$$$ingapore

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Singapore is the slickest, most modern South East Asian country we have been to so far and yet presented the most problems at the border crossing. Victoria's passport would not scan on one of the immigration officials computers. She was led off to a room for about 15 minutes where all information had to be input manually. This delay put us back half an hour and the bus we had booked to take us from Melaka all the way through to Singapore did not hang around for us, leaving us stranded at the border. We spoke to another driver on his way through and I think he felt sorry for us as he let us jump aboard for free.

Immaculate roads and manicured central reserves were the highlights of the drive in, which dropped us at a bus stop a few stations away on the MTR (underground) from our hotel. Singapore is an affluent place, and as a result is very expensive in comparison with the rest of South East Asia. The city is a thoroughly modern metropolis but we did manage to find (clean) accommodation that was reasonably priced to the east of town in an area called Geylang.

Singapore is yet another British colony whose potential was realised by a man named Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. He is a man that is held in very high regard by the populace - the man that started it all. He convinced the British government that this was an excellent natural port and would help them further beat back the Dutch influence in the area and thus protecting the much-mentioned India-China trade route. Thus Singapore became a free-trading port city whose plans were drawn up by the man himself. It blossomed under his control and leadership. Much of the current inhabitants are here because they are ancestors of original settlers - traders from China and other parts of Asia. This has ensured an eclectic mix of cultures in Singapore which is reflected throughout the city, transcending many boundaries.

Singapore is a clean city, crime is almost non existent and public transport is cheap and efficient. Their work ethic is tremendous, which was typified when I heard a man in a toilet cubicle closing a business deal. That is not a strange metaphor for something else he was doing, he was actually closing a business deal on his phone! Such liberties come at a price and many accuse Singapore of being a nanny state, run more like a business to ensure maximum profits. It seems to work though and citizens are kept in check by threats of fines left, right and centre including one for eating a smelly fruit called Durian on the subway. Many souvenir shops sell t-shirts advertising Singapore as a 'fine' city because of the abundance of them.

Singapore is tiny but has a lot to offer. The first area we explored was an island off the coast called Sentosa Island. This island, just 500m away from the mainland is dedicated to entertaining the citizens of Singapore and its tourists. Theme parks, amusement centres and an aquarium are all located here and much more is still to come. A huge chunk of the island is currently being developed with much more planned beyond that. When they fill that, I'm guessing they will just reclaim more land to build on!

With our time and money rationed we picked a couple of the highlights for any visit to Sentosa Island - the Aquarium and Dolphin Lagoon. The aquarium was excellent - easily the best one either of us had been to. Hastings feels like a tadpole in a puddle in comparison. The best thing about the aquarium is the level of interactively that it offers. As soon as we walked in we had our hands in large tanks, stroking various fish, including stingray's, who are quite feisty! These guys splashed around excitedly when we went over to their tank, jumping up at the sides thinking we had food. One of the other highlights was the conveyor belt that took us through the long underwater tunnel. The marine life above is as lively as it is varied with an array of large and small fish from sharks to manta rays. There was something very exhilarating about watching sharks glide above our heads that we actually ended up going round twice. Multi-coloured jellyfish and a crab larger than Victoria rounded off an excellent underwater experience.

After the Aquarium we made our way to another part of the island, via Sentosa's free internal bus system, to the Dolphin Lagoon. We were early so we wandered along the manufactured beach and to the southern-most point of continental South East Asia before taking our seats to watch the dolphin show next to the large lagoon. We were treated to an abundance to flips, spins, jumps and belly flops from the dolphins whose intelligence never ceases to amaze. Although, this time the dolphins were pink making them look like they all had sunburn.

There are three ways to get to and from Sentosa Island - bus, monorail and cable car. The cable car loops round Sentosa and goes to a viewpoint called Mount Faber. We made this trip on a separate day, waiting for some clearer weather to enjoy the views. When our chance came the ride is both exhilarating and relaxing. The cable car gently swayed in the breeze as we cruised over frantic motorway's below. The views are good and provide a unique spot to take in the city skyline, enormous bustling harbour and Sentosa Island. Mount Faber itself was disappointing, probably because we were expecting something akin to The Peak in Hong Kong. It was a pretty park area with a couple of restaurants. What could have been good views across the city was blocked by trees. On top of this we had to join a queue for about an hour to get in a cable car for the return ride.

Being on a budget, we sought out Singapore's legendary hawker centres for some cheap and tasty fare. Unlike the rest of South East Asia, which has them strewn across streets in popular spots with miniature garden furniture for seating, Singapore has made hawker stalls an orderly business. There are large centres which are clean and organised where all hawker stalls can setup and cook in a hygienic environment. One that we frequented was in Singapore's Chinatown and imaginatively called the Chinatown Food Centre. The food here was divine and reflected Singapore's diverse cultural mix offering the best of what we have experienced in South East Asia from dim sum and laksa to fish head soup and satay. The food court was always busy, regardless of the time of day and provided us with a chance to sit and eat with the locals as other travellers seemed conspicuously absent, much to our surprise.

Chinatown itself was a pleasant area to stroll through and unsurprisingly was not at all like some of the run down areas we had experienced in other countries. As with most other aspects we were discovering, this was clean, well looked after and organised. Red lanterns were strung above our heads (with all the bulbs seemingly working, surely a first) as we walked through streets bustling with market stalls selling tourist tat. Each building had been lovingly restored and maintained, the colours dazzling in the soft light. A large impressive temple sat at one corner of the market - what Chinatown would be complete without one?

