SINGAPORE

INTRODUCTION

Singapore has traded in its rough-and-ready opium dens and pearl luggers for towers of concrete and glass, and its steamy rickshaw image for hi-tech wizardry, but you can still recapture the colonial era with a gin sling under the languorous ceiling fans at Raffles Hotel. At first glance, Singapore appears shockingly modern and anonymous, but this is an undeniably Asian city with Chinese, Malay and Indian traditions from feng shui to ancestor worship creating part of the everyday landscape. It’s these contrasts that bring the city to life. One day you’re in a hawker stall melting over a bowl of Indian curry, the next you’re enjoying high tea in whispered environs complete with air-con, starched linen table cloths and gliding waiters. Super-safe and mega-clean Singapore may be, but its sultry rhythms wash inexorably beneath the regimented beat of big-city life. In the crowded streets of Chinatown , fortune tellers, calligraphers and temple worshippers are still a part of everyday life. In Little India, you can buy the best sari material, freshly ground spices or a picture of your favourite Hindu god. In the small shops of Arab St , the cry of the imam can be heard from the nearby Sultan Mosque.

Language: English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil.

Religion: 42% Buddhist, 15% Muslim, 14% Christian, 9% Taoist, 4% Hindu

Currency: Singapore Dollar (S$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of S$10,000, 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2. Coins are in denominations of S$1, and 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

The currency of Brunei is also legal tender; 1 Brunei Dollar = 1 Singapore Dollar.

ACTIVITIES

If shopping is not providing enough physical exertion there are plenty of other options for shaking it about. Given the polluted waters, none of Singapore ‘s beaches are particularly great for swimming. A better option, if you’re not staying at a hotel with its own pool, are the excellent public swimming complexes. Further watersport options include windsurfing and sailing off the beaches, while dragonboat racing at the watersports centre is popular with locals and expats alike.

Cycling enthusiasts can take two wheels through the streets or on nature trails, and walking is still one of the best ways to get around. Singapore has plenty of golf courses, though some are members only or don’t allow visitors to play on weekends. Tennis and squash facilities are also readily available.

WEATHER

Warm and fairly humid summer temperatures throughout the year (approximately 30?C/86?F during the day and 23?C/74?F in the evening). There is no distinct wet/dry season. Most rain falls during the northeast monsoon (November to January) and showers are usually sudden and heavy. Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens.

ATTRACTIONS

Arab St

The Muslim centre of Singapore is a traditional textile district, full of batiks from Indonesia , silks, sarongs and shirts. Add to this mix rosaries, flower essences, hajj caps, songkok hats, basketware and rattan goods, and you have a fair idea of the products haggled over in this part of the city. The grand Sultan Mosque is the biggest and liveliest mosque in Singapore , but the tiny Malabar Muslim Jama-ath Mosque is the most beautiful. There’s fine Indian Muslim food along nearby North Bridge Rd and the foodstalls on Bussorah St are especially atmospheric at dusk during Ramadan.

Chinatown

Chinatown is Singapore ‘s cultural heart and still provides glimpses of the old ways with its numerous temples, decorated terraces and its frantic conglomeration of merchants, shops and activity. Gentrified restaurants and expensive shops are gradually overtaking the venerable incense-selling professions.

Colonial Singapore

The mark of Sir Stamford Raffles is indelibly stamped on central Singapore . By moving the business district south of the river and making the northern area the administrative centre, Raffles created the framework that remained the blueprint for central Singapore through generations of colonial rule and the republican years of independence. Places of interest include: Empress Place Building, an imposing Victorian structure, built in 1865, that houses a museum, art and antique galleries and a chic restaurant; the incongruous Padang, where flannelled cricketers once caught, bowled and batted in the searing heat; Raffles Hotel, a Singaporean institution which has become a byword for oriental luxury; and any number of imposing churches, such as St Andrew’s Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Jurong

Jurong Town , west of the city centre, is a huge industrial and housing area that is the powerhouse of Singapore ‘s economy. This might seem an unlikely spot for a number of Singapore ‘s tourist attractions but it is home to the Haw Par Villa (an incredibly tacky Chinese mythological theme park), the beautifully landscaped Jurong Bird Park , Chinese Garden and the hands-on Singapore Discovery Centre.

Little India

This modest but colourful area of wall-to-wall shops, pungent aromas and Hindi film music is a relief from the prim modernity of many parts of the city. This is the place to come to pick up that framed print of a Hindu god you’ve always wanted, eat great vegetarian food and watch streetside cooks fry chapatis.

Orchard Rd

Dominated by high-class hotels this is the playground of Singapore ‘s elite, who are lured by the shopping centres, nightspots, restaurants, bars and lounges. A showcase for the material delights of capitalism, Orchard Rd also possesses some sights of cultural interest where a credit card is not required.

Sentosa Island

The granddaddy of Singapore ‘s parks, Sentosa Island is the city-state’s most visited attraction. It has museums, aquariums, beaches, sporting facilities, walks, rides and food centres. If a day isn’t enough to take in all the sites and activities, the island has a camping ground, hostel and luxury hotels

SHOPPING

The vast range of available goods and competitive prices have led to Singapore rightly being known as a shopper’s paradise. Special purchases include Chinese, Indian, Malay, Balinese and Filipino antiques; batiks; cameras; Chinese, Persian and Indian carpets; imported or tailored clothing; jewellery and specialised items made of reptile and snake skins, including shoes, briefcases, handbags and wallets. Silks, perfumes, silverware and wigs are other favourite buys. The herding of shop owners from ‘ Chinatown ‘ into multi-storey complexes lost some of the exciting shopping atmosphere, although these huge centres do provide an air-conditioned environment. Orchard Road is the main shopping street, although many of the large hotel complexes, such as Marina Square , have shopping centres attached. Although most outlets operate Western-style fixed pricing, bargains can still be made in some places but generally only after good research and shrewd negotiating. Electrical equipment of all types can be bought at Sungei Road , but caution is advised as there are many imitation products around. For more information on shopping in Singapore , see the Singapore Shopping brochure published by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2100, Sat 1000-2200.

Note: A 3 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied on most goods and services purchased from taxable retailers. Tourists whose purchases total S$300 or more from a single retailer participating in the Tourist Refund Scheme are eligible for a refund of the GST paid on goods not consumed in Singapore . Refunds may be received at the airport, prior to departure flights .

DINING

Singapore is a gourmet’s paradise, ranging from humble street stalls to five-star restaurants. There are over 30 different cooking styles, including various regional styles of Chinese cuisine, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Swiss, American, Russian, French and English. Malay cuisine is a favourite, famed for its use of spices and coconut milk. Satay (skewers of marinated meat cooked over charcoal) served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onion and rice is popular. Hot, spicy or sweet Indonesian cuisine includes beef rendang (coconut milk beef curry), chicken sambal and gado gado (a fruit and vegetable salad in peanut sauce). One of the best ways to eat in Singapore is in the open, at one of the ubiquitous street foodstalls. Some are quiet and casual while others are in areas bustling with activity. All have a vast selection of cheap, mouthwatering food. Newton Circus and La Pau Sat are food centres where all types of Asian food can be sampled cheaply. Although there are many self-service establishments, waiter service is more common in restaurants.

Bars/cocktail lounges often have table and counter service. There are no licensing hours. ‘Happy hours’ are usually from 1700-1900.