The Curious Traveller: 15 Fun Facts About Singapore
These 15 fun facts about Singapore showcase why this island nation is truly unique! From gravity defying infinity pools to the world's tallest indoor waterfall, learn Singapore's fascinating secrets.
4 min read
Singapore Lah!
Did you know that Singapore has more millionaires per capita than almost any other country in the world? That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this fascinating island nation!
Whether you're planning your first visit to Singapore or you're a longtime resident who thinks you know it all, these 15 fun facts about Singapore will change how you see this remarkable country. Get ready to have your assumptions challenged and your curiosity ignited!
15 Fun Facts About Singapore
Singapore is the only country in the world that is a both city and an island nation. This tiny city-state packs an incredible amount of diversity, culture, and innovation into just 728 square kilometres or 280 square miles. Singapore may be tiny but it has big ambitions: it has grown by 25% in land size since independence through land reclamation.
Fancy chewing gum? Talk to your doctor. Chewing gum is famously banned in Singapore, but there's a quirky exception. You can get therapeutic chewing gum from pharmacies with a prescription, and dentists can provide sugar-free dental gum to patients. The ban was implemented in 1992 after vandals kept sticking gum on subway doors and sensors.
Millionaires to your left and millionaires to your right. Singapore has more millionaires per capita than any other country, except perhaps Monaco. Approximately one in every 125 residents is a millionaire, which means you're statistically more likely to bump into a millionaire on the street in Singapore than almost anywhere else on Earth.
The country has a love affair with cold air-conditioning. Bring a shawl for when you step inside a shopping mall, movie theatre or museum. Lee Kwan Yew, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, famously touted air-conditioning as the reason for his country’s rapid economic development. Creating indoor sanctuaries free of the humid heat increased productivity.
Want to breakfast with orangutans? The Singapore Zoo is the place for you. The "Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife" program lets visitors dine alongside free-roaming orangutans, white rhinos, and other animals in an open-concept setting that feels more like a nature documentary than a traditional zoo.
Calling all waterfall obsessives. Singapore has the world's tallest indoor waterfall, but it's located inside an airport. The Rain Vortex at Changi Airport's Jewel terminal stands at 130 feet tall and is surrounded by a four-story garden with over 2,000 species of plants, making layovers in Singapore an attraction in themselves.
Don’t go over the edge. The Marina Bay Sands hotel's infinity pool is not just famous for its views, but because it holds 1,424,000 litres of water and sits 200 meters above ground. What's even more remarkable is that the pool was built to cantilever 65 meters beyond the building's edge, defying conventional engineering wisdom.
What are we celebrating today? Singapore is diverse. The country's major ethnic groups are Chinese (about 74%), Malay (13%), Indian (9%), and others. Because of this cultural diversity, more than 100 festivals are celebrated each year.
What did you say, lah? Singapore recognizes English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, and Tamil as its official languages. While English serves as the primary language of government, business, and education, most locals speak "Singlish" – a unique English-based creole. They often say “lah” at the end of a sentence, to express a mood or soften a statement.
Savour the land of high-quality low-priced food. Singapore has more Michelin-starred street food than anywhere else in the world. You can get a Michelin-starred meal for less than $5 USD at hawker centres, where the same stall might have been serving the same recipe for three generations, elevating street food to fine dining status.
Orchids are us. Singapore's Botanic Gardens houses the world's largest orchid display with over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids. The gardens are so scientifically important that they're Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the country has made the orchid its national flower. New hybrids are named after visiting dignitaries, such as Dendrobium Barack Obama and the Papilionandan William Catherine for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
That’s a lot of ships. Singapore has the world's busiest port for transshipment, handling more shipping containers than any other port globally. Despite having no natural harbour advantages, the country has engineered itself into the critical chokepoint for global trade between East and West through pure strategic planning and infrastructure investment.
The Singaporeans have their own Green New Deal. The country's urban planning is so meticulous that they've calculated the exact ratio of trees to buildings needed to maintain air quality and temperature. Singapore plants over 100,000 trees annually and has regulations requiring new developments to replace green space at a 1:1 ratio or better.
What the heck is bubble tea and why are Singaporeans so crazy for it? Imported from Taiwan, this milky tea with chewy tapioca balls has become so culturally significant that long queues for new bubble tea shops regularly make national news.
Your taxi driver is famous. Singapore's taxi drivers are required to pass geography tests and customer service training, and many speak multiple languages. Drivers often become informal tour guides, and some have developed cult followings among regular passengers for their knowledge and personality.
These 15 fun facts about Singapore barely scratch the surface of what makes this country so extraordinary. Whether it's the intriguing architecture, the delicious food scene, or the innovative approach to governance, Singapore offers lessons that the whole world can learn from.
Ready to experience these amazing facts first hand? Start planning your Singapore adventure today because seeing really is believing when it comes to the Lion City's incredible achievements!
Want to read more? The Sleepy Traveller: 5 Heritage Boutique Hotels in Singapore. The Definite guide to Hawker Centres in Singapore.
