Impression of Singapore

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A couple of weeks ago, I had an opportunity to go on a trip to Singapore. I have not been to the city state for more than 15 years and was interested in seeing how it has changed. The first impression was when we landed. By the time we reached the baggage claim area, our bags were ready for us. I have not seen such efficient baggage handling anywhere else. Usually, you had to wait at least five to ten minutes before the first bag will appear on the carousel.


On the way to our hotel, the driver told us that they were still not satisfied with their performance and are working on improving the number of flights they can handle. There are two runways at the airport - one for landing and one for takeoff.

We only went around the area around our hotel. There were many underground walkways joining the MRT (train) and also the various building. One of these areas was large enough for the children and teenagers spend their time roller blading and break dance without having to worry about traffic or rain.

It is hard to imagine Marina Bay was built on reclaimed land. The man made lake in the middle can be used to supply drinking water to Singapore. The area houses the only casino in Singapore, a few gardens (Silver Garden, Golden Garden, Dragon Fly Bridge etc.) and a very nice jogging track. Above all, you could walk around the area at night without fear. I did not feel safe walking in the dark since being mugged a couple years ago, but I felt very safe in Singapore.



The MRT was also well designed. Even though you might need to transfer to different MRT lines, you just need to pay once, similar to the airline where you book the trip to your destination and do not have to confirm each leg of the flight.

The one thing that Singapore shares with other big cities in the world is the traffic jam. Even though it is costly to own a car in Singapore there are still a lot of them on the road.

Singapore is a great place to visit, but is costly. As a visitor I like the facilities that are available, but I cannot help but wonder what it is like for the normal citizens there. It must be difficult to make ends meet.








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