Singapore

The Beginners Travel Guide to Singapore is overview of practical information, interesting places to visit, best time to visit, festivals and the latest Singapore articles.

The city-state of Singapore is a relative small island south of the Malaysian state of Johor. Within a couple of decades Singapore grew into a metropolis. Despite the ethnic diversity of the population the city is predominant Chinese (74%). The second largest group are the Malay (13%) and after that the Indians (9%). The government setup a framework (CMIO) of multiracialism development. The framework manage the diversity and differences in Singapore. They integrate the ethnic groups into a single culture. Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in the 19^th century. There was no sizeable native population around that time. The population originated from three groups of immigrants when Singapore became a free port.

Interesting places to visit

The city has a rich cultural life with excellent museums like the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Museum of Singapore. The centre of Singapore is divided in two areas by the Singapore river. South of the river is Chinatown. The architecture does not only consist of metal and glass skyscrapers but is mixed with colonial buildings like Raffles Hotel. The monumental area from the British colonial period is situated north of the river. Neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam are amazing to experience and taste the cultural diversity. Singapore is a shopping paradise with Orchard Road as the best known area.

There are many attractions to visit. The Zoo, Jurong Bird Park and Underwater World on Sentosa Island are great places to visit with kids. Go for a walk at the Botanical Gardens or go to the extremely popular Gardens by the Bay. Don’t forget to visit the two largest greenhouses: the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. Gardens by the Bay is created to raise the quality of life within the city. The gardens are the national icon of Singapore.

Festivals

The diversity of festivals is amazing because of the ethnic diversity in Singapore. The Chinese, Malays and Indians each celebrate their own holidays and festivals. Most of the festivals follow the lunar calendars whereby the dates are different each year. I’ve listed a few festivals below to give you an idea. For a complete list of festivals throughout the year check the Festival & Events list of Visit Singapore.

Chinese New Year: celebrated with a parade of dancing dragons and fireworks.

Hari Raya Puasa: the holiday celebrated after the day of the Ramadan. An official holiday in Singapore.

Hari Raya Haji: celebrated on the occasion of the pilgrimage to Mecca. This day is an official holiday in Singapore.

Qingming: A Chinese festival in memory of deceased ancestors. The festival takes places on the 15^th day from the Spring Equinox, around 4^th ,5^th or 6^th of April.

Vesak: Buddhists celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

Dragon Boat Festival: celebrated on the 5^th day of the 5^th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The festival is not a public holiday but an admired cultural event.

National Holiday of Singapore: Celebrated on the 9^th of August.

Navaratri Festival: celebrated for nine days in October. The festival honours the wives of the Hindu gods Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

Diwali: In October or November Hindus celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. They lead Lord Rama home after returning from his exile.

Personal Travel Guide

Do you need help planning your trip? Or an extra hand with arranging hotels, transport and guides? I can help you. Read the services page to know more or send me a message via the contact form. Let me know about your interests and expectations. I’m looking forward to assist you.

Practical info

Currency: Singapore Dollar (SGD)

ATM: Most ATM’s accept Mastercard, Visa and Maestro. Be sure to bring a credit card in case a maestro-card doesn’t work. A tip: withdrawing money from an ATM is cheaper when using a credit card instead of using a debit card.

Official languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English

Symbolic National language: Malay

Religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other religions

Visa: Most nationalities don’t require a visa and can stay for 30 days or 90 days. Read the article about visa Singapore for more information.

Local SIM Card: The easiest way to get a local Singapore SIM-card is at Changi Airport. There are several booths and shops that sell SIM-cards. Check out the list of shops at each terminal of Changi Airport.

Country Code: +65

Time: UTC +8 (Singapore Standard Time)

Official Tourism Website: The Official website for Singapore is Visit Singapore. Check out the site to explore the city, find places to eat, check if there are festivals during your stay in SG or read the latest news.

Practical info: Are you planning a trip to Singapore and you need some practical info? Read the ultimate planning guide when you are going for a long term journey or download the packing list. I share tips about setting up a travel budget. Or find out the best travel apps to use.

Sustainable travel: I have written a few articles about sustainable travel. I give tips about how to make your trip more sustainable and how to fly more sustainable. I believe even the smallest effort can help.

Public Transport

From Changi Airport to the city

Changi International Airport is situated 20km east of Singapore. The metro is open from the early morning to almost midnight. Within 30 mins you arrive in the city centre. Every 15 or 30 minutes a shuttle bus departs from the airport to your hotel. Shuttle busses usually takes longer especially when you are the last one to be dropped off. Another option is to take a taxi to the city.

Metro & Bus

An easy and cheap way to go around in Singapore is by metro (MRT). The efficient and clean metro network starts at 5.30a until midnight. Check out the rates of day- or multiple day passes. It can be cheaper to buy a multiple day pass.

Buses go everywhere, even to the more remote corners of Singapore. When you pay cash make sure to pay the exact price because the driver doesn’t have change.

Taxi

The most comfortable transport mode is a taxi. There are many taxi’s in the city. Officially you have to wait at a taxi stand but it is possible to hail a taxi on the street. Drivers in Singapore are polite and speak English.

Best time to go

Singapore is a year-round destination. December and January is the peak tourist season because of the holidays, Christmas, New Years and Chinese New Year. The best time to go is between February and April. These months have the least amount of rain. There is no monsoon season. Singapore experiences rain every month of the year.