Travel Guide to Singapore

Guide to Singapore

Singapore is a small island country, part of Southeast Asia, originally a British trading colony founded in the 18th century. Today’s Singapore has a prospering cosmopolitan scene; full of skyscrapers and plush shopping centres, a happening nightlife, good food, and a supporting infrastructure. Singapore leaves a lasting impression on the tourists. All thanks to the well-maintained attractions, excellent shopping and party spots, and the friendly locals.

Many reasons make Singapore a popular destination for tourism. First, the entry to this port city is less stringent. Two, there is a Royal, preserved English feel to the city and three, even though Singapore is populous, it is a green city and has well-kept major parks and nature reserves that have earned it the title of Garden City.

Places to Visit in Singapore

Most of the Singapore city’s points of interest lie in the south. This zone has the Orchard Road Shopping area, one of the finest tourist places in Singapore and also marked among the best places to visit in Singapore. It is a shopper’s paradise and not without good reason. There are many shopping malls packed into this area, which makes the 2.2 Orchard shopping belt a walking trail and a reputed and most popular Asian shopping street.

Among the famous places in Singapore is Marina Bay Sands. This area is an integrated resort consisting of a luxurious hotel, shopping malls, casino and a museum. A recent addition is the Gardens by the Bay, situated adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands. It is a big public garden which has two cooled conservatories - the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.

Visited by approximately 20 million people every year, Sentosa is a popular island resort. It is home to two golf courses, a long-sheltered beach, Resorts World Sentosa, the Merlion, Fort Silso and the Universal Studios Singapore.

A must-visit is the Riverside. The place is at the core of Singapore’s rich colonial past and is a revered tourist site for people who wish to visit the past through museums, theatres, statues, and more. Not to forget the restaurants, clubs, bars and other entertainment options. Another popular shopping centre in Singapore is the Suntec City.

The places to visit in Singapore include Chinatown and Little India. Chinatown is a Chinese heritage area and Little India, an Indian city piece located on the north side of the city.

How to Reach Singapore from India

Singapore has eight airports and all of them are well connected with the rest of the world. However, Changi Airport is the busiest airport of Singapore and remains as one of the best in the world. All major Indian cities are connected to Changi Airport. The major airlines flying between Singapore and India are Air France, Air China, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Bangkok Airways, and more.

Travelling in Singapore

Most of the city landmarks, like the Marina Bay Island, Orchard Shopping Road, and more can be reached using the efficient public transport network.

There are buses and taxis to help you navigate to the destination, locally, and then, there is a very dependable network of Mass Transit Rail (MRT) which connects every corner of the city, including the suburbs, to each other. There are almost 90 city train stations. Taxis are usually affordable. There are rickshaw style vehicles available too.

You can reach Sentosa via Orchard or Suntec City by using the taxi, the ferry and the cable car to reach the final point. You can maneuver your way in the city using the subways too.

To reach Chinatown, board the northeast line of the MRT. For Little India, take the same route and de-board at Little India and Farrer Park stations, close to Serangoon Road.

Best time to Visit

Singapore is a year-round travel destination. Between February and April, the city climate is pleasant and calm, and it is not very hot or cold during these months. It is the best time to plan outdoor activities in Singapore.

November to January are the rainy months and May and June, the hottest in Singapore. Another reason or a time to visit Singapore is during the Great Singapore Sale and during the Singapore Food Festival, which takes place anytime between July to September.

What to Pack?

• The average temperature in the city is between 25-31 degrees Celsius, so it is recommended to carry light wears like cotton shirts, comfortable pants or trousers, shorts, etc.
• For the beach, swimwear and flipflops or sandals are a must
• Carry light, comfortable pair of sneakers
• During the monsoons, carry a light jacket and an umbrella
• Keep your evening dresses ready with you, Singaporeans like dressing up in the evenings
• Dresses go from day to night smoothly, keeping you cool.
• Always carry a sunscreen and an antiperspirant as the weather can be hot and humid
• Carry a mosquito repellent especially for a visit to the Night Safari on a marooned island and the Zoo
• Carry a water bottle
• If you plan to do much swimming, carry an ear medicine to avoid catching an ear infection later
• There are certain restrictions on bringing alcohol and cigarettes into Singapore, so be mindful
• Always carry travel insurance on your foreign trips. Singapore is no exception. Travel insurance is helpful in case of any mishap or emergency in the foreign location.

Top Delicacies

Bak Kut the: This simple dish is prepared in Singapore from the time when it was a developing country. Only mild herbs are used for the recipe of this highly flavoured soup. It is popularly called the pork rib tea.

Carrot Cake: It is made using ground white radish, and combining it with rice, flour and water. Eggs are also used in its preparation.

Char Kway Teow: It is a fried flat rice noodle preparation made using the quick Chinese stir-fry techniques. The dish has dark soy sauce, egg, prawns, local sausage, cockles, and sliced fish cake, as the main ingredients.

Chili Crab: It is made using a paste base of garlic, ginger, onions, sesame oil, sugar, black rice vinegar, ketchup and ground chilli.

Satay : Meat marination prepared on a skewer and accompanied with peanut sauce, onions, cucumbers and a rice cake on the plate.

Shopping List Essentials

• The mega-malls of Orchard Road offer a variety of designer brands to the immense street-bargain shopping
• In Chinatown, pick up candles, clothing and artwork at cheap prices
• In Little India, buy electronics, traditional Indian fabric from the very affordable dress stores
• Near to Little India establishment is the Mustafa Shopping Centre Complex which provides electronics, designer items, watches, textiles, bags, costume jewellery, and gold at cheap prices

Healthcare Centers

• Travel Clinic
• International Medical Clinic
• Mint Medical Centre
• The Clinic @ Fusionopolis
• The Clinic @ Aperia

Basics of Local Communication

Singapore is a land of immigrants and thus, has many national languages. There are primarily four languages spoken: Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil. For business interaction, English is the language of choice.

Singaporeans also communicate through facial expressions, the voice tonality and posturing. So much so, that, often the locals give more important to non-verbal communication than spoken words. Their way of speaking is mostly subtle and implicit. They will not speak directly to your face.

Singaporeans practice handshakes.

Mandarin Basics

Yes : shi

No : bu shi

Hello : ni hao

Good-bye : Zai jia

Thank you : Xie xie

I'm sorry : Duibuqi

How much? : duo shao qian

Very beautiful : Hen piaoliang

It's too expensive : Tai gui