Singapore!

Singapore is great. The public transport system is made for humans, the zoo has tigers, lions, and bears (and orangutangs!) , the architecture delights, and in the side streets there is plenty of asian-style fluid, cooperative chaos.

The people are friendly. Stand on a corner and look like a lost tourist, and within a minute or two, you can be sure to get an offer of help. Instead of an airport full of cops with guns, customs officers eyeballing you and feeling you up, and signs telling what you can't do, Changi airport gives you short queues, reasonable prices, signs that are useful, and – how about this – staff that genuinely help the travelling public.

Of course, Singapore is not for everyone. There is a lot of people. The shopping centres are like shopping centres everywhere, only louder. Only the very wealthy get to live in a house. And if you are male Singaporean, you have two years of National Service after you leave school.

Singapore gets a lot of bad press in Australia. Don't listen to the knockers; Singapore is great!

Breakfast in Little India.

Walking about

Buildings with plants

... can sneak up on you.

Olde Singapore

Here be tigers

And baby pigmy hippo

And gardens

Stick insects.

Orchids

Don't mess with Texas

(I have no idea what his name is. Texas seemed suitable.)

The white tiger.

Swimming

Another tiger

Public transport is awesome

Laundry on a stick. Makes sense.

Until you see it, you have no idea how big the Marina Bay Sands is. Good thing Claire is here to help.

Claire is not a child any more. We have to pay.

The only "don't do it or else" sign I saw during our visit to Singapore. The only one.