[ GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ]
Located at one of the crossroads of the world,
Singapore's strategic position has helped it grow
into a major centre for trade, communications and
tourism. Its geographical location is 136.8 km north
of the equator, between latitudes 103 degrees 38' E
and 104 degrees 06' E. It is linked to Malaysia by
two causeway bridges and the key islands of the Riau
Archipelago of Indonesia are just a quick ferry trip
away. Thailand and the Philippines are a short plane
journey away and Singapore, with an airport served
by more than 69 airlines, is very much the gateway
to South-East Asia.
|
[ CLIMATE ]
Singapore's climate is warm and humid, with only
slight variations between the average maximum of 31
degrees Celsius and minimum of 23 degrees Celsius.
Rain falls throughout the year, with more consistent
rain coming during the monsoon season from November
to January. Showers are usually sudden and heavy,
but also brief and refreshing.
|
[ PEOPLE ]
What makes Singapore such a special destination
is its multi-cultural mix of people. The population
is just over 4 million, comprises 77% Chinese, 14%
Malays and 8% Indians. The remaining 1% comprises
people from all over the world who have chosen to
make Singapore their home. Singapore’s many races
live together in harmony, united by the motto, “Many
races, one Singapore? and it is ethnic diversity
that is one of Singapore’s strengths.
|
[ TIPPING ]
Tipping is not encouraged as most hotels and
restaurants in Singapore already levy a 10% service
charge on customers' bills. Tipping is not a way of
life in Singapore and the practice is not
encouraged.
|
[ SECURITY
AND SAFETY ]
Singapore has a well-founded reputation as one
of the safest cities in the world. Crime rates are
very low and the streets are safe to walk in any
time of the day or night. However, we do recommend
that visitors to our city take the normal precaution
of keeping their valuables in a safe place at all
times.
The Singapore Government has and will continue to be
vigilant in ensuring that Singapore remains safe. It
has stepped up security measures at key
installations and other sensitive places. The
Government has also made it known that extremism
originating from religion or race has no place in
Singapore and it will not hesitate to take action
against any extremist or terrorist groups or
individuals.
|
[ WINE AND
DINE ]
Singapore's multicultural population is
reflected in the wide variety of excellent
restaurants offering a diversity of cuisine from
around the world.
|
[ LANGUAGE ]
There are four official languages in Singapore:
Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English. English is the
language of business and administration, and is
widely spoken and understood. Most Singaporeans are
bilingual, and speak their mother tongue as well as
English. Malay is the national language.
|
[ MONEY
MATTERS ]
Banks throughout Singapore generally open at
9.30am and close at 3.30pm Mondays to Fridays, and
9.30am to 11.30am on Saturdays for transactions of
travellers' cheques and other financial matters. For
convenience, ATM machines are open round-the-clock.
Apart from the convenience of exchanging money at
all banks and hotels, money can also be exchanged
wherever the sign "Licensed Money Changer" is
displayed.
|
[ PUBLIC
TRANSPORT FROM AIRPORT ]
The Airport shuttle bus runs from both Terminal
1 & Terminal 2 to various points throughout the City
including Marina Square and Orchard Road areas.
Taxis are readily available at the taxi stands at
the airport, and the MRT trains will connect you to
all parts of Singapore. Also available are public
buses that, with transfers, will also take you to
every part of Singapore.
|
[ RELIGION ]
With this mixture of people, Singapore is also a
mixture of religions. Singapore's skyline boasts the
distinctive minarets of mosques, spires of gothic
cathedrals, intricate figurines of Hindu temple gods
and distinctive roof architecture of Chinese
temples. The main religions are Islam, Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and
Zoroastrianism.
|
[ SHOPPING
HOURS ]
Shops open from 10 am to 9 pm daily. You needn't
keep a sharp eye on your watch when you're shopping
in Singapore. Our island also enjoys the reputation
of being one of the safest places to be in, so
provided basic precautions are taken, you can have
peace of mind to shop and walk around well into the
night.
|
[ SHOP TAX
FREE ]
A 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied in
Singapore. For more information on the tax refund,
please visit:
www.gov.sg/customs/travel/travel1_8.html
|
[ TRAVEL AND
HEALTH INSURANCE ]
We strongly recommend that you take out
insurance policies to cover medical and travel
expenses. If necessary, consult your travel agent.
|
[ VISA AND
ENTRY FACILITIES ]
Visitors to Singapore are normally granted a Social
Visit Pass of between 30 days on arrival, provided
they are in possession of valid travel documents and
an onward or return ticket to their next
destination.
Please consult your nearest Singapore overseas
mission or embassy or visit:
http://app.ica.gov.sg/travellers/entry/visa_requirements.asp
for more visa and entry information.
|
[ SARS
Information ]
The World Health Organization has removed Singapore
from its list of areas with recent local
transmission of SARS. For more SARS updates, please
visit:
http://www.sars.gov.sg
For more information on about Singapore, please
visit:
http://www.visitsingapore.com
|
To find out more
information about Singapore, please visit:
http://www.newasia-singapore.com or
http://www.visitsingapore.com |
