Hello Everyone!
Our ship arrived at the Harbourfront Cruise Terminal in Singapore early in the morning of 28 Feb 2026. Today was the first of three days that we'll be spending here (two overnights), the longest stay in any port so far on this journey.
Singapore Background and History
Officially known as the Republic of Singapore, Singapore is a very interesting country/city. It is a sovereign island city-state in Southeast Asia, located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It's highly urbanized, modern, and technology-oriented. With 6.1 million people in just 283 square miles, it's the 3rd most densely populated country in the world.
There are four languages here: English (the working language), Malay (national language), Mandarin, and Tamil.
It is governed as a Parliamentary Republic and has a global reputation as a financial hub, a major shipping port (second-busiest in the world), and for being highly urbanized.
But it wasn't always that way...
Originally known as Temasek (“Sea Town”) in the 13th century, Singapore functioned as a small regional trading port linked to the Srivijaya and later Malay kingdoms. It declined and was only sparsely populated by the 17th–18th centuries.
In 1819 the British, looking for a foothold in the Dutch-dominated Asian spice trade, sent Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company to the island. He recognized that the climate was good for growing spices like nutmeg, cloves, coriander, and cinnamon, and dabbled in trying to cultivate them. However, the area's true value was its strategic location on the India–China trade routes. So, he established Singapore as a free port and it enjoyed rapid growth. The population diversified with large Chinese and Indian immigration. Singapore’s identity as a global trading hub was born during this period.
The Japanese occupied Singapore during WWII, renaming it Syonan-to. The three years and eight months of occupation were brutal, marked by severe hardship and civilian massacres. At the end of the war, Singapore was returned to British control, but the myth of British invincibility was shattered and that contributed toward fueling a strong nationalistic spirit among the people.
By 1959, the country began internal self-government with the visionary Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister. The country joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963, but the relationship with the federation was rocky due to Singapore's pent up desire for independence. In 1965, Singapore left the federation and became a sovereign country, a very risky move economically at the time because unemployment was high and Singapore had virtually no natural resources or goods to export.
Under Lee Kuan Yew and successors, Singapore pursued export-driven industrialization by welcoming multi-national corporations with attractive incentives, instituted strict anti-corruption policies, initiated massive public housing programs, and made heavy investments in education and infrastructure. As a result, Singapore rocketed from a third-world country to first-world in a single generation, and now enjoys one of the world's highest GDPs per capita.
Singapore is known for its strong governance and strict laws. The government gets into every phase of daily life, and punishments for infractions are severe. For example, if you are caught possessing just 15 grams of cocaine, you're assumed to be a drug trafficker, an offense punishable by death. Littering and chewing (or worse, spitting out) gum on the streets is prohibited and can result in caning. Traffic violations carry heavy penalties. There are cameras everywhere.
Singapore has one of the highest costs of living in the world. Vehicles are heavily taxed and regulated. Just getting a permit from the government to own a car can cost between S$100k–S$120k (USD$80k - USD$95k). It's only good for 10 years, then must be renewed. The prices fluctuate because the number of certificates available is capped in order to limit the number of cars on the road, and the certificates are sold every two weeks at auction by brokers. Then you still have to buy the car and pay tax and registration. As a result, there is only moderate traffic in the urban areas. Public transportation is cheap and readily available, so most people use that instead.
First Shore Excursion - Peranakan Culture
I departed on the first of two planned shore excursions mid-morning today. The intent was to give an overview of the early settlement of Singapore by the British and to explore the Peranakan culture.
Our quite knowledgeable guide told us that Peranakan culture refers to the distinctive hybrid heritage of the descendants of early Chinese immigrants who settled in what is current-day Singapore. Since few Chinese women immigrated with them, the men intermarried with local Malay (and sometimes Indonesian) communities from the 15th to 19th centuries. The word peranakan means “locally born” in Malay.
Over generations, a unique creole culture formed and it flourished under British colonial trade networks in the 19th century. Peranakans often became English-educated intermediaries under British rule. Many were wealthy merchants, professionals, and community leaders, and played an outsized role in early Singapore business and politics. Prominent figures such as Lee Kuan Yew (independent Singapore's first Prime Minister) had Peranakan ancestry.
Fort Canning Hill
Our first stop was Fort Canning Hill. It is one of Singapore’s most historic sites, having held three major roles across time.
