UK tourist calls S'pore the 'worst country' he has visited, gets backlash, clarifies it's just not for him

A British tourist has sparked online debate after naming Singapore as the "worst country" he has travelled to in a TikTok on Jun. 30.

@az_brown #travel #traveltok #singapore ♬ son original - 🎧🎶

Following some backlash, he clarified that Singapore as a travel destination did not suit his personal travel preferences, even though it is a "great" country.

'Worst country I've visited'

The man, who goes by the social media handle "British_Bert", does remote work that allows him to travel, according to his TikTok bio, which features the UK, Indonesia, and Malaysia flags.

In his initial video, he claimed that Singapore was "not even close" to other cities he had visited.

He explained in his caption:

"For me.. it’s still a great country may I add! Just found it slightly boring to what I find enjoyable, still worth a visit, food, people and skyline are amazing."

He concluded by saying that he would advise only staying in the country for the short period of time.

The TikTok quickly went viral, with comments from all quarters.

Those who agreed acknowledged that the city can be "boring", but felt calling it the "worst country" was an overstatement.

Many who disagreed questioned the man's wealth:

The man responded to a comment calling his own post "ragebait" and saying that Singapore actually is a "quality city" but not for someone like him.

'Singaporeans are fuming'

He then made a follow-up video to address the criticisms, and by doubling down on his stance.

@az_brown #singapore #Travel #traveltok #SG ♬ original sound - ridgeclub

He praised the country's cleanliness, diversity, opportunities, food quality, skyline, education, and healthcare, but explained that these factors are not his priorities when travelling.

On safety, he had never faced safety issues in other countries, so Singapore's reputation was not a major selling point for him.

He said he judges countries based on nature, activities, and the warmth of the locals, which are areas he felt Singapore fell short of compared to its neighbours.

The traveller also mentioned that while people in Singapore were "not bad", those in neighbouring countries were "way more welcoming".

He added that online commenters commenting on his wealth were in a vastly different situation than him, arguing that his money goes much further elsewhere.

He asked:

"Why would I choose to live somewhere that is way more expensive than everywhere else, when I can have more things to do, better people welcoming me, and have my money go longer in surrounding countries rather than living in Singapore?"