I have a very long history of visiting Singapore, starting some 30+ years ago, and I will freely admit it's one of my favourite places to visit. So why do I like it so much?

That is a good question. Put simply, the environment is very laid-back, it's safe, the locals are generally friendly, and the climate is near perfect.

On one of my more recent visits, I discovered a new interest after finding some stunning street art while visiting Chinatown. Once I found that, I decided to combine my photography and liking of walking to hunt down more examples of this sort of art.

To do this, I saw way more of Singapore than the usual tourist would; I did this by heading off the beaten track, talking to locals, doing lots of walking, etc. And yes, I found many examples of street art, some of which are in a new gallery

Remember, this is Singapore, so it is very safe to go off the beaten track, check out back alleys, etc. Check out my page on safety to read my thoughts on how safe it is and some positive encounters with locals.

Arriving at Changi airport, you will find the journey through immigration, baggage collection and customs fast, with extensive automation, but do not worry about this; there are still plenty of staff around to help.

From personal experience over several decades, the service has always been very efficient, and that was before the automation.

On one trip back in 2022 just as the world started to open up after COVID, I was expecting to take forever to get out of the airport, but no, other than some staff checking body temperatures, it was just as quick as ever.

Now, remember that Singapore is a fairly small island, and Changi Airport is on the eastern side. The distances to just about everywhere are not great, plus the airport is well-served by just about every form of transport.

Me being me, I usually get a taxi into the city, and no, this is not expensive; a 20-minute ride is actually cheaper than the same distance back home in sydney.

Other options are, the excellent MRT subway service and public bus services. They may be available, but are not someting I have used to get to and from the airport. Just check this page, which covers all the options in detail.

Now, where to stay? Well over decades of visits, I have stayed at numerous hotels, including the iconic Marina Bay Sands.

These days, I tend to stick to the Carlton, which has everything I need, about as perfect a location as it gets, comfortable and reasonably priced.

Not that I am staying that this is the only place to stay, there are what amounts to an unlimited number, ranging from budget to the "if you have to ask, you cannot afford it".

Just checkout booking.com or webjet.com, both of which have tools to help you decide on which one is good for you.

And yes, the above photo is the world-famous Raffles Hotel.

Anyhow, regardless of where you stay, do pay Raffles Hotel a visit, and if you are a drinker, head for the long bar and try the Singapore Sling.

As for me, I will stick to the Carlton and even wrote a full review.

OK, now you have made it from the airport to your hotel, so the question is how to get around and, more importantly, for most people, avoid too much time in the heat and humidity.

Just like in Hong Kong, you can rent a car and drive everywhere, but given the quality and availability of public transport, taxis, etc, this is something I would not recommend. And no this time I have not tried it, just never felt the need.

For each of my visits, me being me, I do walk to most places and have been known to walk over 20km per day.

Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but thankfully for me, I do not feel the heat or humidity. ☀️

Now, for normal people, getting around is very simple, public transport and taxi. Yes, I know public transport does not have the best reputation depending on where you live, but in Singapore, it's about as good as it gets.

I live in Sydney and the public transport there is what I would call OK, if expensive, whereas my experience in Singapore and Hong Kong has shown just how good it can be when properly managed.

The shining star and that's from personal experience, is the MRT subway system, which is fairly low cost, safe, goes everywhere, is very comfortable and most importantly, fully air-conditioned.

In all my visits over the years, I have used the MRT for just about every journey outside of my walking distance, and that's not just during the day, but at all times, including late at night, and in all these trips, I have never felt anything other than safe.

Just like the subway systems anywhere else, the MRT can get crowded at times, but even crowded, it's still not an unpleasant trip, no feeling like a sardine. In fact, during one previous trip, a local saw the camera I was carrying and started a conversation about photography. Another positive encounter.

Other than the MRT, there is a modern bus network, which, although I have not had much experience using it, seems to be just as good as the MRT. During one previous visit, I took a fairly long trip; the bus was modern, air-conditioned, cheap and at the time I used it, not crowded.