Before the British arrived, the hill (then called Bukit Larangan, meaning “Forbidden Hill”) was believed to be:
- The seat of Malay rulers of ancient Temasek
- A royal burial area
- A spiritually important landmark
Archaeological digs have found 14th-century artifacts, confirming it was part of a significant pre-colonial settlement.
 |
| Archeological Dig at Ft Canning Hill |
 |
| Pottery Shards Recovered from Site |
 |
| Fort Canning |
 |
| Tombstones Forming the Wall Around Ft Canning |
The site had its second major role under British colonialism. After Stamford Raffles established Singapore in 1819, the British built Fort Canning on the hill. It became a key military installation protecting the colony, and it also housed government buildings and the residence of early governors. The hill is one of the few natural elevations in central Singapore, giving commanding views over the harbor and river approaches.
Its third and most famous (infamous?) historical role came during WWII. Inside the fort's underground Battle Box bunker, British command made the decision to surrender Singapore to Japan during the Battle of Singapore in February 1942. The fall of Singapore was one of Britain’s worst military defeats in Asia. It shattered British prestige in the region, accelerated anti-colonial sentiment, and indirectly helped set the stage for Singapore’s eventual independence
One of the things Stamford Raffles did at the site in the early colonial days was establish an experimental spice garden. Today's Fort Canning Spice Garden commemorates Raffles’ early-1820s attempt to turn Singapore into a profitable spice-growing colony. The experiment briefly succeeded (especially with nutmeg) but collapsed after disease and economic realities made it clear Singapore’s true advantage lay in trade, not agriculture.
 |
| Ft Canning Spice Garden |
Peranakan Village
We left Ft Canning and went to an older Peranakan section of town. We visited a house and gift shop there run by a family of Peranakan descent and had a small snack while our guide gave us some background on the early matriarchal Peranakan culture. There were numerous examples of sewing, beading, and crafts on display.
Peranakan women were taught these skills by their mothers, and the village matchmakers noted which girls had the most talent. These exceptionally skilled young women were considered the most desirable for marriage and were matched with the best of the young men.
 |
| Handmade Traditional Peranakan Outfit |
 |
| Handmade Traditional Peranakan Outfits |
 |
| Handmade Beaded Slippers |
 |
| Room Displaying Peranakan Sewing and Crafts |
Harbourfront Shopping Mall
When I got back to the port, I took about an hour to walk around a HUGE shopping mall that was right by our cruise terminal. It's billed as the largest in Singapore, and that's saying a lot. It spanned three floors and covered about a city block. I walked more than 1.5 miles and only covered a portion of it! There were a ton of food places, most of them local merchants, and they sold every kind and ethnicity of food you can think of. The chains like Burger King, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut etc. were all represented. Name a food and you could find it there.
There were also a number of clothing stores, everything from Mom & Pop shops to high-end, name brand fashions. Electronics and gadgets of every kind were plentiful. There were even grocery stores and pharmacies. It looked like any nice, upscale shopping mall in the US, except that it was crowded and well-patronized.
 |
| Harbourfront Mall |
 |
| Harbourfront Mall |
 |
| Singapore Waterfront Skyline |
 | |
|
 |
| Art & Science Museum Building |
The shuttle Viking provided dropped us off in front of the Marina Bay Sands. Opened in 2010, it is an integrated resort combining hotel, casino, convention space, retail, dining, and entertainment in a single mega-development on reclaimed land by the waterfront at Marina Bay. The casino is among the most profitable in the world, but it caters to foreigners. In an effort to reduce local gambling, foreigners can enter free of charge, but Singapore residents must pay USD$110 for a 24-hour pass or USD$2,200 for an annual pass.
 |
| Beef Wellington by Gordon Ramsay |
Light Shows
 |
| Marina Bay Light Show |
 |
| Marina Bay Light Show |
The Singapore Flyer is a massive Ferris wheel on the edge of Marina Bay and one of Singapore’s most recognizable attractions. It takes about 30 minutes to make a complete circle and offers stunning views of the city from its 541 ft. top. We didn't have time to ride it, but it looked like a good time.
 |
| Singapore Flyer |
 |
| Supertree Grove |
 |
| Supertree Grove Light Show |
The site is anchored by the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. There are three towers, topped by a long superstructure spanning their tops. The superstructure includes an infinity pool which gives the illusion of swimming off the edge of the tower.
 |
| Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
On the shuttle bus back to the ship we were treated to a short but impressive fireworks display over Marina Bay. This isn't an every day thing. Rather, it was part of the 15-day long Chinese New Year celebration going on. Tonight was the third-to-last night of the holiday.
 |
| Chinese New Year Fireworks |
Jim
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to hear what you think of these posts. Please keep your comments family friendly and apolitical, as this blog has a wide and diverse audience!