Unexpected emotional depth in Singapore

I thought I was going to Singapore for beaches, food, and Raffles Hotel. I got all of those things. What I didn't expect was how emotionally affecting the trip would be. The history — particularly around Marina Bay — hit in ways that good travel sometimes does.

world-class hawker food was the moment that crystallised it. Standing there, eating kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs I'd bought from a street vendor, something clicked about why travel matters. 15 days and I came home genuinely changed. Some places do that to you.