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These vtravellers love Singapore
Overview
Singapore is an unlikely success story. Once a simple fishing village, it was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles, an official of the British East India Company, who decided it was the perfect location for a trading station. Since then it has become one of the world’s most prosperous cities.
Singapore, known as the Lion City, is by far the largest and most significant island alongside the others that make up Singapore state. Here, especially at the mouth of the Singapore River, Asian tradition meets modern technology - gleaming skyscrapers tower over traditional architecture, while squat Chinese and Hindu temples stud the city.
A curious blend of ancient and modern, the city is home to an ethnic mix of Chinese, Malays and Indians, as well as expats from all over the world, in a predominantly English-speaking society. These different races live harmoniously thanks to religious tolerance, increased prosperity and stringent no-nonsense laws.
Since the island became an independent Republic in 1965, it has enjoyed a vigorous and successful free trade policy, as introduced by its then Prime Minister (now Minister Mentor) Lee Kuan Yew. This has led to an unprecedented rise in the standard of living (most city dwellers own their own homes) and exponential economic growth, due mainly to the export industry.
The economy and tourist industry have enjoyed recent good health after some earlier pitfalls: Singapore’s healthy economy was dented between 2001 and 2003 during the global recession, it suffered a heavy loss in tourist numbers after September 11 and the SARS outbreak in 2003.
A hearty recovery since 2004 (the year that Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son, was elected prime minister) has seen the unemployment figures falling from 3.4% to just 2.8% by mid-2006. This has gone hand-in-hand with a buoyant 2006 for tourist figures - the all-time high of 9.7 million visitors far exceeded the Singapore Tourist Board’s estimates. Lee was re-elected in 2006.
Its world-beating Changi Airport represents Singapore’s impressive efficiency, cleanliness and technology at its best, although hiding behind that façade is the more sinister means of achieving these qualities. Those breaking the law face canings, corrective work orders and harsh financial penalties, and there are infamous on-the-spot fines for jay-walking or dropping a cigarette, while more serious crimes, such as drug trafficking, are punished by the death penalty.
Yet the financial and business districts are home to a steady stream of well-heeled expats who enjoy a good quality of life. In Singapore, oiling the wheels of success and becoming the best (an economic miracle to show the rest of the world the way) seems paramount. It is frequently voted Asia’s top business destination, and is regarded as one of the finest venues for international conferences, conventions and exhibitions, with a fast-growing market for incentive travel.
All of this business thrives amid a constant flow of festivals and events in the ethnic quarters of Chinatown, Little India and Geylang Serai (traditionally the home of Singapore’s Malay, Arab and Indonesian communities), which mark the many religious and cultural occasions throughout the calendar. These areas have managed to retain some of their cultural identity despite the high-rise growth, modernising and development around them.
Although Raffles Hotel and a rank of good museums furnish insights into the past, modern consumer culture is the most prolific. The Great Singapore Sale dominates the early summer in the city centre, and most visitors to Singapore will indulge in its competitive prices and great selection, especially in electronics equipment. And everybody comes to eat, with food outlets at every step, from traditional hawker centres to modern food courts, Asian specialities to international haute cuisine - reflecting the diversity of ethnic communities that Singapore has long been home to.
© Columbus Travel Media Ltd.
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Feature
Guide
Public Transport
Public transport in Singapore is efficient, ultra-modern, clean, cheap and mostly air-conditioned. TransitLink Hotline (tel: 1 800 225 5663; website: www.transitlink.com.sg) is a one-stop number set up by all the major transport providers (bus, underground etc) to help co-ordinate people’s transport needs (0800-1800 daily except public holidays).
The train system is operated by Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (tel: 1 800 336 8900; website: www.smrtcorp.com.sg). The MRT system extends north-south and east-west with trains every 3 to 6 minutes 0530-0030 daily.
MRT also operate the Light Rapid Transit System (tel: 1 800 336 8900 Mon-Fri 0730-1830; website: www.smrtcorp.com). There are currently 14 LRT stations - the system runs from Bukit Panjang New Town to Choa Chu Kang and Fajar in the suburbs. Trains run every 3 to 5 minutes.
The bus system is operated by the Singapore Bus Service(SBS) (tel: 1 800 225 5663; website: www.sbstransit.com.sg) and SMRT Buses (tel: 1 800 336 8900; website: www.smrtbuses.com.sg). SBS buses run 0600-2400. They also run the BusPlus service (tel: 6481 0166; website: www.busplus.com.sg), which operates during peak hours to shuttle passengers between residential areas and MRT stations or the Central Business District. NightRider night buses, operated by SMRT Buses, run on limited routes between the city centre and residential suburbs until around 0400.
