City Information           Reguljär flyg -      Queensway Travel
Airport  
Changi International Airport is 20 km east of Singapore City. Non-stop flight time from London is 13 hrs. Changi is regarded as one of the most attractive and efficient airports in the world. Facilities include full banking and money changing services, medical clinics, business centres, a fitness centre, a supermarket, transit hotels with private bathrooms and plenty of internet access, whether through kiosks or the internet centre. Airport departure tax is S$21 and is included in your air ticket. If you are not using the ticket bought, ask the airline for a refund of the tax paid. If you are on transit with at least 5 hrs to spare before the next connecting flight, why not register for a free sightseeing tour (about 2½ hrs) to the city centre and a bumboat ride on the Singapore River? The tours operate hourly, from 1000 to 1900 daily, on a first-come-first-served basis. Note that you must produce your passport, (dis)embarkation card and onward air ticket when you sign up for the tour. 
Airport to City Centre
Taxis can be picked up from the stand outside Arrivals. The ride into the city should cost no more than S$22, including airport surcharge. The surcharge is S$3 except Fri-Sun 1700-2400, when it is S$5. It is a 5-minute taxi or MRT ride to the Singapore Expo. A further 20 minutes travelling by taxi will take you into the city, either to Marina/Suntec City or Raffles Place/Shenton Way. To reach the World Trade Centre in the south-west, you’ll need another 15 minutes. Aside from the surcharges to and from the airport, fares vary between taxi companies. Generally, you will be slapped with a 50% surcharge between 2400 and 0600, a small surcharge during peak hours and various surcharges to ply certain highways and to enter the city. Details may be found at the taxi stand. They’re also usually posted on the left door of the back seat. For a splurge, book a cab at the Limousine Taxi counter in either of the Arrival Halls. Fork out S$35 and the driver will 
take you anywhere in Singapore in a spacious Mercedes taxi or a London Cab. The service is available everyday, between 0600 and 0200. A luxurious six-seater Mercedes called MaxiCab operates from both terminals to all hotels in and around the city and anywhere in the central business district. It leaves at regular intervals, 0600-2400 daily. Allow 15 mins waiting time during peak hours (0600-1800) and 30 mins during non-peak hours, or as and when there are six passengers on board. The fee is S$7, to be paid in cash to the airport shuttle driver. 
For the return trip to the airport, you can wait for the MaxiCab at four designated hotels: Concorde Hotel, Mandarin Hotel, Excelsior Hotel and Marina Mandarin Hotel. These trips operate daily, on the hour, from 0800 to 2200. Register with the respective hotel concierge to book a seat and confirm the time of departure.
Orientation
Singapore is a 680 sq km island situated off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Its 4 million people are separated from the Malaysian state of Johor by a 1.3-km causeway spanning the Straits of Johor and a recently opened second causeway linking to the industrial town of Tuas. The many islands of Indonesia lie to the south, east and west. The country consists of Singapore Island and 63 smaller, mostly uninhabited, islands. About 50% of the land is used for housing, offices and factories; less than 2% is agricultural. The rest of Singapore is forest, marsh and unused land. The central business district is located at the southern tip of the island, and the Singapore River runs through the middle. 
Several major highways cross the island and lead into the city centre, the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), the Central Expressway (CTE) and the East Coast Parkway (ECP). Just north of the business district is the main shopping area Orchard Rd, with bustling Little India and Arab St to the north-east. South of Singapore Island, linked by cable car and causeway, is Sentosa Island, which has been converted into an 
amusement park and resort island. Chinatown, with all its neat rows of colourful shops, lies just west of the business centre. Further west is the main industrial area and shipping port. Most themed attractions – Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Jurong Reptile Park and Haw Par Villa (free admission) – have addresses in the west. 
East of the business district is the Singapore International Conventions and Exhibitions Centre, a mammoth convention centre linked to shopping malls Suntec City and Millennia Walk, the Suntec City office complex and hotels such as the Conrad Centennial Singapore. Further east, following the subway line out toward the airport, are Singapore’s prime residential properties and the scenic East Coast Parkway, where you’ll find an unending stretch of golden sand beach, sailing clubs and golf courses.
