Arrival:
Changi International Airport 16km east of the city serves Singapore. Two terminals connected by a Skytrain Monorail are considered some of the best in the world. Flights from Tioman Island (Malaysia) set down at Seletar Airport in the North of the island. Taxis, buses and MRT Trains connect to downtown.

Facilities at the airport include free Internet, Left Luggage, 24 hour Post Office, hotel reservations, day rooms for a quick nap, saunas, business centres and car rental.

Good cheap Singapore food can be found in the basement food centre of Terminal 1.
Look for free maps , the "This Week Singapore" magazine put out by the Singapore Tourism Board, and "Where Singapore" a what's on magazine.

The underground train goes to downtown for S$1.40 approx. takes 30 minutes.
Bus departs from the basement of both Terminals. 6am-midnight every 10 minutes, S$1.50
Taxis: A S$3-5 surchage on the fare, so about S$15 to downtown, 20 minutes.
MaxiCab: 6 seater minibus will take you to your hotel for a flat S$7 fare.
Seletar Airport to Downtown, taxi is about S$15 plus S$3 surchage.
For more information and up-to-date flight schedules of all airlines at Changi Airport, visit the Changi Airport site www.changi.airport.com.sg
Departure Tax is S$21.
See List of Airlines - Link above.

Tourist Offices:
See Travel Agents page for complete list
Tourist Information Offices at the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board office at 1 Orchard Spring Rd. (Tel. 1800-738-3778). Liang Court Shopping Centre, level 1, 177 River Valley Rd. (Tel: 63362888). 01-35 Suntec City mall, 3 Temasek Blvd. (Tel: 1800-3325066). 01-01 Prinsep Place, 44 Prinsep St. 9tel: 63363660). 01-20a CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St. (tel: 63382529). Also at Raffles Hotel Arcade, North Bridge Rd.
Government website www.visitsingapore.com has attractions, events, a virtual tour and hotels search.

Customs:
One litre of alcohol is duty free. Cigarettes are not duty free. Importing chewing gum is banned. Illegal drugs are banned of course and have very severe penalties, 15 grams of heroin is a death penalty.

Accomodation:
Much more expensive than other countries in the region. A dormitory in a guest house is S$10, a double room in a guest house or cheap hotel is about S$45. Mid range hotels are S$45-60. Then of course you can stay at Raffles. Orchard Rd. has the highest number of international hotels. At the airport the Singapore Hotels Association has counters with a wide selection at competitive prices.

New budget airlines are a lot cheaper for trips to Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc. Valueair and Tiger Airways are two of them.

LAND:
Cars arrive using the second Causeway from Johor and along the Ayer Rajah Expressway. Most vehicles, buses and trains use the old Causeway into Woodlands then to downtown.

Buses from the Ban San Bus Station (cnr. of Queen St. and Arab St.) go to Johor Bahru every 15 minutes (1 hour, S$2,40). Also 3 a day to Kuala Lumpur.
From the Lavender St. Bus Station (near cnr. of Kallang Bahru) long distance buses go to Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and the east coast of Malaysia, Kuantan (7 hours), Kota Bharu (12 hours). Many travel agents sell bus tickets. Many buses to Thailand and the north west (Penang, Ipoh, Butterworth, Alor Setar) leave from the Golden Mile Complex (5001 Beach Rd.).

TRAIN. The main station is on Keppel Rd. (tel: 222 5165) south west of Chinatown. You can book all trains in Malaysia here. Three trains a day go to Kuala Lumpur, S$19-68 on express trains and S415-60 on ordinary trains. Timetable at www.ktmb.com.my
Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Penang - Bangkok. Leaves daily from Singapore, change trains at Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth or Hat Yai. Singapore to Bangkok is 1,946 km or about 1,249 miles, travel time is about 48 hours. costs US$ 50 one-way including comfortable sleeping-berths

Any ticket bought in Singapore will cost twice as much as one picked up and paid for in Malaysia, so it is better to buy just the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur ticket at Singapore station, then buy the Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth and Butterworth to Bangkok tickets at Kuala Lumpur station. You can also book the KL to Butterworth and Butterworth to Bangkok trains in advance, using internet or email , the Keratapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) website www.ktmb.com.my - look for 'e-ticketing'. The ticket office in Singapore accepts American Express credit cards, but not Visa or MasterCard. The site has train times and fares also for Malaysia.

