26 - Singapore
food food and more food
October 2024
Singapore—a top-10 foodie destination and the second stop of my travels where my days revolved almost entirely around eating. This was my first time visiting, and I left with only great things to say about it. To the reCAP!
Cities
I had a few reasons to make an extended stop in Singapore. First, I wanted to visit two friends from Texas who lived there (shoutout to y’all for showing me around 😊). Second, my next flight to Nepal was on Singapore Airlines, which offers free stopovers in Singapore—so why not take advantage? And maybe most importantly, the food scene here has a bit of a magical aura surrounding it, made even more famous in recent years by the Crazy Rich Asians movie.
At mealtimes (and honestly, all hours), you’ll find tourists and locals flocking to hawker stations—outdoor food courts packed with dozens of stalls. I ate nearly every meal at one of these, where most dishes cost between $4-$10 USD. I learned that the government mandates a certain percentage of stalls at each hawker station serve specific cuisines to promote diversity and tolerance. There’s a wide variety to choose from—you’ll find Indonesian, Indian, Malay, and Chinese food, amongst others, all in one place.
My favorite hawker stations? Old Airport Food Center and Maxwell (Chinatown).
My favorite dishes? Hainanese chicken rice and Indonesian satay.
When I wasn’t eating or catching up with friends, I explored museums and wandered through some of the beautiful outdoor spaces the country has to offer. I particularly enjoyed:
the National Museum—Incredible exhibit that recounts Singapore’s history and how it became one of the region’s few success stories.
the ArtScience Museum—There was a temporary Ghibli exhibit that I loved.
Night safari—Such a cool experience! You walk around the huge zoo at night when a lot of the animals are super active. Even got to feed a rhinoceros. Shout out to my Colorado friend for the suggestion!
Gardens by the Bay—Beautiful outdoor space. Singapore does such a great job incorporating greenery into the city, and this might be the best example.
And a few more pictures from the week:
Accounting
Total spent in 6 days: $1,132.41 ($188.73/day)
Activities/Tours: $68.42 ($11.40/day)
Food: $385.97 ($64.33/day). I splurged on an omakase meal one evening. All the other meals averaged around $10/meal.
Lodging: $536.99 ($89.50/day)
Miscellaneous: $64.69 ($10.78/day)
Transportation: $76.34 ($12.72/day)
Pondering
A few different thoughts…
—I’ve always been drawn to urban areas that offer a combination of delicious, affordable food and efficient public transportation. New York, Taipei, Shanghai, Buenos Aires, to name a few. Now I can add Singapore to the list. Plus, the areas I visited were all spotless. Not an easy task to accomplish in such a densely populated area.
I’m sure living here vs. visiting is a different experience, but even so, I’d come back in a heartbeat. The only real downside I encountered was the weather. I’ve met Singaporeans this year who say the country has two seasons—hot and hotter (with a lot of humidity 🥵).
—In my Thailand post, I touched on the sense of belonging that I got, largely due to the familiarity of the food, climate, and people. I felt the exact same sentiments during my time in Singapore. In many ways, the city felt like Taipei, which I consider my home away from home. If I don’t end up in the States long-term, Asia would be at the top of the list.
—I was thoroughly impressed by the level of English proficiency, especially compared to countries like Taiwan or Japan. English is one of Singapore’s four national languages. The first Prime Minister/founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, made it a point of emphasis for the population to learn English as part of his vision for the country’s future. He is a fascinating figure to read about if you’re into history.
I ate lunch at a hawker station one day, and an elderly man sat across from me (it’s all shared seating). He was probably in his early 70s. We start chatting in Chinese over dessert, and suddenly, he switched to near-perfect English. I was shocked! I think part of my reaction came from the stark contrast between this encounter, a microcosm of the development and wealth of Singapore, and the poverty I had just witnessed in the Philippines. For perhaps the 20th time on this trip, I was reminded of how blessed and privileged my background is.
Well, not too much else to say—I was only here for less than a week. Now, I head to the high Himalayas of Nepal for some incredible trekking.