Visitor’s Guide to Singapore
Where is the location of Singapore ?
Singapore is a city-state in Southeast Asia. Founded previously as a British trading colony in 1819, since independence it is one of the world’s most prosperous countries and boasts the world’s busiest port.
Combining skyscrapers and subways of a modern city with a blend of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping and a vibrant night-life scene, Singapore makes a great stopover within South East Asia.
Districts
Singapore is a small island country with a land area of over 719 kilometre square and a population size of over 5.5 million people.
Unlike many other densely populated countries, Singapore is an enchanting city with more than 50% of its area covered by greenery and over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves.
The centre of the city is located in the south — consisting of the famous Orchard Road shopping area, the Riverside, the Marina Bay area and also the skyscraper-filled central business district Shenton Way.
Riverside (Civic District) — Singapore’s colonial core, are lined with museums, statues, theatres, and also fancy, swanky restaurants, bars and clubs.
Orchard Road — Endless views of shopping malls on both sides of the road.
Marina Bay — The latest part of Singapore, where it houses Marina Bay Sands Resort, Gardens By The Bay and Marina Barrage. The newly opened Gardens by the Bay situated next to Marina Bay Sands Resort is a large garden which houses two huge cooled conservatories – the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest as well as a cluster of gigantic Super Trees.
Bugis and Kampong Glam — Bugis and Kampong Glam are Singapore’s old Malay district, now largely taken over by shopping malls.
Chinatown — The area occupied by Chinese immigrants in the past, is now a Chinese heritage area popular with tourists for the endless choices of local delicacies.
Little India — A piece of India to the north of the city core.
Balestier, Newton, Novena and Toa Payoh — Budget accommodations and Burmese temples within striking distance of the centre.
North — The northern part of the island, where the Singapore Zoo, River Safari and Night Safari is located. It’s biggest draw is probably Woodlands – where many Singaporeans embark on a quick ride to the neighbouring country Malaysia (Johor Bahru) for a short weekend getaway. Book online now to reserve a private taxi or WhatsApp +6011 2183 8820 for any inquiry.
West — The western part of the island form Singapore’s residential areas with Star Vista.
Jurong — Attractions include Singapore Bird Park, Singapore Science Centre and Singapore Discovery Centre. Singaporeans also use Jurong via the Tuas Checkpoint to travel north bound for Malaysia cities (Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highland, Ipoh and etc), where they can skip the hectic traffic in Johor Bahru city. Book our taxi services online or message us to get a quote today !
Tampines — A residential town located in the heartlands, in the far east of the island close to Changi Airport.
East Coast — The largely residential eastern part of the island contains Changi Airport, miles and miles of beach and many famous eateries. Also covers Geylang Serai, the true home of Singapore’s Malays.
Sentosa — Sentosa is a separate island on the Southern part of Singapore, which now houses the famous Universal Studio Theme Park, Resorts World Casino and various 5-star hotels such as Festive Hotel, Hotel Michael, Hard Rock Hotel, Equarius Hotel, Le Méridien Hotel and many more.
Climate
Between May and October, forest fires in neighbouring Sumatra causes dense haze that regularly reaches unhealthy levels. Singapore is best avoided from June to October if you have medical conditions or simply wishes to avoid the air pollution.
For other periods of the year, its weather is usually sunny with no distinct 4 seasons. Rain falls frequently throughout the year but most rainfall occurs during the north east monsoon (November to January), occasionally featuring lengthy spells of continuous rain. It’s advisable to carry an umbrella at all times, both as a shade from the sun or cover from the rain.
Temperature averages around 22.5°C – 29.5°C in December and January, with an occasional low of 21°C.
For the remainder of the year, expect temperature to be around 24°C – 32°C, usually hovering around the 28°C.
Temperatures are relatively high in the day, as expected in a tropical country, but windy conditions are expected at night.
Travel
Each time you enter Singapore you will need to fill an Embarkation card. Keep it after immigration clearance, for you have to return it when you exit. If you plan to visit nearby Malaysia or Indonesia, you have to repeat this process for each time you exit and re-enter.
Most nationalities can enter Singapore without a visa for up to 30 days.
