SINGAPORE - The Monaco of Southeast Asia

Singapore, a fascinating and intriguing city-state... before you even set foot there - or wheels in our case! First of all, it is the geographical end of the Asian continent. Many of our cycling colleagues have ended their trips there (Perdons les Pédales, Sunriders, Curious Pedals, etc.) But this small country also has a reputation that precedes it: a flamboyant economy, well above all its neighbors, with a price of living comparable to Switzerland or Norway. In short, a country which attracts us with its originality but which scares us. Will we be able to spend a few days there without breaking the bank before continuing to Indonesia ?

Our searches for Couchsurfing and Warmshowers hosts were failures... It was the end of August and most of the people theoretically able to accommodate us were away on holidays... We were still cycling in Malaysia, but the evidence was already there : we won’t afford to stay long in this micro-state. That was without counting on our social media community... Jacques contacted us: “I’ve been following your adventures for a while now and will be delighted to help you during your visit to Singapore! I am going on vacation in a few days and will be able to leave my apartment with you during my absence” he wrote to us. We were so relieved! What great news coming right on time. We were starting to dread our visit and suddenly everything was fine. But we still had several hundred kilometers to go before the border, and this time, we had a deadline: Jacques' takeoff, to meet before his departure.

In Johor Bahru, on the Malaysian side, everyone warned us: the border with Singapore is the second busiest in the world after Hong Kong. We had to expect several hours of waiting in line. We were psychologically prepared and even a little stressed before this experience. Waiting under the full sun with thousands of scooters did not inspire us with anything good. But as with our entry into Istanbul a year earlier, luck striked again and due to elections in the metropolis, the day was declared a public holiday! And surprise: we were the only ones crossing the border since none of the hundreds of thousands of cross-border workers went to work on this blessed day. In the same way as for Malaysia, our passports theoretically allow us to stay 90 days without a visa. A week will be enough for us.

The roads on the Singapore side were deserted due to the public holiday. We still wanted to ride the famous “Railway Corridor”, an old railway line which used to connect the harbor of the prosperous city to neighboring Malaysia and which has now been transformed into a cycle path.

To our great surprise, we came across thousands of people doing sports on this path, either on bicycles or on foot. We felt the difference with Malaysia: here physical activity is essential to stay in shape (a large part of the population is of Chinese origin, therefore inclined to sport and morning activities). Suddenly, everything was clean and shining: no more waste along the road and there were toilets with drinking water everywhere. We hadn't had any since Europe anyway!

We followed the cycle path for 25 km to reach the city center. Basically crossing the country from its northernmost point to the southern. At first we crossed mangroves and forests. We were amazed by all this nature, unbelievable when you know the island has the highest population density in the region... But, little by little, the buildings began to appear, Soviet style : large numbered towers, very functional but without charm. We learned later that these are the HDBs, housing built by the State which allows Singaporeans access to housing below the market price, because otherwise the prices are exorbitant. The government is, it seems, geared towards social issues with numerous bonuses: if you live close to your parents, if you have children...

We continued our journey south. The cycle path ended at the marina, opposite the symbolic “Marina Bay”, the famous iconic hotel of the city, where a boat seems to be placed on top of three immense buildings. It was midday and it was already very hot, but we still stopped to take a few symbolic photos of this place: the end of the “physical” road. From there, we will have to take boats to continue our journey toward Australia.

On the last kilometers to reach our host, the cycle paths, until then omnipresent and impeccable, were cut off. Large fences blocked the road... Strange... We learned in the afternoon that preparations for the Formula 1 Grand Prix had begun and, as the route passed right in the middle of the city, everything was under construction. After a few adventures carrying our bikes up and down stairs, we finally arrived in front of a large tower, alone, majestic, in the middle of an immense park. There, Jacques, our host, was waiting for us with open arms. We had never met before but through our common bike-traveling hobby, we had plenty of topics to discuss about. He had lived here with his wife for many years and worked in banking, in the center of the financial district. He helped us carrying the bikes and bags to his apartment and invited us to an aperitif meal with lots of French and European products. We were in paradise, the view from its balcony was incredible with the bank towers and the Marina Bay in the distance. After two weeks of pedaling the noisy back roads of Malaysia, this place was perfect for a well-deserved rest!

For a week, we explored every corner of this small territory: the super modern airport with jungle and waterfall, shopping centers with cycle paths inside, Hawk Centers, a very popular type of canteen. We had dinners and beers with locals and expats as well as François, a Frenchman who is returning to France by bike, from Australia! It was a wonderful stay which allowed us to rest and eat well before the last big challenge of the trip: crossing Indonesia and its countless islands! To be continued !