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Belle and Beqster loved Singapore for completely different

reasons to those of Thailand and Malaysia. It wasn’t the

beaches or even the people themselves, but the fact that it

was like returning to a huge Western City, a little bit of America

in Southeast Asia if you like... which was particularly handy,

because they got to spend Christmas there and it was ideal for

shopping. Beqster got to have his necessary shot of Starbucks

coffee and a toasted panini... happy camper! Belle got to go

shopping for designer clothes, handbags and shoes... Just

bliss!

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island

country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 85 miles

north of the equator, in Southeast Asia. It is separated from

Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from

Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south.

Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre and a

cosmopolitan world city, playing a key role in international trade and finance. The port of Singapore is one of the five busiest ports in the world.

Singapore has a long history of immigration. It has a diverse population of close to 5 million people made up mainly of Asians (mostly Chinese, Malays, Indians, Asians of various other descents), and some Caucasians. 42% of the population in Singapore are foreigners who work and study there. Foreign workers make up 50% of the service sector. The country is the second most densely populated in the world after Monaco. A.T. Kearney named Singapore the most globalised country in the world in 2006 in its Globalization Index.

Before independence in 1965, Singapore was a vibrant trading port with a GDP per capita of $511, the third highest in East Asia then. After independence, foreign direct investment and a state-led drive for industrialisation based on plans by former Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Goh Keng Swee created a modern economy. After a contraction of -6.8% in the 4th quarter of 2009, Singapore claimed the title of fastest-growing economy in the world, with GDP growth of 17.9% in the first half of 2010.

An eclectic mix of Asia and America... it has everything! Well worth a visit.

Cruising to Southeast Asia was a surprise and absolute joy for Belle and Beqster. They joined the “Seawing” expecting to travel around the Aegean Sea, visiting Greece and Turkey. The summer was such a success, it was then announced that the vessel would go to SE Asia East for the winter. Whoooohoooo!

The joy of this experience was seeing another culture at it’s best. Having travelled the Caribbean extensively, circumnavigating South America and sailing 1000 miles down the Amazon, you tend to think you’ve seen it all. Wrong! Beqster wasn’t prepared for the marvellous contrast of beaches, buildings, history and simplicity that he was about witness. If ya get a chance... GO!!!

is a country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is

bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by

Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand

and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the

southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include

Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and

India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.

The country is a kingdom, whose current constitutional monarchy,

King Adulyadej, has reigned since 1946, making him the world's

longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning

monarch in Thai history. The king is officially titled Head of State,

the Head of the Armed Forces, an Upholder of the Buddhist

religion, and the Defender of all Faiths. The largest city in

Thailand is Bangkok, the capital, which is also the country's

centre of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities.

Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in terms of total area

(slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger than Spain), with a surface area of approx 198,000 sq miles, and the 21st most-populous country, with approx 64 million people. About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes. There are

approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in Thailand. Thailand has also attracted a number of expatriates from developed countries. The country's official language is Thai. Its primary religion is Buddhism, which is practiced by around 95% of all Thais.

Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1995 and is a newly industrialized country with tourism, due to well-known tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Ko Samui, and exports contributing significantly to the economy.

Belle and Beqster loved everything about it. The people, the beaches (the most famous one being Koh Phi Phi, which is featured in the movie “The Beach”. If you ever get the urge to go... just do it!!!

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is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 127,350 sq miles. It is separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian

Borneo (also known as West and East Malaysia respectively).

Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei,

and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam,

and the Philippines. Peninsular Malaysia is

connected to Singapore via a causeway and a

bridge. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while

Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government.

The population as of 2010 stood at over 28.25 million.

Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in

the area which, from the 18th century, became subject to

the British Empire. The first British territories were known

as the Straits Settlements, with the other states forming

protectorates. The states on Peninsular Malaysia, then known

as Malaya, was first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946.

Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948,

and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united

with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963. However,

less than two years later in 1965, Singapore withdrew from the federation, and became an independent city state. Since independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5% for the first 50 years. The economy of the country has, traditionally, been fuelled by its natural resources, but is now also expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism.

The head of state is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years. The head of government is the Prime Minister. The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on English Common Law. The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, factors that influence its culture and play a large role in politics.