Excursions                     Sista minuten resor -          Queensway Travel
Tiny Singapore is just a hop away from the attractions of neighbouring Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, so why not do as many Singaporeans do – take advantage of the great transport links to the rest of the region and spend the weekend in another country? The beach resorts on the Indonesian islands of Bintan and Batam are just a 45-min ferry ride away. Check The Straits Times for packages offered by tour operators. Alternatively, try the fine food and service on board the Eastern and Oriental Express train. On the way to Malaysia, take in the flora and occasional fauna of the countryside as you sip a cool cocktail. If you have a car, you might want to drive to Malaysia. At present, there are two bridges – Causeway and Second Link – connecting Singapore and Malaysia. You have to pay toll in both countries for use of the bridges. 
Hop over to Johor Bahru for some shopping, eating and golf. Alternatively, drive on to historical Malacca to enjoy Peranakan food, Dutch architecture and quaint boutique hotels. For those who want to step out of Singapore but not go to another country, a cruise to nowhere is your best bet. Check with Star Cruises or look at the travel advertisements in The Straits Times for weekend packages. 
Getting Around
Taxis are the best way of getting around in hot and muggy Singapore, but they are in short supply during peak hours, late evening or when it’s raining. The air-conditioned, metered cabs can be hailed on the street, found at taxi stands or booked by phone. Depending on which taxi service you use, you pay S$2.10-S$3.20 (some companies such as TIBS include the peak period surcharge with the flag down fare. For those who don’t, the first km is usually between S$2.20 and S$2.40) for the first kilometre, then S$0.10-S$0.20 per 200-300m afterwards. There are numerous surcharges for phone reservations, travelling from the airport, into and out of the central business district or late at night. If you’re not sure how these rather esoteric charges add up, check with the driver before paying. You can ask for a receipt, too. Some taxis also accept credit cards. Most drivers speak fairly good English and know the city pretty well. In keeping with the rest of Singapore’s service industry, they don’t expect tips. Reliable companies include CityCab, TIBS, and Comfort. For a more luxurious ride, Mercedes cabs can be hired from CityCab, Comfort and TIBS. Be prepared to pay an extra S$3-S$5.20 for booking a taxi. The booking fee for Mercedes cabs is S$8-S$16.
What to see
East Coast Parkway: Popular for recreational activities such as windsurfing, water-skiing, in-line skating, biking and, of course, eating. Choices range from chilli crabs (finger-lickin’ good) offered by numerous seafood restaurants to tasty beef rendang and tandoori chicken in air-con Indonesian and Indian restaurants. You will also find a few watering holes near some of these restaurants. Best accessed by taxi. 
Downtown museums: Three of Singapore’s major museums are located in the city, within walking distance of each other. For a shot of local culture and history, visit the Singapore History Museum, housed in an elegant century-old colonial mansion. 93 Stamford Road. Next, pop across to the Singapore Art Museum in a 19c mission school. It is home to the largest permanent collection of South-East Asian modern and contemporary art. 71 Bras Basah Road. Have tea at the classy Paladino before strolling back to the Asian Civilisation Musuem to admire its collection of Chinese furniture, ceramics and jade. Pulau Ubin: This is how Singapore looked 30 years ago. An unspoilt and rural northern island whose attractions include disused granite quarries, cycling and swimming. The food is uninspiring so pack your own picnic basket. There is no longer free access to the beach at Chek Jawa because of the fear of further damage to the fragile marine life there. Jurong Bird Park: Home to 8,000 birds from some 600 species, Jurong Bird Park came about after Dr Goh Keng Swee, one of the economic architects of modern Singapore, returned from a visit to the Rio de Janeiro Aviary in 1967. The latest addition to the region’s largest such wildlife park is the Riverine, a 122-sq m exhibit featuring water fowl, fish and turtles in their natural habitat.
