Do’s and Don’ts in Singapore

By: Cher Tan

Singapore is one of the most popular and vibrant destinations in Asia with its renowned clean and beautiful garden city and unique cultural diffusion of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European immigrants. Singapore is a very clean, safe and efficient city due to the strictly enforced laws. But diverse racial groups in Singapore have retained its own cultural and religious identity including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Taoism, which can cause confusion and sometimes conflicts, for example, gift giving etiquette varies depending on the ethnic background of the individual. So bearing in mind the following Singapore travel tips, dos and don’ts will help you enjoy the diverse and rich culture of Singapore and be a part of its enriching experience.

Smoking in public buses, taxis, lifts, theatres, cinemas, government offices and air-conditioned restaurants and shopping centres is against the law. First offenders may be fined up to a maximum of S$1,000. While it is an offence to smoke in air-conditioned eating places, smoking is not prohibited in air-conditioned pubs, discos, karaoke bars and nightspots.

Visiting Singapore: Costs

By: Cher Tan

Singapore, being the 6^th most expensive country in the world in Mercer’s 50 World’s Most Expensive Cities index in 2012, is expensive by Asian standards but affordable compared with some industrialized countries: $50 is a perfectly serviceable daily backpacker budget if you are willing to cut some corners, though you would probably wish to double that for comfort.

Food in particular is a steal, with excellent hawker food available for under $5 for a generous serving. Transport is generally inexpensive, ranging from at least $1.40 for a bus or MRT ride or at most $50 for a cab ride from one end of the country to another. Accommodation is a little pricier, but a bed in a dormitory in a hostel can cost less than $20, an average 3-4 star hotel in the city centre would typically cost anywhere from $100-$300 per night for a basic room, and the most luxurious hotels on the island (except the renowned Raffles Hotel) can be yours for $300 with the right discounts during the off-peak season.

Singapore Language and Culture

By: Cher Tan

Malay may be enshrined in the national Constitution of Singapore as the 'national' language, but in practice the most common language is English, spoken by almost every Singaporean under the age of 50 with varying degrees of fluency. English is spoken much better here than in most Asian countries. English is also the medium of instruction in schools, except for mother tongue subjects (e.g. Malay, Mandarin and Tamil), which are also required to be learned in school by Singaporeans. In addition, all official signs and documents are written in English, usually using British spelling.

However, the distinctive local patois Singlish may be hard to understand at times, as it incorporates slang words and phrases from other languages, including various Chinese dialects, Malay and Tamil as well as English words whose pronunciation or meaning have been corrupted.

Getting Around in Singapore

By: Cher Tan

Getting around in Singapore is easy: the public transportation system is extremely easy to use and taxis are reasonably priced when you can get one. Very few visitors rent cars. Gothere.sg does a pretty good job of figuring out the fastest route by MRT and bus and even estimating taxi fares between any two points.

Getting around in Singapore by rail

The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) and LRT (Light Rail Transit) are trains that are the main trunk of Singapore's transit system. They are a cheap and very reliable mode of transportation, and the network covers most points of interest for the visitor. All train lines use contactless RFID tickets (also known as EZ-Link cards). Single-trip tickets cost from $0.80 to $2 plus a $1 refundable deposit. All lines are seamlessly integrated, even if the lines are operated by different transport companies, so you do not need to buy a new ticket to transfer.

Singapore Getting There and Away

By: Cher Tan

Getting to Singapore by Air

Singapore is one of Southeast Asia's largest aviation hubs, so unless you're coming from Peninsula Malaysia or Batam/Bintan in Indonesia, the easiest way to enter Singapore is by air. In addition to flag-carrier Singapore Airlines and its regional subsidiary Silkair, Singapore is also home to low-cost carriers AirAsia, Tiger Airways, Jetstar Airways and Scoot.

Getting to Singapore by Land

If coming from/going to Peninsula Malaysia, Singapore is connected via two land crossings, one being the Causeway which is a very popular and thus terminally congested entry point connecting Woodlands in the north of Singapore directly into the heart of Johor Bahru. The Causeway can be crossed by bus, train, taxi or car, but it is no longer feasible to cross on foot after Malaysia shifted their customs and immigration complex 2 km inland.

Singapore Visa Regulations

By: Cher Tan

The imposition of entry visas is part of Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoint Authorities’ multi-pronged approach in ensuring that Singapore remains a safe and secure place for everyone. However, travel visa permits are not required by the citizens of several countries to visit Singapore as tourists. In this case, documents like passports, onward documents (onward/return tickets, entry permit, etc) to the next destination must be on the travellers. They should also have sufficient funds for their stay. For longer stay, permission of the immigration department is required.

Singapore Visa Regulations: Citizens of the following nations do not need visas:

» United States of America, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Iceland, Luxemburg, Japan, Republic of Ireland

When to Travel To Singapore

By: Cher Tan

The thrill to explore a new locale and to acquire a first-hand knowledge of the local culture is what makes travellers pack their bags and leave. Now considered to be a great tourist destination in the world, tourists from all corners of the world come to Singapore for a fun-filled vacation. Attracted by the bullish economy, business travellers from around the globe come to Singapore. The leisure travellers however come here to get a glimpse of the rich local culture and to imbibe the spirit of this city state. Beautiful throughout the year, when to visit Singapore therefore becomes just a matter of availability of time and budget.

When to Travel to Singapore: Seasons & Weather

As Singapore is located a mere 1.5 degrees north of the Equator, the weather is usually sunny with no distinct seasons. Rain falls almost daily throughout the year, usually in sudden, heavy showers that rarely last longer than an hour. However, most rainfall occurs during the northeast monsoon (November to January), occasionally featuring lengthy spells of continuous rain. Temperatures average around 30°C in the daytime and 24°C at night in December and January, and around 32°C and 26°C for the rest of the year.

Introduction to Singapore: a melting pot of cultures

By: Cher Tan

Located off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, the highly cosmopolitan city of Singapore is regarded as a world-class island country. Bearing a diverse 5 million populace, it is the fourth leading financial center in the world. The government has plans to further expand the population with a target of 6.5 million in the near future, or at least, create an infrastructure with that specific amount in mind.

The metaphor of the “melting pot” is a powerful image in the Singaporean imagination. It is the image of a multicultural, pluralistic Singapore; an integrated and mixed Singapore; a Singapore where different races, cultures, visions, ideas, and identities are not only free to co-exist, but also to mingle and blend, to merge and combine. Some people even proclaim, with glee or with horror, that Singapore will one day consist solely of expatriates and immigrants.

DIY Bands in Singapore – Who to Look Out For Right Now

By: Cher Tan

Like any other cosmopolitan city, Singapore is brimming in its own broth of culture. In the last 5 years, art and music have burgeoned like nothing else, and despite – perhaps as a result, in spite – of restrictions in the tiny city-state, there now exists a solid albeit tiny underground independent creative circuit which deserves every mention.

Not immediately obvious to the casual onlooker, the DIY (short for “Do-It-Yourself”, which is every bit independent from mainstream corporate culture) music industry is thriving, if you know where to look. Latitudes introduces you to 5 of the most talked-about and talented independent bands and musicians one should be paying attention to right now.

Marina Bay, Singapore’s Swanky Bayfront

By: Cher Tan

The name “Marina Bay” may be an anomaly of sorts – while it technically describes the body of water around the mouth of the Singapore River and blocked off from the sea by the Marina Barrage, it also encompasses the surrounding “Marina” areas, spanning bits of City Hall and the east of Shenton Way. Being Singapore’s newest district, Marina Bay is built on reclaimed land with the intention to combine business and pleasure, with swanky bayfront residences dotting the vicinity.