Singapore is a top destination for tourists, students, professionals, and those who want to experience life outside their native country. The city-state in Southeast Asia is gaining global popularity for various reasons. The Changi Airport hailed as one of the best airports in the world is an aviation hub and a lifestyle mall with hundreds of stores, art exhibitions, and even airport accommodation in Singapore. Its public transportation system is highly regarded by tourists and locals alike, praised for its efficiency, affordability, and cleanliness.
Moreover, in the past decade, Singaporean students have topped every global competency exam, going toe to toe with students from China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
For these reasons, many people want to move to Singapore.
Before the pandemic, about 29 percent of the nation’s 5.7 million population were non-residents: foreign nationals who are stationed in Singapore. They come from the rest of Southeast Asia, India, China, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries. They all have different reasons why they moved to the island. There are also numerous reasons why they choose this small but mighty nation in the Pacific to call their new home.
It’s Always Sunny in Singapore
Summer does not end in Singapore. For most of the year, the weather in the city-state is sunny with bright blue skies and a warm breeze — perfect for road trips and hanging out at the beach.
The locals carry umbrellas wherever they go to prepare for random bursts of rainfall but, more frequently, the intense tropical heat. After spending a few months in the country, you probably will start carrying an umbrella, too, wherever you go to shield yourself from the sun. Better yet, you will learn to duck into stores and restaurants where the air conditioning is always at full blast to counter the tropical heat.
A Gateway to Southeast Asia
Living in Singapore means that you have easy access to the rest of Southeast Asia. Malaysia is right beside the country; it will be easy to cross the border and you would not even need to fly to get there.
Although a little farther away, there are daily flights to and from other Southeast Asian countries via Changi Airport. Do not worry too much about the cost; getting around the region is very affordable.
Moreover, you can take advantage of Singapore’s generous national holidays spread throughout the year to fly to the destination of your choice, see breathtaking sights, dip in clear and cold ocean water, mingle with the locals, and shop.
Communication Will Not Be a Problem
Although the national language of Singapore is Malay, the people here speak perfect English. Singaporeans are used to interacting with foreign nationals because of the country’s sizable expat population and the number of travelers who visit for business, education, or leisure.
The population is taught early on to read and write in English. The locals are comfortable speaking the language. Foreigners can order food, ask for directions, hail a cab without knowing Malay or Chinese and Tamil — the two other languages recognized officially in Singapore.
It is Safe in Singapore
You often hear about tourists and expats being robbed or scammed out of thousands of dollars in a foreign country, but that rarely happens in Singapore. The city-state is regarded as one of the safest places in the world with low crime rates, especially compared to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.
In fact, Gallup’s Law and Order Index, which gauges the sense of safety and security among populations across 144 countries, placed Singapore at the top of the list alongside Turkmenistan.
Singapore also topped the Bloomberg COVID-19 Resilience Ranking, making the island the best place in the world to ride out the pandemic. While the city-state has seen multiple surges of infections in the past year, the government was able to immediately placate the spread of the virus through testing, contact testing, and treatment. There is also a very strict border control that bars unnecessary visits and requires negative tests as well as two weeks of isolation before entry.
As of May 2021, Singapore has reported over 61,000 positive cases with only 131 still being treated in the hospital and only 31 deaths.
While many countries around the world went back to lockdowns, life on the island is pretty much back to normal.
Singapore is truly one of the best countries in the world for tourists and expats alike. The island is rich in culture and tradition, has a high quality of life, the food is amazing, the people are friendly, and it is very safe.
