"Singapore Slung" Singapore by richiecdisc

Singapore Travel Guide: 11,373 reviews and 26,370 photos

Singapore was our first impression of Asia and though considered an easy transition country and perhaps the most westernized, it came on the heels of an amazing whirlwind eight-month journey that brought us from London and whizzing through Kauai to an unforgettable series of adventures in New Zealand and Australia. We’d fallen in love with Australia and it’s friendly people. We’d made great friends, had madcap fun, and enjoyed a wide-open expanse, as we’d never seen before. Add to this the long time we’d been traveling and Singapore hit us like a brick wall. Where once were wide-open spaces, now were concrete skyscrapers. The small friendly population that had laughed at our jokes was now a seemingly unfriendly mass that seemed to move in herd-like fashion from one shopping mall to the next. We felt like ants, scrambling about in chaotic circles, with little purpose to our meandering. For the first time we were also a minority and I guess that was one of the strangest things. It wasn’t that anyone treated us badly, quite to the contrary, but that we were indeed different. Kristin was particularly in dire straits, badly missing Australia and longing for home, she seemed at first to have no desire whatsoever of being there. I was at least intrigued by the food if nothing else and in many ways it was the food that brought us closer to getting a feel for Singapore which in turn would at least help us deal with the rest of our Asian travels. Singapore was certainly a place that never seemed to sleep. You could eat at any hour, and anything you wanted, they had. And it was cheap. We loved all of that. There was an array of fruit like we’d never seen, again all very inexpensive, and also many exotic dishes on every corner. And as we grew to love the food, we got more comfortable. And we noticed that though hectic, it was full of energy and there was plenty to see and do. Singapore served well as a gateway and think if I ever return, it will be a nice old friend the second time around. This is a photo of the Sultan Mosque.

Last visit to Singapore: Jun 1993
Intro Written Sep 10, 2002
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Reviews (11)

We flew from Darwin, Australia... - Singapore

We flew from Darwin, Australia... Transportation (1)

We flew from Darwin, Australia to Singapore. www.bruneiair.com The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) is a great way of avoiding... more travel advice

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The Singapore Sling is a bit... Tourist Traps (1)

The Singapore Sling is a bit of a ripoff at close to $10, but kind of worth it to sit in the Hotel bar and imagine days... more travel advice

Raffles Hotel. Hotels (1)

Well, you know I didn't stay here so you'll have to visit their site to find out. We stayed at a place on Bencoolen St.... more travel advice

Angullia Mosque. Off The Beaten Path (1)

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Local Customs (1)
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Favorites (1)
We were only in Singapore for...
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Comments (120)

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Gili_S Jan 31, 2011 at 11:17 AM

Finnair start flying direct to this nice place, I might use it for a quick visit one day :)
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matcrazy1 Jan 27, 2005 at 4:30 PM

Very well written page!
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missbean Dec 12, 2004 at 11:12 AM

Yes,u are right.My country is a city that never fails to satisfy any tastebuds.When i am away from home,what i misses Singapore most,is FOOD!
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Bwana_Brown Apr 10, 2004 at 1:17 PM

Yes, you can get 'travel burn-out' after 8 months! An interesting page on your brief stop-over (longer than my 1 day!). I was surprised to see African Hunting Dogs in their zoo - great stuff!
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salinhopt Nov 16, 2003 at 4:52 PM

Three days were enought to show us a bit of that beautifull country. Loved your photos! Well done! :)
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Gemms Nov 9, 2003 at 9:22 PM

I read your article on 'Singapore Slung' and cant helped feeling like I'd been hit by a brick =) Are you a 'city-person' ? Hmm .. maybe if you'd 'spend time' with the locals while you were in Singapore, you might have more fun?
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zrim Oct 31, 2003 at 1:45 PM

Komala Villas is my favorite restaurant in the entire world!
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Sweetberry1 Feb 7, 2003 at 12:05 AM

This would be a great place to visit.. One day.. Enjoyed the page ;-)
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jillikins Dec 28, 2002 at 4:10 AM

Great page and photos, it is such a clean city, we enjoyed our time there.
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b1bob Nov 26, 2002 at 7:36 PM

This is one place in Asia I can't wait to see.