Facts for the Traveler
Area: 693 sq km
Population: 4.43 million (2005)
Country: Singapore
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8 (Standard Time)
Telephone Area Code: There are no area codes in Singapore; just dial
the eight-digit number
When to Go
Go anytime. Climate is not a major consideration, as Singapore gets
fairly steady annual rainfall. Co-ordinate your visit with one of the
various festivals and events: Thaipusam is a spectacular festival, occurring
around February. If shopping and eating are major concerns, April brings the
Singapore Food Festival and the Great Singapore Sale is held in June.
Events
Jaan, Level 70 @ Swissotel The Stamford Singapore
Perched atop the highest hotel in South East Asia, Jaan is indeed a feast for the senses. Guests are treated to stunning panoramic views of Singapore and neighbouring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia while inside the restaurant hangs a grand ...
Singapore Fashion Festival 2009
6th May 2009 to 10th May 2009 - afternoons (4pm onwards) and evenings (7pm - 11pm)
at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza (Interactive map).
The fashion festival will be a 5-day retail-focused fashion and lifestyle event that will feature runway shows from ...
World Gourmet Summit Singapore 2009 19th Apr 2009 to 2nd May 2009
'Savour the Finest Flavours' from 19 April to 2 May 2009 at the World Gourmet Summit (WGS), co-organised by Singapore Tourism Board and Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd. Combining fine cuisine with great wine, WGS 2009 promises a surreal dining ...
Experience Singapore's cultural countdown to usher in the Year of the Ox
The long-awaited Year of the Ox begins on 26 January 2009, and the party to mark the occasion will be one to behold. Visitors to Singapore during January will be mesmerised by the island-wide celebrations which are particularly colourful, joyous and ...
Singapore to host Spikes Asia
Singapore has been named as the location for Spikes Asia - 1st Asian Advertising Festival. The Festival is a joint venture between IAF, the organisers of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx & Eurobest and Haymarket, publishers of Media and Campaign. The dates ...
The multicultural people of Singapore celebrate with the roar of a
Chinese dragon at New Year, feasting for the living and the dead and dancing
with the fervour of religious passion. Every phase of the lunar cycle brings
a new opportunity for colour and festivity. Because they follow the lunar
calendar, the dates of Chinese, Hindu and Muslim festivals vary from year to
year. Chinese New Year, in January or February, is welcomed in with dragon
dances, parades and much good cheer. Chinatown is lit up with fireworks and
night markets. Vesak Day in May celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment and
death. It is marked by various events, including the release of caged birds
to symbolise the liberation of captive souls. The Dragon Boat Festival, held
in May or June, commemorates the death of a Chinese patriot who drowned
himself as a protest against government corruption. It is celebrated with
boat races across Marina Bay, accompanied by much eating of rice dumplings.
The Chinese Festival of the Hungry Ghosts is usually celebrated in
September. This is when the souls of the dead are released for feasting and
entertainment on earth. Chinese operas are performed for them and food is
offered; the ghosts eat the spirit of the food but thoughtfully leave the
substance for the mortal celebrants. During Ramadan, food stalls are set up
in the evening in the Arab St district, near the Sultan Mosque. Hari Raya
Puasa, the end of Ramadan in November, is marked by three days of joyful
celebrations. The festival of Thaipusam is one of the most dramatic Hindu
festivals and is now banned in India. Devotees honour Lord Subramaniam with
acts of amazing body-piercing - definitely not for the squeamish. In
Singapore, devotees march in procession from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal
Temple on Serangoon Rd to the Chettiar Hindu Temple on Tank Rd. Dates for
the festival vary according to the lunar calendar.
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