SINGAPORE: In a viral TikTok post, a German traveller who has visited 46 countries so far wrote that Singapore is one of the “bottom 5” countries he has visited.
His post, published earlier this month, has received over 3.1 million views and strong reactions from platform users, who have defended not only the Little Red Dot but also the other countries on his list.
For the post’s author, who goes by TravelDan on TikTok, his bottom five countries are 5. Tajikistan, 4. Singapore, 3. Liechtenstein, 2. Belize, and 1. Egypt.
For Singapore, the traveller had written that it did not feel like Southeast Asia “as it looked very Western” and “everything was very expensive” compared to other nations in the region.
There was “no nature, and it was extremely hot due to the asphalt and tall buildings,” and the people he encountered were “rather unfriendly and distant.”
Interestingly, a British traveller who has been to 40 countries also listed Singapore among his bottom five earlier this month and for largely the same reasons: very expensive, too westernized, and too hot and humid weather.
The post also went viral, with 3.7 million views so far.
Of course, the two lists are highly subjective, but commenters, upset at the negative aspects TravelDan pointed out in his remarks, were very defensive.
One commenter took umbrage at TravelDan’s remark about no nature in Singapore, writing, “Please open your eyes the next time you are traveling,” while others praised Singapore for its parks and preserved areas.
Some questioned his expectations for Southeast Asia, though others agreed with TravelDan. One TikTok user wrote that Singapore is where people go on trips to the region to “have a breather” to “get back your sanity.”
A screenshot of the list of why TravelDan considers Singapore in his bottom five countries was also posted on the Complaint Singapore Facebook page on Sunday (May 19), where commenters were similarly upset at his views.
“Well… yes, it should be the bottom 5 when you expect the cost of living is like the rest of ASEAN. This little red dot uses safety and convenience in exchange for costs. Get used to it or set expectations right,” wrote one netizen.
One day after posting his bottom five, TravelDan posted his top five countries: 5. Iraq (Kurdistan), 4. Colombia, 3. Uzbekistan, 2. New Zealand and 1. Chile. However, this particular TikTok did not get as many views as his bottom five post.
/TISG