Singapore Zoo: Spread out over 90 hectares, highlights include a breakfast programme where visitors are invited to eat with the orang-utans. There are many other animal performances throughout the day and an impressive selection of flowering plants. New attractions include 50 Hamadryas Baboons from Ethiopia.
Night Safari: Next door to the zoo, this is a must-see. Clever lighting and design of the park make it possible to see animals – buffalo, leopards, tigers and fishing cats – in their ‘natural behaviour’. Sometimes deer and birds wander onto the pedestrian paths. Part of the park is accessible only by tram.
Sentosa: Sentosa Island is opposite the World Trade Centre, off the south coast. You can swim, canoe, wind surf, cycle, party the night away or take a quiet stroll. There are 3.2 km of beach, golf course, dolphin lagoon and gardens, along with two 5-star hotels and numerous eating outlets to keep visitors happy. Seafront action centres on Central and Siloso Beaches, with attractions like Mahalo Hawaiian Beach Bar and regular beach parties. 
The Esplanade – Theatres On The Bay: The Esplanade Arts Centre will open in Oct 2002, with a three-week festival of performances. A 2,000-seat theatre and 1,800-seat concert hall are part of this S$600m project. There will also be outdoor performance spaces on the waterfront and a three-storey mall of shops and restaurants. When completed, the complex’s two-domed roofs will resemble giant, gleaming microphones. Located on the Marina waterfront.
Shopping                   Restresa -      Queensway Travel
Singapore is not as cheap as it was and has fewer attractions for the bargain hunter than most other Asian cities. Shop around for the best prices, or at least know how much the item would cost at home. Fixed-price shops are the norm now, but bargaining is still required in some shops in Far East Plaza, Lucky Plaza and in stores where some items aren’t priced. 
Where to walk
To discover the colonial heart of Singapore, begin with a walk through the grounds of the Raffles Hotel. You could spend hours here, browsing through the shops and the museum, or stopping for peanuts and a singapore sling in the Long Bar. From Raffles, follow St Andrew’s Rd south for a block to St Andrew’s Cathedral. Walk through the peaceful churchyard into the interior of this beautiful building, designed in the English-Gothic style by Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald MacPherson in the mid-1880s. Leave the cathedral grounds to the south and continue on towards a green expanse called the Padang, which is Malay for ‘field.’ For years this has been the venue for evening outings, sporting events and holiday celebrations. Cricket buffs should stop and introduce themselves at the adjacent Singapore Cricket Club. Further along the Padang, on the right, is City Hall, where Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender on 12 September 1945. Next door is the green-domed Supreme Court. The present court house was built in 1936. Continue down St Andrew’s Rd to Parliament House. Just next to this is a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles on the site of his first landing on the island of Singapore on 28 January 1819. From here, turn left along the Singapore River where you can catch a glimpse on the other side of the restored shophouses that make up Boat Quay, Singapore’s answer to the Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong. Trendy restaurants, cafés, bars and even a bookshop line the river. 
Cross the Singapore River by bridge into the heart of the financial district and its shiny skyscrapers. At the edge of the river you’ll see the proud statue of the spouting Merlion – half fish, half lion and the national symbol of Singapore. From here, take a break at newly-opened luxury hotel, the Fullerton, or one of the many restaurants at Boat Quay or catch a small ‘bumboat’ down the river (S$12) to neighbouring Clarke Quay, where you’ll find additional eating options, including American chain Hooters, a charming Mediterranean restaurant called J P Bastiani, and numerous Malay and Indian hawker stalls barbecuing the famous satay. You can easily spend an evening here eating and listening to live music in one of the many bars.
Weather and Climate
At just 140 km north of the equator, Singapore enjoys a warm and humid climate year round with little variation in temperature. However, Dec and Jan tend to be slightly cooler than other months. Overall, the temperature averages 28°C-36°C during the day and 23°C-27°C at night. Nov to Mar are the wettest months, with sudden thunderstorms common.
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