Exceptions and modifications to the rule are listed below:
Nationals of all European Union member states, Norway, Turkey, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States can enter Singapore without a visa for up to 90 days.
Nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China (PRC), Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Myanmar, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan will need to apply for a visa online or at the nearest Singaporean High Commission, Embassy or Consulate.
Nationals of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen will need to apply for a visa at the nearest Singaporean Diplomatic Mission.
Duty free allowances for alcohol are 1 litre each of wine, beer and spirits, and the 1 litre of spirits may be substituted with 1 litre of wine or beer, unless you are entering from Malaysia. Travellers entering from Malaysia are not entitled to any duty free allowance. Alcohol may not be brought in by persons under the age of 18. There is no duty free allowance for cigarettes and smokers caught with unmarked cigarettes may be fined $500 per pack.
You can read more about the GST-free and Duty-free items in Singapore.
By plane
Singapore is one of Southeast Asia’s largest aviation hubs, so unless you’re coming from Peninsular 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 Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia and Scoot.
In addition to the locals, almost all airlines in Asia offers flights to Singapore, with discount carrier AirAsia and Malaysian regional operator Firefly operating dense networks from Singapore. There are also direct services to Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, North America, and even South Africa.
Senai Airport in Johor Bahru complements Changi Airport as a secondary aviation hub to serve other parts of Indonesia, China or East Malaysia that has no direct network from Changi Airport. Those who are looking for a cheaper airfare may also consider flying from Senai Airport that is only 30 minutes away from Tuas Checkpoint.
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Changi Airport
The multi award winning Changi Airport is big, pleasant and well organized, with immigration and baggage distribution remarkably fast. The airport is split into three main terminals (T1, T2 and T3).
There are plenty of options to kill time in Changi Airport, as each terminal has a unique design and the airside areas of T1, T2, and T3 are attractions in themselves. T2, arguably the most interesting, has an indoor garden, a music listening area with couches and mood lighting, a computer gaming room, a small movie theatre, paid massage services, and of course plenty of duty-free shops. T3, the newest, has a butterfly garden and plenty of natural light, but fewer entertainment options. T1 has a swimming pool and jacuzzi, both open until 23:00. You can travel between the terminals without passing through immigration and, if you have no checked-in luggage to collect, you can clear passport control and customs at any terminal.
In all terminals, Wifi and Internet access is provided free of charge. There are some Xbox systems set up to keep gamers entertained, and there’s live lounge music at times. There are also SingTel and Starhub payphones that offer unlimited free local calls. ATMs abound and money changers offer reasonable rates as well, although you pay a small premium compared to the city. Food options are varied and generally reasonably priced, with some choice picks including the Peranakan-themed Soup Restaurant (T2 landside), which serves much more than just soup, and Sakae Sushi (T2 airside). If you’re up for a little adventure, seek out the staff canteen at level 3M of the car park next to T2, it’s open to the publica and serves local food. It is relatively cheap compared to other food options in the airport but not exactly cheap compared to elsewhere in Singapore. There are also staff canteens in Terminals 1 and 3.
Taxi – Book online now to reserve a private taxi or WhatsApp +6011 2183 8820 for any inquiry.
Mass Rapid Transit – MRT trains run from a station between T2 and T3, but you’ll need to change trains at Tanah Merah to a city-bound train: just exit through the left hand side door and cross the platform. Trains from Tanah Merah to the city takes on average 30 minutes and tend to be very crowded during peak hours, and it is unlikely to have seats.
Bus – Bus terminals can be found in the basements of T1, T2 and T3.
By road
The Causeway, with Johor Bahru on the other side
Singapore is linked by two bridges to Peninsular Malaysia
The Causeway is a very popular and terminally congested entry point connecting Woodlands in the north of Singapore directly into the heart of Johor Bahru. While congestion isn’t as bad as it once was, the Causeway is still jam-packed on Friday evenings (towards Malaysia) and Sunday evenings (towards Singapore). 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 2km inland.
A second crossing between Malaysia and Singapore, known as the Tuas Second Link, has been built between Tuas in western Singapore and Tanjung Kupang in the western part of Johor state. Much faster and less congested than the Causeway, it is used by most of the bus and transport services to Port Dickson, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur or other cities to the north of Johor Bahru.
