Singapore – A Nation With A Different Attitude!

Sir Stamford Raffles

Hanging about an airport all day waiting for a connecting flight can be annoying, but in Singapore it can be a unique experience.

Having passed through this airport on several occasions, my wife Judith and I were aware that there were free trips into the city available to those who had more than six hours to wait for their connection. As luck would have it, we recently found ourselves having to wait almost twelve hours there, and so we decided to try one of the available excursions.

We chose what was called the “Colonial” trip and what a delight it turned out to be! Our guide carefully supervised our exit through passport control and our documents were stamped with a one-day visa.

We were then taken to a spotless coach and our trip into the city began. The guide gave us a running commentary on places of interest as we passed by, but there was more…

He also managed to fit in a fascinating talk about the history of Singapore since pre-colonial times, right through to the present day. The talk was factual, but interestingly told in impeccable English (still the official language in Singapore) and he held our interest throughout.

After reaching our destination near the river, we admired the gleaming white statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, the British Colonial Office official who established the colony in 1819.

The Merlion

Then we were offered a trip on a river boat to view the Merlion – part fish and part lion – which symbolises the link between the lions, which gave the place its name, and the importance of fishing to the local inhabitants.

On the return journey to the airport, we were offered the option of going back into the city on another coach – this time with shopping in mind.

This time the guide told us much about present day Singaporean culture and answered our questions willingly. He capped the day by presenting us with free lunch vouchers which could be used at any one of three city restaurants.

We enjoyed a simple but tasty and satisfying free meal and then wandered around taking in the sights. The famous Raffles Hotel looked particularly splendid dressed up in its Christmas colours.

Finally, our poor, tired feet could take no more and we returned to the coach stop (one leaving every hour) to make our way back to the airport.

A wonderful day provided totally free of charge by Singapore Airlines, the airport authority and the national board of tourism. We were simply economy class passengers – the airline we were flying with didn’t matter – and yet we felt as though we had been treated like royalty.

A return of visit of several days is now very high on our agenda. Singapore certainly leads the way in hospitality and can teach all the other countries that depend on tourism just how to get it right!