Singapore dreams of becoming the most sustainable city in the world

Singapore was born from a dream. At the beginning of the 14th century, surprised by a violent storm, Prince Sang Nila Utama landed on an island, in the south of the Malaysian peninsula. Convinced of having seen a lion there, (

in ancient Malay), he decided to build a city (

) there. The imaginary beast never reappeared. But was it really a lion? Wasn't it rather the Merlion? This fantastic animal with the head of a lion and the tail of a mermaid (

in English) has indeed become the emblem of Singapore. Seven centuries after the legend, the country is still utopian.

Under the protection of its chimera, this Southeast Asian city-state is a melting pot of cultures, of which English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are the four official languages. Imposing an ethnic, religious and generational mix, the HDB housing and service complexes perfectly illustrate this Singaporean “living together”.

The "city of the Lion" has developed in a dazzling way.

Its concentration of ultramodern skyscrapers already competes with Manhattan, and the projects never end.

Marina Bay is the most vivid example of this frenetic expansion.

Thirty years ago, junks could still unload their goods in the heart of the city.

But the extension of the polders ended up transforming the bay into a lake, and the impressive towers of the Sands Hotel now obstruct the horizon of the Merlion.

Nature on all levels

Fortunately, there are still many green spaces in Singapore, such as the verdant Southern Ridges or the Botanic Gardens with their flamboyant collection of orchids. Nature is also at the heart of the city's concerns. Behind the famous Marina Bay Sands, the Gardens by the Bay unite under two monumental domes a reconstruction of high-altitude rainforest and a reproduction of a dry subtropical ecosystem. Between these two “biomes”, the astonishing Supertrees are giant vegetated structures that light up every evening for a musical show. Autonomous in water and electricity, they are in fact laboratories for the energy solutions of tomorrow.

Limited by its area, Singapore imported until recent years 90% of its food needs.

For the sake of autonomy, biosecurity and sustainability, it aims to produce 30% by 2030. “No farmers, no food” summarizes Kenny Eng, who manages the oldest family farm in the country.

A pioneer in the optimization of agricultural land, the Sky Greens vertical farm has shown how to increase the yield of a cultivated area by eight.

Encouraged by the urban redevelopment authority URA, eco-responsible initiatives are also flourishing in the city.

And the proliferation of hanging gardens is already making Singapore look like a new Babylon.

With more than 260 roof trusses and 30,000 people involved, Edible Garden City is one of the engines of this urban neo-peasantry.

Today, we are no longer content to reallocate available spaces.

We introduce the plant dimension from the design of buildings in a strategy of interactions.

Vertical gardens are in fact beneficial for insulating buildings and recycling wastewater.

Better still: by attracting birds and insects, they reintroduce biodiversity into the streets.

Colors and flavors

When the prince thought he saw a lion there, Singapore was just a dense forest. Still populated by monitor lizards, crocodiles, cobras and 400 species of birds, the Sungei Buloh swamp reserve has retained its primitive luxuriance. The urbanized part of the island is, for its part, a jungle of a different kind. Attracted by the brands of Orchard Road, its cosmopolitan population flock to huge

to indulge in the national sport: shopping.

While some visitors are there to raid duty-free products, others only roam the shopping malls to take advantage of the air conditioning. Because we sweat a lot in the hot and humid streets of this city on the equator. Its overwhelming climate, which could encourage casualness in other latitudes, does not affect the citizenship of Singaporeans. Their city is amazingly clean. It is not, however, sanitized! It is enough to walk in its ethnic districts to appreciate its vitality.

The walk begins with Chinatown and its picturesque markets. Around the soaked stalls of the Wet Market, the stalls of astrology, trinkets and traditional potions know, it seems, the secrets of longevity, prosperity and virility. After having stocked up on memories under the lanterns of this colorful maze, head to Kampong Glam. In this Arab district hides Haji Lane, the narrowest street in the city, the trendiest too, with its bohemian cafes and artist galleries.