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By bus
Direct to/from Malaysian destinations. There are buses to/from Kuala Lumpur and many other destinations in Malaysia through the Woodlands Checkpoint and the Second Link at Tuas. Unfortunately, there is no central bus terminal and different companies leave from all over the city. More expensive buses leave on time, use the Second Link, and don’t stop along the way; while the cheapest buses leave late if at all, use the perpetually jammed Causeway and make more stops. Book early for popular departure times like Friday and Sunday evening, Chinese New Year, etc, and factor in some extra time for congestion at the border.
An alternative to taking a direct “international bus” is to make the short trip to Johor Bahru to catch domestic Malaysian long-distance express buses to various Malaysian destinations from the Larkin Bus Terminal. Besides having more options, fares may also be lower because you will be paying in Malaysia Ringgit rather than Singapore Dollars. The downside is the time-consuming hassle of first getting to Johor Bahru, and then getting to Larkin terminal on the outskirts of town.
All buses make two stops at Singapore and Malaysia immigration. At both immigration points, you must disembark with all your luggage and pass through passport control and customs, then board the next bus by showing your ticket. Include an additional one hour for the whole trip from end to end, or more during rush hour (weekdays from 5pm onwards).
Read more on our bus guide to travel between Singapore and Johor Bahru
By taxi
There is also the advantage of taking a taxi between Singapore and Johor Bahru. The main advantage is that you do not need to carry your luggage (or yourself) through Immigration and Customs at both ends; you can just pass immigration clearance in the comfort of the car.
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By ferry
Ferries connect Singapore with the neighbouring Indonesian province of Riau Islands and the Malaysian state of Johor.
Singapore has 5 ferry terminals which handle international ferries: HarbourFront near Sentosa, Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, as well as Changi Ferry Terminal and Changi Point Ferry Terminal, both at the eastern side of the island near Changi Airport.
*New* You can now book a ferry ride to Malaysia’s seaside town of Desaru from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
Getting to/away from the ferry terminals:
HarbourFront Ferry Terminal: Located next to HarbourFront MRT station.
Marina Bay Cruise Centre: The shuttle to Marina Bay MRT station is the obvious choice.
Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal: Get off at Bedok MRT station and catch bus No. 35 to ferry terminal.
Changi Ferry Terminal: No bus stop nearby, take a taxi from Changi Village or Tanah Merah MRT.
Changi Point Ferry Terminal: Take bus No. 2, 29 or 59 to Changi Village Bus Terminal and walk to the ferry terminal.
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Contact
By phone
The international telephone country code for Singapore is 65. There are three main telecommunication providers in Singapore: SingTel, StarHub and M1.
Mobile phones are carried by almost everyone in Singapore, including many young children, and coverage is generally excellent throughout the country. All 3 service providers have both GSM 900/1800 and 3G (W-CDMA) networks, and international roaming onto them may be possible. Prepaid SIM cards are sold in 7-Eleven convenience stores, phone shops and currency exchange counters. You will need to show an international passport or Singapore ID to sign up.
Most prepaid cards expire within 6 month unless you top-up (which can be done outside Singapore). The carriers also offer special top up cards that will give a higher number of minutes for the price at the downside of expiring more quickly.
Calling cards are also available for specific international destinations and are usually cheaper. Hello Card from Singtel offers a very cheap rate to 8 countries (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand).
Get out
Singapore makes a good base for exploring South-East Asia, with nearly all of the region’s countries and their main tourist destinations — Bangkok, Phuket, Angkor Wat, Ho Chi Minh City and Bali, just to name a few — under 2 hr away by plane. The vast choice of budget carriers in recent times means that Singapore is an excellent place for catching cheap flights to China and India, as well as around Southeast Asia. In addition, Singapore has direct flights to many of the smaller cities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
For short weekend trips from Singapore, the most popular choice would be to the neighbouring country of Malaysia – Johor Bahru just across the causeway for good eats and cheap shopping. Travel time is expected to be around 1-2 hours depending on the mode of transport.
If you have 3-5 days to spare, plan a visit to the colonial town of Melaka, beach resort Port Dickson or Malaysia’s vibrant capital Kuala Lumpur.
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