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Singapore Travel Guide

The latest travel Information on Singapore, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Singapore Information

Overview

Singapore is the East’s great melting pot, a cultural pot pourri that leaves the unsuspecting visitor dazzled. Sir Stamford Raffles, a British civil servant, brought the ‘Lion City’ to world prominence after searching for a trading station to counter the Dutch influence in the Straits of Malacca, and trade has remained the island’s mainstay.

Centuries before Sir Stamford Raffles acquired it from the Sultan of Johor in 1819, Singapore had been virtually abandoned. However, within decades Singapore had become the main commercial and strategic centre for the region. In 1867, it became a British Crown Colony and housed one of the UK’s most important naval bases. This status remained unchanged until 1942 when the Japanese army swept down through Malaya and occupied the colony. Three-and-a-half years later the Japanese surrendered in Singapore and the colony assumed its previous status. And with the dissolution of the British Empire came internal self-government (1959).

In 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia, but broke away in 1965 to become fully independent. The initial outlook was unpromising: Singapore is tiny and has no natural resources apart from a good harbour. However, Lee Kuan Yew (first elected prime minister in 1959 and re-elected eight times thereafter) managed to galvanise the population into building a strong, export-led manufacturing and service economy.

Tourism for Singapore has also proven to be of good economic benefit. Culture lovers thrive in this fusion of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures - the main ethnic groups - with its assortment of mosques, temples and synagogues. Singapore presents a happy collision of opposites – grand and expensive at the famed Raffles Hotel, but low-key and cheap in the food markets of Bugis Junction and Clarke Quay.

But even in the low-key and cheap areas, Singapore remains an incredibly clean city where nothing is allowed to dull the shine – even down to the banning of chewing gum. In the last few years there has been some pressure to relax the numerous laws that have given Singapore a reputation as a prosperous but rather antiseptic and pettily repressive city-state. But Singapore City’s exciting riverside parade of bars and restaurants reveals that Singaporeans actually do know how to have fun – and plenty of it.

The natural world is never far away in Singapore, either: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has a significant area of primary rainforest within its boundaries, while, for the adventurous, Sungei Buluh Nature Park offers the chance for trekking. Check out Pulau Ubin’s mangrove forest, a bumboat’s ride from Changi jetty, or Kusu site of Taoists’ annual pilgrimage.

Author

Simon Evans

Top Things To See & Do

Shop in Singapore City’s Orchard Road - the ‘Fifth Avenue’ or ‘Oxford Street’ of Singapore, and just as bustling, with its vast luxury malls, shops ranging from megastores to vendors of souvenir tat, as well as cafes and restaurants. Arab Street is the centre of the Arabian quarter of Singapore, and is also a great place for shopping. Other streets with excellent shopping opportunities are Baghdad Street and Bussorah Street, while Sultan Plaza is a centre for cloth traders. The golden domes of the Sultan Mosque, Singapore’s chief Muslim place of worship, dominate the area; nearby are two historic Muslim burial grounds. Chinatown, though somewhat overwhelmed by the growth of the Financial District, is another bustling and colourful area with shops, teahouses and restaurants, and also several temples such as the Fuk Tak Ch’i in Telok Ayer Street and the Temple of the Calm Sea. Ancient crafts of calligraphy, papermaking and fortune-telling are practised, and traditional goods and foodstuffs can be bought. The characteristic domestic architecture of Singapore – the shop-house with a moulded front, shuttered upper floor and an arcaded street front – is much in evidence.

Prop up the bar at the Raffles Hotel, one of the most famous hotels in the world. A ‘Singapore Sling’ (a head-spinningly good cocktail) in the Long Bar is almost de rigueur; to sober up, drop into the Writers’ Bar, which provided inspiration for, amongst others, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and Joseph Conrad.

Near the Singapore River, wander towards the Parliament House, the oldest government building in the country, the core of which dates back to the 1820s.

Explore the National Orchid Garden in Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, which has the largest collection of orchids in the world. The Botanic Gardens have over 52 hectares (128 acres) of landscaped parkland and primary jungle and are situated to the west of the city (Napier/Cluny Roads), home to a wide range of animal and plant life. For more exotic treats of nature, venture into the Bukit Timah Reserve, established in 1883 and located northwest of the Botanic Gardens on Bukit Timah Road; it contains Singapore’s last stretches of original and immaculately manicured rain forest. The nature reserve also consists of tropical vegetation with clearly marked trails which lead up to Bukit Timah, the highest hill in Singapore.

View what was once an ancient fort of the Malay kings, covering 2.8 hectares (7 acres): Fort Canning Park, on Fort Canning Rise. The colonial ruins of the British citadel can still be viewed, as can a 19th-century Christian cemetery. The Battle Box in the park is the old command bunker of the WWII defence of Singapore, now a museum, with a small admission fee charged.

Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and Anglican and Catholic cathedrals are all likely to be encountered during a comparatively brief walk around some of the central areas of Singapore, such is its splendid diversity. St Andrew’s Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the Al-Abrar Mosque, the vast and florid Kong Meng Sang Phor Kark See Temple Complex, the Chettiar Hindu Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple are only a few of these.

The Jurong Bird Park on Jurong Hill is home to South-East Asia’s largest collection of birds. There is also the world’s largest walk-in aviary, a nocturnal house and several spectacular bird shows.

Sentosa is a multimillion-dollar pleasure resort offering a wide range of activities and attractions. These include the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon, Images of Singapore, The Merlion, the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom Museum, Sijori WonderGolf and the Carlsberg Sky Tower. Lovely gardens, beautiful beaches and a plethora of restaurants and eating places all contribute to the island’s popularity with tourists and locals alike. Many prefer to skip the theme park attractions and head straight for Sentosa’s beaches (Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong) where a wide range of watersports is available. These were built with imported white sand.

