Singapore

Changi International Airport’s Rain Vortex – Keep Calm and Wander

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Changi International Airport's Rain Vortex - Keep Calm and Wander

Check Out the Rain Vortex at the Singapore Airport

The Rain Vortex at the Jewel at Changi International Airport in Singapore is mesmerizing. It was the first “tourist attraction” I’ve seen in Singapore. A friend picked me up at the airport and despite carrying my 14-kg backpack, we took a short bus ride to The Jewel.

The Jewel is a nature-themed zone filled with shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment emporiums. And at the heart of it is this amazing attraction that collects, what else, water. 

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Singapore’s Cloud Forest Park – Keep Calm and Wander

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Singapore's Cloud Forest Park

The Cloud Forest Park in Singapore is a must-visit tourist attraction at Gardens by the Bay. From the moment I entered, the sound of the man-made waterfall was a welcome relief from the topsy-turvy world outside. The mist that the waterfalls produce was such a fresh, cool feeling that embraced my skin.

I wasn’t really planning to go here because I thought it’s just another tropical garden. But a friend of mine convinced me to go because she really thought I’d like it. And guess what – she knows me well. I did like it!

As expected, plants are everywhere. There are plants that look familiar but most are unknown to me.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Singapore’s SuperTrees – Keep Calm and Wander

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Singapore's SuperTrees - Keep Calm and Wander

The SuperTree Grove at Gardens by the Bay is one of a kind tourist attraction in Singapore. Such a concept is, perhaps, a pioneer in the world on how we see trees. It’s not just a man-made tree but there’s more to that.

Singapore’s SuperTrees

There are 18 super trees in the garden. Standing at 25-20 meters, they look like strange trees when they’re lit up at night.

Yes, they look strange for a first-time visitor, but they’re spectacular to look at!

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Singapore’s Floral Fantasy – Keep Calm and Wander

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Singapore's Floral Fantasy - Keep Calm and Wander

The Floral Fantasy at the Gardens by the Bay is just one of the tourist attractions inside Singapore’s most-visited destination. It’s not cheap to get in though, so I can understand that many visitors would skip it. There were only a few when I visited it, so my photos turned out great! 😀 

But was it worth going inside? Well, if you are into flowers and instagrammable photos – then you are in a perfect place!

With more than 3,000 species of plants, I actually expected the place to be quite big. Perhaps, it will only take a minute from the entrance to the exit door without looking at the flowers. The whole time I was there, I finished in thirty minutes, including the 4D video ride, showing the various places to explore inside the Gardens by the Bay.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Arab Street – The Most Colorful Street in Singapore? – Keep Calm and Wander

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Arab Street Singapore - Keep Calm and Wander

Is Arab street the most colorful neighborhood in Singapore? For me, I think it is. I went there once during my trip – and boy – the street is as colorful as the rainbow!

It brought me back to the times I was in the souqs (markets) in Marrakech, Fez, Jeddah, Cairo, Beirut, and Istanbul.

Well, this street is not exactly what it’s like in the Middle East, but there are familiar scenes and things that reminded of getting lost in the souqs.

Arab Street in Singapore is just a tiny neighborhood. In fact, if you go in there just for your Instagram photos, thirty minutes will be enough. That, of course, if you are that kind of traveler who came for the colorful shots and not for the destination.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

The Colors of Singapore’s Little India – Keep Calm and Wander

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Singapore's Little India - Keep Calm and Wander

The colors of Singapore’s Little India are as vibrant as its culture. No, I’m not talking about the colors of turmeric powder spices, but the whole neighborhood. It is alive with cultural excitement from its murals to its historical and colorful houses.

And of course, the shopping scene here is one of a kind. However, we were not tempted to buy a thing. Not that we were stingy – it’s just that our closets still have clothes with price tags. Nope, we are definitely not hoarders. We are just waiting for the right time to wear those clothes.

In Singapore’s Little India, you will find not just cultural but also religious heritage. You’ll find Hindu temples, a mosque, and Buddhist temples.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Singapore – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Singapore - The Nomadic Boys

We found Singapore to be an oddity when it comes to LGBTQ rights. On the one hand, there is a large thriving LGBTQ community here, with lots of gay bars, clubs and events taking place throughout the year. On the other hand, homosexuality is illegal (for men only!), punishable with up to 2 years imprisonment!

In reality, the anti-gay law of Singapore is rarely enforced and strong efforts have been (and continue to be) made to get rid of it. We found Singapore to be super gay. Put it this way, when we were hanging out in Kuala Lumpur’s gay scene, the drag queens we met told us that Singapore is one of the places in Asia they aspire to perform in, citing it as one of the continent’s gay meccas…kinda like Dubai is for the Arab world.

We put this down to the country being so affluent, with many big companies having their Asian headquarters here, like Google, Bloomberg, Barclays, and many more. In addition, the Singaporeans are very well educated and affluent (have you SEEN some of the prices in this country?). They’re also a very internationally minded bunch, with English as the official language: it’s estimated that every 2 out of 5 people in Singapore are foreigners.

In this guide to gay Singapore, we explore the LBGTQ rights in more detail, write about our experience travelling here as a gay couple and also set out some of the best gay hotels, bars, clubs, events, and more.

Gay rights in Singapore

Homosexuality is legal for women, illegal for men in Singapore. This is because section 377A of the Penal Code punishes male homosexuality with up to 2 years imprisonment but is silent about female homosexuality.

Attempts have been made to repeal Section 377A, but the government has insisted on keeping it. In June 2019, at the Smart Nation Summit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reiterated that Singapore would keep Section 377A “for some time”, arguing that:

“Whatever your sexual orientation is, you’re welcome to come and work in Singapore…You know our rules in Singapore. It is the way this society is: we are not like San Francisco, neither are we like some countries in the Middle East. We are something in between, it is the way the society is”!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys