In Singapore, a Culture of Service… and Surprises
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It’s one of the most difficult questions to answer, let alone something to plan for. But as the world begins to move again after almost two years of a global pandemic, the answer it seems, is we want to do it all.
In Singapore, you might just be able to.
One of the crown jewels of Asia, Singapore is just starting to come out of a Covid-related shutdown itself. The country was closed off to travelers for almost two years, with the government welcoming back vaccinated visitors in April 2022 before opening up its borders to everyone — regardless of vaccination status — in August.
And while Singapore’s reopening is a little later than other countries, the charming country of five million has a lot to offer in terms of culture and conveniences, in a friendly environment that’s the perfect way to ease back into travel.
See Flights on Singapore Airlines
After a long 19-hour flight from the U.S., the warm smiles and friendly smattering of “Singlish” were a perfect introduction to Singapore, which has long been known for its hospitality. But Singapore is also one of the most diverse countries you can visit today, with a multitude of ethnicities, languages and religious groups that come together in a rich mosaic of food, fashion, adventure and art.
Nowhere is that better represented that on Orchard Road, the heart of Singapore’s world-renowned shopping district. “Vietnamese and Indonesian families love shopping here,” my tour guide tells me, as he guides me into Tangs Plaza, a popular Chinese-themed department store modeled after the grand palaces in the Forbidden City.
Luxury goods abound at the Takashimaya shopping center across the street (and at the newer ION Orchard mall), but there are also local delicacies and unique knick-knacks to be found across the sprawling six-floor building. The actual Takashimaya department store, meantime, is a great place to stock up on souvenirs and other gift ideas.
The best place to start your shopping in Singapore though is at Design Orchard, a colorful modern bazaar of a space that’s like a gallery-meets-department store. Here, you’ll find exclusive goods from more than 100 home-grown designers, from popular Batik-print apparel — a signature of Singaporean design — to hand-poured candles, handmade jewelry and even pet accessories. The next generation of Singaporean artists are well-represented here too, with their work seen on everything from funky T-shirts and wallets, to avant-garde, genderless fashions.
Upstairs, find Alchemist at Design Orchard, a hidden coffee shop where you catch up with friends in the warehouse-style space or from the rooftop deck overlooking Orchard Road.
Back on the street, Orchard Road can be deceivingly quiet during the hotter months (note: the temperature in Singapore never dips below the 60s, so I suppose every month is a hot month to some). On a recent muggy September afternoon, the neighborhood was surprisingly devoid of pedestrians. “Where is everyone?” I asked my tour guide, who was in search of a beer for me to beat the heat.
“Ahh,” he replied: “They’re all down there.”
“Down there” turns out to be miles of underground city, where Singaporeans beat the heat in air conditioned shopping centers and office complexes. With multiple train stations along the way, you could really spend an entire day underground and not have to surface in the searing sun. I spent an afternoon navigating the interconnected shopping malls, souvenir shopping for local provisions (like the popular kaya jam), having dim sum at the Singppore outpost of Hong Kong’s Tim Ho Wan and browsing the displays (and stocking up on Asian skincare) at the shops inside the Raffles City shopping complex.
Of course, you don’t want to spend your entire trip to Singapore underground. Two of the country’s most famous landmarks are above ground — and high above ground to boot.
The Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares and three waterfront gardens in the Central Region of Singapore. Here, you’ll find the popular Flower Dome botanical garden, the Supertree Observatory (the Gardens’ highest point) and the iconic Cloud Forest, home to one of the world’s tallest indoor waterfalls and a lush indoor mountain enveloped by plants from around the world. Everything seems designed for Instagram here, with fauna-fueled photo ops inside, and unobstructed views of the Singaporean skyline looking out towards the water.
A short drive away from the Gardens by the Bay is the world-famous Marina Bay Sands complex. Made famous by the film Crazy Rich Asians, MBS (as the locals call it) is comprised of three sprawling towers connected at the top by the SkyPark and its dazzling rooftop Infinity Pool.
Inside, MBS is like a Vegas-style complex, full of luxury boutiques, fine dining (we loved Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro and Oyster Bar) and even a small casino. You could really spend an entire day at Marina Bay Sands, and on one of the rare rainy days we experienced in Singapore, we almost did!
Once the rain subsided, we ended the night at Clarke Quay, a vibrant and bustling nightlife hub located along the Singapore River. Old warehouses have been transformed into bars and clubs, and people of all ages come out to eat, drink, hop on a ferry ride. or take in one of the many nightly attractions by the Clarke Quay Fountain Square.
