SINGAPORE: Singapore has left a lasting impression on yet another visitor! A 36-year-old Dutch traveller recently shared on social media that he was completely smitten by the city “from the first moment” he saw it.
In his post on the r/singaporehappenings subreddit, he raved about his experience, writing, “Singapore, you were amazing!!! The Cloud Forest is easily one of the best tourist attractions I have ever visited. I got off to a good start with the Flower Dome but the Cloud Forest just blew me away. Haw Par Villa and the Hell’s Museum were great fun.”
His explorations also led him to the lively streets of Little India, where he experienced the district’s unique energy.
He said, “Little India was… intense (I got lost, even with Google) but fun to walk around for a couple of hours. I visited Vinyl Kakis in the centre of the city, which was a lovely little shop.”
Food was another major highlight of his journey. He praised Xi Yin Vegetarian in Chinatown, calling it “amazing” for its delicious plant-based offerings.
The traveller also mentioned that he was deeply impressed by the locals’ warmth and authenticity. He wrote, “You were great! Very friendly, but not in a fake way like the Thai. Sometimes a bit direct which is fine, I know where I’m at. And don’t forget the Grab drivers, they were such friendly people!”
Not every aspect of his trip was perfect, though. He admitted that the hotel he booked for his first four days didn’t quite meet his expectations and wasn’t “worth the money.”
“No hard feelings about the hotel – the surroundings in Chinatown were beautiful and I got to spend two days walking around in Chinatown, taking it slow to get used to the heat. I visited some amazing bookstores, the Book Bar, for example,” he said.
“This is my experience in a tiny nutshell – there is so much more to tell but I don’t want to overwhelm you. It has been a blast! I want to thank everyone in Singapore because I had the best time!” he exclaimed.
“Do come back for more!”
The traveller’s post quickly gained traction on the platform, drawing an outpouring of responses from locals who were delighted to see their city appreciated through fresh eyes.
One said, “Thank you for taking the time to write this and it is wonderful to hear you had an enjoyable experience in Singapore. Please visit us again soon.”
Another remarked, “Fantastic. Thank you for your post.” A third commented, “Would love to hear more about your experience! The good and the bad 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your stay and do come back for more!”
But amid the gratitude, one individual couldn’t help but point out the contrast between how foreigners and locals often view Singapore.
He wrote, “I see foreigners raving about Singapore, influencers leaving their home country in US or Canada to move to start over in Singapore and documenting their journey on youtube saying how they loveee this summer tropical heat and humidity, love the hawker centres without any aircond etc.
“Then I see Singaporeans post daily.. why so hot. Don’t wanna eat at hawker centres cos so hot, thoughts about migrating daily to cold weather countries lol. Also why is sg so boring. So small. Nothing to do.”
In other news, a Singaporean went on Reddit to ask whether disclosing his below-market salary could put him at a disadvantage in salary negotiations and if inflating the number would be a better strategy.
In his post on r/askSingapore, he explained that he was preparing for a walk-in interview, and the company required him to complete a Registration Form beforehand. One section of the form asked for his “Current Salary (Required)” and “Expected Salary (Required),” which left him feeling uncertain about how to respond.
“I know it’s in my best interest not to disclose my current pay, but would not disclosing it in a section that says ‘(Required)’ put me at a disadvantage at all?” he asked.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)