The Singapore Stopover

By J. E. Ryan

Situated in the centre of Asia at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore has always been a well positioned stopover point for travellers. Today the island city is a generally safe, clean and modern holiday destination full of attractions, making it the ideal place for a short break.

For at least a thousand years Singapore has been a stopover for seafaring travellers. Not surprisingly it contains a mixture of Asian cultures. The population is primarily Chinese, Malay and Indian. English, one of the four official languages, is used for all business from booking hotels to bartering at street markets.

A good selection of accommodation is available ranging from the cheaper backpacker hostels to the more expensive resorts and five star hotels. A good option is the many reasonably priced hotels situated around the main shopping centre of Orchard Road. This allows for easy access to transportation, a good selection of restaurants and other shopping opportunities.

While Singapore doesn't offer a particularly authentic Asian experience, it does offer a variety of other attractions. The largest is the amusement park on the island of Sentosa. A few of Sentosa's many attractions are Underwater World including Dolphin Lagoon, the revolving Sky Tower, the Dragon Trail Nature Walk and Palawan Beach which is claimed to be the southernmost point of Continental Asia. Sentosa also has innumerable restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.

Another attraction that can't be missed is a ride on a bumboat up the Singapore River. These old style ferryboats can be caught at a number of spots along the river including Clarke Quay, which is also a good place to get a taste of the Singapore nightlife.

Singapore has many other places to see like markets, Chinese Gardens and other Asian attractions, as well as historic landmarks from the islands colonial past. A ride on the Night Safari tram at the Singapore Zoo is a great way to end the day. And just going for a walk down Orchard Road on a warm tropical evening is worthwhile to see the various shops and street performers.

For a truly Asian experience there are a lot of better places to go than Singapore. However, as a relaxing couple of day stopover on the way to those other places it's hard to beat.

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