Is Singapore a Travel Destination for You?

Singapore is unquestionably the most affluent nation in Southeast Asia. You'd think traveling there would be a breeze. Well, it is. It is easy to get around main streets like Orchard Road (Singapore's shopping Mecca). Everything, and I mean everything, is clean. Trains, buses, sidewalks, restrooms all feel downright unnatural in their cleanliness.

And then there's the food. For those travelers who cringe at the though of food cooked on street-stalls, Singapore is the place to be. Entrepreneurial cooks who used to sell their dishes on the street corner have been moved (by the government) to giant complexes known as hawker centers. These centers are basically food malls. A vast expanse of tables and plastic chairs are surrounded by hundreds of stalls each selling a different dish. The stalls are regularly inspected by health officials and given a grade of A, B, C, or D. The owner of the stall must display this grade in a prominent place on the front of the stall. All in all, this is an extremely clean and fun way to sample different dishes and smells while keeping your Imodium holstered. If a stall has a line in front of it, you know what they're serving must be good. Newton Hawker Center, Maxwell Centre (in Singapore's Chinatown), and the aptly named Gluttons' Bay are all located near major thoroughfares and open from dawn 'til midnight (Maxwell Centre is a 24-hour affair).

As I mentioned, Orchard Road is home to the ultimate shopping experience. The road stretches for miles and is home to numerous boutiques and malls featuring brand names known the world over as well as shops featuring local designers. Singapore does not tax imports heavily, meaning that prices are competitive. They are, however, not cheap. Orchard Road's shops and malls are not the places to find bargains. Singapore, as a whole, is the most expensive city in Southeast Asia. So don't be surprised if the prices are the same as they are in the west.

Singapore sounds like good, clean fun. Right? Sure, but the city-state has also been accused of having a sterile atmosphere and boring vibe. I'm sure you have heard of the "no chewing gum in public" laws in Singapore. Over-the-top rules like that set a negative tone for some tourists.

But is Singapore truly a boring place?

My helpful answer: Yes and no. Singapore is a well-run city but it does lack the charming rawness of many of East Asia's major cities. Some tourists might wonder why they just didn't stay home and go to the local malls and restaurants. "What's the difference?" they might say.

The colors and exoticism of Singapore are subtler than, say, Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City. Ethnic enclaves like Little India, Chinatown, and Arab Street are home to the kind of bustling markets and colorful alleys that travelers might expect from an exotic locale. Singapore's tourist industry doesn't necessarily give much P.R. to these areas, but they offer a chance to see the "other Singapore."

So, in a sense, Singapore is a great destination. Tourists have access to both the sleek and streamlined modernity of Singapore, and also, with a little leg work and a good guidebook, the colorful neighborhoods that are the trademark of any Southeast Asian city.