Singapore Tourist Survival Guide

Singapore Tourist Survival Guide

With a varied cultural mixture of entertainment, cuisine and shopping, Singapore stands out as one of the most travel-friendly Asian countries. Whether you travel in August or January, the city-island has warm weather all year round. Besides, tourists also love Singapore because it is easy to get around the island, as it has an extensive and easy-to-use public transport system.

Another reason why Singapore is so attractive for tourists is that one of the spoken languages is English, but they also speak Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Malay and Tamil. Therefore, the language barrier in Singapore is almost anecdotic.

If you are travelling there, it might be useful to know that in terms of electricity, in Singapore they 230 Volts and 50 Hertz. Also, the phone code is +65.

Also, the official currency of the country is Singapore dollar. In comparison with American currency, US$1 equals SGD1.25. You can find many money exchanges throughout the city, particularly in the CBD and other tourist hotspots. You can always exchange money at major hotels and local banks, although the exchange rate will not be favourable for you. You can also withdraw money from the ATM machines scattered throughout the state.

Make sure you carry cash if you are thinking of making small purchases or buying goods from the markets and street vendors. However, you only need your credit card in major shopping centres.

Although Singapore is highly tolerant of Western behaviour, there are certain local customs and laws that differ from those in the West. For instance, it might strike you that chewing gum is strictly prohibited for sale, import and personal use. But what might surprise you even more is that spitting is against the law. Besides, littering is not tolerated and offenders can get a tough fine for doing it.

From luxury hotels like the Raffles Hotel to the five-star Shangri-La Hotel Singapore to budget accommodations like the Fragance Hotels and Value Hotels, there is a large array of accommodations to choose from in Singapore.

As Singapore experiences a tropical climate that is hot and humid all year round, make sure you carry sunblock and drink enough water, especially from March to June when the weather is particularly hot.

As to transportation, whether visitors choose to travel by standard trains or by light rail services, they can get anywhere on the island within a short timeframe. Also, buses connect most destinations on the island and a plethora of metered taxis can be found at any time.

Located approximately 20 minutes' drive from the CBD of Singapore, Changi International Airport (SIN) is well connected with the city by rail service as well as by express bus shuttles and metered taxis.

Some of the most important events that take place in Singapore include the World Gourmet Summig (three-week fine food festival), Singapore International Film Festival (featuring a mix of up to 300 international documentaries, animation, shots and retrospectives), Singapore Airlines International Cup, Vesak Day (devotees flock to Buddhist temples where they make offerings, eat vegetarian food and even release captive animals), Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore Dragon Boat Festival, and the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts with celebration dinners, loud auctions and outdoor street performances of Chinese opera, puppetry, singing and comedy.