When leaving Singapore by train, you will need to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure (they may tell you an hour) to allow for clearance of Malaysian customs, which takes place at the station before boarding. Singapore customs formalities now take place at the modern terminal at Woodlands, just before the causeway linking Singapore island to mainland Malaysia. At Woodlands, you will need to leave the train with your luggage in order pass through the passport/customs hall, before re-boarding the train.
The Singapore - Kuala Lumpur overnight train has one luxury sleeping-car, marketed as 'Selesa', with 1- or 2-berth rooms with en suite toilet and shower - from just RM110 (£19) one-way
The Eastern and Oriental Express: The luxurious and expensive way to travel from Singapore to Bangkok (1900km about 41 hours). Stops at Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Butterworth, finishing at Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok. Goes 1-2 times a week depending on season. Restaurants and entertainment on board, like a hotel on wheels. The 2 nights Singapore-Bangkok is US$1450 approx.
Bookings at E&O Services 32-01/3 Shaw Towers, 100 Beach Rd. Tel: 63923500 or in Bangkok at Sea Tours Co. Ltd. 8th Floor, Phayathai Plaza, 128 Phayathai Rd. Tel: 02165783.

SEA. You can get to Indonesia via the Islands of the Riau Archipelago then to Sumatra or Java. Ferries go daily from the World Trade Centre opposite Sentosa Island to Sekupand or and Pulau Batam (S$17 30 mins) about every half-hour (7:30am - 8pm). No visa is needed at Bintan or Batam.
High speed catamarans go to Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island, Malaysia) booking at Auto Batam (tel:271 4886) at the World Trade Centre, leaving from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (S$90/148. four hours, 8:15am), but not in monsoon season, Nov-Feb.
To/From Malaysia. Bumboats go from Kampung Pengerang on the South-East coast of Johor to Changi Village, beyond the Airport, from there a No.2 Bus goes to Downtown via Geylang, Victoria and New Bridge Roads.

GETTING AROUND:

MRT (Mass Rapid Transit system, Underground train):
Very efficient and extensive. Tickets by coin at machines or a stored value card.

BUS: Extensive sevices. Get a route map of course. Fares from 70 cents - $1.50 depending on distance. You need coins, no change is given on the bus.

TAXIS are everywhere, all are metered, flagfall is S$2.40 for first km, surchages apply to airport, midnight-6am, phone bookings and tollways. TIBS Taxis (tel: 65558888) have wheelchair access taxis.

BICYCLE rental is offered by Wheelpower. 01-09 Sunshine Plaza, 91 Bencoolen St. (Tel: 1800-2382388) for S$28 per day. More rental companies are along East Coast Parkway, where the popular Bike Path goes. There are Bike trails at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (Bike & Hire Tel: 67638382, 382 Upper Bukit Timah Rd. S$6 per hour).
Dirt tracks crisscross Pulau Ubin (Island), off Changi Point at the eastern tip of the Island, shops at the Island jetty hire bikes for S$4-8 per hour.
Bike Hire also available for seeing Sentosa Island S$2-5 per hour.

NIGHTLIFE:
Singapore has a lots of clubs and bars, home to Zouk (www.zoukclub.com), Asia's premier nightspot . Nightspots tend to be centralised in selected areas, making club-hopping convenient and fun.

The newest and hottest place in town is the Fullerton Hotel - a fully restored former colonial-era post office, which is now a stylish 5-star hotel. Complete with a delectable array of dining facilities, the Fullerton is also home to Post Bar.
Right across from the hotel is One Fullerton, a stretch of up-market establishments for wining and dining. Embargo, Lola and Centro (one of the city's hottest dance clubs) are located there as well.

Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, home to a host of pubs and eateries, continues to be a favourite haunt for by tourists and locals looking for some laid-back and fun entertainment. Molly Malone's Irish Pub, The Penny Black, Six, Mad Monk's Bar, Hideout, Harry's Bar, BQ Bar, Brewerkz, Cafe Iguana are some not-to-be-missed waterholes.

Tanjong Pagar, encompassing the Chinatown districts of Club Street, Pagoda Street and Trengganu Street, has experienced a renaissance of sorts. Trendy wine bars, cafés, art galleries and media houses occupy the premises of former shop houses. Home to advertising and design firms by day, the pub-strewn neighbourhood comes alive after 6pm for those in search of a quick fix.
Indochine along Club Street and Beaujolais on Ang Siang Hill are popular with those in the creative business. Look out for Boom Boom Room (Singapore's premiere cabaret joint), Union Square, Union Bar, Bar Sa Vanh, Beaujolais, The Club by Aphrodisiac.

For a candle-lit courtyard ambience and prices to match, CHIJMES,a short walk from City Hall MRT station, is hard to beat. Refurbished from an old Gothic-style school and chapel, it offers a unique experience on it's own.
Other than a chic assortment of fine restaurants and cafés, the wine bars and pubs are worth a check! -Isomnia, Liberte, Maracas, Ocho, China Jump just to name a few.

