Singapore and Things You Should Know

Singapore is without doubt one of the coolest cities out there. Lets ignore the fact that it's pretty pricey and focus on all the free stuff to do. I spent my week in Singapore exploring, every day walking and walking and I know there's still loads I never saw.

My favourite area in Singapore is the famous Gardens By The Bay. It's a huge stretch of land that is full of different styles and cultures of garden and dominating over everything is the Supertree Grove - a series of living 50m tall tree like structures. There is a Skywalk platform between two of the 'trees' with a view over all of the gardens and much of the city.

It feels like something out of Avatar, especially at night when they are all lit up. There's even a nightly light show where speakers throw out music and LEDs in the trees display an array of patterns and colours. When I was there the show was Retro Classics so there was Michael Jackson's Beat It, KC and the Sunshine Band's That's The Way I Like It, Tavares' Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel and more.

Like the light show in the Gardens By The Bay, over the road at Marina Bay, home to the super rich, another display of lights and music happens each night. For this one water is shot from fountains and lights and images are projected onto the walls of water.

I also loved the Botanical Gardens on the other side of town. These gardens are even bigger than the Gardens By The Bay and far less populated. I walked through woods and around lakes with hardly any other people disturbing the peace. I even discovered a trampoline in a treetop walkway!

And where could my Singaporean story end except with a picture of the Merlion, Singapore's mascot.

He's a lion. Crossed with a fish. 

That makes sense right?

Things You Should Know About Singapore

1. GPS does not like the skyscapers in Singapore and will frequently tell you you've just jumped through a building or across a road or that you've somehow time travelled across town without realising it.
2. Skyscrapers have a height restriction of 280m
3. Singapore is the city of shopping malls. They are so big its very easy to get lost; trying to find your way out is not as easy as walking in. It's pretty claustrophobia inducing when you're going up and down escalators looking for daylight or some hint of an exit.
4. The seats in the Singapore Management University are shaped like rabbits.
5. If you go to the Botanical Gardens you can find Swan Lake. With one swan.
6. People drive giant electric scooters. Some of them even have seats on them like a strange scooter-bike union.
7. You can find a canal inside a shopping mall. And you can even get a boat ride in a private gondola.
8. It's national anthem is printed verrrrry small of the back of the $1000 bank notes. Don't spend money without thanking your country!
9. While Malay is the national language (even though Malaysia kicked Singapore out in 1965), they also speak English and Chinese.
10. The city is remarkably clean and streamlined. 
11. Chewing gum is illegal. If you get caught you might get the cane, because that's still legal here.
12. While Singapore's people are incredibly polite and it is the 5th least corrupt country in the world, it is also the 5th largest importer of arms...