Only one MRT station, the impeccable local subway, Little India concentrates the population most attached to its traditions.

The scents of spices and the scent of jasmine perfume the atmosphere of its

.

In this type of inexpensive culinary complex, you will find something to organize real feasts.

Because if there's one thing Singaporeans love to do besides window shopping, it's eat, no matter what time of day!

The Merlion, in fact, never sleeps, and he is always hungry.

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Go

Almost placed on the equator, the island of Singapore does not really experience climatic variations. You can therefore go there all year round with the assurance of high temperatures. But beware, in a pandemic period, it is important to learn well about the entry conditions and formalities which can change and become burdensome quickly.

The most awarded airline in the world, Singapore Airlines serves the destination daily and nonstop from Paris. Its on-board staff, at the top of the Skytrax 2021 ranking, provide top-of-the-range service. In its Airbus A350 and Boeing B777, unlimited snacks and individual HD screens are available from Economy class. The Premium Economy adds a leather reclining armchair at 120 °, Champagne and the possibility of reserving a dish concocted by a starred chef. Allow 12 hours of flight time from Paris for AR fares from € 693.

At destination, surprises begin as soon as you arrive at Changi Airport.

Ranked the best airport in the world for six years by Skytrax, this hub gives pride of place to nature by housing more than 200,000 plants.

Its Terminal 4, fully automated, gives access to the Jewel complex.

The latter brings together on ten green levels more than 300 shops and restaurants around a central waterfall 30 meters high.

Housing

Budget hotels are rare in Singapore, but

exist in ethnic neighborhoods.

For those who wish to stay in the heart of the most modern area, the Parkroyal Marina Bay offers breathtaking views of the

skyscraper

. This building with its vertiginous central atrium is the first "hotel in a garden" in the city. Its lobby, lit by natural light, welcomes its residents in a green space. On its terrace with a computerized watering system, around sixty fruits, vegetables and aromatic herbs are grown for the needs of the various restaurants and bars of the establishment. This "eco-friendly" hotel has also equipped its rooms with presence detectors that regulate lights and air conditioning to reduce its environmental impact.

Housed in a former contraband warehouse on the banks of the Singapore River, The Warhouse offers a more intimate atmosphere.

This boutique hotel emphasizes its historical heritage by tastefully multiplying the decorative details.

Its cozy bar, rooftop swimming pool and large, well-equipped rooms invite you to relax after a day of sightseeing.

Restore

Inspired by local pioneers of sustainable agriculture, like the Eng family, Singaporean farmers unite their efforts in communities.

In the rural district of Kranji, for example, The Local Farm brings together products from 200 small structures and promotes them to some 5,000 restaurants in the city.

To the great happiness of the "locavores", they sometimes have their own vegetable garden, with rotating crops and without pesticides.

Open Farm Community sets up its tables a few steps from its rows of eggplants, beans, spinach and cucumbers.

Another example of this "garden to table" concept, the Japanese restaurant Noka uses products grown directly in front of its windows by Edible Garden City, on a terrace of the Funan shopping center.

Refresh

The famous Singapore Sling was invented in the Long Bar of the legendary Raffles hotel in 1915. Since then, Singapore has remained renowned for the number and quality of its cocktail bars. Atlas, Jigger & Pony, Manhattan, Native, MO Bar and The Old Man feature prominently in the prestigious “The World's 50 Best Bars” ranking. On the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands, Cé La Vi is one of the most popular. Perched 200 meters away, it offers a 360 ° view of the whole city! But the height of chic remains reserved for hotel guests who can sip their cocktails in the highest infinity pool in the world.

Oddly enough, this spirits-loving city had no distillery until the gap was filled with Tanglin Gin three years ago.

Produced in artisanal quantities, its Orchid Gin is used in particular in the creations of Atlas and Native bars. 

Information

The website of the Singaporean Tourist Office is a valuable source of information to prepare for your trip.

All the access conditions and the measures to be taken in the context of a health crisis are regularly updated.

• Asia

• Singapore

• ecology

• Trip

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