About Singapore
GENERAL INFORMATION OF SINGAPORE:
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
- "It is far from ordinary, yet comforts are always near."
- Located at one of the crossroads of the world, Singapore's strategic position has helped it grow into a major centre for trade, communications and tourism.
- Its geographical location is 136.8 km north of the equator, between latitudes 103 degrees 38' E and 104 degrees 06' E. It is linked to Malaysia by two causeway bridges and the key islands of the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia are just a quick ferry trip away. Thailand and the Philippines are a short plane journey away and Singapore, with an airport served by more than 69 airlines, is very much the gateway to South-East Asia.
CLIMATE
- "It is a place where the sun shines through the rain."
- Singapore's climate is warm and humid, with only slight variations between the average maximum of 31 degrees Celsius and minimum of 23 degrees Celsius.
- Rain falls throughout the year, with more consistent rain coming during the monsoon season from November to January.
- Showers are usually sudden and heavy, but also brief and refreshing.
WINE AND DINE
- Singapore's multicultural population is reflected in the wide variety of excellent restaurants offering a diversity of cuisine from around the world.
LANGUAGE
- There are four official languages in Singapore: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English.
- English is the language of business and administration, and is widely spoken and understood.
- Most Singaporeans are bilingual, and speak their mother tongue as well as English.
- Malay is the national language.
MONEY MATTERS
- Banks throughout Singapore generally open at 9.30am and close at 3.30pm Mondays to Fridays, and 9.30am to 11.30am on Saturdays for transactions of travellers' cheques and other financial matters.
- For convenience, ATM machines are open round-the-clock.
- Apart from the convenience of exchanging money at all banks and hotels, money can also be exchanged wherever the sign "Licensed Money Changer" is displayed.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT FROM AIRPORT
- The Airport shuttle bus runs from both Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 to various points throughout the City including Marina Square and Orchard Road areas.
- The airport shuttle offers a sheduled service with flexible routing to almost all hotels within the city (excluding hotels on Sentosa and Le Meridien Changi).
- The shuttle operates from 9am to 11pm at frequencies of 30 minutes during off peak hours (9am to 6pm) and 15 minutes during peak hours (6pm to 11pm).
- Tickets cost SGD 7 for adults and SGD 5 for children.
- Bookings are made at the airport shuttle counters.
- MRT ride from the Changi Airport station is only 27 minutes to City Hall Station.
- The train service from the Changi Airport station operates at an average frequency of 12 minutes and its service hours are as follows:
- Changi Airport station to City Hall station
First train: 5:31am (Mon to Sat), 5:59am (Sun and public holidays)
Last train: 11:18pm (daily)
- City Hall station to Changi Airport station
First train: 6:09am (Mon to Sat), 6:45am (Sun and public holidays)
Last train: 12:03am (daily)
- The fare for a single trip from Changi Airport station to City Hall station is SGD 1.40.
- For the convenience of travellers, trains serving the Changi Airport station provide luggage racks and free space in every carriage.
- Taxis are readily available at the taxi stands at the airport.
- Also available are public buses that, with transfers, will also take you to every part of Singapore.
RELIGION
- With this mixture of people, Singapore is also a mixture of religions.
- Singapore's skyline boasts the distinctive minarets of mosques, spires of gothic cathedrals, intricate figurines of Hindu temple gods and distinctive roof architecture of Chinese temples.
- The main religions are Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.
SHOPPING HOURS
- Shops open from 10 am to 9 pm daily. You needn't keep a sharp eye on your watch when you're shopping in Singapore.
- Our island also enjoys the reputation of being one of the safest places to be in, so provided basic precautions are taken, you can have peace of mind to shop and walk around well into the night.
SHOP TAX FREE
TRAVEL AND HEALTH INSURANCE
- We strongly recommend that you take out insurance policies to cover medical and travel expenses. If necessary, consult your travel agent.
Visas
- Most travellers will not require a visa for entry into Singapore. Please check this with your airline, travel agent or nearest Singapore Embassy:
www.gov.sg/mha/sir/travel_tips/visareqs.html for more information on visa requirements and application.
To find out more information about Singapore, please visit:
www.newasia-singapore.com.
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