Singapore 4K. Interesting Facts About Singapore

Hey guys, so we are in Singapore. It's one of the megacities of the world, and I'll tell you all about it in this video. Hey guys, what's up? In this video we're going to talk about Singapore. Singapore is a city-state and island country in Southeast Asia of Southern Malaysia. It was founded as a British trading colony in 1819, and since independence in 1965, it has become one of the world's most prosperous and tax-friendly countries. Singapore enjoys a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons. No wonder it lies just one degree north of the equator. The country is known for its transition from a developing to a developed one in a single generation under the leadership of its founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Today Singapore is one of Asian Tigers, along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. The city-state is home to 5.6 million residents. There are four official languages, English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil. Most Singaporeans are bilingual, and English serves as the nation's lingua franca. Singapore Changi Airport was opened in 1981, and is now rated as the world's best airport by Skytrax for the sixth consecutive year since 2013, and is one of the world's busiest airports by international passenger and cargo traffic. More than 58.7 million passengers have landed in Changi Airport in 2016. It's so huge and modern that it even has movie theatres in Terminals 2 and 3. And it's all for free. Can you believe that? Now let's take a look at different parts of Singapore. Orchard Road is Singapore's most famous shopping district. It's a 2.2 km long major road with lots of shopping malls. This bustling boulevard is now a retail and dining paradise, with over 5,000 establishments offering the ultimate lifestyle experience to tourists and locals alike. But it's not all that pricey. You can find lots of inexpensive dining options. Marina Bay, the newest feature of Singapore. Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay, owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. At its opening in 2010, it was billed as the world's most expensive stand-alone casino property at 8 billion Singaporean dollars, including the land cost. The complex is topped by a 340-meter-long sky park with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150-meter-long infinity swimming pool set on top of the world's largest public platform. Rooms at this hotel start at $400 a night. Nearby, the newly opened Gardens by the Bay is a futuristic park which consists of three water park gardens, including giant artificial trees that glow in the nighttime. The towering 50-meter-tall trees within the super tree grove are brilliantly illuminated with a kaleidoscope of colors making for a memorable experience. The Garden Rhapsody light show is wonderful and totally free, and it takes place twice during the night at 7.45 and at 8.45 p.m. Just take a look at this. Don't forget to take a ride in the world's second-highest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer. At 165 meters, it missed the first place by just two meters. Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore's equivalent of Sydney's famous Opera House, except that the two-lobed spiky Singaporean version deliberately bears a striking resemblance to the durian, a tropical fruit notorious for its sharp odor. Opera, dance, classical concerts, and similar entertainment is offered daily. You can find live music concerts, light shows, and so much more. China Town Make sure you visit Chinatown, where you can find the Chinatown Heritage Center. Visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. The central streets of Chinatown are packed with stalls selling all sorts of Chinese trinkets. Little India is another district, and it's located north of the city core. It's the center of the large Indian community in Singapore. Little India retains its distinct identity without degenerating into a mere tourist attraction. Sentosa Island Before it was known as Sentosa, this island just off Singapore's southern coast was a British military fortress. When the Japanese occupation in the Second World War was over, Singapore returned to the British rule, and the island was renamed Sentosa, which translates to Peace and Tranquility. Today, Sentosa is the closest that Singapore gets to Disneyland, with a casino, Universal Studios Adventure Park, and cable cars. Among Singaporeans, the main popular reason to go to Sentosa is to hit the beaches, Seloso, Palawan, and Tanjong, from west to east respectively. Unfortunately, the water here is rather murky due to the never-ending parade of ships across the straits. The main business district is the Marina Bay Financial Center. It's a mixed-use development located along Marina Boulevard and Central Boulevard at Marina Bay. Skyscrapers in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 meters. There are presently three buildings of that height. Despite the fact that Singapore is often referred to as a concrete jungle, the truth is there is an abundance of greenery in almost every area of the city. Almost half of the territory of Singapore is covered by vegetation and parks, the most famous of which is the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It's a 158-year-old tropical garden located at the fringe of Singapore's Orchard Road shopping district. It's one of the three gardens and the only tropical garden to be honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The National Orchid Garden is at the forefront of orchid studies and a pioneer in the cultivation of hybrids, complementing the nation's status as a major exporter of cut orchids. The lush ponds of Palm Valley in the garden are a popular spot for picnics and outdoor concerts. Singapore is also referred to as the Garden City for its tree-lined streets and greening efforts since independence. The rain trees along the roads are easily recognized by their massive umbrella-shaped, widespread crowns which can reach 20 to 30 meters across. There are lots of hidden gems in the city, places like Rifle Range Road. It's a popular 13-kilometer jogging and cycling route, where you can actually run into monkeys. How cool is that? Singapore is incredibly clean. Even chewing gum is banned in Singapore and can only be bought from a pharmacy for medical use. Some public elevators come equipped with urine detection devices that set off an alarm and close the doors until the police arrive. Spitting isn't allowed either. Do it in any public place in Singapore and you'll be slapped with a fine of up to $1,000. Same goes for littering. When it comes to nightlife, Clark Key is a favorite among locals and tourists. It's one of the best locations in the city, set around a picturesque body of water and the shadow of the towered Central Business District skyline in the background. Row upon row of bars and restaurants line the beautiful boulevards, offering great alfresco dining. Clark Key is undoubtedly the reigning king of nightlife destinations. This riverside festival village combines dining, drinking and clubbing for the ultimate night experience. Despite its small size, Singapore has a surprisingly large number of golf courses. But most of the best ones are run by private clubs and are open to members and their guests only. The main exception is the Sentosa Golf Club. Housing in Singapore is outrageously expensive. But there's a trick. Public housing in Singapore is managed by the Housing and Development Board under temporary leaseholds for 99 years only. 82% of the resident population live in such government-subsidized houses. Only Singapore nationals and permanent residents can avail of the subsidized housing. There's no slums and no ghettos, no bad areas in Singapore. All the residential buildings I came across looked modern and very decent. Price per square meter in the city center is a staggering $16,500. Public transportation is excellent. Traveling from one part of Singapore to another is a breeze thanks to a highly penetrative public transportation system. Buses are by far the most common form of transportation, followed by the MRT, Mass Rapid Transit and taxis. Public buses serve almost every part of Singapore, making it the most extensive form of public transportation. While the MRT provides speed and efficiency, especially during peak hours. The subway stations are clean and usually equipped with free toilets and have platform screen doors between the train and the platform. Car rental is not an option you want to look for in Singapore. It's pretty expensive, you're looking at $100 a day for the cheapest car. And I only rented a car just to get some road footage, but otherwise I wouldn't do that. Okay, so renting a car in Singapore, you will have to know this one thing. You will need to have a cash card, they call it. So this card, right here. You can top it up and get it at any gas station or any 7-Eleven. So basically every time you use a toll road or parking or anything, you have to pay it. So now the balance, as you can see, it's $16.2 Singaporean dollars. So that's one thing to keep in mind when renting a car in Singapore. If you decide to rent, bear in mind that in Singapore they drive on the left side, just like in Britain. Roads in Singapore are in excellent condition and driving habits are generally good with most people following the traffic rules. Cars are outrageously expensive to own. The government is trying to do everything to discourage people from buying cars. A Volkswagen Golf might cost you over $100,000. That's because besides the retail price, you'll have to pay registration fee, certificate of entitlement and so much more. But there is no shortage of luxury and exotic cars. Even though the fastest you can drive here is only 90 kilometers an hour on expressways. Average monthly salary after taxes is $3,000. In general, prices in Singapore are about twice as high as they are in Thailand or Malaysia. There's no Uber anymore. It's been replaced by Grab. So it's a good idea to download Grab app before arriving. Rides are reasonably priced, anywhere from $7 to $12. Crime is basically non-existent and crime rates in Singapore are some of the lowest in the world. Singapore is an extremely safe city. But it has very strict drug laws and drug trafficking carries a mandatory death penalty. Yes, capital punishment is still a legal penalty in Singapore. Each execution in Singapore is carried out by a long drop hanging in Changi Prison at dawn on Friday. If that wasn't enough, caning is actually still a legal form of punishment in Singapore. If you're caught vandalizing the tropical paradise, molesting women and doing all sorts of bad stuff you shouldn't be doing, you won't be able to sit properly for a few weeks. In 2007, the number of caning sentences ordered by the courts was 6,400, of which 95% were actually implemented. Homosexual acts are illegal in Singapore. Singapore is officially the country with the smartest high