One of my favorite airports in the world is Singapore’s airport. With tranquil gardens, including one with cacti and a butterfly garden, it doesn’t feel like a major international airport. A quick monorail ride will take you to each terminal so that you can stroll through the different gardens if stopover time or departure time allows it.

Singapore is a most interesting place: 47% of its land is set aside as parks and includes 1,300 KM of bike and hiking trails. Considering the fact that the total land area is 709.2 sq km, about 3 times the size of Washington DC, setting aside that much green space is quite an accomplishment. The almost 6 million people of this Parliamentary Republic are very diverse and include Chinese, Malay (including indigenous Malays and Indonesians), Indian (includes Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan), and other ethnic groups (includes Eurasians, Caucasians, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese). One interesting law here is that elderly parents who are unable to sustain themselves, may claim maintenance from their children… in a lump sum or monthly payments. Hhhmm.. food for thought.

I was in Singapore to speak at several different international schools. Singapore has retained its Asian flavour but feels safer and cleaner than many US cities. I strolled through the Botanical Gardens with its lush jungle setting with a lovely open restaurant. I’m surprised there are no monkeys but then am told that, apparently, Singapore has a capture and then-who-knows-what program with monkeys. One teacher at school told me how vicious the monkeys on campus are, and I mean the real monkeys, not the students. Once they chased her into the photocopy room and she couldn’t get out. Now she carries a long ruler to ward them off… They even know how to open the locks on the students lockers. All teachers had stories of stuff the monkeys carried off into the jungle, including a sword and hook from a Captain Hook play in the amphitheater. I can just picture those monkeys using those back in the rainforest…

The Botanical Gardens are in themselves worthy of a visit. The Gardens are the first and only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. They offer endless paths for walking among exotic flowers and shrubs. There are lawns and benches, fountains and tea gardens. There’s an orchid garden as well as a children’s adventure garden. The Healing Garden showcases over 400 varieties of plants used medicinally.

I put in long days at school, talking to hundreds of students and conducting writing workshops with elementary students. One little one had to go to the bathroom but was back in no time saying “There’s a cockroach in the bathroom!”

The wonderful hotel where I stayed. Little India was just across the street.

Taxis in Singapore are more pleasant than elsewhere in Asia, they all use meters, no hassle, they drive much more civilized than in nearby Kuala Lumpur. And because taxi drivers speak English, and, not unlike hairdressers, like to talk, I learn a lot here. Yes, Singapore is a benevolent dictatorship, but “they make all the right decisions for us,” I am told. The government takes care of the people, they tell me. There is excellent health care, although you do need insurance, and education for all.

The government breaks down old houses, put everyone up in flats and then builds new flats for them. The government buys your car, at a good price, when it gets older than a few years. Apparently they sell them abroad so the government is really a used car dealer…

There are strict laws and capital punishment as well as caning for crimes such as rape. This, obviously, is why the crime rate is very low. There might be pickpockets but generally it feels safe and I can walk around downtown by myself, even late at night.

The economy is strong. Parks and green spaces are well planned. There are laws about recycling. I don’t notice air pollution and see blue sky, unlike so many other Asian cities.

Many races and religions seem to get along here. I see catholic churches next to Hindu temples, Buddhist monks strolling down the street. Public transportation is excellent. Several people, including those who have lived around the world, call this ‘Shangri La’.

There is a gorgeous Buddha Tooth Relic Temple as well as the landmark Sultan Mosque. My favorite place is Little India, bursting with sounds, fragrances and colours, I find great food and several salwar kameez here to take home.

Visit Singapore: https://www.visitsingapore.com/en/

Singapore Botanical Gardens: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg