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Singapore Travel Guide


Singapore is a country with people that obey the rule in their daily activity, especially for keeping their clean environment. People who live in this place may take it as usual actions. In contrast, foreign tourist may not know about that country principle. Here we will guide your trip to Singapore in order to minimize culture shock.

It is better to set your mobile phone into international roaming system before going to Singapore. It will keep you reachable through phone or messages while arriving at this country. You are able to change your number by using local mobile service provider if you worry about having the roaming tariff.

Singapore people consists of various ethnic and races from all over the world. The majority of the citizens are Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians. The main language uses are English with Singapore dialect and usually called Singlish. Mandarin and Malay also become their local language. Uncle and Auntie is the regular name to mention male or female person that is older than you. Singlish, Mandarin, and Malay language are mainly used while shopping in local market. You may try to make an agreement with the seller by making a conversation in their language. You probably get lower price if you get a lucky deal while shopping at Chinatown or Little India.

The people of this country have gone along in different religions like Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, or Jew. There are many worship houses built in order to facilitate local people and foreign tourists. As the result, Muslim people will not get any difficulty in finding places to eat and drink since there are many Singaporean restaurant, which have been labeled as ‘halal restaurant’. Right hand represents polite and good so make sure to use your right hand while communicating or eating with local people. It is also shown by their right hand drivers and transportation rules.

Singapore climate is classified into tropics, which is very humid and hot. Sunshine always covers Singapore sky all over the years. It is better to prepare an umbrella if you plan to go there at the end of the year. Particular temperature is around 20°C to 30°C when it comes to sunny day you may use sun block to protect your skin from sun rays.

Many shopping places are labeled with “Tax Refund”. Generally, foreign visitor will get 7% refund, which is completed with signature and stamp while shopping at that place. Be sure to know the information by asking the details process about tax refund. So, just make sure to complete the process before leaving the airport or ask the Global Refund or Premium Tax Free to provide the best services for foreign visitor.

Singapore tries to keep its clean air. You are not allowed to smoke everywhere especially in public area or mass transportation. Outdoor area also stay clean without smokers since you will be charged up to S$ 1000 if you are smoking in the place with no ‘smoking area’ mark. Even more, just make sure not to trash your waste in the right place. Bringing a cigarette, chewing, and selling gum are forbidden by Singapore law regulation. You have to make sure to remember otherwise, you get more penalties.

The last, its better for you to know about Singapore public holidays. Its will help you to choose the best time to visit singapore.

Spend Your Money at 5 Famous Shopping Places in Singapore


Singapore is one of the destinations where people specially aim to go there for shopping. The supreme shopping centers are spread in almost all areas. Most tourist will answer Orchard Road, if they get a question "what is famous shopping places in singapore?" Take this another shopping places in Singapore that must be visited when you go there.

The first place has unique building structure. Esplanade Mall has great dome design with many thorns like durian fruit skin. The dome represents the beauty of art that is offered in this place. Here, you can enjoy art gallery, theatrical, and music performances. Enjoy shopping accessories and apparels as souvenirs. It will be good if you are relaxing your body in Kenzo body spa and reflexology then have a dinner in the cafe, bars or experience Asian and western culinary.

The next place is Funan DigitalLife Mall, which is very famous for electronics and gadget mall. This shopping area is one of mall, which has very high price in Singapore. This mall provides various kinds’ products besides offering branded IT products. You can buy books, souvenirs, accessories, fashion, jewelry, and many more. Food court, restaurants, bars, and cafe are also available at this place. This place is similar to Esplanade Mall that has beauty and wellness service. The special feature of this place is educational place where you can bring your children learning music or taking dance course.

The third place to visit is Marina Square Shopping Mall. This is an extraordinary place for shopping popular branded such as TopShop, MUJI, Zara, Mango. This is the right destination for recharging your lifestyle. This place is also near to Mandarin Oriental Hotel and in one building with Pan Pacific Hotel. The address of this mall is at 6 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore which near to Esplanade (CC3) MRT station.

The fourth level mall is placed at 3 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore namely Suntec City Mall. You are able to reach this place by MRT that stop at Esplanade (CC3) or Promenade (CC4) station. The wonderful part of this mall is the biggest world fountain that has been noted by the Guinness Book of Records. Similar to general shopping center, this place offers a place to shop and eat. Suntec City Mall always gift great voucher that is awaited by their customers. Many promotions offer by Hush Puppies, Giordano, Etude House, The Body Shop, Starbucks, and many other exciting products.

Finally, what can be more than Marina Bay Sand? it has all appropriate and glamour things to be offered. This place is a combination of mall, hotel, and places to eat or do some exercises. This place is very popular with roof top swimming pool and Sky Park that has rooftop restaurant. You can enjoy dinner while seeing the beauty of night sky in Singapore. A canal is located inside the building where many guests can take a tour around the place by using sampan, a traditional boat. It has amazing decoration, which is supported by extravagant products such as Louis Vuitton Cartier, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Patek Philippe, and many more.

Things to do in Marina Bay Sand, Singapore


Marina Bay has become an extraordinary area that reflects both dynamic rhythm and leisure time. You are able to do some business activities and enjoy your free time in this place. This place offers complete facilities that will support all kinds of your movement. You are able to do sky, land, and sea activities in Marina Bay.

The famous place in Marina Bay is Marina Bay Sands. The hotel has more than 50 floors with amazing roof top pool. You are able to enjoy the beauty of Singapore from the height. There, you will certainly feel the beat if you dare to swim in the pool and go to the edge while seeing surround you. Another thing to do at the top of this hotel is doing the jump or sky walk at the sky park. Alternatively, you may enjoy the night club, eat and drink in the restaurant, or enjoy the scenery from the top of the deck area if you lose your confidence. Even more, you can take a sky flyer for seeing the whole Marina Bay above the sky. Doing ice skating may be a good choice for having enjoyable time with family or friends. Learning how to play ice skating in indoor area will be the best experience.

Shopaholics may have a great time when visiting Marina Bay sands. They are able to find many branded product from famous designer. The sparkling of jewelry can be found here. You will be entertained by live jazz music after go shopping at weekend. If it is not enough, you are able to enjoy riding small boat called sampan indoor area along the canal area in the shopping mall area. This sampan will take you enjoy the short trip and feel relax after going through discount sale.

Marina Bay City Gallery will be a place where you can learn more about Marina Bay history. The amazing transformation process of Marina Bay into a modern city will be clearly described here. If you are hunger of art sensation, you are able to visit some hotels in Marina Bay that have gallery of art. Many unique works of art from creative artist are displayed.

A garden by the Marina Bay super park is next place to go for refreshing. You will gain more energy by visiting 101 hectare gardens with unbelievable building structure. Here you will experience various kinds of climate all over the world. You may go to tropical forest for the real experience of living in tropical climate area. Even more, a Mediterranean clime is exactly copied while visiting flower dome area. The habitat is seasonally adjusted as in their original habitat. This garden has giant artificial trees that are called as super trees. It is very tall with 16 building parts, which is useful for collecting solar energy. What do you think about climbing these trees?

Travel Guide : Transport from Changi Airport to City Center


You have several ground transportation services options: Taxis, MRT train, public buses, airport shuttle, limousine taxis, and car rentals.

1. Taxi

Perhaps the fastest and most convenient way to travel. At all 4 terminals, you will find a taxi rank, where fully licensed taxis will take you anywhere. Taxi pick-up points are located at all airport arrival levels. In Singapore, all taxis run to a meter. At the airport, you will see a big official sign saying "Fare to city approx S$15". There could be some surcharges on top of your fare including midnight-6am surchage (add 50%), airport surcharge (S$3 weekdays, S$5 weekends). Also the passenger will have any road toll charges added to the fare (e.g. those entering the city during office hours). Just note that there are many officially licensed taxi companies in Singapore, and your taxis might be blue, black, grey, white, cream, yellow, red, or green in colour.
The journey to the city is estimated to cost from S$18.00 (about Php 594) and takes approximately 30 minutes.

2. Limo

Mercedes E-class taxis.

