KEY POINTS:
Every year, about 10 million visitors, including thousands of Kiwis, arrive in Singapore - but that is not where they want to be going.
Singapore, for the bulk of them, is a place where they zip in and zip out on a stopover.
So, although the mind-blowing figures
show annual visitor numbers to an island barely the size of Lake Taupo are more than double its 4.5 million population, the bulk of the visitors are only breezing through.
Not too long ago, en route to Tokyo, I was in a similar situation in the city I called home before my move to New Zealand 11 years ago.
Many of my New Zealand mates and colleagues say their Singapore experience comprises mainly what they got to see on the free highlights tour offered to transit passengers at Changi Airport, shopping on Orchard Rd or, worse, the inside of a hotel room.
This is a pity because Singapore is a great place to get immersed in the Asian cultures.
It is a city eager to move into the future, but tradition and local cultures remain.
Amid skyscrapers and modern shopping malls, visitors find temples and cultural hubs like Little India and Chinatown.
Like many stopover passengers, I had about 30 hours and every intention to make the most of my stay. Local knowledge gave me an advantage over many others.
Flying Singapore Airlines on a day flight from Auckland, it was an evening arrival into Singapore.
Although my hotel was in Changi, close to the airport, one of the first things I did was to dump my luggage in the room and take a taxi (by New Zealand standards, very reasonably priced) for the 25km ride to the Clarke Quay in the city (cost: just over $20).
Clarke Quay has been transformed from the merchant shop houses I recall from my childhood into one of the most happening places, with many colourful and themed bars, pubs and clubs.
It may sound like a sick start to my stopover, but an old mate took me to a pub, the Clinic, where we sat in wheelchairs and drank cocktails from intravenous drips.
It was 3am when I returned to the hotel.
Two hours later, after a quick shower and rest, I was up and ready to go.
I'm familiar with Changi, having spent two years of my military service in the area.
It's a Saturday, and I couldn't wait to be on the jetty to watch the fishing boats berthing at sunrise.
While the city is fast forwarding to the future, some of its charms remain and the Changi fishermen are among them.
I was offered a bagful of baby squid but couldn't take them. The fisherman had heard that New Zealand squid were 10 times the size and tasted like rubber.
Singaporeans love their food and some will proudly proclaim that they live to eat.
For me, breakfast was toast and eggs at a coffee shop, with a Singaporean twist.
The eggs were half-boiled and the toast was spread with kaya, a green coloured coconut jam - all for under $2. By zipping around on the Mass Rapid Transit, I covered most of the city's major cultural hubs in a day.
In the morning, I headed to Little India, which is not too far from Orchard Rd, then to Arab St, checking the fabric merchants and the gold-domed Sultan Mosque before turning to Chinatown, where I had my fortune told (I'm going to strike it rich, I was told) and my tired feet massaged.
You can't say you've been to Singapore if you haven't had chilli crab, and it's probably the dish I have missed most since moving to New Zealand. There's nothing here to compare with the juicy, fleshy Sri Lankan mud crabs, or the way they're prepared. So it was off to one of my favourite restaurants for a dinner with family and friends before returning to Changi for the flight to Tokyo.
From its economy to progress, Singapore is a success story. But I think one of its biggest successes is how it's linked the past and the future, blending traditional with modern. It may not be everyone's end destination, but it's almost a cardinal sin to waste an opportunity to experience it.
Lincoln Tan travelled to Singapore as a guest of Singapore Airlines.
WHEN TO GO: Any time of the year is a good time to visit, but December is great for experiencing how Christmas is celebrated in different cultures. That's when malls are lit up and the main shopping belt, Orchard Rd, is transformed into a fairyland.
HOW TO GO: Singapore Airlines flies daily from Auckland and Christchurch to Singapore. Check out singaporeair.com and visitsingapore.com for more information.
THE CLIMATE: Tropical Singapore is warm and humid all year round, with day-time temperatures in the late 20s and early 30s, reaching highs of around 36C.
