Travel Spectacular Singapore  General Information:
Singapore, or the Lion City, is at the crossroads of Asia. Its mix of Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures, spiced with Western influences, creates a wonderful blend and this small country celebrates the uniqueness of each in its own special way. Today, the districts designated by the former British colonists for the ethnic groups are still in use, with Chinatown and Little India thriving as religious and cultural centres and yet, no matter what their ethnic background, each citizen calls themselves a Singaporean.
Singapore's strategic position has helped to make it the gateway of Asia, creating opportunities to grow into a major centre for trade, communications and tourism. Geographical Information:
Singapore is a small tropical island of only 617 square kilometres, lying just one degree north of the Equator.
 Singapore is the world's busiest port. Hundreds of ships anchor at this crucial junction of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, or glide in and out of her bustling container wharves. Giant oil refineries tower over the scattered islands of her harbour, making her the world's third biggest refining centre, after Rotterdam and Houston.Singapore is the clearing house for the region's wealth. Her port trades in tin, rubber, coconut, oil, rice, timber, spices and coffee. Her banking system is one of the world's key financial centres. Her shipyards and dry docks repair everything from island traders to vast tankers.Singapore is, without doubt, one of the cleanest places in the world, with a fine of S$1000 for littering. Weather:
Singapore has a warm and humid climate throughout the year with a daily average temperature range above 20°C (68°F), even at night, and usually climbing to 30°C (86°F) during the day. Humidity is high, hovering around the 75% mark.Rainstorms occur on about 40% of all days in Singapore and is wettest from November to January and at its driest from May to July.And due to Singapore's proximity to the equator, light and summer clothing made from natural fabrics like cotton is best for everyday wear with the ample sunshine.  Transportation:
Singapore is well connected by air, roads, sea routes, LRT and MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)services.Tasked with the vision of being the world's best airport and a global air hub, Changi Airport has more than 60 airlines flying to over 145 cities making it a major air hub in the Asia Pacific region. SBS Transit alongside with Trans Island form the leading bus operators in Singapore.However Taxis are a main form of transportation in Singapore. You can easily flag for a available taxi, starting from $2.40 per trip.There are a total of 106 trains serving 51 stations across Singapore at a total route length of 89.4km.
Situated just next to one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, Singapore's deepwater port has the natural advantage of being an ideal spot for a global shipping hub.Known as one of the most efficient and the cleanest systems of the world, the MRT is a modern, air-conditioned passenger train service with stations spread through the city. Time:
Singapore Standard Time is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and 16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time What To Wear:
Singapore's tropical weather makes light summer clothing (preferably of natural fabrics) most practical, especially for outdoor activities like sightseeing. Most restaurants and nightspots are not restrictive on the dress code, polo shirts, t-shirts, jeans, slacks, blouses and skirts, sun dresses and sneakers are acceptable at most places. Although some establishments require formal wear for the evening, suits and evening dresses will never be out of place in Singapore's trendy nightspots. It is always advisable to ring up beforehand to check on dress regulations, if any. Currency:
The currency unit is the Singapore dollar (S$). Approximately S$1.50 = US$1 Coins are in denominations of: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of: $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 and $10,000.Brunei notes are interchangeable with Singapore notes and are quite common. ********************************************* |