3. Minivan taxi or shuttle to town hotels

Seats up to 6 adults.

4. MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)

This is the public electric train system, partially overground and some underground. Changi airport has a station located at Terminal 2 and 3. This is a safe, cheap and convenient way to travel into town. Changi airport is on the East-West line, while getting to Orchard Station requires a platform change.

Travel from airport to City Hall (suntec area) is about 30 minutes, while to Orchard is about 45 minutes. Only one minor issue, tickets sales are cash (local currency) only.The first train arrives at around 0530hr and the last leaves at 2318hr. A single fare to the city costs about S$2.70 (Php 89), inclusive of S$1.00 refundable deposit, and takes approximately 27 minutes. Tickets are available at the station.

5. Public bus

There are public buses that depart from Changi Airport to various places. These are airconditioned. You need to however pay exact fare, as there is no change given. Perhaps the most useful bus for tourists would be #36, which goes to Suntec and on to Orchard road. The first bus arrives at around 0600hr and the last leaves at midnight. A single fare costs S$2.00 (Php 66) and takes about an hour. Bus stops are located under Terminals 1, 2 or 3. Please prepare the exact fare as no change will be given.

6. Others

For more information on ground transportation options and fares, please visit www.changiairport.com.sg.

Singapore Public Holidays 2013


Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has announced official Singapore public holiday calendar for 2013. Based on the holiday calendar, there are eleven days of public holiday in 2013. Many of them falls on either Monday or Friday, making five long weekends to look forward to.

Many of the Singapore public holidays dates are based on religious calendar or lunar calendar, thus the dates changes every year. Here is the list of holiday dates in 2013.

Singapore Holidays 2013

New Year’s Day 2013
Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Chinese New Year 2013
Sunday, 10 February 2013 ^
Monday, 11 February 2013

Good Friday 2013
Friday, 29 March 2013

Labour Day 2013
Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Buddhist Vesak Day 2013
Friday, 24 May 2013

Hari Raya Puasa 2013
Thursday, 8 August 2013

Singapore National Day 2013
Friday, 9 August 2013

Hari Raya Haji 2013
Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Deepavali 2013
Sunday, 3 November 2013 *

Christmas Day 2013
Wednesday, 25 December 2013

*) Since Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, the next weekday, which is Tuesday, 12 February 2013 will be substitute holiday.
**) Deepavali date of 2013 will need to be checked against the Indian Almanac when it is available. If there is no change to the date, it will fall on a Sunday and Monday 4 November 2013 will be substitute holiday.

Singapore Long Weekends 2013

Some holidays are called as long weekends, happen when the public holiday falls on a Friday, Sunday, or Monday, which in effect adding one or two days to the weekend days-off. These long weekends are popular travel dates among Singaporeans as well as foreigners working in Singapore as it means they can take less days off their annual leave entitlement. Taking into considerations the Singapore public holidays 2013 dates, followings are Singapore long weekends 2013.

Chinese New Year 2013
Off-days: 5 days ( Saturday, 9 February 2013 – Tuesday, 12 February 2013 )

Good Friday 2013
Off-days: 3 days ( Friday, 29 March 2013 – Sunday, 31 March 2013 )

Vesak Day 2013
Off-days: 3 days ( Friday, 24 May 2013 – Sunday, 26 May 2013 )

Hari Raya Puasa 2013 – Singapore National Day 2013
Off-days: 4 days ( Thursday, 8 August 2013 – Sunday, 11 August 2013 )

Deepavali 2013
Off-days: 3 days ( Saturday, 2 November 2013 – Monday, 4 November 2013 )

As you can see, plenty of vacation times in 2013 for Singaporeans. The only holidays which does not form long weekends are New Year’s Day, Labour Day, Hari Raya Haji and Christmas. Furthermore, taking into account that New Year’s Eve is usually pretty holiday mood, and lots of people taking day off, New Year’s Day (Tuesday) also sort of falling into the long-weekend category.

Happy Singapore Holidays 2013 !!!

