Singapore
The Garden CityAbout Singapore: With its gleaming skyscrapers and sophisticated shopping malls, modern Singapore is truly the face of New Asia. Yet the old Asia is never far away: sensitively preserved Colonial, Chinese, Malay and Indian quarters offer exciting glimpses of the past. And when you need a break from exploring, remember that Singapore's rich culinary heritage makes it one of the world's most exciting places to eat. Whether you're sampling satay in one of our renowned food stalls or devouring a spicy curry in Little India, a vacation in Singapore is one that you'll savor forever.
Combines a truly cosmopolitan ambience with the best of Asian hospitality. With life enriched by a multi-racial heritage, Singapore offers you unending delights expressed year-around in a kaleidoscope of cultures, cuisines, festivals and religions.
This vibrant tropical city received over 7 million visitors to her shore each year, well above the total number of her citizens. With a central Asia-Pacific location, superb hotels, clean and green surroundings, fantastic shopping and outstanding visitor attractions..
Climate: Tropical, with average temperature between 73°F - 86°F. November to January receives more rain than usual.
Documents: Tourist visas are NOT REQUIRED for American and Canadian citizens for visits of up to 30 days. However, all visitors are required to have a passport validity of at least 6 months, onward/return tickets, onward facilities (e.g. visa, entry permit, etc.) to their next destination and sufficient funds for their stay in Singapore..
Currency: The local currency is Singapore dollar and cents. Approximate exchange rate is US$1 = S$1.50. CAD$1 = $1.
Electricity: Standard voltage is 220-240 volts AC, 50 cycles per second. Most hotels are equipped with transformers for 110-120 volts AC, 60 cycles per second appliances.
Taxes and Tipping: The airport departure tax of S$15.00 is incorporated into the price of the airtickets. 10% service charge is added to your bill in restaurants. Tipping is prohibited at the airport and discouraged at hotels. A 3% Goods & Services Tax (GST) is levied on most goods and services purchased from taxable retailers. GST will be refunded if more than S$300 is spent (receipts of S$100 or more can be pooled from shops displaying the "Tax Free Shopping" sticker) on goods not consumed in Singapore. Refunds may be done at the airport, prior to departure flights.
Time: 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time; 14 hours ahead of Central and 16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.
Languages: There are four official languages in Singapore: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. English is widely spoken and understood.
Drinking Water: Water is clean and safe to drink from the tap.
Cuisine: Dining in Singapore is a gastronomic experience. Choices are bewildering, ranging widely from inexpensive local dishes (Chinese, Malay, Indian and Nonya) found at food courts/hawker centers to sophisticated restaurants serving international cuisince. New Asia cuisine describes the dishes from Singapore's melting pot of Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Western cooking styles. You'll find everything from chicken satay sold on the streets (it's safe to eat!) to gourmet meals in five-star restaurants. Try Chinese dim sum, Indian curry dishes, and a variety of seafood. Also prevalent, Peranakan dishes such as laksa (noodles in coconut milk gravy with fried tofu and beansprouts) and mee siam (rice vermicelli in a spicy-sour gravy). Be sure to check out Singapore's plenticul open-air food stalls.
Hotel Accommodations: There are nearly 35,000 hotel rooms of all categories to suite each traveler's price range.
Inoculations: None required unless arriving from a country where a disease is partly/wholly endemic.
Population: Three million inhabitants comprising 78% Chinese, 14% Malays, 7% Indian and 1% others.