A Singapore story: this equatorial island nation offers an exotic change of pace in sightseeing, hotels, and food that is enchanting

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), July, 1995 by Laurel F. Lehrer, Christine Hachiya

For first-class passengers, the stewardess did not distribute the usual amenity kits filled with toiletries. Instead, she made sure to keep the sparkling clean, bright lavatory well stocked with such disposable items as toothbrushes and dentifrice, razors and shaving cream, dental floss, pocket combs, and emery boards. Refreshing small bottles of mouthwash, moisturizers, and colognes lined the side ledge near the sink. However, Singapore Airlines did provide its first-class travelers with unique and worthwhile gifts. I treasured the handsome red Pierre Cardin pen, a leather-bound diary with colored tab index for expenses, projects, and assorted information, as well as a set of three CDs. Rendered in a fine symphonic style were Asian and European classics as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber's show tunes.

After I had completed the round-trip flight to New York a few weeks later, I truly understood why Singapore Airlines had the reputation among other international carriers of being the Number One airline in the world. As I said goodbye to the Singapore girl, I reflected on the customized services, comfort, and exotic foods. What an airline!

The author is a travel writer for USA Today and, in this capacity, has circumnavigated the globe. She has reported on the Panama Canal, Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Black Sea and Russia, Europe, North Africa, Mexico, South America, Australia, and the South Pacific, including Tahiti.