Singapore

Singapore, is a very modern, posh and fancy city-state. The country is highly urbanised. We arrived with the night train from Kuala Lumpur and stayed with a couch surfing host.

Singapore has since developed rapidly and is one of nine countries with the top AAA rating from all credit rating agencies and the only Asian country on the list. Nearly 5.5 million people live in Singapore, of which well over 2 million are foreign-born. There are four official languages—English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.

Singapore has one of the lowest rates of drug use in the world. This may be due in part to the country's very strict drug laws, which include mandatory death sentences for some drug trafficking offenses.

There is a ban on importing chewing gum into Singapore which is strictly enforced. Since 2004, only chewing gum of therapeutic value is allowed into Singapore. Under the rule, no gum is allowed to be bought or sold inside Singapore and there is a $500 fine for spitting out gum on the streets.

Combining the skyscrapers and subways of a modern, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping and a vibrant night-life scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover.

Singapore is one of the safest and cleanest major cities in the world.