Singapore doesn't disappoint

I left one award winning airport in Kuala Lumpur, only to land in another. Unlike many airports in Asia, Singapore’s Changi Airport isn’t new; however, their pursuit of excellence has gained it the distinction of consistently being rated one of the world’s best airports. It is the only airport I have been to where a dish of candy greets passengers at the immigration booth, and few airports in the world can match the park-like setting as you drive into the city. Stands of rain trees and palm trees, and flowering bushes line the highway. But don’t think for a moment that these trees are simply meant to impress visitors. Drive anywhere in the city, and you’ll see rich and verdant greenery.

The first time I heard of Singapore was when I was nine or ten years old. A school friend’s father was in the Navy, and once after a trip to Asia he brought back for his daughters, a silk jacket with an embroidered dragon and the word, Singapore, on the back. To this day, I can still visualize that jacket. Then, Singapore seemed like an exotic, far away place.

When Carrie and I first visited Singapore seven years ago, we were captivated by the city. To be sure, Singapore is clean and orderly, but really who would want otherwise. We were drawn to the unique neighbourhoods—Arab Street (which is more than just a street), Kampong Glam, where the Sultan once lived, Little India and Chinatown. Here you’ll find colourful, two story colonial buildings, and merchants selling spices, and carpets, and textiles, and woven baskets, and other goods. So began the anticipation of returning to Singapore.

I was met at the airport by Danny Lorenzo, who would be my guide for the next 24 hours. You’d think that with a name like that he’d be from Brooklyn or Miami, or L.A.. In fact, Danny was born in Singapore, and in many ways represents the face of Singaporeans, many of whom are of mixed origin.

While ambling through the narrow shop-filled lanes of Little India, I spotted the words, Dream Big, on a plastic placemat (you know the ones that your grandma might have bought for you). Dream Big—this could be Singapore’s motto. In the early 19th Century, Sir Stamford Raffles dreamed of a new trading port in Southeast Asia for the British. It was in what has become Singapore, an island at the end of the Malayan Peninsula, that Raffles and others after him have created one of the world’s great cities. And that small trading port is now one of the largest in the world.

In some ways dreams are all people had. Singapore is relatively small with few natural resources—even today water is piped from neighbouring Malaysia—but what the city lacks in natural wealth, it makes up for in ingenuity. Not only does it boast one of the world’s best airports, but Singapore Airlines has oft been the benchmark that others measure themselves by. The airline operates the world’s longest non-stop flight, a 19 hour service from New York to Singapore, and was the first airline to operate the Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial jetliner. This from a city that has a population of just four-and-a-half million.

Our first stop after lunch was Chinatown, which is graced with a number of beautiful, old buildings, while the sidewalks are filled with vendors selling mostly tourist wares. What started off as a sunny day, soon gave rain to a torrential rain storm, which didn’t let up for several hours. This didn’t dampen the tour, as we jumped in the van, drove over to Little India, and wandered through the shops. Danny pushed back our visit to the Singapore Flyer, hoping the rain would let up. Next we went to Arab Street and drank sweet tea in a small café.

The Singapore Flyer, the world’s largest observation wheel, is Singapore’s latest attraction. With the weather looking as good as it was probably going to get, we climbed aboard for the 30 minute ride As one could imagine, the view was amazing, even on a rainy evening.

Dinner was supposed to be outside at Makansutra Glutton’s Bay to savour local street food, but because of the unpredictable weather, Danny quickly altered plans, and made reservations at the Banana Leaf Apolo, an Indian restaurant, appropriately enough in Little India. Its popularity was displayed by the number of people that were virtually spilling out of the restaurant. We took a table on the covered sidewalk. I ordered the Chicken Tikkal. Danny the Tandori Chicken. We traded travel stories and shared some laughs.

The next morning Danny and the driver picked me up at the hotel and we drove over to Chinatown for a light breakfast at Ya Kun Kaya Toast. The specialty here is toast with Asian jam, and eggs that are cooked very briefly, so the whites and yolk are quite runny. After a delicious lunch at True Blue, which specializes in Peranakan cuisine, a blend of Chinese and Malay, it was time to go the airport for my next destination, Dubai.

Singapore is a pleasing and comfortable city with a lot to offer. As I did the first time I visited, I vow to return.