Independent traveler : Singapore rules as expats first choice to live in Asia

Independent traveler

Love to travel, but hate tours? This blog offers insight on how to go it alone, from safe accommodations to seeing the best, and maybe the worst. After all, independent travel is an adventure. Flexibility and traveling on a budget are critical. No five-stars or all-inclusives. So hop aboard. Learn to enjoy travel at your own pace and price. Meet other adventurers like yourself and mingle with the locals. Remember: You may travel alone, but you wonʼt be lonely. gloria.independenttraveler@gmail.com

Gloria Maschmeyer

I've been a traveler since I can remember. I spread my wings as a flight attendant at age 20, then married a traveling man and we've never stopped. While based in Anchorage, we've ventured to India, Peru, Bali, Morocco, Burma, Tunisia Singapore and Ecuador. I love ferreting out places off the beaten path. And when things don't go quite as planned, that's just part of the adventure.

Gloria's photos

PHOTOS

Gloria's photo gallery

See Gloria's photos from her world travels.

READER-SUBMITTED

Vacation shots

That's a tiny Machu Pichu at left. View more travel shots in our vacation gallery.

Submit a vacation photo

Gloria's videos

Floating England's Llangollen Canal

See a little snippet of floating the Llangollen Canal in Western England in a narrow boat.

Fun with Divot

Divot snorkeling at the confluence of Brook's River.

Fun with Ted and Divot

Divot at the Falls and Ted cavorting at the mouth flowing out to Naknek Lake.

Plan your trip

AIRFARES

www.travelocity.com

www.expedia.com

BEST TIME OF YEAR

www.myforecast.com

Click on "almanac," then on "historical climate" and plug in the city you wish to check.

ELECTRICAL CONVERSIONS

www.travel-images.com/electric-plugs.html

For electrical appliances, it's great to know the voltage used in a country and the types of plugs.

CURRENCY RATES

www.oanda.com

For more information on currency exchanges and helpful hints, read my blogs, "Should I change" and "I've decided to change."

TRAVEL WARNINGS

www.travel.state.gov/travel

This site can help you determine the type of crime that goes on in foreign countries against visitors. It also will tell you areas of the country you should avoid.

WORLD TIMES

www.worldtimeserver.com/

Features the current time anywhere and weather. Helpful when you need to call for reservations or want to call back home while away.

WHAT TRAVELERS SAY

www.tripadvisor.com

A favorite sites to see what other travelers have to say about places to stay and visit worldwide

CAR RENTAL

www.hotwire.com

A good site for finding the best deals on renting cars anywhere in the world

TRAVEL INSURANCE

www.squaremouth.com

Web site that compares costs of travel insurance between companies.

Singapore rules as expats first choice to live in Asia

Posted by indietraveler

Posted: July 29, 2009 - 6:22 pm

Singapore expats first choice for Asia living. Clean, modern, safe and fun!

In a recent survey, Singapore the city/state ranked number one for expatriates' (expats) living pleasure.

This is no surprise to me. I lived in Singapore for over two years during the late 80s and have visited the tiny island state many times since. Today, Singapore isn’t quite as safe nor are the citizens quite as honest.

On my last trip, several taxi drivers tried taking me for a ride and a moneychanger shortchanged me nearly $75. This would never have happened in the 80s, but chalk it up to everything changes over time.

I also lived in Hong Kong for five years. Hong Kong dropped from the 4th best place to live to the 5th. Pollution was cited for the drop. A no duh!

When we moved to Hong Kong in 1995, we could see the island from the New Territories. When we left in 2000, there were days when you couldn’t begin to see it. I attribute the pollution to the massive growth of industrial production just across the border in China.

Macau, a tiny island and former Portuguese enclave an hour’s high-speed ferry ride from Hong Kong came in number seven. I lived there for a year five years ago and found it great. I still prefer Singapore due to its cleanliness and its location at the tip of the Malaysian peninsula giving it great proximity for travel to India, Indonesia, Burma, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Singapore's great location.