Singapore
From Travel Information and Popular Attractions: TravelName.com
If you are still planning on which country to visit in Asia, then Singapore should probably be your number one choice. Singapore Tourism is a very well organized industry not only because of its infrastructure, but also its safety, cleanliness and efficiency of the whole system. It attracts millions of tourists from all over the world and is among one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. Singapore tourism offers a large cultural diversity not only from its colonial past but also from the many Chinese, Indians, Malay and Arabs who have settled here. At the same time you will
Singapore is located between Malaysia and Indonesia. It is the smallest country in Southeast Asia, with an area of just about 382 square km with one main island and a few smaller ones. Most of the tourist activity is concentrated around central and southern region. The name Singapore is derived from the Malay words singa meaning 'lion' and pura meaning 'city' which gave it the title 'the Lion City'. This half-lion, half-fish statue can be found in many places in the country, including the one that guards the entrance of the Singapore River (as shown in the picture) is also symbol of Singapore tourism. A larger replica is on the Sentosa Island which allows the tourists to climb its top using an elevator and get a great view of the island from there. The most popular tourist destinations besides the Orchard road which draws close to a million or more tourists annually are Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park, Botanical Gardens, Sentosa island, Fort Siloso and Marina bay. There are several museums and art districts in the country including Chinatown, Dempsey and Tanglin, Central Arts Districts, Riverside, Little India, Singapore Art Museum, Asian Civilizations Museums, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Repertory Theatre and many more. The Great Singapore Sale starts from late May through early June and shoppers can find great bargains, and promotions prices on most items. Singapore is a remarkable tourism and travel destination.
COMING SOON... Las Vegas Style casinos will soon be built in Singapore.
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Brief History:
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. In the last few decades, it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries. It has strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe. Singapore tourism contributes billions of dollars every year to the economy.
Popular Tourist Attractions Of Singapore
Singapore is a dynamic city, rich in color and contrast, you'll find a perfect blend of multiple cultures, arts, cuisine and architecture here. It has many famous tourist attractions. If you want to enjoy this beautiful island at least 1 week is required. But if you are able to stay for about two weeks
Night Safari
Night Safari is home to 100 exotic animals and bird species, many rare and endangered. This 40-hectare jungle allows you to watch 1,000 nocturnal animals come alive at night in their natural habitat. A tram ride is also available. (www.nightsafari.com.sg) .
Singapore Zoo
The world's largest captive orangutan group lives at this open-moat, free-ranging zoo, which spans over 220-acres. (www.zoo.com.sg/) . Zoo and Night Safari are located close to each other and are very popular Singapore attractions.
Botanical Gardens
This national park is open daily and features beautiful lakes, animals, flowers and plants, including one of the region's first rubber tree orchards. (www.sbg.org.sg/) .
Sentosa Island
Sentosa is a popular modern tourist resort island south of Singapore, visited by some two million people a year. It can be reached from the mainland via a short causeway or Cable Car. You will need at least 1 full day for this Island. Don't miss the musical fountain show which uses the interaction of lasers against water particles to create three-dimensional images. Sentosa has many popular attractions including the following:
Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom Museum - this museum contains an impressive display of more than 50 species.
Additional attractions in Sentosa Island - Under water world and the dolphin show/lagoon. (www.sentosa.com.sg) .
Chinatown:
This is an ethnic neighborhood featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements and a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population.
Little India:
This region has a South Asian - Indian look, exotic shopping and Indian style dining.
Arab Street:
This area has traditionally been home to Muslim residents and home of a beautiful Sultan Mosque. Home of best spicy kebab's you can find.
Jurong Bird Park
This 20.2-hectare park has the Asia Pacific's largest indoor aviary. The world's largest collection of South-east Asian birds. This place is located away from the main city.
Additional popular tourist attractions of Singapore include Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon, Mustafa Shopping Centre, Orchard Road, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Zoological Gardens and Boat Quay.
Markets And Shopping In Singapore
Orchard Road:
This ritzy Singapore shopping mall and dining area is often referred to as the "Park Avenue" of Singapore. Its 2.5 kilometers long and is said to have the largest concentration of shopping malls worldwide. Orchard Road is a great place to book your hotel.
- Mustafa shopping plaza is one place where you can find almost everything along with great rates and variety, it is located in the Little India area. You can consider buying souvenirs for your family and friends from here. (www.mustafa.com.sg/).
- Tekka Center is another popular destination for the tourists.
