Things to do in Singapore: Eat. Shop. Get fined.
That’s about it.
We knew Singapore was going to be the polar opposite of India. To be honest, it felt pretty nice, and it is a lot like home…except cleaner, shinier, hotter (outside), and much colder (inside). I don’t know what the deal is with these guys, but they keep the A/C on full blast at all times.
Everything in Singapore is modern and bright: huge skyscrapers, flashy casinos, colorful restaurants, and massive shopping malls. The brand new Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino is an amazing scam. Locals are charged S$100 just to walk in the door of this place! You don’t get that back in chips either. It costs 77USD just for the privilege to play S$25 minimum, 5-deck blackjack and ultra-lame electronic craps. You don’t even get to roll the dice. Lucky for us, foreigners on tourist visas are admitted free of charge.
We discovered one major similarity, however. As we exited the Little India metro station, Kim joked that we would find a bovine paradise of crumbling buildings, trash clogged streets, and completely ignored queues. She was right all counts except the cows, but I think we could have even found a cow or two if we had tried harder. Little India is shockingly similar to Big India, except prices were quadrupled and we could drink the water here. We ate some great thali for dinner, and it made us wish our train problems hadn’t kept us from Mumbai. If you want all the perks of India without the inconvenience of actually being in India, you’ll love this neighborhood.
Many people find Singapore sterile and boring. I can’t argue with that assessment, but sometimes a little boredom and sterility is just what you need after six months of traveling.
We threw together a video so you can share in our reverse culture shock:
Which do you prefer? Cast your vote by commenting below.
Posted from: Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia
Kim & Clark Kays quit their jobs for an uncertain trip around the world. Originally from St. Louis, they relocated to Chicago after getting married in 2005. After working for five years in middle school and the Fortune 500, they realized there was more to life than the 9-to-5, so made the crazy decision to exchange money for time rather than the other way around.
Their hobbies include fighting over writing styles and searching for gelato. They think food, beer, architecture, and photography are some of the best things about travel—especially when combined. Their travel blog, To Uncertainty and Beyond, includes long-term travel tips as well as humorous anecdotes from their journey through Europe and Asia. They invite you to experience their journey and learn from their adventures and mistakes.
