Five Reasons Not to Travel to Singapore: This South East Asian Country is One to Avoid
Singapore is My Least Favorite Country, Out of the More Than 50 Countries I've Traveled To
1. Singapore Is The World's Most Boring Country - One of the smallest countries on the planet, Singapore has little to do to keep you entertained. Sure, if you like shopping malls, or sitting in restaurants, Singapore has many of them. But other than tacky Sentosa Island with its Universal Studios Theme Park, there's little else to do except shop and eat.
Half the fun of being in Asia is its lively streets, smells, sounds, street nightlife, food stalls and cities that never sleep. Singapore, on the other hand, is one of the world's most sterile countries, with all the outdoor food in 'hawker areas' (dull, compared to Bangkok), and with none of the street life of most Asian cities. After being in Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, I felt like I was sleepwalking in Singapore - it really was that dull. After my second day in Singapore, and a 'city tour' that took all of three hours, I was so bored I booked a flight back to Bangkok two days early as I couldn't stomach one more day in the world's most boring country. Singapore is a country to avoid.
2. Singapore Is Expensive - Compared to most other Asian countries, Singapore is expensive. With things like taxis, hotels, shopping and eating on a par with America, I saw no point in visiting an Asian country, then spending as much as I would in America, if not more. For cheap yet amazing places to travel in Asia, avoid Singapore completely, and try Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh - basically anywhere but Singapore.
3. Everything in Singapore Is Regulated - A society gone mad with rules, you hardly dare breath in Singapore, in case you do something that's against the law. Chewing gum is against the law and bubble gum and chewing gum are not allowed to be sold in the country. Forgetting to flush the toilet could get you a fine of $500, if you're a gay man and discovered kissing another man you could end up receiving a jail sentence, and don't forget people are still caned in Singapore for some crimes, including that really serious one of chewing gum.
4. Singaporean Culture is Conformist - In other Asian countries like South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia, the culture of the country is fascinating as, with less rules, citizens are free to experiment with ideas. In Singapore, due to the restrictive laws, the Singaporean art scene practically non-existent. Not surprising really as, if you stifle a people's creativity and imagination as the Singaporean government does, then people are socialized to conform and think within the box and not outside it. Not a catalyst for great artwork, literature or any other cultural experimentation.
5. Singapore Is One of the World's Most Censored Countries - Censorship in Singapore is rampant. Political, racial, sexual and religious issues are frequently censored, with most TV programs, movies, magazines and newspapers censored by the Singaporean government. Movies have scenes cut from them, certain books are not allowed to be sold, some music can't be played, cable TV has some shows banned, and newspapers and magazines have to be careful what they publish in case the government shuts them down.
Many people think Singapore's intense censorship is to keep the People's Action Party in power, which is done by stopping political dissention and discussion. But, to a tourist or business person thinking of visiting Singapore, why would you want to give your hard-earned money to a country that practices that much censorship and control over its citizens?
The final straw for me though, as a writer, was to hear about the arrest of British journalist Alan Shandrake. Shandrake, who lives in both the UK and Malaysia, was arrested during a book signing in Singapore because of his book "Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore's Justice in the Dock", a critique about Singapore's legal system. Now stuck in Singapore awaiting trial, Shandrake will probably be found guilty, if Singapore's censorship court cases in the past are anything to go by, and could receive a fine and a jail term. All for criticizing a long-outdated legal system and one which has the world's highest per capita rate of executions.
As a writer, and as someone who travels around Asia often, for the above five reasons plus many others, Singapore is the last place in the world I would ever go back to. Censored, conformist, bogged down with rules, and the dullest place on the planet - Singapore? You can keep it.
Sources:
British critic unlikely to find leniency in Singapore court - The Christian Science Monitor - * And don't forget to buy Shandrake's book, if you're even remotely concerned about the value of free speech.
Published by Cassandra James
I m a British-American writer currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I ve been writing for Associated Content since 2007 and was named one of AC s Top 100 Writers for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. I primarily w... View profile
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192 Comments
Sign in to CommentYou are just not a very smart traveller and writer.
Continued... Freedom of speech is available in the form of a per booked mike 10 minutes of fame! So long as you dare say anything against the govt in front of a govt official who has your name, phone and address... And all the more than rude and viciously written comments by Singaporeans, proves Cassandra right, a rude people whom have lost their culture and identity to the very govt they defend, and without realizing I, they have traded, their culture and identity, for wealth and a false sense of security. Give a Singaporean a BMW or merc... And they will sell their soul to the devil... Their lives are controlled at every turn, and they do not actually know it. An island prison best describes this sunny island, set in the sea. Arts scene is minimal, since most Singaporeans do not know how to appreciate art, and most would not spend $50 or more to experience good quality production theatre, etc, which is why foreign celebrities and theatre etc will not visit...
