Where are Singaporeans’ favourite destinations or where do they go to rejuvenate themselves? Here are three popular choices
By Lee Li Ying
Our restrictive borders are no match for Singaporeans’ wanderlust. As hectic as our lifestyles are, we are an increasingly cosmopolitan and well-travelled bunch.
With many of the world’s most exciting cities just a short flight away, it seems criminal not to give ourselves some time off. If you’ve missed your window this National Day long weekend, fear not. There are at least five long weekends this year!
Home Away from Home
Booking website Hotels.com surveyed Singaporean travellers’ most well-loved destinations and revealed that we can’t get enough of Taipei, Bangkok and Hong Kong.
All Singaporeans love a good deal. Many Asian cities are, without a doubt, some of the safest and most value-for-money destinations for Singaporeans. Their proximity and our strong currency rates are additional incentives.
With great food and plentiful shopping at a fraction of the price, Singaporeans are drawn to these cities like bees to honey. Familiarity with the region allows Singaporeans to take to these vibrant cities like fish to water, whilst their traditions and unique cultures still give Singaporeans a taste of the exotic.
Taipei
From the proportions of crispy fried chicken to the odour of the stinky fried tofu found at Shilin Market, the fashion mecca that is Ximending and the rejuvenating spas found at Beitou Hot Springs, it is no wonder that Taipei in Taiwan is one of Singaporeans’ most favourite destinations.
An urban metropolis with a rich street culture, Singaporeans can truly let their tummies (and purse strings) go when they make their way slowly down the long, crowded aisles in the night markets.
With an efficient transport system and clubs that go on partying until dawn, the chaotic energy of this city is infectious.
Do check out the majestic Taipei 101 (the world’s fourth-tallest skyscraper), the icon of the city.
Bangkok
Bangkok city is such a complex bundle of contradictions. Its unique blend of Buddhism and modernism lends itself a heady and intoxicating veneer that many Singaporeans find impossible to resist.
It is not just the amazingly cheap shopping at Chatuchak, or the lanes and lanes of delicious street food such as mango sticky rice and Pad Thai. The city’s very atmosphere is an awakening of the senses.
In Bangkok, one can find gilded Buddhist temples right next to the flashing neon of red light districts. There are also many great deals for bargain hunters in Siam Paragon and other shopping malls, as well as in the stall markets.
Above everything, the Thai people truly live up to the nickname of their nation, “the Land of Smiles”. Don’t miss the floating markets, where locals hawk their wares on narrow boats.
Classy yet with a rugged edge at the same time, it is no wonder that this feisty city keeps us coming back for more.
Hong Kong
Like peas in a pod, our buzzing metropolis has often been compared to the vibrant hub-dub of Hong Kong city life. Both Singapore and Hong Kong are (or, in the case of Hong Kong, once was) city-states with much in common.
Boasting a wide variety of sights from temples to colonial buildings, the powerful combination of East and West has never been more compelling in a city. Pockets of cultural heritage can be found in the markets and fishing villages.
Most of all, don’t miss out on the delicious Cantonese cuisine that Hong Kong is famous for.
Why not plan your next short haul trip now?
Republished from Issue 44.
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