- Sim Lim is a giant electronics shopping area squeezed into one building, with hundreds of tightly packed stores offering some of the most competitive prices for computers and consumers electronics in Asia.
- Little India Arcade is a narrow pathway where you will find Indian clothing, accessories and sweet shops.
Arab Street Shopping:
It offers mostly traditional old style bazaar-style shopping experience. You will find handicrafts, textiles, Chiffon and French lace, Thai silk , batik and much more. Make sure you bargain hard, you can often get items at half the price.
Chinatown Singapore Shopping:
This are is a famous hub of Chinese migrants. Singapore shopping in this area is spread out in many streets and alleyways. You can find garments, souvenirs, traditional crafts, silk, artifacts, waxed paper umbrellas, gold jewelry, products of medical use like herbs, spices and potions. Popular shops and malls include People's Park Complex, Chinatown Point, OG People's Park, The Majestic, Pearl's Centre, Bee Cheng Hiang, Fragrance and # Lim Chee Guan.
Marina Bay Shopping:
This is again a popular spot for Singapore Shopping . Popular Malls include
- Esplanade Mall, a three level mall with variety of outlets .
- CHIJMES (popular shopping, dining and entertainment site)
- Marina Square ( A four level mall and one of the larger shopping malls in Singapore)
- Millenia Walk - A collection of designer, fashion and small shops on the Raffles Boulevard.
- Suntec City Mall: Spread over 830000 sq ft of prime retail space, Suntec City Mall is the largest shopping malls in Singapore with over 350 retail outlets. It is divided into four zones Galleria, Tropics, Entertainment Centre and Fountain Terrace. This mall is usually quite crowded.
- Raffles City Shopping Centre and Arcade.
North Bridge Road:
Popular shopping centers include Capitol Building, Funan the IT Mall, Stamford Court, Stamford House and Adelphi.
Flea Markets For Shopping In Singapore:
- One of the best flea markets is at Clarke Quay, 3 River Valley Road, every Sunday 10 AM to 6:00 PM.
- The flea market outside Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road opens on the first and third Saturday of every month.
- Thieves Market on and around Sungei Road is open weekends 11:00 AM- 6:00PM.
Goods and Services Tax (GST):
You will be eligible for tax refund of your purchases if you are a tourist in Singapore and you shop for more than SGD $100 at a shop with GST Tax free shopping sign. Show your purchases, receipts and passport to the Customs officials at Changi Airport and have your Global Refund cheques stamped. If and of those need to be checked-in then get a Customs stamp for those items. You can collect your refund in cash, cheque or a credit back to your credit card. This was just an overview, please read the detailed information located at the official site at www.globalrefund.com.
Nightlife:
Singapore tourism is also famous for its wonderful nightlife. Popular places for nightlife include the historical Boat Quay and Clarke Quay with many Shop houses, bars, pubs and restaurants. They are located upstream from the mouth of Singapore river. Crazy Horse Paris and Ministry of Sound in Clarke Quay are also very popular. Singapore tourism was rated second for nightlife and dining in the whole world in the year 2006.
Food:
Singapore tourism offers excellent food for all tourists. Due to its ethnic diversity, the cuisine of Singapore offers authentic food of many regions around the world including American/European, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Thai and the list goes on. There are several fine dining places, food courts, local hawkers and international fast food chains.
A SMART AND ECONOMICAL WAY TO PLAN YOUR TRIP
Stopover Holiday from Singapore Airlines
If you book you ticket via Singapore Airlines, they gives great hotels rates, Unlimited free rides on SIA Hop-on bus which takes you to most tourism destinations, free admission to places like Sentosa Island, Orchid Garden, River Cruises, Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Zoo etc.. They even pick you up from the airport to your hotel and similarly take you back from hotel to airport on your way back. Once you are in Singapore, you will find their counters of Singapore Stopover Holiday in most of the popular hotels.
Note: This package must be purchased before your fly date.
Please check if there are any changes to what they are currently offering.
Go to:
1. http://www.singaporeair.com
2. Select Promotions tab
3. Click On Singapore Airlines Stopover Holiday (They even have different rates depending on the hotel rating, location and class)
But do shop around, there may be better deals elsewhere at the time of your trip.