Electronic Smart Cards, known as ez-link Cards (website: www.ezlink.com.sg), may be used on any MRT, LRT or bus journey, and can be purchased and topped up from general ticketing machines at all MRT, LRT, bus stations and also online. They may be topped up to any value. A small deposit is required, which may be returned once the card is returned. These cards may be kept in a wallet or bag and placed near the card reader at ticket gates on trains or on entering a bus.
Taxis
Over 15,000 cheap, metered, safe and air-conditioned taxis ply the city, but their convenience and affordability means they are hard to find during peak hours, especially in the Central Business District (CBD) - and during a downpour. Taxis can be hailed 24 hours a day on the street, as well as at well-marked stands outside most shopping centres and hotels. Fares vary slightly between companies, and are subject to a number of surcharges such as advance booking fees, toll fees, during peak hours or a pick up in the CBD. There is a 50% surcharge 0000-0600 daily, and a S$5 surcharge 1700-2400 Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and surcharges for driving along certain highways at certain times.
It is not customary to tip taxi drivers. Drivers changing shifts will only take passengers heading in their direction - the red board on the dashboard or windscreen indicates the destination. Although there is no longer a bell that rings if the taxi breaks the speed limit, most drivers adhere strictly to the 80kph (50mph) limit. Major taxi firms include CityCab (tel: 6552 2222 (cash payment) or 6553 8888 (credit/charge card payment); website: www.citycab.com.sg), Comfort (tel: 6552 1111; website: www.comfort-transportation.com.sg) and SMRT Taxis (tel: 6369 0111; website: www.smrttaxis.com.sg/website/1/ct_aboutus.html).
Driving in the City
Singapore’s highways are all designated by acronyms - AYE, ECP, CTE, AMK, PIE, ORR and CBD. Various tolls are levied in morning and evening peak hours to relieve congestion on expressways and busy roads, using the Electronic Road Pricing Scheme (ERP), which automatically deducts tolls from the In-Vehicle Unit or IU. This is fitted in all Singaporean vehicles and drivers purchase a rechargeable Cashcard and insert it in the IU. Vehicles that are not fitted with the IU drivers may pay a fixed ERP fee, where S$5 is deducted per day on passing an ERP gantry. This is paid together with the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) and toll charges via the Auto Pass card when departing Singapore. To help traffic flow in the Central Business District, all vehicles entering between 0730 and 1900 are also expected to pay a toll, which varies depending on the time. More information on the ERP is available from the Land Transport Authority (tel: 1 800 225 5582; website: www.lta.gov.sg).
The highways are easy to negotiate and traffic generally moves smoothly thanks to the ERP. Wearing seat belts in the front and back is mandatory and it is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving. Offences are treated seriously, with tough fines and even jail sentences. Singaporean drivers have a habit of lane drifting but otherwise traffic flows with very few abuses of etiquette.
Parking is cheap and easily available all over the city, especially in hotel basement car parks. Rates vary depending on location, management and timing but public car parks cost around S$0.50 per half hour, double that inside the Central Business District. Some require parking coupons; others will take cash.
Car Hire
A valid national driving licence is required, although an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred and is mandatory where the driver’s national licence is not in English. Drivers also require a passport and credit card to hire a car. Minimum third-party insurance is compulsory and can be extended to cover Malaysia. The minimum age limit for hiring a car is 25 years.
Major providers include Avis (tel: 6737 1668; website: www.avisworld.com) and Hertz (tel: 6734 4646; website: www.hertz.com).
Bicycle Hire
Cycling in Singapore tends to be restricted to public parks, with East Coast Park a popular venue for cyclists and rollerbladers. Bicycle hire is available at several outlets in the park, from about S$1.50 per hour. Bicycles can also be hired at Sentosa, Pasir Ris and Bishan parks. The island of Pulau Ubin (see Excursions) has mountain bike facilities, with many hire shops near the jetty.
Introduction
Despite its ultra-modern, futuristic façade, culture and religion remain entwined in Singapore, far more than in the West. Throughout the year, a constant stream of festivals and celebrations in the streets and temples reflect the diverse beliefs and backgrounds of this multicultural society, comprising of Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Sikhs. The Chinese calendar dominates and the Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of all, where everything shuts for several days.
The city’s art scene reflects the flavours of the region, with Malay, Chinese and Indian performances, art and music. Mainstream performing arts are also well represented, culminating in the Singapore Arts Festival (website: www.singaporeartsfest.com) held every June, which attracts international dance, theatre and music groups. Performers from overseas tend to be heavily oversubscribed and tickets should be booked well in advance; local performers are easier to see. Popular events also include local productions of Broadway hits. Free musical and theatrical performances are held regularly in local parks.
