• Area 683 sq km / 264 sq miles
• Population 4,000,000
• Time Zone GMT/UTC +8 (Standard Time)
• Languages
  English (official) - English is widespread. Children are taught in English at school but also learn their mother tongue to make sure they don't lose contact with their traditions. The only communication problem English-speakers are likely to have in Singapore is with older Singaporeans who did not learn English at school, though trying to understand the unique patois called Singlish - which uses a clipped form of English mixed with Malay and Hokkien words - can be taxing.
  Malay (official) - Mostly restricted to the Malay community.
  Chinese (official) - Chinese dialects, such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakka, are still widely spoken. The government's long-standing campaign to promote Mandarin has been very successful and increasing numbers of Chinese now speak Mandarin at home.
  Tamil (official) - Tamil is the main Indian language, though Malayalam and Hindi are also spoken.
• Religion 42% Buddhist, 15% Muslim, 14% Christian, 9% Taoist, 4% Hindu
• Currency Singapore Dollar (S$)
• Electricity 230V 50HzHz
• Electric Plug Details British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
• Country Dialing Code 65

Travel to Singapore

Singapore is a truly cosmopolitan city full of contrasts, culture and colour. Located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore gained its status as an independent city state in 1965. Despite its independence, it has much to show for its multicultural heritage.

Travellers can discover Singapore’s colonial past at the Arts House at the Old Parliament House, which is city’s oldest surviving government office. Just 15 minutes away, visitors can listen to Indonesia’s gamelan music, admire batik crafts from Syria as well as discover Singapore's unique Peranakan culture at the Asian Civilisations Museum. Meanwhile, a tour of the Changi Museum War Trail will transport visitors to the war-stricken years of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore.

For a taste of Singapore’s unique cultural offerings, visitors should make their way to the Joo Chiat district, where traditional pre-war stalls and eateries can be found. Here, visitors can gorge on delicious glutinous rice dumplings at Kim Choo Kueh Chang whilst browsing through the eclectic clothing and accessories on offer at Rumah Bebe. Meanwhile on Serangoon Road or ‘Little India’, onlookers can watch locals weave jasmine garlands out of banana tree fibre or have a parakeet tell their fortune. Holidaymakers can also take a Secrets of the Red Lantern walking tour in Chinatown, which has recently been renovated. Best yet, Chinatown’s Food Street allows visitors to savour local specialties such as Char Kway Teow (fried rice noodles) and Rojak (vegetable salad in peanut gravy) which are served on outdoor tables.

The Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City (or more suitably nicknamed as ‘Asia’s Vertical Silicon Valley’) is regarded as the most visited attraction in Singapore. In fact, the Fountain was the ‘World's Largest Fountain’ according to the 1998 edition of the Guinness Book of Records. The structure resembles a ring in the palm of a hand and is a symbol for the city’s preservation of wealth. At night, the Fountain becomes the backdrop for a laser light show.

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Singapore Tourist Attractions

Visitors will find Singapore is a very prosperous place of towering skyscrapers, and it also has a bustling port. Shopping is a popular activity for visitors to Singapore – head to Chinatown for Chinese traders selling food, medicine and handicrafts, or take a tour of Little India if you are after silver and brassware, ethnic jewellery or silk saris. Orchard Road is the main commercial shopping street, with malls and department stores, and it even has a Botanic Garden at the end!

Singapore has many gardens and reserves where nature loving holiday makers can discover a wealth of wildlife. Visit the Bukit Timah Natural Reserve, or the zoo and night safari where you can see hyenas, leopards, elephants, rhinos and more. The Jurong Bird Park has over 600 species of birds.

Morning at the Singapore Zoo with optional Jungle Breakfast with Orangutans Fancy breakfast with one of the Singapore Zoo's famed animals? Experience in a new concept in animal keeping with the zoo's beautifully landscaped gardens and very few cages. Enjoy a 'Wild Breakfast' with the friendly 10 meter python, the Orangutan and a small-clawed otter. Fun for the whole family.

