India, Oct. 17 -- Ever daydreamed about watching a new city aglow under the first morning light, from a popular location you woke up early to reach, an inspiring start to the day, watching the people around you begin theirs? That cinematic vision was exactly what I came chasing this summer in Singapore, the Crazy Rich Asian island city-state, perched just off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, known for its multiculturalism, modernist architecture, and nightlife mojo.

The nation has a reputation for dawn breaking almost unfailingly between the civilised hours of approximately 6:45 am and 7:30 am, due to its proximity to the equator. And since it is quite flat in large stretches, there are few obstructions (hills or ridges) blocking...