For being a pretty small city-state, Singapore packs an economic punch. It’s the busiest port in the world and a very developed country. Shannon and I visited in 2009 and noticed a big change in the skyline this time around – the Marina Bay Sands, which looks like a giant ship on top of 3 buildings.

They also put on a laser show at night which can be viewed from the Merlion park – basically a fountain statue.

Our second day in Singapore, we went for a walk all through the main downtown area (the quays – pronounced “keys”). From Betel Box Hostel, it’s a quick MRT (light rail) trip to the center of the city.

The Asian Civilisations Museum is an excellent museum that outlines the history of the different cultures of Asia through invaluable artifacts.

Singapore has a significant Indian community (about 10% of the population) and we also visited their quarter of the city.

Singapore was a part of British Malaya and only recently (1960’s) gained independence from Malaysia. There are a significant number of Malays (who are predominantly Muslim) and Ramadan is a particularly lively time to be there.