Mohammad Sultan Road and Robertson Walk, with its stretch of bustling pubs and clubs, are popular with the younger set of students and 20-something professionals. Chock-a-block on weekends, nightspots like Double O,Madam Wong, Siam Supper Club, Newsroom Bar, En Louge, Coyote Ugly, East Side, Front Page, Liquid Room and Soundbar @ the liquid room in the nearby Gallery Hotel, are choice picks in the area.

ATTRACTIONS:
River Boat and Harbour tours are popular at around S$33-70 for half and full day.
Singapore River Cruise boats (Tel: 63366111, 9am-11pm) go from Boat Quay and also the Raffles landing, S$12 for a short Bumboat cruise.
Singapore Explorer (Tel: 63396833, 9am-11pm), go from Clarke Quay, Merlion Park and Raffles Place for a similar river trip. They also run river taxis from Merlion Park to Robertson Quay.
Other companies operate from Clifford Pier offering everything from luxury catamaran trips around the southern islands to dinner on a "Tongkang" (Chinese sailing boat).
You can hire a Bumboat at Clifford Pier for maybe S$25 per hour if you bargain.

The Islands: Singapore is a main island with over 50 surrounding islets. Some of Singapore's smaller islands offer a quiet respite from the big city with their laid-back ambience, idyllic beaches and inviting waters.
Sentosa Island is hilly jungle covered and has a few clean but not exciting beaches. Two or so resorts and lots of manufactured tourist attractions like dolphin feeding and a dinosaur park. Get there by the very high cable cars or by bus over the bridge. Entry fee is S$2.

Pulau Ubin is an island off the northeastern coast of Singapore, shaped like a boomerang and covered by low hills. This offshore island is being developed into a nature park complete with trails, shelters, camping sites, chalets and other basic amenities. A window into Singapore 30 years ago - thatched huts, backyard orchards, dirt tracks and interesting wildlife.

To enjoy the natural vegetation and the laidback kampong atmosphere, you should try leisure walking or cycling. Bicycles can be rented at the village. The trails have been upgraded to facilitate trekking and basic amenities like toilets and shelters are available for the convenience of visitors.

Much of its natural environment will be preserved in the development programme and visitors can still experience the rustic village atmosphere encompassing granite quarries, coconut and rubber plantations, mangrove swamps, fish and prawn farms, and traditional fishing "kelongs".

Located at the eastern tip of Pulau Ubin is a natural beach called Chek Jawa, on which marine life such as the horseshoe crab and sand dollar, a disc-shaped member of the star-fish family, live. It also houses sea-grass meadows that habour carpet and peacock anemones, as well as coral rubble that is home to sponges of various hues. Visits to Chek Jawa are on a first-come-first-served basis and only when there are low tides. To book, call the National Parks Board at Tel: (65) 6542 4108. For more information on Chek Jawa, visit the Habitat News website.
Enjoy a sumptuous meal at a seafood restaurant, and cap off your stay with a visit to the colourful Thai and magnificent Ma Chor temples by the seashore.

Getting There: Take the MRT to Tanah Merah Station (EW4), then take SBS bus 2 or 29 to Changi Village bus interchange, followed by a 10-minute boat ride from the Changi Point jetty. Cost of the boat ride is SGD 2 and the service operates from 6am to 11pm.

St. John's Island, a former penal colony which has been transformed into a tranquil resort with abundant watersport activities and holiday bungalows, makes an ideal getaway.
Kusu or "Turtle" Island is best known for its legend of how a giant turtle turned itself into an island in order to save two shipwrecked sailors, a Malay and a Chinese. Lazarus and Sisters Islands are some of the other easily accessible tropical paradises known for snorkelling and diving. Simply catch a ferry from the Singapore Cruise Centre at the World Trade Centre or hire your own boat from Jardine Steps, Clifford Pier or the Changi Jetty.

Changi Museum. Just up the road from the infamous Changi Prison where World War II prisoners of war were held by the Japanese forces in very harsh conditions. The prison is still in use and drug offenders are periodically executed here. The Museum is open 9:30am-4pm daily and is free entry. www.changimuseum.com It has a recreated Cell, a gallery of art by prisoners, a replica wooden chapel, a shop and photographs.
Get there from Chinatown and Victoria St. by Bus No.2. or MRT to Tanah Merah Station then take Bus. No.2.

