Why Singapore?
Singapore is a marvel of modern urban planning. A tiny city-state that has transformed from a poor fishing village to Asia's wealthiest nation in just 60 years — creating one of the cleanest, safest, and most fascinating metropolises in the world. On an area smaller than Hamburg, Singapore combines skyscrapers and rainforests, Michelin-star cuisine and street food for 3 euros, futuristic architecture and colonial buildings from the 19th century.
- Marina Bay Sands & the Skyline — The iconic skyline around Marina Bay is one of the most spectacular city panoramas in the world. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel with its rooftop infinity pool, the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay, and the illuminated Helix Bridge form an ensemble that looks like a science fiction vision — but is reality.
- Gardens by the Bay — 101 hectares of futuristic garden art right by the water: the Supertrees (up to 50 m high steel trees that shine in a light show in the evening), the Cloud Forest (an indoor waterfall in a gigantic glass dome), and the Flower Dome (the largest climate-controlled greenhouse in the world). Singapore's answer to the question of how to connect nature and city.
- Hawker Center — the best street food in the world — Singapore's hawker centers are UNESCO World Heritage and the culinary heart of the nation. In over 100 food courts, thousands of stalls serve the cuisines of China, India, Malaysia, and the whole world — for 3 to 6 SGD per dish. Chicken Rice, Laksa, Char Kway Teow, Roti Prata: Here you eat at world-class level for pennies.
- Cultural Diversity — Singapore is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western culture. In Chinatown, Buddhist temples stand next to Hindu shrines, in Little India it smells of jasmine and spices, in the Arab quarter Kampong Glam the Sultan Mosque gleams golden — and everything is just a few MRT stations apart.
- Changi Airport — the best airport in the world — Changi has been voted the best airport in the world for years. And it deserves it: Jewel Changi with its 40 m high indoor waterfall, gardens, slides, and restaurants makes the airport itself a sight. Some travelers come here just for the layover.
- Safety & Cleanliness — Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world. Women can walk alone through the streets at night, bags remain unattended on tables, and the streets are impeccably clean. The strict laws (gum ban, high fines for littering) may seem excessive — but the result is impressive.
- Orchard Road & Shopping — Singapore is a shopping paradise: From the luxury boutiques on Orchard Road to the electronics mile Sim Lim Square to the vintage shops in Haji Lane and the night markets in Chinatown. Plus: no VAT refund needed under 100 SGD.
- Tropical Greenery in the City — Despite the skyscrapers, Singapore is one of the greenest cities in the world. The Botanical Garden (UNESCO World Heritage), the Southern Ridges hiking trails, MacRitchie Reservoir with treetop path, and Pulau Ubin — an island where time has stood still — offer pure nature, just minutes from the city center.
Singapore is the perfect gateway drug to Southeast Asia: safe, clean, efficient, and yet exotic enough to pull you out of your European comfort zone. And as a stopover on the way to Australia, Bali, or Thailand, it is unbeatable anyway.
