This charming, island state, located at the southern-most tip of Continental Asia and the Malay Peninsula, holds the appeal and legend of Koh Samui but without the sleaze and smut of Bangkok. Home to two of the world’s three most expensive buildings, a concert hall shaped like a durian and a museum shaped like a robotic hand, Singapore is neither light on the senses nor the pocket. Simply put; Singapore is currently the most expensive city on earth. But is it justifiably so? Though physically small, Singapore is an economic powerhouse. It has been South East Asia’s most modern city for over a century, replete with a level of sophistication and automation that would make most first world countries look like the Flintstones. The country includes the island of Singapore and 58 or so smaller islands. Because of its efficient and largely motivated and corruption free government, Singapore has become a flourishing economy that excels in trade and tourism and is a model for developing nations. The eponymous capital city (the diminutive size doesn’t warrant a different name), covers about a third of the area of the main island which is uniformly well constructed. In fact, Singapore boasts some of the best infrastructures in the world and is quite simply, one of the best-planned cities on Earth. Chocolate wrappers and potato bags are consistently relegated to green dustbins carefully positioned equidistantly throughout the country. Etymology The English name “Singapore” is the Anglicized version of the word “Singapur” which is derived from Sanskrit: Singh (lion) + pur (village/city), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City. However, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island; Sang Nila Utama, the Srivijayan prince said to have founded and named the island Singapura, perhaps saw a Malayan tiger. Social
This charming, island state, located at the southern-most tip of Continental Asia and the Malay Peninsula, holds the appeal and legend of Koh Samui but without the sleaze and smut of Bangkok. Home to two of the world’s three most expensive buildings, a concert hall shaped like a durian and a museum shaped like a robotic hand, Singapore is neither light on the senses nor the pocket. Simply put; Singapore is currently the most expensive city on earth. But is