Our first stop though, was dinner at the world-famous Jumbo Seafood, known for its Singapore Chili Crab, which is still one of the most iconic dishes you can have in Singapore. Order a full crab and gently pick it apart with your hands, or get the chili crab sauce with the freshly-fried mantou, a sweet and fragrant mini bun. These are dishes meant to be shared, so make sure you bring a couple of friends — and an empty stomach.
You’ll also want to make time to eat at Singapore’s famous hawker centers, a style of open-air food court with vendors cooking up everything from roti prata and laksa to the country’s famous Haianese chicken. We ate at Maxwell Food Center, though you really can’t go wrong with any hawker stand in town.
Book: IHG Robertson Quay
Prefer a less hands-on dining experience? We loved Publico Ristorante, located inside the InterContinental Hotel at Robertson Quay. Also situated along the Singapore River, the restaurant brings a little slice of Italy to Singapore, with hand-made pastas, perfect appetizer bites, and warm, fluffy pizzas overflowing with fresh toppings and cheese. The cocktail menu is equally spectacular and you’ll want to save room for the inventive desserts too.
Though it measures just 31 miles East to West, Singapore is home to a surprising number of natural spaces where visitors can get away from the bustle of city life. One of these is the Railway Corridor, a 2.5-mile section of walking trail built over a former railroad track. It’s a great place to get a morning run in, or a leisurely afternoon stroll. The path takes you through some of Singapore’s lush tropical greenery as well as over bridges that once connected trains from Singapore to neighboring Malaysia and back.
And then there’s Sentosa Beach, a popular waterfront destination that gives a sort-of beach club-meets-amusement park vibe, with endless bars, live entertainment and dining options that run the gamut from DJ-driven wet decks to family-friendly restaurants. Of course, the strip of beach is super picturesque and you’ll want to dip your toes in the sand too.
Everything is on island time here, meaning drinks flow well into the night and the dancing seemingly never stops. For the adrenaline junkies, time also comes to a standstill in the racing simulators and indoor skydiving experiences, though they’re not for the faint of heart.
We were in town for the Singapore Grand Prix, the only F1 race to take place at night, and it’s amazing to see how the city transforms during F1 season, with a palpable excitement in the air. Orchard Street is lined with booths selling F1 merch and gear, and every mall has a racing-related activation.
The race itself is a wonderful microcosm for Singapore, with fans young and old repping their favorite drivers and teams, while the stands are filled with a mix of faces and cultures, who have come from all across the world to take in the scene.
Though it rained heavily on the night of this year’s F1 race, workers were quick to dry off the track — and the seats — and the race went off without a hitch, albeit an hour after the original start time. As the cars whizzed around the three-mile Marina Bay Street Circuit, I wondered how the organizers of the race were feeling. I thought back to something my tour guide had said by way of introduction on my first day: “Singaporeans are like the Germans of the East,” he said, with a laugh. “We are efficient but we are also perfectionists.”
And it was true too, with the impeccable service I had experienced throughout my week in the city, and the pristine shops and streets as pretty as a postcard. Yet my favorite moments in Singapore were ones that were unplanned, and had nothing to do with perfectly-arranged photo ops or must-see attractions.
For me, the best part of visiting Singapore were the people: like the new friend at Design Orchard who directed me to a Chinese couple selling vintage-inspired band tees inside the nondescript Peninsula Center; her colleague, who invited me to a Devil Wears Prada screening followed by gay dancing inside a retro movie theater; the owners of Jigger & Pony, named the Best Bar in Asia, who took me to their award-winning bar for drinks, which led to introductions (and more drinks) with all the other award-winning bars in town; and my tour guide, who invited me to find him on Orchard Street on Friday night to watch him and his twin brother perform their street busking juggling act.
See, the thing that people often say they want on vacation, yet never really experience, is to live like a local. And Singapore, with its narrow alleyways of shophouses and fragrant hawker carts and hidden speakeasies and winding walking trails and mom-and-pop shops and knife-juggling buskers and gay dancing nights, offers exactly the kind of unpretentious yet unforgettable travel experience we all want. And that’s what makes it such a beautiful place to visit.
Sure the country has boomed in recent years, with a popular F1 race, the allure of Crazy Rich Asians, and scores of luxury buildings and shops, but the reason you’ll love Singapore is almost a little ironic if you think about post-pandemic travel: because even though you’re on vacation in Singapore, it doesn’t take long before you feel right at home.
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