Last week we spent four days exploring Singapore and all left feeling like we could have spent a lot more time there! It actually wasn’t originally on our list, but we have some good friends there so squeezed in a quick visit. I have to admit that I wasn’t very interested because of the high cost and my perception that it was a sterile city, but I ended up being very happy that we went and it is someplace I would like to go back for a longer visit. And, of course, we absolutely loved catching up with our dear friends who we hadn’t seen since October 2021!

We arrived late on Sunday evening (September 28) and immediately noticed how clean, modern and international the airport was, all of us marvelling at the high-end stores and wide variety of food options. We were in a whole new world! From there we went to our hotel which was wonderful. We had two loft rooms and enjoyed the daily breakfast buffet, beautiful pool and surrounding area, and the cleanliness and ease of hotel living.

On Monday we did schoolwork, a bit of swimming and then it was time to meet up with our friends. We met on Orchard Road for a taste of what Singapore has to offer–dozens of shopping centers, pedestrian malls and the flagship stores of some of the world’s best-known brands with every type of food at every price point. The girls ran off with their friend to check out the photo booths, try some boba tea and catch up. It was the first time since leaving Germany that we haven’t been all together! Meanwhile, the adults had some quality time together. Win win for all.

On Tuesday we booked a walking tour of Chinatown which was very interesting but also a bit long for us. Singapore is hot and humid so after a couple of hours outside, walking around, you are ready for some air-conditioned comfort! But we did enjoy the tour. We learned a lot and got to see one part of the city more in-depth. It also cured me of my belief that Singapore is sterile or bland because of the vibrant architecture and culture alive in Chinatown.

We visited the Fuk Tak Chi Museum, the Thian Hock Keng Temple​, Maxwell Food Centre, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, saw an example of the public housing that is a cornerstone of Singaporean culture and enjoyed the gorgeous murals by artist Yip Yew Chong depicting various aspects of daily life.

By the end of the tour we were all hot and hungry, so we walked to Chinatown Complex which has a ton of hawker stalls with all sorts of Asian food at reasonable prices. We bought a few different things for everyone to try. And we stumbled across Ann Chin Popiah for some popiah, a first for us!

From there we did a combination of the MRT (subway system) and walking to explore the Marina area where we had great views of some iconic Singaporean landmarks: Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum. From there we headed over to the Singapore Management University campus where we met up with our friends, and the kids embarked on a Monopoly game that was a treasure hunt through the city. We followed along and it was a great way to see different parts of the city! Unfortunately, they needed our phones to participate so I didn’t take any photos. From there we headed to dinner at the iconic Lau Pa Sat hawker centre. I absolutely loved eating at these food court type places because you could try lots of different things in small portions at reasonable prices. And everyone can find something they like!

On Wednesday we were back to schoolwork in the morning. Then in the afternoon, we headed out in hopes of visiting some must-see spots but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate and we ran out of time. But we still really enjoyed the day! First we ate lunch at an Italian place near out hotel–the girls have been doing really well trying new foods and figuring out how to make it work, but sometimes they just need a belly full of pasta and pizza! From there we walked along the river to the Merlion statue. It is the Singapore Grand Prix (part of the Formula One World Championship) this weekend so some roads were closed and the crowds were bit intense, the closer we got to the marina bay area. From there we were hoping to go to the top of Marina Bay Sands but a storm rolled in and they closed the observation deck. So we headed over to Gardens of the Bay in hopes of visiting the Cloud Forest and seeing the lights show but the storm intensified, so we just found shelter and waited it out. We caught a few glimpses of the light show as we made our way back to the mall next to Marina Bay Sands for dinner and then back to the hotel. In hindsight, we should have headed straight for the ArtScience Museum after the Merlion statue, but we didn’t realise the weather would change so quickly! And we have a few things on our list for the next visit….

Something that I continue to struggle with is how much time to set aside for the traditional schoolwork and how much time to spend exploring while knowing we are all learning through experience. I have a serious case of FOMO when travelling (not in daily life LOL) and always have this impulse to see everything, take everyone’s recommendations to heart and often feel disappointment when we don’t check off all the “must-see” boxes. But it’s not feasible or fun to just run from site to site. Everything starts to blur together, everyone is hungry, tired and in a bad mood after a couple of hours, and we blow through our budget with entrance fees and tours and eating out. And I do believe that while the kids are learning so much just from being in these new places, they do need to continue with math and science, reading and writing in both English and German, some history/social studies, etc, so we do need to fit in sightseeing, schoolwork and downtime to every few days. When we stay somewhere for an extended period of period, we are able to do that, but in Singapore we just didn’t have enough time!

On Thursday, it was already time to fly on to our next destination. We did a bit more schoolwork in the morning before checking out of the hotel and heading to the airport. The Changi airport did not disappoint! It has a huge waterfall in the middle, a million stores and restaurants and then a (paid) play area with a skywalk, gardens, and a bouncing net which was a great way to get out some energy before the flight. That is all in the “Jewel” part of the airport.

Singapore was like no other place we have visited! A very modern, clean, well-planned city with parks sprinkled amongst the high-rises, with no homelessness, no street animals, and no trash in sight. It also is a place with a lot of rules and some hefty fines for not following those rules, and there is a very strong sense of the making sure group benefits over any individual preferences. The girls immediately relaxed upon entering the country and loved the high-end shopping malls, the fact that it was so clean and they felt very safe walking around with their friend. I do think that things are a bit more complicated in their society that it may appear on the surface, but we didn’t delve too deeply into it. I also think the government is doing a lot of things right, especially with regards to ensuring affordable housing, making sure all ethnicities and religions are honoured and respected and keeping the public areas clean. As I said, I would love to spend an extended period there, but I don’t think I plan on moving there anytime soon (even if the girls are ready!). 🙂 It was a great stop for the whole family.