SINGAPORE – Tourists visiting Singapore in October hoping to see its iconic cityscape against blue skies were disappointed by the grey clouds and layer of haze.
Some made adjustments to their itinerary, trying to limit physical discomfort, while others pressed on, armed with N95 masks.
Among them was Taiwanese station manager Ted Zheng, 32, who had considered cancelling his first trip to Singapore but went ahead on Oct 22 after the air quality improved in recent days.
Zheng, who spoke to The Straits Times during his visit to the Merlion Park, said he would continue with his outdoor sightseeing plans around the Central Business District over his five-day visit but would wear a mask if necessary.
“It’s not perfect, but good enough,” he said.
The air quality has improved in recent days even as Singapore experienced a 19-day stretch of unhealthy air from Oct 5 to 23.
Ukrainian Margaryta Ruchko, who was in town for cryptocurrency conference Token2049 on Oct 6 and 7, said she felt a little unwell then.
She did not have any masks on hand and her hotel did not provide them. “If I had known about the situation in advance, I would have prepared and brought appropriate face masks with me,” she said.
The 28-year-old marketing and lifestyle influencer said she and other conference attendees tried to reduce time outdoors, but some started feeling the effects upon arrival. “Almost everyone in our group started coughing or experiencing a sore throat,” she said.
Margaryta added that her cough subsided only recently, despite having left Singapore more than a week ago.
“I barely had the opportunity to explore Singapore because spending time outdoors became really uncomfortable… It was frustrating because I wanted to experience Singapore beyond the conference itself,” she said.
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