Chinatown evolved around 1821 when the first Chinese junk arrived from Xiamen, Fujian province in China. The passengers, all men, set up home around the south of the Singapore River which is known today as Telok Ayer. Conditions were harsh. The only source of fresh water were from the many wells in Ann Siang Hill and at Spring Street. Each household had to collect fresh water in bullock-drawn carts, hence Chinatown's local name - Niu Che Shui (Bullock Cart Water).
Chinatown can be divided into four main districts - Kreta Ayer, Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Pasoh - each with a distinctive flavour of its own. The heart of activity is in the Trengganu/Smith Streets area.
Getting There: A short walk from Outram Park (EW16) or Chinatown (NE4) MRT Stations

Geylang Serai. The Malays had been living in Singapore long before the Chinese or the Indians, and Geylang became their enclave in the 1840s after the British dispersed the Malay floating village at the mouth of the Singapore River. Together with the large influx of Malaysians and Indonesians, many wealthy Arabs then congregated in Geylang.

In the early 1920s, Kampong Glam's Malay population moved out en-mass to Geylang Serai as a consequence of the keen competition for land in Kampong Glam. Malay influence is still strong in Geylang Serai as reflected in the restaurants and shops specialising in Malay cuisine and ethnic goods, arts and crafts.

In the heart of Geylang Serai is the Malay Village, a vibrant cultural showcase of the Malay community. Discover what it was like to live in a village community 'Kampung Days', which showcases the traditional lifestyle of Malays in the 1950s and 60s. You can also experience traditional Malay arts and crafts like batik painting, kite-making and kampong games such as top spinning.

The Cultural Museum features a fascinating collection of artefacts like weaving tools, musical instruments and an extensive display of a traditional Malay wedding complete with hand-sewn garments, accessories, and a Bridal Chamber. Other attractions within the Malay Village include the Muslim Showcase, Hall of Fame and Geylang Serai Corner, all offering insight into the lives of Malays in Singapore.
At night it also is home to a large number of prostitutes on the street and in small shopfronts.
The Floating Seafood Restaurant sometimes feature cultural performances in the evenings. Call 67484700 to find out the performance dates and times.
Open: Malay Village, 10am - 10pm (daily)
Location: 39 Geylang Serai, Geylang Serai Malay Village, Singapore 409227
Tel: (65) 6748 4700. Fax: (65) 6741 7794
Admission: Free entrance to the village (Extra charges apply for the two attractions, Kampung Days and Cultural Museum: SGD 5 adults and SGD 3 children)
Getting There: Take the MRT to Paya Lebar Station (EW8) and walk towards Geylang Road.

Little India.The first Indian settlers in Singapore arrived with Sir Stamford Raffles as assistants and soldiers back in 1819. In the late 19th century, many more Indian immigrants arrived to find work, be it as labourers to build roads or to take up key positions in the civil service.
Today, Little India is the focal point of Singapore's Indian community. Its spice-scented streets beckon you to a treasure trove of silverware, brassware, ethnic jewellery, jasmine garlands and silk saris. Excellent and cheap food at the many restaurants.

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Singapore is one of only two cities in the world to have a significant area of primary rainforest within its boundaries - the other being Rio de Janeiro. This 164-hectare reserve, only 12 kilometres from the city centre, contains more species of trees than the entire North American continent. At the heart of the reserve lies Singapore's highest point - Bukit Timah Hill, at 164 metres above sea level. Well-marked paths meander through the jungle, and on the way, walkers can spot exotic birds, butterflies, monkeys, squirrels and flying lemurs as well as unique plantlife like the insect-eating pitcher plant. The reserve is an ideal place for hikers.
Open: 8.30am - 6.30pm (daily). Admission: Free. Approximate Touring Time: 3 hours
Location: 177 Hindhede Drive Singapore 589333. Tel: (65) 6468 5736
Getting There: Take the MRT to Newton Station (NS21), then take SMRT Bus 171

Telephone Info:
Country code=65. Area Code=none. Prefix 6 followed by 7 digit phone no.
International access from in Singapore = 001
Enquiries = 03
Police = 999
GPO in Fullerton Rd gives 24 hour access to post, fax and phone.

Money:
Plenty of Banks and money changers. Banks and ATM's will give Credit Card advances and many have online connection to your home savings/cheque account via the Cirrus networkand others.
The currency is the Singapore Dollar. Coins are 1,5,10,20,50 cents and S$1. Notes are S$2,5,10,50,100,500,1000 and a 10,000.
Banking hours are Monday to Friday: 10 am to 3 pm, and Saturday: 9.30 am to 1 pm (some banks are open until 3 pm). Sunday, 9.30 am to 3 pm (some banks in Orchard Road).
Most banks handle travellers' cheques and change foreign currencies. However, some banks do not have foreign exchange dealings on Saturday.
Passports are required when cashing travellers' cheques. A nominal commission may be charged.

Credit card Companies contact:
American Express Tel: (65) 6880 1111
Diners Card Tel: (65) 6416 0800
JCB Tel: (65) 6734 0096
MasterCard Tel: 800 - 110 0113 (toll-free in Singapore only)
Visa Tel: 800 - 448 1250 (toll-free in Singapore only)