Moving further to the centre we also gave ourselves a few days to explore Singapore's colonial and central business districts (CBD). This central area is a mixture of old British colonial buildings and modern office blocks, apartments and shopping malls. As we expected, the area was spotless and well maintained. The most impressive sight being Raffles Hotel (named after the aforementioned Thomas Stamford Raffles) and birthplace of the famous cocktail - the Singapore Sling. This hotel has been legendary for over a century where it was frequented by VIP's that passed through. It is a very grand pure white building built around a courtyard with intricate masonry and polished brass fixtures. Whilst the rooms were slightly (massively, actually) out of our price range, we were able to wander round the hotel and into the museum. It has a rich, colourful and exotic history which includes being the location that the last Singaporean Tiger was shot. Back in the day that most of Singapore was covered by dense jungle and animal life. The whole building is a very handsome place though and has been wonderfully maintained so that it retains all of its colonial charms. Walking through its hallowed corridors is very much like stepping back in time. The enormous Sikh doorman is a permanent fixture and has been for decades.

We wandered further into this area and enjoyed the fabulous buildings that are located in this district ranging from grand colonial houses and cathedrals to the old regal City Hall structure that looks like it was built just yesterday. From here we walked over to an area called Theatre's on the Bay, an oddly designed theatre and opera house on the waterfront. The building consists of two large dome structures which resemble the honey-combed look of a fly's eyes. In the atrium area we observed an exhibition featuring lots of coloured broken hula-hoops (art, apparently) and beneath the complex a portion of Singapore's youth bent themselves into a variety of shapes which could perhaps be interpreted as dance manoeuvres. They looked as if they were practicing for something. The whole area appeared to be dedicated to all forms of art.

On the esplanade itself we were able to take in the fantastic views across the city which combines the aforementioned old and new buildings nestled amongst each other. Set out in front of this view, on the other side of the river lies the Merlion. Nothing to do with the Sword in the Stone, it is a large sculpture of a creature spewing water. It is apparently the symbol of Singapore, quite who thought it up or what it represents is beyond us. What we do know is that it is half fish, half lion - it has a fish's body and a lions head, hence - Merlion.

As the sun was setting the miles we had walked were clocking up and we decided to retire to the waterfront area. Here there are a long line of pubs and restaurants along the riverfront affording good views across the river and some of Singapore's fantastic colonial architecture. This area used to be the old central port area of Singapore. Back then the was river a polluted and congested flow of sludge and boats. It is all clean and clear now and is a good location to watch the world go by. We read that Singapore's Asian Civilizations Museum is a 'must see' attraction for any visit to Singapore. So much delighted were we when we discovered that it was free entry after 7pm on Fridays. These are the offers we live for! The museum itself is housed in an impressive building itself on the waterfront painted yellow and white.

The museum chronicles the history and beginnings of many Asian civilzations, covering religion, warfare and social development. There were also special exhibitions on China and Chairman Mao and Singapore's rapid growth into an economic powerhouse. It is the kind of place where we would have been happy to spend hours but part of the free entry deal was that we had to be out in 2 hours. Still, everything inside was amazingly presented and expertly lit. Being in the museum at night was fantastic as everything was very dark but for the exhibits which were bathed in a soft spotlight from varying angles. Victoria was just as interested in what the bride was wearing in the wedding taking place in one of the adjacent function halls.

Singaporean's earn lots of money. They need to because everything is so expensive! They also have a huge array of shopping malls to help them blow their earnings. Singapore's Orchard Road is their equivalent to Oxford Street (but better) and is heaving with sparkling shopping malls all the way to the CBD. This area triggers minor claustrophobia at the weekend when all of Singapore descend on the malls to shop, eat drink and watch the latest films at the cinemas. The food halls provided a great selection of food which was as varied as the hawker centres.

Rounding off our visit to Singapore was a trip to Singapore Zoo, including the famous Night Safari. The zoo was excellent and is very well laid out with a large variety of animals. Enclosures are well designed to ensure great views of their inhabitants meaning we didn't have to gaze through 8 layers of chain-link fence. Highlights of the zoo were the white tigers, baboons and the polar bears. The zoo also included an Aussie 'outback' experience with roaming kangaroo's and wallaby's which got us more excited about our impending flight to Australia.

After spending a day at the zoo we went straight into the Night Safari. This attraction is a world first and allowed us to watch animals when most of them are at their most active. We watched a show before beginning our safari which showcased many nocturnal animals including hyenas. Before embarking on the safari we walked around the walking trails around the park. It was eerie walking around these areas at night as they were very dimly lit. Along the pathway many of the animals were on view and lit with a special light that looks like moonlight to ensure they do not get too confused. It was great to watch them wander round and each area was very active. This theme continued for the safari itself which wound round a set route pointing out lions, tigers, bears, rhinos, elephants, hyenas and hippos.

Singapore has been fast-paced, multi-cultural and expensive but ultimately good fun. It is a teeny place but packed with activities and a large variety of cultures. It has ensured we leave Asia on a high before heading to our first western country in 7 months - Australia.

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