Singapore is a good place to view and purchase local and Asian art and its cultural diversity means that local artists cover a broad palette of themes and styles. Notable galleries include the Singapore Art Museum, Bras Basah Road (tel: 6332 3222; website: www.nhb.gov.sg) and Artfolio, Raffles Hotel (tel: 6334 4677; website: www.artfolio.com.sg). Art2 at The Substation, Armenian Street (tel: 6337 7535; website: www.substation.org) specialises in contemporary works and the ARTrium, the galleries on the ground floor of the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, MICA Building, 140 Hill Street (tel: 6270 7988; website: www.mica.gov.sg) is also worth a visit. A full list of independent and commercial art galleries is available from the Art Galleries Association (tel: 6235 4113; website: www.agas.org.sg) and from their member galleries.
Local newspapers (the biggest English-language paper is the Straits Times) carry lists of daily events, and I-S Magazine is a free publication with good listings and reviews for exhibitions, dance, art and music. Additional information can be obtained from the National Arts Council (tel: 6746 4622; website: www.nac.gov.sg) or through the Singapore Tourism Board. Tickets can be booked through Sistic (tel: 6348 5555; website: www.sistic.com.sg) or Ticketcharge (tel: 6296 2929; website: www.ticketcharge.com.sg).
Music: The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (tel: 6338 1230; website: www.sso.org.sg) gives regular performances including every Friday, Saturday and some Sundays at the Victoria Concert Hall, Empress Place (tel: 6338 6125; website: www.vch.org.sg), and at its home, the Esplanade Concert Hall (tel: 6828 8222; website: www.esplanade.com/) as well as open-air concerts. Founded in 1979, the SSO bridges Asian and Western music and has a growing, if still fragile, reputation helped by the occasional international tour. The Singapore Chinese Opera (tel: 6440 3839; website: www.sco.com.sg) performs Chinese opera at its headquarters, the Singapore Conference Hall, 7 Shenton Way (tel: 6440 3839; website: www.sch.org.sg). Singapore Lyric Opera, 155 Waterloo Street (tel: 6336 1929; website: www.singaporeopera.com.sg), usually performs Western classical pieces, occasionally fusion, at assorted venues. The National Arts Council (tel: 6746 4622; website: www.nac.gov.sg) organises alfresco concerts by local arts companies in parks. For a truly local experience, a Wayang is a Chinese Opera, usually in Mandarin. These highly elaborate performances are most often held during August and September during the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Theatre: Local groups are extremely energetic in producing contemporary theatre with an Asian flavour, reflecting Singapore’s ethnic diversity. The newest and largest venue for performing arts, The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive (tel: 6828 8222; website: www.esplanade.com), is a waterfront complex containing a concert hall, recital studio, two theatres and an art gallery. Plays are often performed in Mandarin, with English subtitles. Some of the more prolific theatre companies include: Singapore Repertory Theatre, Cecil Street (tel: 6221 5585; website: www.srt.com.sg), showcasing at the DBS Arts Centre, 6 Shenton Way (tel: 6733 8166); TheatreWorks, 72/13 Mohammed Sultan Road (tel: 6737 7213; website: www.theatreworks.org.sg) has both a Singapore Wing and International Wing and develops its two strands; and feisty Wild Rice (tel: 6292 2695; website: www.wildrice.com.sg). The Substation, 45 Armenian Street (tel: 6337 7535; website: www.substation.org), shows modern, experimental drama.
Dance: Ecnad Project (tel: 6226 6772; website: www.ecnad.org), is a young professional performing arts group going strong for over a decade, renowned for its cutting-edge, dynamic performances. Its base is at the Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre, 182 Cecil Street. The Singapore Dance Theatre (tel: 6338 0611; website: www.singaporedancetheatre.com) performs classical dance and ballet and is based at Fort Canning Centre, Cox Terrace, Canning Park. One of the city’s most popular events is their Ballet Under the Stars, held at Fort Canning Hill in July.
Film: The annual Singapore International Film Festival in April (website: www.filmfest.org.sg) features documentaries and films from around the globe, in addition to other foreign film festivals throughout the year. The Starlight Cinema festival (website: www.starlightcinema.com) is a one-month season of outdoor screenings in Fort Canning Green, from mid-June. Mainstream films, predominantly Hollywood blockbusters, are highly popular and often sold out.
Singapore’s main cinemas for English language films include Cathay Orchard, 8 Grange Road, and Cathay Causeway Point, 1 Woodlands Square (tel: 6235 1155; website: www.cathay.com.sg); Lido Cineplex, Shaw House, 350 Orchard Road; Bugis, Parco Bugis Junction; Balastier, Shaw Plaza, 360 Balastier Road, Prince/Jade, Shaw Tower, 100 Beach Road (all at tel: 6738 0555; website: www.shaw.com.sg); and Golden Village, 68 Orchard oad (booking hotline tel: 1 900 912 1234; info 6334 3766; website: www.gv.com.sg). There are no art cinemas, but the Alliance Française, 1 Sarkies Road (tel: 6737 8422; website: www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg) screens mainstream and alternative French films every Tuesday at the Ciné Club.
