SINGAPORE — I dipped my feet into the algae-tinted water and waited for the Garra rufa to work their magic.
Within seconds, hundreds of the flesh-eating fish were clinging to every inch of my submerged skin, from the tips of my toes to the tops of my calves, giving me a sensation that was both awkward and ticklish, like I had stepped into a box filled with suction cups and feather dusters.
Five minutes and $10 later, my fish pedicure at Nibbles Fish Spa was complete. As I shoved my dripping, marginally softer feet into my shoes, the owner shot me a smile.
“Come by my other location for a full body,” he said.
Singapore was already surprising the heck out of me. Before I visited this English-speaking island nation of 5 million, I knew it for three things: a flourishing business center; pristine streets; and the 1994 caning of American Michael Fay. But in addition to its strict, scrubbed-fresh facade, Singapore has a unique blend of high-end, cultural and quirky offerings that is helping to make it a major tourist destination in southeast Asia.
Founded in 1819 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles as a British trading colony, Singapore is now one of the most developed countries in Asia, with upscale hotels, five-star shopping and world-class restaurants dotting nearly every block. As a visitor, there's no denying the cleanliness of its streets, thanks in part to hefty fines associated with littering.
Before landing at Changi Airport, I was handed a customs information pamphlet informing me that the country has a death penalty for drug traffickers and prohibits items such as firecrackers, obscene video tapes and chewing gum. The gum law is primarily targeted at people intending to sell, but I wasn't about to tempt fate for a pack of Orbit Mist.
Once I was off the plane, my initial impression was that Singapore seems to work hard to flaunt its wealth and prestige. Hotels start at $400 a night and offer fois gras in their breakfast buffets, and million-dollar yachts troll Marina Bay with no particular purpose.
Nothing highlights Singapore's attention to the good life more than shopping districts like Orchard Road, which is home to residents such as Cartier, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada. There are four Louis Vuitton stores in Singapore alone, with another — a floating island store that will be part of the Marina Bay Sands entertainment and shopping complex — in the works.
I visited during the Singapore Grand Prix, a weekend's worth of events, parties, concerts (including the Black Eyed Peas and our own Beyoncé ) and themed hotel amenities such as miniature dark chocolate race cars. The night of the race, I attended a viewing party on the roof of the Fullerton Hotel where wine flowed freely, guests were dressed to kill and 6-foot-tall models were brought in just to stand around and pout.
The celebration was beautiful, but I was beginning to get the nagging feeling that Singapore as a whole was a lot like those models: Pretty on the outside but lacking any sort of depth. Then I met 14-year-old Gladys See.
Dressed in flip-flops and shorts and cheering loudly for racer Lewis Hamilton, Gladys was a breath of fresh air. During our 15-minute conversation, she gave me a rundown on where to go, what to see and why Singapore does have a bit of an inferiority complex.
“I have friends, they're from England, and they don't know what Singapore is,” she said. “We're tiny, but who cares?”
The next day I decided to take Gladys' advice to check out some of Singapore's cultural districts. Because the population of Singapore is a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian people, national holidays include Chinese New Year, Christmas, Deepavali (a Hindu holiday) and Hari Raya Puasa (a Muslim holiday).
As I walked through various neighborhoods, I could see how Singapore's mix of cultures makes it shine. In Little India, the streets were packed with people flowing in and out of fabric stores that housed spools in every color of the rainbow. In Chinatown, temples stood next to churches that stood next to mosques, and old men agonized over games of checkers on the sidewalk.
Singapore's melting pot is also evident in its food, from popular Hainanese chicken rice sold at stands inside open-air food courts called hawker centers to expensive high teas offered on weekends in upscale hotels.
One must when visiting Singapore is tasting a durian, a popular, soccer-ball-size fruit known for its spiky texture and pungent odor — the smell is so bad and so permeating that the fruit is actually banned in some public places.
Durians can be purchased in several parts of town, but the best are said to be found in the Geylang district, which also happens to be Singapore's red-light district. My morning walk to Geylang was eye-opening, mostly because it was one of the first areas I visited in Singapore that felt real.
Community centers stood next to organic food shops and auto mechanics, and little girls in pigtails ate bowls of noodles at corner cafes. I saw a few signs advertising “traditional Thai massage” and adult toys, but for the most part during the day it just seemed like a regular neighborhood.
I saw durians at several market stands, including Deluxe Trading Co., where a worker offered me a free sample. After he hacked open a Mountain King variety with a machete, he handed me a large piece of its yellow fruit. The exterior was thick and waxy like a balloon, but the inside was soft like mashed potatoes. Ignoring the rotten smell, I took a big bite.
I instantly regretted it. It tasted like boiled eggs, tapioca pudding and ammonia that had been stirred together with a sweaty foot. The flavor lingered in my throat for hours.
In addition to Singapore treasures such as the durian, the National Museum of Singapore, the Merlion statue, the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel and the Singapore Zoo's Night Safari, there are also some quirky attractions that keep visitors guessing about what this country has to offer.
One of the oddest I encountered was in the heart of Clarke Quay, an entertainment district known for trendy bars and restaurants. Named Clinic, the bar served drinks in bags made to look like IV drips and provided wheelchairs instead of regular chairs. The whole thing kind of weirded me out, but there's no denying it was unique.
More my style was the Scarlet, a boutique hotel that looked like Dracula's summer home. From the elaborate lobby (think crushed velvet and leather) to the cheeky his and hers offerings at Desire restaurant (starters are called “foreplay,” desserts are called “lust bites”) to drink specials at the Bold bar targeting cougars, gym rats and sugar daddies, the hotel is just the place for anyone who wants a saucy stay in Singapore.
Source: chron.com/
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