singapore Archives - Jonistravelling

The Best Beaches in Singapore

April 2, 2019March 28, 2019 by Jon Algie

This post was originally published in March 2014 / updated in March 2019 Imagine sitting in a beach bar with a cocktail in hand, listening to reggae while watching calm seas lapping onto white sand beaches. Sound familiar? If you’ve done some travel in Southeast Asia you’ll know this is a standard beach scene across … Read more

The Best Walks in Singapore: From the Forest to the City

October 21, 2016August 9, 2014 by Jon Algie

The Southern Ridges - a great place to walk if you have 2 days in Singapore

Singapore crams a lot of variety into its tiny borders, and there is no better way to get to know this misunderstood country than to go for a walk. Check out this list of the best walks in Singapore, which pass by beaches, mangrove forests, historical districts, skyscrapers and a whole lot of trees.

The Rat Factor: What is the Cleanest Country in Southeast Asia?

January 5, 2016July 17, 2014 by Jon Algie

Everyone says not to judge books by their covers, but if you’re lazily looking for a quick way to review them then there really is no better way. I took the same attitude when trying to decide the cleanest country in Southeast Asia. Sure, I could have done a whole lot of research and bombarded you with facts and figures – but to be honest, the only figure I really care about is the number of rats I see (I have a fear of rats, check out this post to find out why). The rat factor may be a flawed system, but it’s as good as any other and could 1 day be the official cleanliness yardstick in respected publications like Lonely Planet (as long as they pay me for using my idea!).

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore: The Coolest Gardens in the World?

January 5, 2016May 4, 2014 by Jon Algie

The supertrees at night during the garden rhapsody at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Gardens aren’t usually the most exciting of places. Sure, if you are a huge flower fan or are really into ponds, they might be the highlight of your holiday, but to your average person they are just pleasant places to kill an hour or 2. Gardens by the bay is different, a futuristic wonder beamed down from space that might just be the best tourist attraction in Singapore.

Kampong Buangkok: The Last Remaining Traditinal Village in Mainland Singapore

August 1, 2017May 2, 2014 by Jon Algie

Kampong Buangkok, the last kampong in mainland Singapore

The pumping pistons of the Singaporean dream machine are in full swing, turning this former rural backwater into the modern metropolis we know today. This sweeping modernisation definitely has its good points; Singapore has become the safest, cleanest and richest country in Southeast Asia, but at what cost?

Turn the clock back 50 or 60 years and a different picture of Singapore emerges. Dirt roads wind through small villages (kampongs), chickens roam through overgrown gardens, the only thing dominating the skies are the heat and the haze, and people don’t work insane overtime hours just to get ahead. Some would call this paradise, but some would rather destroy this way of life in favour of progress. That progress has bought wealth to the nation, but such a large lifestyle shift, in only 1 or 2 generations, left a hole in the soul of the country.

Island Hopping in Langkawi, Malaysia

January 5, 2016April 29, 2014 by Jon Algie

Can setting foot on 2 islands really be considered island hopping? That’s the kind of philosophical question I’d have to spend years meditating in an ashram to answer, but what island hopping in Langkawi lacked in islands it made up for in value. Walking down Pantai Cenang, Langkawi’s main backpacker beach, I was immediately struck by … Read more

A Milk Bottle Just Told Me it’s Time to Get Excited About My Trip

December 18, 2014April 25, 2014 by Jon Algie

Don’t worry; I haven’t started having conversations with inanimate objects. Anyway, if milk bottles could talk I doubt they’d be wasting their time giving me wisdom, they’d probably be more interested in talking about cows or cereal.

I haven’t gone crazy just yet, but I recently received a sign that it’s time to get excited about my trip. In the past I looked forward to certain things so much that it started to have a negative impact on the time in between. Sometimes it felt like I was treading water waiting to finish university or finish a contract. I decided that I couldn’t live in the future so much, so now when I buy a bottle of milk that has a use by date that is past the date I’ve been looking forward to, it’s time to let my mind wander. Before that time I’ve tried my hardest to live in the moment and enjoy each day.

Exploring The Historical Districts of Singapore

April 28, 2016April 23, 2014 by Jon Algie

The Sultan's Mosque at Kampong Glam, Singapore

A lot of Singapore’s history has been buried under endless high rise buildings and other urban developments. Life has changed a lot here in the last 50 or so years, and while many would say the progress is a good thing, it seems the soul of Singapore has been diluted in the process. A few pockets of the past remain, and these are where Singapore breaks free from its robotic suburbs and becomes something truly interesting. The historical districts of Singapore have a great mix of colour, chaos and expression, something that is sorely lacking in other parts of the country.