school kids in the world. They collectively topped the global math and science education ranking by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. Singapore is a melting pot of cuisines, incorporating a rich heritage of food dishes consisting of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian influences. You can try these dishes in the hawker centres and in the food courts and shopping centres. Most Asian cultures are rice or noodle focused, but in Singapore they're both. Whether eaten straight, blended into juice or used as a topping in a shaved ice dessert, a wealth of tropical fruit is an important part of the Singaporean diet. There is of course the famously stinky durian, which Singaporeans cannot get enough of. In Chinatown, you can visit the famous Hong Kong soya sauce chicken rice and noodle. It's a street food stall owned and run by Chan Hong Man. In 2016, it became one of the first two street food locations in the world to be awarded a star in the Michelin Guide. The Merlion, a half-fish, half-lion beast, is a fitting symbol of Singapore. Let's face it, Singapore has come a long way. Today, the city ranks highly in numerous international rankings, and has been recognised as the most technology-ready nation, world's smartest city, world's safest country, third largest foreign exchange market, third largest financial centre and the second busiest container port. It's hard to believe that in 1964, they had racial riots here and people lived in poverty. Today, Singapore has the third highest GDP per capita and the passport of Singapore is second in the world after Japan for visa-free travel granted by most countries to its citizens. Tell me in the comments what you like most about Singapore. Thanks for watching and stay tuned, more videos are on the way. So how is that? Why are there so many expensive cars in Singapore? Well, a lot of rich people here. That is what I can say. How did they make their fortunes? Depends. Those very, very rich ones, actually, they are most of them developers. They make their first pot of gold from the rest. The safety on the streets and the very, very low crime rate. Nowhere else in the world. Oh, actually, what are the real estate prices here? If you want to buy an apartment, say, in a place like this, what would it go for? Okay, my estate, my apartment, it was built by the government. Okay. So it's subsidized for the citizens. But if you were going to buy like a private condominium with all the facilities, it will cost, around my area, it's going to cost like $1.5 million and above. Oh, wow. How many square meters? Maybe like 100 square meters. Okay. So it's a pretty modest apartment and it goes for $1.5 million. Now when you say the government subsidizes some part of that, what's the percentage they subsidize? It is like maybe half of what it would pay for a private condominium. Okay, so that would be like $750? Yes, yes. I drive for a living. Yeah, well, you're always air-conditioned, so. No, no, no. I'm trying to say that because I drive for a living, I'm almost like constantly on the road. Okay. Because Singapore is so small, we have cameras everywhere. We are heavily surveilled. We are under heavy surveillance. Yeah, you are. We have like CCTVs and cameras almost every building and every corner of the street. That at times when I feel like I'm taking a break, you know, I'm tired from driving, I just want to find a quiet road and stop by the side and take a break. Right. I'm under camera surveillance. And maybe I'll get a ticket for that too. Oh, wow. Yeah, so that's a real bummer. That's one thing I don't like about Singapore. Okay. So, because we are so small and we are so intensely under camera surveillance, it makes you a bit like, you know. Like living under pressure. Yeah, even, look, like these street lamps, they have cameras on top. Oh, wow. I didn't realise that. Every light? Not every light, maybe like every two kilometres. Yes, there will be a camera on top. What's something about Singapore that you would think most foreigners have no idea about? Well, you mentioned chicken farms, countryside. Most people, they don't expect that in Singapore. I mean, I tell them we have farms. See, I had no idea. We wanted to buy some chewing gum today and we couldn't do it. Couldn't find it. Yeah, yeah, you can't find it. And even if you bring it in, and maybe if the customs, they check you and they find it, they'll take it from you. Our Mr Lee, he said it's a public nuisance. Okay. Yeah, because you spit it everywhere and then it sticks to your shoes, to the tyres, on the bench. He's probably right. Yeah, and said if you want gum, go eat a banana. Oh, right. Yeah, that's what he said. So it was banned outright. That's a limitation they can deal with. I know you're not allowed to spit in the street. Yeah, you're not allowed to. Which I saw a guy do last night. Okay, maybe it's his day, he was lucky. If you're not lucky, there might be some officers in plain clothes. Okay. They'll book you. What's the worst punishment you have in Singapore? You don't have capital punishment. You can get hanged for drug trafficking and for murder. You can get hanged? You get hanged with a rope. I understand. You still do that? Yeah, we still do that. That's nice. So what do you have to do to get hanged? Like if you traffic drugs. That's it? That's it. You go to the hangman. Okay. And the second worst one would be whipping. Whipping? Okay. Yeah, like on your butt. How many times? It depends on what kind of crime you commit.