MY EXPERIENCE AS A SOLO FEMALE TRAVELER IN SINGAPORE
Going on a Solo Trip, especially as a female traveler can be overwhelming. I’ve been on so many Solo Travels that you would think I got used by now. But when I decided to book my longest solo trip ever, I had moments when I doubted I can do it. I am sure this happened to a lot of people before me, but when it happens to you it’s completely different.
I booked my trip to Singapore at the same time as my trip to Bali. I was in a period of my life when I no longer knew which road to take. I felt I needed to take a break from all my problems, from all my fears, and just leave it all behind me. I always did that, when things got rough in my life. I just ran away, I did not face my fears, my problems. I’ve done it when I decided to move from my hometown Oradea to a bigger city in Romania, Timisoara. I’ve done it eight years ago when I just booked a one-way ticket to Paris and left all my life behind to start a new chapter as a Parisian.
But the problem is that you don’t run away from your problems or even better, from yourself, you take them all with you and store them inside of you, unprocessed. Of course, they will emerge at the slightest problem you might encounter.
And this is what I did again when I booked my Solo Trip to Singapore and Bali. I just ran away from facing the fact that I no longer had a job in Paris, that I no longer knew what to do with my life, and that for the first time in my life, I had only negative feedback from job interviews. I just needed a break from all this. And Singapore and Bali seemed like the perfect places to have that breath of fresh air.
And you know what? It was the best experience of my life. From the minute I stepped foot in Singapore, things started to change for me. Maybe because I was no longer frustrated about not having a job and I let go of all the pressure I had back in Paris? Or maybe because Bali has such a strong spiritual and religious community that I immediately felt connected to their vibration? Who knows.
The most important thing is that I received what I was searching for, that answer I was waiting for. What to do with my life? I’ve realized while traveling to Singapore and Bali and meeting different Solo Travelers or people who would love to travel on their own, that I am not the only one experiencing those problems. It came to me then, that I should Empower everyone that needs a hand traveling on their own. And this is how I decided to relaunch my Blog and write about my Solo Travel experiences. The first step is to face our fears and just let life surprise us. Sometimes it may surprise us in a good way.
So, here is my experience as a Solo Female Traveler and how I coped with stressful parts.
CULTURAL BEHAVIOUR
Singapore is nowadays one of the world’s most prosperous countries in the world, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas. Because of this, the city-state is a multi-ethnic society with Chinese immigrants at 77%, Indian people at 6%, Malay at 15%, and expats at 2% of the total population.
Even though Singapore is a very modern and advanced country, it still has a collective structure, contrary to Western countries which are more Individualistic. This means that people still need to feel like they belong to in-groups (families, clans, or organizations) that look after each other in exchange for loyalty. For them, the family is the prototype of all social organizations. Just like Balinese people, the natives of Singapore will not identify themselves as an individual, but rather as a member of a family. In this society, social relations are conducted in such a way that everybody saves face in the sense of dignity, self-respect, and prestige.
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When communicating with them bear in mind that open conflicts are to be avoided. They communicate with extreme politeness, rather than honest feedback. This you will encounter mostly at restaurants or any service. In families, or even in work relations, the power is centralized, and the relationships are based on Confucian teachings: ruler-subject; father-son; an older brother-younger brother; husband-wife; and senior friend-junior friend.
I’ve seen this behavior also in The Philippines, especially at restaurants when I wanted to complain about something I did not receive correctly, and all I could get was a genuine “Yes, mam!”. Coming from Paris, where we complain all the time, it was kinda frustrating not having with whom to argue.
RELIGIOUS Culture
In terms of religion Singapore is also very diverse with Buddhists at 31.1%, Christians at 18.9%, Muslims at 15.6%, Taoists at 8.8%, and Hindus at 5%.
GETTING AROUND AS A SOLO FEMALE
With just 50 Km/31 miles wide and 27Km/17 miles long, Singapore has remarkable agitated traffic, especially at peak hours. Nevertheless, if you want to visit some must-see neighborhoods like Little India, Bugis, Chinatown, Marina Bay, the Financial District, and Sentosa Island, getting around in Singapore is very easy.
Here is how you can get around if you Travel Solo for the first time to Singapore:
- Public Transportation: The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is a very easy and affordable way to get around Singapore. The price of tickets depends on where you are going and generally runs around SGD 4 (3€/USD). You can pay directly with your credit card on the bus. No need to run and buy a ticket and miss your bus. But, if you are planning to explore as much of the city as possible, the Singapore Tourist Pass is a great option.
- Just like in Bali, use the Go-Jek or Grab app to book a taxi. with cheaper prices than a traditional taxi. This is the Asian version of Uber, which is not allowed in Singapore. Regular taxi charge peak rates after 6 p.m.
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DID YOU FIND THIS ARTICLE USEFUL?
Tell me in the comments section if you’ve been to Singapore and what was your experience. If you are planning to go on solo travel to Singapore ask me for some useful tips that are not in this article.
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