you can often hear other languages on the street (including Singlish), the vast majority of the population, especially younger people, can speak English.
The other benefit to visiting Singapore as a gateway to Asia is the diversity of the country. Here you can find populations of Chinese, Malay and Indians living together. You can find Christian churches, Moslem mosques, and Buddhist and Hindu temples all over the city. In addition to being the most diverse city in Asia, the diversity arguably makes it the best food city in Asia. You can find cheap, good food at any of the many hawkers stands which dot the city.
Singapore is currently trying to build up its tourism industry. Being a small country, there isn’t much to see in terms of history or natural attractions, however. They have ripped a page out of the Macau pagebook and have decided to build casinos. There is currently one on the small island of Sentosa and there is currently a massive one under construction near the marina. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. One casino does not a Macau make, but if there is one country that could pull it off in a classy way, it is Singapore.
The two things people mention right away you bring up Singapore are; 1) the fact that you can’t chew gum, and 2) that American kid who got caned years ago. The caning took place 16 years ago, yet still is one of the only things people think of when they think of Singapore. The ban on chewing gum is technically not a ban on the chewing of gum. It is a ban on the sale and importation of gum. (Technically, if you bring a personal stash of gum into the country, that would violate law, but I doubt if you are going to see the gum police come after you.) The reason for the ban is the same reason Disney World doesn’t sell gum on its property: it is a pain to clean. There is an exemption for therapeutic chewing gum if it is prescribed by a doctor or a dentist.
I am often asked by people if I’ve ever visited a place where I would consider living. Singapore is very close to being such a place if not for one thing: the incredibly high cost of real estate. Being a wealthy country on a small island, prices for rent are very high. They seem to be on a par with what you’d find in Manhattan, London, San Francisco or Tokyo.
Singapore Riverfront
Before I move much further on in my trip, I should adhere to my “one country away” rule and give my final thoughts on Singapore.
Singapore is the second country in which I have previously spent time prior to the start of my trip (the other being Taiwan). After my first trip to Singapore in 1999, I became fascinated with the country. I read up on the history of Singapore, I read at least two books on Lee Kuan Yew, and always sort of paid extra attention when something about Singapore came up on the news. I was fascinated by the size of Singapore, coupled with the fact that Singapore has basically gone from a third world country to a first world county (and one of the richest at that), in the span of a generation. Having visited Penang which, along with Singapore, was one of the British straights colonies, I am even more impressed with what Singapore has done. 
Chinatown, Singapore
I was able to talk with many Singaporeans during my stay.
One of the things I came away with was how Singapore, while a country, is run almost like a corporation. Unlike many countries in the region, Singapore has very low rates of corruption. In fact, it is the least corrupt country on Earth. They do this by paying civil servants very high wages comparable to that in the private sector, and there is often a lot of shuffling between the two. There is also a lot of targeted investment in certain industries. The current big push is in biotechnology.
Sir Stamford Raffels
I still like Singapore, but I didn’t come away this time with the same sort of awe as I did before. My guess is that is mostly a function of having seen a lot more of the world since then. If you were visiting SE Asia, I’d strongly consider going to Singapore for a few days. It isn’t a big country, so you can easily explore the highlights in a few days. If nothing else, Singapore is a great model for how clean and green a major city can be.
