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Travel & Accommodation
Lying close to the equator, Singapore is a potent combination of Western modernity and treasured Eastern as well as colonial past, making her an accessible part of Asia. In the rapidly changing Chinatown, fortune tellers, calligraphers and temple worhshippers are still a common sight, along side cafes and pubs. The freshly ground spices of Little India tease your senses while the brilliant colors of the best sari will delight you. Famed as well for quality shopping and endless dining and entertainment options, you would be hard pressed not to have fun in this energetic, vibrant cosmopolitan city. Singapore is a truly cosmopolitan city, although in size it’s small (247 Square miles); and its neighbours less affluent. The average stay of visitors to Singapore is only 3 ½ days due to the number of stopovers, backpackers travelling through and business trips. However if you can, we’d recommend staying longer, there is plenty to do and see; tasting food at the hawker markets, drinking Singapore slings at the Long Bar in Raffles colonial hotel, shopping in Orchard Street to Singapore Zoological Gardens and visiting the many temples, museums and beaches. The skyline is varied in Singapore, as you can probably guess from the above description of Singapore, old mixed with new, skyscrapers and temples, the busiest airport in the world and a plethora of cultures make it more than just another modern Asian city. Singapore is a truly unique place to visit and explore, a melting pot of cultures from China, India, Southeast Asia and Europe. Singapore has managed to turn its fortunes around by strict control by the government, as a result Singaporeans are almost seen as subservient. It is however important for European visitors to understand some of the laws because if you flaunt them (knowingly or not you can be whipped, jailed or fined! Don’t; chew gum in public, jay walk (cross the street other than at a designated place), throw your cigarette stub away on the floor, smoke whilst walking or failing to flush the toilet! The thought of Singapore is deceiving, China Town, powerful commerce and dense population bring images of building after building, this is most certainly not the case. In Singapore you’ll always be close to nature. Singapore is the ‘Garden City’. Parks, flowers, historical grounds and even the rainforest itself are plentiful with the city limits, making for a truly relaxing holiday within the hubbub of everyday life. Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official) Population: 4,151,264 (July 2000 est.) Religion: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist Capital: Singapore Major Cities: Jurong, Singapore, Changi Currency: Singapore dollar (S$) Duty Free: International Currency:The currency in Singapore is the Singapore Dollar (S$). The current exchange rate for key currencies as of 26 September, 2002.
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