Literary Notes:’When in Singapore, feed at Raffles.’ It was a good piece of marketing for the hotel by Rudyard Kipling, who came to Singapore after leaving India in 1889. In fact, Kipling spoke of ’a place called Raffles Hotel, where the food is as excellent as the rooms are bad’.
Raffles has, for over a century, been fertile writing ground for many authors, including Hermann Hesse, Joseph Conrad, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and James Michener - and in their honour the Writer’s Bar was named. More than any other, Somerset Maugham sought inspiration on several visits to the island. His short stories of Singaporean colonial life include The Outstation,Yellow Streak, The Casuarina Tree (1926), and the controversial The Letter (1927), about the real-life murder of her lover by a rubber planter’s wife.
More recently, Singapore’s story is told through the man mainly responsible for its success; the former Prime Minister and now Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, grandson of a Hakka coolie from China. His memoirs From Third World to First - The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 (2000) recount the events leading up to Singapore’s Independence, from British colonial rule through Japanese occupation and Communist insurrection. Defending the Lion City (2000) by Tim Huxley is the first-ever major study of the Singapore Armed Forces and analyses its military strategy, outlook and policies.
Prominent contemporary Singaporean novelists include Hwee Hwee Tan, whose Foreign Bodies: A Novel (1999) tells of an authoritarian state in which three rootless friends become implicated in an international soccer gambling syndicate. Mammon Inc. (2001), her latest novel, is a cutting satire of our times. A very different Singapore is portrayed in Catherine Lim’s The Bondmaid (1997), set in the 1950s, which paints a picture of a Singapore entwined with its Chinese roots, traditions and beliefs. Two popular recent reads are Got Singapore (2002), a collection of articles and stories by journalist Richard Lim, with a personal and humorous testimony about his experiences from the 1960s to the 1980s. In Notes from an Even Smaller Island (2002), Neil Humphreys dissects the culture and lifestyle of Singapore from an expat’s viewpoint. Set in Singapore during WWII, The Singapore Grip by JG Farrell (2005) tells of a city under siege, and the trials and tribulations of the very British and powerful Walter Blackett. This is the final novel in Farrell’s ‘Empire Trilogy’.
© Columbus Travel Media Ltd.
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reviewed by Onimuoyinbo, 29 weeks ago
Beautifully Crafted Place....
We stayed in Singapore for 4 days on our way to Thailand it was worth it. Singapore is really very clean. There are lots of building sites everywhere and you are conscious that it is a small place but the space has been well utilised.
We visited the shopping towers in the city centre. There were 5 of them and you just cannot get enough of it. There is a feature - 'Fountain of Wealth' close to these towers and visitors are allowed to go to the middle of it at specific times during the day. You can alos get your picture taken while there. There are lots of restaurants around and the food is lovely. The issue you will have is deciding which restaurant to eat at as they are as diverse as the culture.
Next we went to Sentosa island and spent half a day there. WOW!!!! We arrived there by cable car. We were able to view Singapore from an aerial point of view. There is also a ferris wheel like pod but we did not go on that.
At Sentosa, we visited the beach. There are at least three beaches on that one island. They have red dolphins at the dolphin show which was quite interesting. There was the museum place where the history and culture of Singapore are portrayed using wax works. It is a must see as it makes one understand what makes Singapore what it is. The Merlion statue is a must see. It is half lion and half mermaid. You can climb to the top of it for a fee. Down from there is a water park made up of beautiful sculptures. It is a wonderful place to relax and for the children to play. Down from there, we watched 'Songs of the sea' which is a special effects drama over the sea.
Walking around at night is great because of the weather. Would love to visit again to fill in the places we missed like Chinatown and the different cultural quarters, botanical gardens just to name a few.
reviewed by tjenness, 47 weeks ago
Singapore
Sophisticated city, with plenty to see. The zoo is one of the best in the world and also offers night safaris. Shopping is worldclass, as is the food. A `singapore sling' is a must-tastes best in the famous Raffles Hotel!! The Quays is great for restaurants-we went by ricksaw!
reviewed by jenny chan, 46 weeks ago
Get there before the park opens to watch the show. Gives you plenty of time to explore the park afterwards. I'd suggest doing the walk if you want to get a good look at the animals and explore their habitats. Take your time and enjoy the tranquility of the night. The tram seems a bit rushed sometimes and so we often missed the animals. I suggest hopping off the tram to do some walking at some point if you do opt for the tram.
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