Singapore Mini Guide
Singapore is connected to mainland Malaysia by a series of bridges and is a good base from which to start your travels in that part of the world. The city is full of imposing skyscrapers and with four million people packed onto this small island, Singapore is one of the world’s most densely populated countries.
This Asian island state has one of the largest and most impressive airports in all of Asia.
Changi has three terminals and seeing what they have to offer could be considered part of the experience of Singapore itself. There is a movie theatre, swimming pool and Jacuzzi, Xbox video consoles and many excellent restaurants serving reasonably priced food.
However, you should leave yourself plenty of time to navigate the terminal as it can be confusing. Singapore Airlines flies from both T2 and
T3 but they will not tell you which terminal to use until shortly before the flight. Luckily it is not difficult to make the transfer as the three main terminals are connected by a free Skytrain service which can be used without passing through immigration. However the Budget Terminal can only be reached by a shuttle bus from the basement of T2.
The city is split up into several districts – North and West, Riverside, Little India, Chinatown, Bugis and Kampong Glam, Orchard Road, East Coast and Balestier, Newton, Novena and Toa Payoh. It is interesting to note that while Singapore has extremely strict drug penalty laws whereby trafficking can be punished by death, the island has an almost non existent crime rate.
Visas are not normally necessary to enter Singapore though there are strict rules and regulations about what you can and cannot bring into the country. It is illegal to bring alcohol into Singapore if you are under 18, cigarettes cannot be brought in duty free, and chewing gum is illegal. Baggage is scanned at land and sea entry points to check for this contraband. Therefore, if state interference annoys you then you would be well advised to give Singapore a miss.
Singapore is linked to the Malaysian Peninsula by two main road crossings. One is known as the Causeway and can get quite congested. The other, known as the Second Link, has been built between Tuas in western Singapore and Tanjung Kupang in the western part of Johor state.
Signapore Factfile
- Singapore is an island country that is made up from 63 islands including the main island which is known as Singapore Island
- There are four offical languages in Singapore which are English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil
- The currency in the country is the Singapore dollar (SGD)
- The national fruit of Singapore is the durian, which is known for its strong and unpleasant odour
- Singapore Changi Airport has been rated one of the best international airports in the world
- Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia is approximately 360 km north west of Singapore