The fall of Singapore during World War II, a significant event in the Pacific theater, occurred in February 1942 when the British forces, despite their initial confidence, surrendered after just a week of intense fighting. This rapid defeat was a shocking blow to British colonial pride and military reputation. The Japanese forces, demonstrating remarkable strategic prowess, managed to outsmart the British defenders with only a third of the manpower. They executed a well-coordinated invasion...

The Singapore Botanical Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The average temperature is about 88 degrees with high humidity. The climate was quite oppressive, and similar to those three-shower summer days in NYC. Strolling through the gardens was a way to acclimate to the environment. The gardens were breathtaking, featuring a diverse array of tropical plants, enormous fig trees, Ficus, a small rainforest, and a magnificent orchid garden. Given how precious land is in Singapore, having...

We arrived in Singapore around 8 AM after a 17-hour flight from LAX. Singapore Airlines Business Class was impressive. The food and service were excellent, and the lay-flat beds have a unique design where you fold down the seat back to create the bed. It was comfortable for me, but my 6'4" husband found it a bit short, though he slept well despite the person snoring behind him. The flight left LA at 11 PM, and I was worried about staying up late for supper service, but the excitement of our...

There are many historic sites along the Singapore River, such as The Fullerton Hotel , the Old Parliament House , Chinatown , and Little India . Another "must see" is the top of Marina Bay Sands SkyPark  for a panoramic view of Singapore: we did not see any obvious crazy rich Asians. One observation is that there are no grocery stores on the streets. I believe you can learn a lot about a place by visiting its supermarkets. We discovered a network of underground malls that included...

Here's a concise overview of Singapore. The Republic of Singapore is an island nation and city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. For those unfamiliar with the region, I have included this map: Its modern history began in 1819 when Stamford Raffles founded it as a trading post for the British Empire. Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to British rule in 1945. It achieved self-governance in 1959 and joined the federation of Malaysia in 1963, but...

Keep in mind that your blogger is a retired surgeon and not a party animal. I had my fun while training in NYC back in the '80's. Despite being in a rigourous every other night call program, we would still find time to blow off some steam at Studio 54, which was just a few blocks south from The Roosevelt Hospital (now know as Mt Sinai West) or go out to Fire Island and hang in the Pines for the weekend. Those were the days when Warhol, Bianca, Liza held court at Studio 54 and nothing was off...

We checked into Andaz Singapore  and were fortunate to get an early check-in. I had contacted the hotel prior to arrival when I realized how early in the day we would be landing in Singapore to request an early check in if possible, and they were happy to accomodate us. Don't you love it when you ask for something and it actually happens? When we travel, we tend to stay in 5-star hotels and prefer ones that are contemporary and chic. Especially, after a long flight, you really need to...