Isles of Singapore

Apart from the main island, the smaller islands of Singapore state provide interesting getaway spots for the tourist. These islands can be reached by taking a ferry from the World Trade Center or hiring a boat form the Changi Jetty or the Clifford Pier. The island of Pulau Ubin still retains early 20th century rural life. St. John's island has a resort with water sports and quiet bungalows, while snorkeling and diving are popular on Lazarus and Sisters Islands.
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.
Bintan Resorts - Situated just less than an hour away via comfortable catamarans from the modern and culturally vibrant city of Singapore, Bintan Resorts is located on the largest of the enchanting Riau islands in the South China Sea. Experience endless beaches, a wide variety of international-class resorts, and a refreshing host of tropical holiday activities.

Museums

Singapore has a number of museums for the historically and intellectually inclined tourist - the Singapore History Museum, the Arts Museum, the Philately Museum and the Asian Civilizations Museum are some of these.

Escape Theme Park

Game for an adrenalin rush? Scream your hearts out at Singapore's biggest outdoor theme park, Escape Theme Park. Escape Theme Park will certainly thrill and excite you with its huge range of wet and dry rides for the whole family.

Merlion

This merlion is to welcome all visitors to Singapore. Standing tall at 8.6 metres high and weighs as heavy as 70 tonnes, it was designed since 1964. It is originally located at the mouth of the Singapore River. see also: Singapore's famous Merlion takes a Time-Out for a Shower

Singapore Bars & Cocktail Lounges
Another Oriental paean to the west, this ultra-modern city of soaring skyscrapers and commercial efficiency is the world's busiest port and often ridiculed for its sterility. But behind the spotlessly clean streets and sanitized shopping malls it's a cultural melting pot - home to hundreds of different Asian peoples who fuse languages and looks and food and religion to create an exciting, vibrant whole. Sure, Singapore doesn't have the edginess of Bangkok or the style of Hong Kong but, like Tokyo, its tradition is still intact - just well hidden. Add to the Oriental mix some colonial British history such as at Raffles, the world's most famous hotel, and the visitor never lacks for variety or places to drink in. And all on an island barely 26 miles long. Singapore Sling anyone? more...

Orchard Road: The undisputed hub of shopping in Singapore is Orchard Road, where if you're really keen you can spend a good two days looking for good buys...
VivoCity: Much more than a shopping complex, in addition to its 300 retail outlets, VivoCity is home to an outdoor amphitheatre, open-air playground, rooftop sky park, permanent art displays, a full calendar of enthralling festivals and events, immense open plaza and 300-metre harbor front promenade...

For those seeking a little privacy, The Oriental, Singapore offers Club Rooms and Suites on the four top floors of the complex. Guests staying in Oriental Club Rooms and Suites not only enjoy use of The Oriental Club Lounge, but also personalised check-in, late check-out, free local calls, as well as fresh fruits and flowers daily.

Located on the 19th floor, the Oriental Club Lounge offers guests complimentary champagne breakfast, along with afternoon tea, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Those travelling on business can also take advantage of the lounge’s free wireless internet access as well as exclusive use of the lounge’s private meeting room with teleconferencing facilities.

The Oriental, Singapore also offers extensive MICE facilities fitted with the latest in audio visual and lighting technologies. The 6,448 square metres Oriental Ballroom on the first level has uninterrupted views and the capacity to fit up to 600 guests. Meanwhile the Atrium, Garden and Harbour View Suites make ideal meeting and banquet venues for smaller gatherings. The Oriental, Singapore also offers three spacious Boardrooms on the fourth floor, which are conveniently located next to the fully equipped Business centre.

A stay at The Oriental, Singapore would not be complete without a visit to The Oriental Spa. Combining ancient and modern relaxation methodologies, The Oriental Spa experience begins with a cup of herbal tea and a soothing foot ritual. Couples can also take advantage of the Spa’s dual treatment suite which features two Agape baths and a steam room.

