 Singapore is known by many as the Asian melting pot and a profound testament to the city-state's amazing ability to grow and develop at an unprecedented rate.Food is a national obsession and it’s not difficult to see why. Pull up a pew at a hawker centre, crack open a Tiger beer and immerse yourself in a munificent range of Asian delights; heavy on the flavor, light on the pocket. Need to splurge? Singapore delivers one of Asia’s best shopping experience and innovative, stylish restaurants, plus a swathe of top-notch hotels. Top of the tree is Raffles, a timeless symbol of colonial opulence. Of course, it’s not all about shopping, eating and sipping Singapore Sling on the veranda. Work up a sweat with outdoor activities or check out the contemporary arts scene, thriving under the government’s promotion of Singapore as an arts hub. If you want a break from the urban confines, the centre of the island has sparkling reservoirs and leafy tracts of forest where all you’ll hear is monkeys clattering through the boughs. Okay, maybe not monkeys but there are definitely birds’ chirping somewhere. All in all, the Lion City is more than you bargained for – dust off your credit card, prime your stomach and dive right in to the fascinating ethnic brew! Packy Facts
Taxi There are shared long-distance taxis to many places in Malaysia from Singapore’s Queen Street Bus Terminal; but it will be cheaper to take a bus to Johor Bahru and take a taxi from there to your ultimate destination. Share taxis to Johor Bahru are about S$8 per person, with a maximum of four passengers per taxi. Bus Buses run frequently from Singapore into Malaysia, some continuing to Thailand. The Causeway linking Johor Bahru with Singapore handles most traffic between the countries. There’s also a causeway called the Second Link linking Tuas, in western Singapore, with Geylang Patah in Malaysia – some buses to Melaka and Malaysia’s west coast. From Singapore, both the Causeway Express and Singapore–Johor Express air-con buses (S$2.40) and the public SBS bus 170 (S$1.70) depart for Johor Bahru every 15 minutes between 6.30am and 11pm from the Queen Street Bus Terminal. Bus 170 can be boarded anywhere along the way, such as on Rochor, Rochor Canal or Bukit Timah Rd. Yet another, quicker, option is to go to Kranji MRT station by train and catch bus 160 (S$1.10).
For long distance express busses, try First Coach and Aeroline. The tickets are priced from S$ 33- S$50. Train From Singapore there are three air-conditioned slow scenic trains daily to Malaysia (about seven hours to Kuala Lumpur) with continuing services to Thailand. Contact Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM: 6222 5165; www.ktmb.com.my) or its booking office at the Singapore Railway Station (6222 5165; Keppel Rd) for information. Depending on the carriage class and whether you ride in a seat or a sleeper, a Kuala Lumpur fare will be between S$30 and S$110
Plane Changi International Airport is about 20km east of the city centre. It has three terminals and facilities including a 24-hour medical centre, post office, shower & spa, transit hotels, free internet access,free singapore tours when on transit, free local phone calls, left luggage (between S$3.15 and S$8.40 per day depending on the item’s size), children’s playground and free city tours for transit passengers. Pick up the free booklets, maps and other guides (including the airport’s own magazine) from information stands. If you are flying to the budget terminal (Fireflyz,TigerAirways and Cebu Pacific), there is a free shuttle service that takes you to the international terminal (T2 & T3)where the MRT and Bus station is. Ride takes about 15mins.
Here’s a list of budget carriers:Silk Air ,Air Asia, Jet Star Asia , Valuair , Tiger Airways Arriving in Changi. There are a few ways of getting in to town. The easiest is to hail a budget taxi. There are allocated taxi stands; you just need to follow the signs. A taxi to town (Chinatown/Bugis/Little India will cost you around 20 SGD) There is the MRT that takes about a good 25 minutes to down town (Bugis/ Chinatown/ Little India) For MRT rates and schedules. The train is an easy and cheap alternative compared to busses. (Both MRT and Busses, will require you to carry light luggage) For more info about how to get to town from Changi Airport. Click here Boat There are ferry services that cater to tourists who wish to travel to Singapore and out by boat. Regional cruise trips depart for Malaysia from the HarbourFront Ferry Terminal. There are no direct ferries run between Singapore and Indonesia’s main ports, but you can travel between the two countries via Pulau Batam and Pulau Bintan in the Riau Archipelago. There are a few ferry services to Pulau Batam. (Penguin Ferry, Batam Fast) Penguin ferry has been receiving good reviews. |
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