(We do not have any affiliation or partnership with Singapore Airlines)
Popular Hotels:
Some good hotels are: Orchard Hotel, Allson, Copthorne Orchid, Furama River Front, Peninsula Excelsior, Hotel Royal, Furama City Centre, Gallery, Holiday Inn Atrium, Miramar, Parkroyal on Beach Road, Amara, Carlton, Elizabeth, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Grand Plaza Park Hotel City Hall, Rendezvous, Traders, York.
Orchard Road is a good and lively location to stay and has lot of hotels and dining options too.
(But do shop around, there may be better hotel deals elsewhere at the time of your travel) .
Tourist Visa:
A valid passport is required. As of year 2007: U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, South Africa, Irish citizens do not need a tourist visa if their visit is for business or pleasure and their stay is within 30 days or less. Certain restrictions apply.
You should definitely find out the latest tourist visa information at http://www.mfa.gov.sg,
U.S. citizens can go to http://www.mfa.gov.sg/washington/ to find about tourist visa.
Did you know: A 5% GST (Goods and Services Tax) is levied in Singapore. Foreign visitors may claim back the GST paid on purchases. GST refunds are not applicable for land and cruise departures. Participating shops will mostly display “Tax Refund” logo or a Global Refund "Tax Free Shopping" logo. SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY.
It is also a good idea to check with your hotel concierge or visit any Singapore Visitor Centre for assistance, upon arrival. visit www.globalrefund.com for more information.
Travel Tips And Transportation:
Transportation:
Singapore is a very small country but it has some very good Hotels and very efficient Transportation System like Singapore MRT Train system. There is no need to rent a car since the city has an extensive transportation system with road, rail, bus and waterways. You can get from one place to another in not more than 20-30 minutes. So all you have to decide is which hotel you wish to stay.
If you decide to use a Taxi which are easily available, the fare is usually about 15-20 Singapore Dollars for most locations but eventually all depends how far you travel, taxi drivers often give you a rough estimate if you ask them before boarding.
Cell Phone: The prepaid SIM card along with an unlocked international cell phone is the easiest and most economical solution for staying in touch while in Singapore. You will require a SIM-unlocked GSM 900 / 1800 compatible international cell phone. You may visit http://www.telestial.com to buy a sim card before you visit.
Additional Information
Emergency & Safety: It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
Rarely but pickpockets and purse-snatchers do exist, its good to maintain common safety procedures at all times.
Important Numbers to keep during your Singapore tourism getaway:
Fire/Ambulance: 995 (Non-Emergency Ambulance : 1777)
Police: 999
National Council of Social Service: (+65) 6210 2500.
Medical Facilities: The medical facilities here are among the finest in the world with well qualified staff.
Many hotels have their own doctor on-call around the clock.
You should still visit these hospital sites for more information:
Parkway Group Healthcare - Orchard Road - Website: www.imrc.com.sg
Raffles International Patients Centre - North Bridge Road - Website: www.raffleshospital.com
National Healthcare Group International Patient Liaison Centre - Kent Ridge Road - Website: www.nuh.com.sg
Singapore Health Services -International Medical Service - Outram Road - Website: www.sgh.com.sg
Getting To Singapore:
International Changi Airport (IATA: SIN)
The airport is about 20 kilometers (12 mi) east-northeast of the commercial center and most popular tourist places.
Climate - When To Go:
Singapore is a good place to visit all year long. The average daily temperature is 80°F (26°C). Warm and humid summer temperatures prevail throughout the year. Late October to January are the wettest months. The average daily relative humidity about 85%.
Tourist Offices:
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in USA
1156 Avenue of the Americas,
Suite 702, New York, NY 10036, USA
www.visitsingapore.com
Singapore Tourism Board in UK
1st Floor, Carrington House,
126-130 Regent Street, London W1B 5JX, UK
Another useful website is:
www.stb.com.sg
Currency:
Compared to many other Asian counterparts Singapore is a bit expensive. Western tourists will still see a good value for money. Many Asian tourists find great deals when booking their trip as a package tour from their home country.
Singapore dollar- SGD (1 USD = 1.51 SGD apx. as of year 2007)
Latest conversion rate can be found at http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=SGD .
International credit cards are accepted at majority of locations.
Time Zone:
+8 Hrs Standard GMT Time.
Language:
Most people can understand and speak English which makes Singapore tourism convenient for most people.
Popular languages besides English include Mandarin, Malay and Cantonese.
Electricity:
220V AC 50 Hz.
Tourists from USA are recommended to carry voltage converters for their electric and electronic gadgets that run on 110 volts only.