Guests can also take up a session with a personal trainer, soak up the sun by the outdoor pool or clear their mind with a yoga class. Outside, guests are literally metres away from the Marine Square Shopping Mall, one of the largest and most contemporary shopping malls within Singapore. Some of the city’s best cultural spectacles and theatrical delights are also within walking distance – as is Suntec Tower, which houses Asia Pacific’s largest convention venue. Guests can also ride the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) all around Singapore or take a breezy five minute drive to the CBD.

After a busy day of sightseeing, what better way to work up an appetite than at one of The Oriental, Singapore’s restaurants and bars? Cherry Garden offers Chinese cuisine at its best, whether it’s a modern twist on an old favourite or one of Cherry Garden’s signature dishes. Yum cha is also available on Sundays, which gives you the perfect opportunity to try one of the restaurant’s wide selection of teas.

Meanwhile, the poolside Dolce Vita restaurant allows guests to enjoy Mediterranean flavours in an alfresco setting. Watch the chefs whisk up your meal in the open plan kitchen or simply kick back with a glass of Merlot as you enjoy the sunset over the dazzling skyline.

For something a bit more casual, MELT ~ The World Café offers a new take on buffet style dining where culinary delights from around the world are prepared fresh, right before your eyes. Whether you feel like pancakes and waffles for breakfast or spicy Thai seafood at night, the dedicated chefs at MELT will be sure to meet your request.

Afterwards, strike up a conversation with a martini or two at the Axis Bar and Lounge located on the fourth floor. The plush, low-slung chairs and floor-level lighting makes Axis the ideal place to chill out after a long day.

If you think all zoos are the same, then you haven’t been to Singapore Zoological Gardens.

Regarded as one of the best zoos in the world, Singapore Zoological Gardens spreads over 28 hectares and is home to over 3,600 mammals, birds and reptiles, including many rare and endangered species. Yet what makes Singapore Zoological Gardens truly unique is its ‘open plan zoo’ concept, which allows visitors to observe the animals in their natural surroundings. But even streams, rock walls and vegetation can’t separate the bond that visitors will have with these animals.

Singapore Zoological Gardens houses the world's largest group of captive orang-utans. In fact, Singapore Zoo’s ‘Spreading The Zoo’ breeding program has allowed them to deliver 33 healthy baby orang-utans in its years of operation. These gentle creatures live in spacious enclosures with plenty of freedom to move around and interact with one another. The orang-utans also enjoy climbing up the special platforms fitted into the enclosure, which make it an amusing sight to see for onlookers.

The Great Rift Valley: Ethiopia exhibit on the other hand showcases the rock hyrax, the banded mongoose, the black backed jackal and 50 hamadryas baboons, in a habitat not unlike that of Ethiopia’s savanna climatic zone. The exhibition is complete with tribal villages, rock formations and specialised habitats.

Meanwhile, the Australian Outback exhibit recreates the rugged landscape of the land Down Under. Here, you can find a bevy of Australian natives, including the grey kangaroo, cassowary, emu, blue-tongue skink, bearded dragon, frilled-neck lizard, and the carpet python.

The Polar Bear Viewing exhibit gives you the chance to observe polar bears in their underwater habitat. The 3.5 metre deep pool allows the bears to fish for their food, while the exhibit’s air conditioned den acts as a ‘home away from home’ for the bears.

Don’t leave the Zoo without taking an exclusive Wild Discoverer Tour which takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo. See first hand the maintenance that goes on behind the Zoo’s major exhibits as well as food preparation and care for the animals.

Singapore Zoological Gardens is open from 8:30am daily and closes at 6pm. Admission is SGD 12.10 for adults and SGD 5.05 for children. You can also combine a visit to the Zoo as well as a Night Safari and Jurong BirdPark for SGD 30 for adults and SGD 15.40 for children.