Canoe around the island - there are a number of operators hiring out canoes at Changi point, East Coast and Sentosa Island.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Singapore is a gourmet’s paradise, ranging from humble street stalls to 5-star restaurants. There are over 30 different cooking styles, including various regional styles of Chinese cuisine, American, English, French, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Russian and Swiss. Malay cuisine is a favourite, famed for its use of spices and coconut milk.

Things to know: One of the best ways to eat in Singapore is in the open at one of the ubiquitous street foodstalls. Although there are many self-service establishments, waiter service is more common in restaurants. Bars/cocktail lounges often have table and counter service. There are no licensing hours.

National specialities:
• Beef rendang (coconut milk beef curry).
• Chicken sambal.
• Gado gado (a fruit and vegetable salad in peanut sauce).
• Satay (skewers of marinated meat cooked over charcoal) served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onion and rice.

National drinks:
• Singapore Sling (cocktail containing gin, cherry liquor, cointreau, benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine and angostura bitters). It was founded in the early 20th century for the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
• Teh arak tarik (ginger tea with milk).
• Soya bean milk.
• Sugar cane juice.

Tipping: Officially discouraged in restaurants, hotels and the airport. A 10% service charge is included in restaurant bills.

Nightlife

Singapore has a vibrant and exciting nightlife. Entertainment ranges from bars, clubs, discos, karaoke pubs, street opera, night markets, river cruises, multiplex cinemas to theatre productions and international stage shows. Boat Quay and Clarke Quay are popular riverside landmarks that offer exclusive restaurants, alfresco dining and lively bars. Moored Chinese junks have been refurbished into floating bars and restaurants. Bugis Street, Changi Village and Holland Village, known as Holland V, are popular areas for food, drink and entertainment. Muhammad Sultan Road is one of the latest entertainment hubs in Singapore with a wide variety of pubs, nightclubs and wine bars, as is Club Street.

Shopping

The vast range of available goods and competitive prices have led to Singapore rightly being known as a shopper’s paradise. Special purchases include Balinese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian and Malay antiques; batiks; cameras; Chinese, Indian and Persian carpets; imported or tailored clothing; jewellery and shoes, briefcases, handbags and wallets. Silks, perfumes, silverware and wigs are other favourite buys. The herding of shop owners from Chinatown into multistorey complexes lost some of the exciting shopping atmosphere, although these huge centres do provide an air-conditioned environment. Orchard Road is the main shopping street, although many of the large hotel complexes, such as Marina Square, have shopping centres attached.

Although most outlets operate Western-style fixed pricing, bargains can still be made in some places but generally only after good research and shrewd negotiating. Electrical equipment of all types can be bought at Sungei Road, but caution is advised as there are many imitation products around. For more information on shopping in Singapore, see the Singapore Shopping brochure published by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2100, Sat 1000-2200. The Mustafa Centre in Little India is open 24-hours.

Note: A 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied on most goods and services purchased from taxable retailers. Tourists whose purchases total S$100 or more from a single retailer participating in the Tourist Refund Scheme are eligible for a refund of the GST paid on goods not consumed in Singapore. Refunds may be received at the airport, prior to departure flights

Climate

Warm and fairly humid summer temperatures throughout the year (approximately 30ºC/86ºF during the day and 23ºC/74ºF in the evening). There is no distinct wet/dry season. Most rain falls during the northeast monsoon (November to January) and showers are usually sudden and heavy.

Required Clothing

Lightweight cottons and linens.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
7-8 Feb Chinese New Year.
21 Mar Good Friday.
1 May Labour Day.
19 May Vesak Day (Birth of the Buddha).
9 Aug National Day.
1 Oct Hari Raya Puasa (End of Ramadan).
28 Oct Deepavali.
8 Dec Hari Raya Haji (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
26-27 Jan Chinese New Year.
10 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labour Day.
2 May Vesak Day (Birth of the Buddha).
9 Aug National Day.
20 Sep Hari Raya Puasa (End of Ramadan).
Oct* Deepavali.
27 Nov Hari Raya Haji (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas Day.

* Date to be confirmed.

Note

(a) Not all Muslim festivals listed above are national holidays, but all will affect Muslim businesses. Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Hari Raya Puasa (Eid al-Fitr), Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Hari Raya Puasa itself. Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji (Eid al-Adha) may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the town. (b) Hindu festivals are declared according to local astronomical observations and it is only possible to forecast the month of their occurrence.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: No

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Malaria

Special Precaution: No

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: No

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No*

Health Care

Singapore General Hospital receives emergency cases and health care is exceptionally good. There is a large private sector. Health insurance is recommended.

Note

* A yellow fever certificate is required from travellers over one year of age who, in the preceding six days, have been in or have passed through any country partly or wholly endemic for yellow fever.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Singapore Dollar (SGD; symbol S$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of S$10,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2. Coins are in denominations of S$1, and 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

The currency of Brunei is also legal tender; 1 Brunei Dollar = 1 Singapore Dollar.

US Dollars, Australian Dollars, Yen and Pounds Sterling are also accepted at many major shopping centres in Singapore.

Currency Exchange

Foreign currencies, traveller’s cheques and cheques can be changed at most banks and licensed money changers; however, some do not offer this service on Saturday.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. ATMs are widespread.

Traveller's Cheques

To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Pounds Sterling. A passport is required when cashing traveller’s cheques.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 1000-1500, Sat 0930-1300 (some are open until 1500). Branches of certain major banks on Orchard Road open Sun 0930-1500.

Passport/Visa

British