Rediscovering favorites and adding a few new sites to the list on return visits to Singapore and Malaysia

By Carole & Marv Feldman
This article appears on page 34 of the October 2019 issue.

View of Singapore’s skyline from the National Gallery of Art.

A family visit to the West Coast in June 2018 became the perfect springboard for another Asia adventure of discoveries (and rediscoveries).

From Seattle, Lady Luck gave us a rare opportunity of a free military charter flight (Marvin is retired Air Force) to Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, and from there we connected to another military flight to Singapore, our favorite city in all of Asia.

We love the exotic sites, cultural diversity, food and people of Singapore. No matter how many times we have been there (and it has been dozens), there is always something new and exciting waiting for us.

Singapore sights

The superb National Gallery Singapore (entry for seniors, about $11 per person) is housed in two national monuments, the former Supreme Court and City Hall, and our visit there was a fantastic experience. Arriving at opening time, we were fortunate to have knowledgeable docents tell us about the artists and subjects featured in both permanent and special exhibits. And from the rooftop, we had sweeping views of the city and many of its landmark buildings.

From there, it was a short walk to the Singapore Philatelic Museum (senior admission, about $4.50), which covered every aspect of local stamps and mail delivery. A special exhibition on the beloved French book “The Little Prince” and its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, once an airmail delivery pilot, was an unexpected treat.

While there is always so much new to see and enjoy in Singapore, we can’t resist revisiting favorite haunts. Crisscrossing this city-state multiple times on its efficient and sparkling-clean public bus and MRT (rapid transit) systems, we visited its many diverse ethnic neighborhoods, enjoying Malay breakfasts, Indian lunches, a Chinese dinner and French culinary delights.