Cassandra, did a great job on the article... And though no cane for gum, the whole gum situation is ridiculous by any country's standard... Most visitors and temp residents, working in Singapore who defended it above, saying they found it so interesting, must be pretty boring people, who love only the attention they get from locals, being western foreigners... Making their nightlife experience a tad better... In reality, s'pore nightlife is bland and may as well be non existent... With a Hugh following on karaoke pubs, that exploit Filipino women who will do indecent things for men upon buying them a drink, including sex, and the drinks for these women ridiculously start from round $30- 50 sgd...
A country that bans gum, contraband, heavily regulates Internet and freedom of speech, it has legalized prostitution... And promotes this trade by allowing "cheap labor" from neighboring countries like Thailand, Vietnam, China etc.... Now freedom of speech does exist, in the form of a mike
I'm not Singaporean but have been living here for more than a decade. What she's said cannot be totally debunked but she's taking the whole issue to the extreme. Discerning people would NEVER make sweeping statements like she did in almost the whole of her article. I'm not defending Singapore as being an exciting place that people should absolutely visit when traveling to Southeast Asia, but it definitely has awesome places somewhere. Being a student in the arts, Singapore definitely offers a good range of artistic/cultural places (although I wouldn't say they're amongst the most liberal). Then also, being an avid backpacker, I understand that we have to travel to different places with different expectations/restrictions. When she cited the Christian Science Monitor, I can't help questioning if she's decided on evolution or creationism herself. If she could just use that absolute confidence in making one such statement in her personal belief rather than on a whole country.
I think you spent very little time in Singapore.
Living here is different. I moved here 3 years ago and don't plan to move.
I lived in 3 continents and 6 Countries over the past 22 years - and visited as many as you said you did. I actually ran away from Bangkok after being held captive by a taxi driver for more than an hour and have being attacked on the streets. Never going back again.
Some of the facts you states are factoids or hearsay a few decades old.
I moved to Singapore 3 years ago. Life is cheaper than in the U.s. and Europe, coffee is only 50 cents for instance.
I am not bored yet but then again I think boring people get bored easily and interesting people always find something interesting to do.
I'm an artist, the art market here is growing too.
actually maybe she had a bad experience. My family came visiting me and they on the budget side stayed at a hotel that cost $100 a night.. not cheap buy any standard but in Singapore you can't really get anything good for that price. And well, the stay was less than pleasant. They got shifted to another hotel because they overbooked their place in the middle of the night to an uncleaned dirty smoke ridden room with thin walls. Outside were full of prostitutes and the wall was so thin you could hear someone doing it next door.
I think those experience can bring out negativity in anyone. So actually customer service is crucial to someone's impression of a country. And in this area eg customer service is far below standard compared to a lot of country focused on tourism.
"don't forget people are still caned in Singapore for some crimes, including that really serious one of chewing gum."
get your facts right, we don't cane pple for chewing gum nor even buying back from our neighbouring countries, only banned from selling. Caning is for serious crimes.
"Half the fun of being in Asia is its lively streets, smells, sounds, street nightlife, food stalls and cities that never sleep."
U think Singapore don't have all these? that means you have stepped onto the wrong lane,lady. You have certainly missed all of the above and have no right to judge based by just staying 2 days here.
Chewing gum get caned? You must be kidding me.
We only cane those people who commit robbery (theft while injuring people), rape etc. Oh, you mean those who rape don't deserve to get cane?
At least we won't have protest on human rights on a terrorist. How much dumber can it get? To read the rights to a terrorist armed with weapons, guns, grenade etc. You read halfway, you get blasted up. What a joke...
True enough I lived here 2 years and I find it as boring as hell..... hot also...
1 poster said that they don't get cheated in Singapore is also not true. I have been cheated many times here. And the poster that said he could afford 2 cars is probably that 10% of the population because serious to hell I make peanuts here and I doubt I would be able to afford for 1 car let alone 2. It is expensive here. Cooking my own food for health reason would be more expensive then eating out at a hawker.
Dear Cassandra James,
I doubt your credibility as a professional writer when:
- It is Alan Shadrake, NOT Alan Shandrake
- You don't get caned or jailed just for chewing gum
Do your fact checks, please.
Oh yes and do be mindful not to criticise the King while you're in Thailand. It can get you into loads of trouble. Contempt of our judiciary system, you say?