Singapore Travel - Accommodation, Sightseeing, Attractions, Information
Singapore is at the crossroads of Asia. It is a
vibrant metropolis where close to 3 million Chinese, Malays, Indians and
Eurasians live and work side-by-side. This colorful mix of cultures, spiced
with Western influences, creates a wonderful blend. The uniqueness of each
culture is celebrated here in its own special way. Singapore is at its most
remarkable in its little alleyways and colorful shops in Chinatown; its
incense-filled temples and noisy street operas of Little India.
Actual News
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Upgrade of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 There is a new feeling of excitement at Changi Airport as Terminal 1 undergoes a major upgrading from May 2008, with completion slated for 2011. The upgrade will see Terminal 1 redesigned into a bright, airy space with a distinctly tropical ... Bangkok Best City Destination in World The readers of Travel and Leisure magazine voted Bangkok as the top city destination in the world for 2008 followed by Buenos Aires and Cape Town. Florence, last year's winner ended fifth.
Best island destination: the Galapagos Islands off the ... Best pick: Pan Pacific Singapore ...from SGD 238 Surrounded by shopping malls and business facilities on the beautiful Marina Bay, this hotel offers you luxury and comfort combined with beautiful views.
Adjacent to 3 shopping malls, Pan Pacific Singapore is only a 3-minute walk to a major ...
Orchard
Hotel Singapore
Offering cosmopolitan elegance and comfort on the world famous Orchard Road,
this hotel is an ideal base for to conduct business or simply relax. The
Orchard Hotel Singapore is ideally located for endless shopping and
entertainment opportunities and is close to the Central Finance District,
banks and embassies. The air-conditioned bedrooms are spacious and have a
modern East meet West concept. At the on site, there is a famous Chinese
restaurant with fine dining and sophisticated decor, Ficas cafe, where
international flavours blend harmoniously with local spices, sidewalk cafe
and a lobby bar that offers nightly live entertainment. The hotel provides a
business centre as well as meetings and conference services for your
business needs. In addition, a swimming pool, fully-equipped gymnasium,
sauna, giant chess set and a dart board are available at the premises.
The sights and sounds of bustling ethnic communities.
Nature's creatures at play in a natural environment. Funky architecture in a
lush garden city. Or just chill out on the pier where the popular icon, the
Merlin, stands guard at the mouth of the Singapore River. Whatever you
choose, there's always something unique round the corner to surprise you.
more....
Singapore has traded in its rough-and-ready opium dens and pearl luggers for
towers of concrete and glass, and its steamy rickshaw image for hi-tech
wizardry, but you can still recapture the colonial era with a gin sling
under the languorous ceiling fans at Raffles Hotel.
At first glance, Singapore appears shockingly modern and anonymous, but this
is an undeniably Asian city with Chinese, Malay and Indian traditions from
feng shui to ancestor worship creating part of the everyday
landscape. It's these contrasts that bring the city to life.
One day you're in a hawker stall melting over a bowl of Indian curry, the
next you're enjoying high tea in whispered environs complete with air-con,
starched linen table cloths and gliding waiters. Super-safe and mega-clean
Singapore may be, but its sultry rhythms wash inexorably beneath the
regimented beat of big-city life.
In the crowded streets of Chinatown, fortune tellers, calligraphers and
temple worshippers are still a part of everyday life. In Little India, you
can buy the best sari material, freshly ground spices or a picture of your
favourite Hindu god. In the small shops of Arab St, the cry of the imam can
be heard from the nearby Sultan Mosque.
Singapore is an island of 646 sq. km, about the size of Chicago. It is
located at one of the crossroads of the world. Singapore's strategic
position has helped it grow into a major center for trade, communications,
and tourism. Its geographical location is 96km north of the equator, between
longitude 103 degrees 36' East and 104 degrees 25' East. Singapore is often
touted as a concrete jungle with close to 90% of the population living in
flats and an ever-changing skyline of monumental buildings. Government and
private enterprises also conduct an orchestra of automation that makes
Singapore one of the world's most efficient societies. Yet Singapore has
also been known as a green city. There is a wealth of flora and fauna here
that is beyond our own imagination.
Singapore Bars & Cocktail Lounges
Another Oriental paean to the west, this ultra-modern city of soaring
skyscrapers and commercial efficiency is the world's busiest port and
often ridiculed for its sterility. But behind the spotlessly clean
streets and sanitized shopping malls it's a cultural melting pot - home
to hundreds of different Asian peoples who fuse languages and looks and
food and religion to create an exciting, vibrant whole. Sure, Singapore
doesn't have the edginess of Bangkok or the style of Hong Kong but, like
Tokyo, its tradition is still intact - just well hidden. Add to the
Oriental mix some colonial British history such as at Raffles, the
world's most famous hotel, and the visitor never lacks for variety or
places to drink in. And all on an island barely 26 miles long. Singapore
Sling anyone? more...
Two causeway bridges link Malaysia, which is just north of Singapore. The
key islands of the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia are also just a quick ferry
trip away, whereas Thailand and the Philippines are a short plane journey
away. Singapore, with an airport served by more than 69 airlines, is very
much the gateway to Southeast Asia
Batam is located a short ferry ride from Singapore and
is popular for golf, water-sports, shopping and cultural attractions,
such as the massive and beautiful Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist
temple at Batam Centre. Batam is also an emerging venue for
international conferences, corporate meetings and events.
Singapore's climate is warm and humid, with temperatures ranging from 23
degree Celsius to 31 degree Celsius. This makes it ideal for those who enjoy
sunbathing, swimming, sailing, and other water sports. For those who do not
enjoy the tropical climate, Singapore is sheltered from the worst effects of
the sun with air-conditioning in almost all of its buildings, including
restaurants. Rain falls throughout the year with more consistent rain during
the monsoon season from November to January. Showers are usually sudden and
heavy, but brief and refreshing.
Landing on
Singapore airport. Take the easy and secure way: book your Singapore
airport to hotel transfer online. Stay in a hotel booked in advance and
organize your sightseeing tours at home, so you will not miss any minute
of your holiday or your business trip when you arrive in Singapore. We
from world airports
support you in all these tasks.
Singapore Climate and Weather
Singapore's climate is mostly hot and humid with average temperatures ranging
between 79°F (26°C) and 86° F (30°C) during the day with cooler temperatures at
night. The wettest months are between November and January (monsoon period);
however rainfall occurs throughout the year. Rainstorms are usually short but
heavy, so remember to take an umbrella.
click to enlarge
Map
of Mass Rapid Transit MRT (Subway) Singapore.
The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is a modern, air-conditioned
passenger train service with stations all over the city. There are two main
lines - one from Marina Bay to Jurong East via Woodlands and the other from
Changi Airport to Boon Lay. Obtain a copy of A Quick Guide to MRT Travel
from the Station Control Rooms in all MRT stations. For more information on
both the MRT and bus services, you can refer to the TransitLink Guide which
is available at SGD 1.50 in most MRT stations and bus interchanges as well
as at major bookstores.
Frequency - Trains operate at intervals of between two and a half minutes
and eight minutes from 5:30 am until 12:30 am daily. Check at respective MRT
stations for precise train arrival/departure timings.
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
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.
