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Singapore is situated in Southeast Asia
just off the southern tip of Malaysia
one of the smallest and most densely
populated countries in the world
Singapore is a breeze to explore nothing
is more than an hour away from the
central business district built at the
crossroads of maritime trading routes
for well over a century Singapore was
the jewel in Britain's Empire when the
city became a republic in 1965 few
thought a country with so few resources
and are vastly different ethnic groups
could succeed but succeed it has on an
unimaginable scale
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Singapore today is one of the four Asian
economic Tigers a futuristic bridge
between east and west yet despite
blossoming into one of the great global
cities Singapore is a nation that still
cherishes its Asian traditions once
filled with trading houses and opium
dens Chinatown's historic shophouses
have been transformed into restaurants
boutique hotels and gift shops pick up a
good luck charm in the pagoda Street
Market or find a few moments of quiet
reflection at the Buddha Tooth Relic
temple
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across town Little India crams all the
colors scents and gods of the Indian
subcontinent into just a few city blocks
while in the nearby Malay and Muslim
Quarter of Kampong glam the streets are
a treasure trove of handicrafts from the
Arabian world one thing unites all
Singaporeans food it's the national
obsession for an authentic Singaporean
makan experience follow the satay smoke
to the nearest polka center for more
upscale dining head to the bright lights
of boat and clap keys despite
Singapore's high urban density the
island is incredibly fertile they say if
you stick a broom handle into the soil
it will flower overnight escape the heat
and enter a world of color and the
Singapore Botanic Gardens and the
national orchid garden
for slightly Wilder experience explore
the jungle paths of the Bukit Timah
Nature Reserve Singapore's animal
residents are a pretty diverse bunch too
famed for its forest setting the
Singapore Zoo is home to over 300
species including the world's largest
captive colony of orangutans while the
Jurong bird park has been bringing human
beings and birdlife closer together for
over 40 years
Singapore enjoys a hot tropical climate
when the cooling afternoon rains come
indulge in that other Singaporean
obsession shopping Orchard Road offers
miles of retail indulgence for a change
of pace head to the biggest markets to
really rub shoulders with
bargain-hunting locals when it's time to
unwind climb aboard a cable-car to
Sentosa an island playground filled with
resorts theme parks beaches and bars at
Santos's western tip is fort Siloso a
vivid reminder of Singapore's darkest
days during World War two
closer to town is Singapore's big
backyard East Coast Park this 10-mile
recreational park is lined with bike
paths and beaches and is proof that busy
Singaporeans do know how to kick back
and relax a little further east is
Changi Beach from here catch a bum boat
to the island of pulau ubin for a taste
of calm life that is all but vanished on
the mainland pulau rubens quiet beaches
mangroves and wetlands are a world away
from the buzz of modern Singapore
but you don't need to write a bumboat to
head back in time simply step through
the doors of Raffles hotel and order a
Singapore sling many of history's
greatest adventurers and writers have
cooled up in raffles legendary bars
in the 21st century Singapore is
attracting the world's most adventurous
architectural minds Marina Bay shines
like something from a science fiction
blockbuster while Gardens by the bay
shows the endless possibilities of
mankind's flowering imagination welcome
to Singapore where the future is only
ever a few steps away from the past a
destination that proves that with unity
diversity and daring even the smallest
of places can grow into a giant
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