SINGAPORE, April 3 — A travel content creator’s negative review of Singapore as a tourist destination has provoked a discussion online regarding the city-state’s appeal, or apparent lack thereof.
An Instagram video in which travel vlogger “ninas_travels_” revealed that she would never visit Singapore again has recently caught the attention of local netizens, seemingly rubbing some the wrong way.
Explaining her reasons in the video’s caption, the vlogger named Nina Gerhards, wrote: “Singapore is a very clean country but for me, it is not a beautiful country.”
In addition to having too much traffic and too many buildings, Ms Gerhards said she found that the country had “no vibe”.
“The most boring country (I have ever been to),” she griped.
Gerhards, went on to say that Singapore has no “real nature” and implied that the prices of items, such as for accommodation, were expensive here.
She then proceeded to critique what many Singaporeans might consider to be the nation’s pride and joy: the food.
“It wasn’t even delicious (given) the price,” said Gerhards, who is vegetarian.
She did not elaborate further on the places she visited nor the food she tried while in Singapore.
The Instagram video has become Ms Gerhards’ most popular post so far since it was published last Thursday (March 28), garnering over 2 million views and 780 comments as of Wednesday afternoon.
The content creator’s negative take on the Lion City seemed to rile up some online users who accused Gerhards of being “clueless” and “not doing (her) research”.
One Instagram user commented: “Girl went to a city-state and complained that there were not enough natural things. It’s a city.”
To this, Gerhards explained that she meant the country had too much “man-made” nature, presumably referring to attractions such as Gardens by the Bay.
In response, a number of users urged Nina to explore the less “manicured” nature spots in Singapore, such as Pulau Ubin or the Southern Islands.
Online personality and DJ Jade Rasif also chimed in, pointing out that travelling in Singapore may be more suited for people who enjoy “cutting edge architecture, gorgeous cityscapes, have a family with kids, have a large budget, like to party or want to catch a concert”.
Several past visitors to Singapore also contested Ms Gerhards’ views, recounting their own positive experiences and highlighting aspects of the country they found enjoyable.
One person said: “Loved my time in Singapore. From the food, the landscape and history. You clearly didn’t open your soul to explore the place and the culture.”
Another remarked: “Food is amazing in Singapore. And the people are lovely. I agree with you that it’s quite an artificial place but then it is a literal city-state.”
However, some people, including Singaporeans, agreed with the points Gerhards had raised, acknowledging that the island is indeed “boring” and an expensive place to live and travel in.
One person wrote: “You can’t enjoy Singapore if you’re broke, basically”, while another said: “To be honest, it is one of those countries you only visit once”.
Last August, a digital content creator named Jessie Carr similarly went viral for claiming that shopping in Singapore is only for the “rich”. The Australian posted a TikTok video of herself exploring the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and naming various designer and luxury brands she “would not spend money” on.
Whether a tourist loves Singapore or hates it, some netizens argue that it ultimately comes down to what a person looks for in their travels.
As user “dardar898” put it: “The whole idea of vacationing is to experience the life, culture, sceneries of the countries we visit. Everyone has their (own) opinions and expectations. So we welcome everyone to visit Singapore and it’s ok to like or hate the experience.”
TODAY has reached out to Gerhards for comment.—TODAY
