Our last stop in Asia was Singapore. A little confusion over our flight dates meant we only had 24 hours here, rather than the two days we were initially expecting. That said, since we were both reaching the point where the thought of another bowl of noodles was making us vaguely nauseous, this was perhaps no bad thing.

The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly the accommodation. Thanks to a very generous birthday gift from Swills, we enjoyed a night of 5* luxury at the Four Seasons. I don't think they knew quite what to make of us when we rocked up in shorts and backpacks, but they were consummate professionals throughout our stay. Nothing was too much trouble – I honestly don't know why A-list celebs (who practically live in places like this) ever have cause for complaint in life, since our every whim was catered for.

Our room was amazing, on the fourteenth floor with views over the city, a deluxe king size bed, 42 inch plasma and DVD player, his and hers bathroom with walk-in shower and L'Occitane toiletries. I was in heaven – I just about resisted the urge to squeal until after our 'usher' (whose job it was to show us to our room) closed the door behind her, but I am sure she heard me down the corridor. After 4 months of hostels, I was in hotel heaven.

As a result, it was very difficult to leave the hotel at all (especially with the swimming pools plural, gym and complimentary use of the tennis court), but we managed an afternoon of sightseeing, cramming in the best that Singapore has to offer.

We made the obligatory pilgrimage to Raffles Hotel during a wander around the old Colonial District. It's a beautiful place, lovingly restored, albeit slightly incongruous compared to the concrete and glass giants all around it. We ordered Singapore Slings, but we couldn't quite bring ourselves to drink them in the Long Bar (where the cocktail was created) because it would have meant sitting surrounded by all the other tourists doing the exact same thing. Apparently Raffles makes up to 2500 Slings EVERY DAY. I say 'makes,' but it's a little-known fact that the drinks now come ready-mixed - it would require just too many man hours to shake each of those drinks by hand!

Two observations about the Singaporeans:

Number 1: Shopping appears to be something of a national pastime here, and it shows – Singaporeans are very well dressed indeed. Orchard Road, near our hotel, is a legendary mecca for the shopaholic, with mall after mall of designer brands. Even I couldn't resist the urge for a little retail therapy. Plus we spent a happy and nostalgic hour browsing Borders, which appears to still be thriving here.

Number 2: Singaporeans also seem incredibly patriotic. We stumbled across the sound check and dress rehearsal for what we discovered was the National Day Parade. This will be a star-studded event in the town centre, featuring films about how awesome Singapore is (especially its military – there were lots of shots of tanks and marching soldiers). I accosted a sound check guy to find out when the event was happening:
“Is it tomorrow?” I innocently asked.
“No miss,” he replied, eyeing me sceptically, “It's on August 9th.”
So a month's worth of preparation then, necessitating working late on a Friday night. Let's hope it's good!

And so, this is it, the end of our Asian adventure. Here's to the next chapter.....