Singapore is not only a city that demands your attention but one which earns it quickly, through precision, polish and a gentle confidence that seems baked into the concrete. It’s clean, green and feels like it was designed by someone who actually uses public transport.

Arriving in Changi Airport feels more like stepping into a concept video than a country. Immigration is paperless (less exciting in 2025, despite Australia’s obsession with a paper-based system) and eerily fast. Within minutes, you’re gliding past vertical gardens and waterfall features that seem more sci-fi than Southeast Asia. It’s efficient without being sterile, futuristic without forgetting the human touch.

Beyond the infrastructure, what struck me this visit was Singapore’s relationship with its own history, it has managed to preserve parts of its past without turning them into museums. Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam: these aren’t themed zones but working communities. Yes, they’re tourist-friendly but they’re also deeply lived in, with families that have been there for generations. One afternoon I found myself sipping teh tarik while watching two uncles argue (affectionately) over god knows what. It reminded me that under all the gloss, Singapore still has heart.

Evenings were spent walking along the Marina Bay Promenade, a place where you can see every version of Singapore at once. On one side: Supertrees glowing with light shows. On the other: colonial-era buildings lit in soft amber. It should feel disjointed—but somehow, it works.

And that, I think, is Singapore’s real magic. It’s a place of and not or. Tech and tradition. Heritage and innovation. Pragmatism and poetry. It doesn’t erase the past, it absorbs it, refines it, and builds forward.

So yes, come for the futuristic airport and technology. But stay for the complexity, the food, the stories carved into shophouses and temples and public art. Singapore is not a layover. It’s a destination and a glimpse at what the rest of the world could be, if we were just a little more thoughtful.

A prime example of how this comes together in everyday was the very reason for my visit: An Indian wedding. Over two nights, people from all walks of life and cultures celebrated the happy couple and feasted on amazing dishes together, blurring the line between ceremony and celebration. There is nuance in the way the Chinese, Indian, Malay and other communities get along and have grown together on this island but at the heart of it, there are united as Singaporeans, with a deep understanding of each others culture. Singapore might feel efficient to the outside world, but when it comes to love, community and tradition: it knows how to throw down.

Leaving Singapore for Bali was just as easy as arrival – I was through the gates in no time, waiting to board my first ever KLM flight and my first ever fifth freedom flight.