Source : NineHolidays.Com

Amazing of Marina Bay Sand


Hearing the name of Marina Bay Sands, people would directly think about one of the great things Singapore ever had. Officially opened in April 2010, this tourism site instantly becomes the glorious, iconic, and luxurious ever built in Singapore. Sometimes, people would not believe you ever stepped in Singapore if you did not have this Marina Bay Sands on your traveling list. To find where it is located, actually it is quite easy, as it lays in the Singapore tourism icons such as Esplanade, Merlion Statue, and Singapore Flyer.

The physical look of the main building of this site is a kind like three tall and separated building or a kind like towers that are connected under one roof made like a boat roof. It is built actually with the aim for entertainment, business, and shopping center. The location itself can be said as strategic, which is in the middle of heart business in Singapore. It is named Marina Bay Sands, because the building was built just side by side with the Marina Bay. In its main building, there is a fifty five floor of Marina Bay Sands hotel consisting of more than 2500 rooms offered.


Besides, in that hotel, there are restaurants, bars, lounges, spas facilities. At the top of the building, the boat roof, there built the Marina Bay Sands’ popular site especially for couples, which is the Sands Sky Park on its 57th floor. There, you cannot just enjoying the foods, but you can also do the swimming on its infinity pool or sitting on its big park while seeing the gorgeous 360 degrees of Singapore panorama from the high.

In this unique building, there are so many other luxurious facilities offered, let me say the casinos, hotels, theaters, restaurants, shopping centers. For shopaholic, there are so many branded and high quality fashion stores and boutique here. For art lovers, two sophisticated theater with about 4000 chairs are ready to serve you. For music lovers, the music live performance, up to an exclusive music concert are performed in occasionally schedules. Read : Things to do in Marina Bay Sand.

Finally yet importantly, don’t miss to step on its museum that presents the most valuable and world class artworks. For reaching this site, it can be reached through a pedestrian bridge opened in 2010, named the Helix Bridge. This bridge connects the Esplanade up to MBS. To reach the bridge, you can have the MRT circular Line to the Esplanade station.

Source : NineHolidays

4 Interesting Facts about the Orchard Road Singapore



Singapore is one of the countries that own a world’s famous road, namely the Orchard Road. And Singapore is one of the countries that are considered favorite for its shopping traveling. Here in the Orchard Road is where you can find the best shopping site ever in the world, but most particularly in South East Asia. I also might call it as the shopaholic heaven, as along the road; there are big malls with so many famous fashion brands.

Apparently, Orchard Road is not just famous for its huge shopping centers for travelers, but there are some facts that draw or even take it as a role model for having the same concept in their country. So, without further waiting, here are four interesting facts about the Orchard Road Singapore:

1. Massive underground road

Being such a long time of two ways road, it changed its way into one-way road in 1974. But people still don’t pay lots of attention to the fact that this area has massively underground road infrastructure, including the underground pedestrian that connect the road one mall to another. The brilliant thing about the making of underground road is that it can be one way of flood prevention. When the flood occurs, the underground road becomes the water tunnel.

2. Spots for Many Famous Sites

Along the area of Orchard Road, there lay loads of famous sites and this becoming what great thing of Singapore, which is to specialize its tourism sites into one area. It is starting from the presidential palace at the southernmost of the road, up to Botanic Gardens at the north part. On Scott Roads, there is a Goodwood Park Hotel with its colonial architecture and a monument. In particularly the intersection of Scott Roads and Orchard Road, there is the first high class department store, TANGS.

3. Well Arrange of Malls, Hotels and Transportations

This is actually, what Orchard Road is all about, the integration of malls, hotels, and transportations. It is in fact, more than twenty hotels, and more than twenty malls as well that spread along the area. Besides, the transportations here are arranged and maintained in quite excellent way. There are three big train stations, more than ten bus stops, and taxis.

4. The most happening public rooms

The aims of developing the Orchard Road are apparently not only for the heavenly spots of shopping centers, but for the place of public as well. This area has become the place, where people do meeting others, and hangs out with others. At along 2.4 kilos, the pedestrians, cafes, and malls are always full with people, this fact is what makes the area becoming the longest and the most happening public rooms ever built in Singapore.