Nothing else comes close (Part 1)

I've been thinking about what it is that makes Singapore such a great event, and have to break it down to component parts. There will be 2 types of people reading this; those who have been to Singapore, and those who should!  What I reveal with these writings are my own thoughts based on what I have experienced in my 8 visits to the island.

THE PLACE 

So, Singapore is at the bottom of Malaysia, around 12 to 15 hours on a plane depending on where you fly from and is very close to the equatorial line. Those, for me, are the downsides, the flying, the time zone difference which catches a lot of people off guard, and the lunatic humidity. I rarely moan about the cold, when it is cold you simply put on more layers of clothes, hats, gloves etc but to some degree (see what I did there?) you can control your body temperature. In the tropical heat of Singapore, whenever you are outside, it is hot. 24 hours of every single day. I can survive around 20 minutes max and then start whining about everything and seek refuge in somewhere air con. The intensity of it, the discomfort and how the lack of air zaps you of all energy is relentless, truly! So, I tend to seek out places that benefit from air con, and must be one of three people who's been to the Singapore GP 7 times but watched almost every lap on the TV from our air conditioned hospitality suite. 

Raffles Hotel

It isn't a big place geographically, but does have 5.5 million population, the same as Scotland as it goes, but this population is shoe-horned into a land mass of 275 square miles.  Their population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and a considerable influx of ex-pats from he UK, US and Canada. It was part of the Commonwealth for many years and the Colonial British influences are everywhere. From their City Hall to the incredible Raffles Hotel, Anderson Bridge, war memorials, there is a significant British influence to be seen in all of their historic buildings. Standing alongside these pretty, well maintained, white-washed olde worlde buildings stands some of the most incredible architecture, almost like the government has challenged developers and architects to "build something different, build something memorable".  Quite unlike most conservitve local authorities in the UK, Singapore has built the most futuristic / movie set-type sky-scapes, most impressive. From the Neon stripped Star Wars esq landscape sat alongside the charming buildings with different views every time you look, and from each part of the city the vista takes on a different, but still remarkable outlook. I've been fortunate to visit New York and Hong

City Hall 

Kong, both world famous for their Skylines, I'd have to say that as massively impressive as those two are, for my money, and to my own aesthetical pleasure, Singapore's skyline has no equal. 

As a developed nation, Singapore benefits from all the trappings of Western society.  Name a Michelin Star chef, you can be sure he has a place in Singapore. The hotel chains too all fight for your custom with ever more elaborate hotels and refurbishments. Sentosa island has become their theme park home with Universal Studios having their more recent park there. It can only be testament to Singapore that whilst I've spent holiday after holiday in Orlando at theme parks, I've yet to visit the one in Singapore, I'm either too busy or far too hungover. (and I'd just whine about the heat anyway!)

Shopping galore

It is also sometime of a shopping Mecca, again all major and designer brands have a presence here, all of them.  Again, this place can rival 5th Avenue, Dubai, Regents Street, if there's a brand you are after, Singapore will have it. Crime?  Whilst not invisible, irregular - vandalism is rare, people don't cross the road until the green man says so, and there is an orderly way of life.  The liberal bleating hearts who wish for criminals and scumbags to still maintain their 'civil rights', I'm sure could point out that Singapore also has something of a severe law making government, they don't tolerate crime quite as we do and there's a tiered society. And whist all that is true, all that I have seen, and I mean ALL I have seen tells me that this place works, it just does.

Then, the nightlife. So, I should preface this by saying that I go to all these other GP, but the whole after party thing does little for me. But, because of that crazy time zone, in Singapore I badly over-indulge in partying. Badly. And I think I've peaked in my badness this year.....for my health I might

New Asia 

need to ban Scottish people from coming on these trips as they are a very bad influence! Because the race in Singapore happens at night, you have all day to recover from the night before's over indulgence.  And best of all, there is so little trouble when you're out and about that you can relax and let your hair down (what little of it might remain) and simply enjoy dancing like you used to 20+ years ago. You can book "VIP" tables with nothing more than a promise to buy some bottles of booze, and they do actually make you feel like you are special.

And I guess it is this final point about Singapore, as a nation, that I enjoy most of all.  People in Singapore who choose to work in the service industry do their very best to actually serve you.  Now, I

Joel Rubochon's gaff

know that's an all but alien concept to most "western" societies where you've chosen a job in the service industry because "there's nothing else", or because you're hawking for a gratuitous tip.  Singapore has one of the best service industries I've had the pleasure to enjoy, be it a fancy restaurant, a nightclub, or merely a street hawker selling a $5.00 bowl of local produce, their service puts ours to shame.  And they don't really have a tipping culture either.  Having ventured a little further around Asia, I can tell you that their service industry is alive and well.  Their cabs won't take you on a 15 mile journey when you only needed to go 5, their shop assistants won't be all over you like a bad smell the instant you go into a store, the wait staff serve you with an interest in ensuring you come back to their place, and if you should have an issue, they'll do all they can to make it right.

Without wishing to make this an advert for going to Singapore, I guess the easiest thing I can say is that with my business I've now taken hundreds of people to this little island south of Malaysia and I know that to a man / woman, they've all left with nothing but positive feelings of the experience, and almost all vowed to return!  If you have the chance to spend some time there, even if all you are doing is flying through on the way to Oz, do yourself a favour and have 2 or 3 days here, you won't regret it.

The F1 weekend next.......