What?

Singapore is a global commerce, financial and transportation hub. Their greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora, parks and gardens. We visited Singapore Botanic Gardens while there and was mesmerized by the beauty of all the orchids. Singapore is also well known for their Changi Airport, which we had the pleasure of spending roughly 8 hours at during a layover. They have a wonderful selection of restaurants and many secluded areas for napping.

Where?

Singapore is an island city-state off southern Malaysia and consists of the diamond-shaped main island and 62 islets.

How?

We stayed a few minutes away from the Chinatown metro station at the Santa Grand Hotel Lai Chun Yuen, which is set in a restored 19th-century Chinese opera house. The rooms were small, but the location made it all worth it. Using the MRT, it was simple to navigate and explore the town.