About Singapore

Country: Singapore

Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Days

Nearest City to Singapore: Singapore

Best Time to Visit Singapore: December to June

Peak Season: December to February & June to July

At a distance of 248 km from Malacca and 356 km from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore is an island city-state and a country in Southeast Asia. It is one of the most prosperous city-states in the world and among the most visited tourist destinations in Asia.

Located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is a melting pot of culture and history, and an extravaganza of culinary delights. The island country shares its southern maritime border with Indonesia's Riau Islands, it's northern, western, and eastern maritime borders with the Johor state of Peninsular Malaysia. The country's territory is composed of one main island and 63 smaller islets. The main island occupies about 18 square miles of the combined area.

While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in time, a 3rd-century Chinese account describes it as 'Pu-Luo-Chung', which means the 'island at the end of a peninsula' in the Malay language. Later, the city was known as Temasek ('Sea Town'), when the first settlements were established from 1298-1299 AD. According to a legend, the current name of the country came into being during the 14th century when Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang (the capital of Srivijaya), saw an animal he had never seen before while on his hunting trip. Taking it to be a good sign, he founded a city where the animal had been spotted, naming it 'Singapura' or the 'lion city' derived from the Sanskrit words 'Simha' meaning 'Lion' and 'Pura' meaning 'City'.

However, the modern city of Singapore was founded in the 19th century by Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. Soon, the city located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the natural meeting point of various sea routes, became the major trading hub for Arabs dhows, Chinese junk, Portuguese battleships, and Buginese schooners. After passing from various hands of power, the island was handed over to the British in 1946 as its crown colony. The revolution for independence came about in 1959 when the country's first general elections were held and Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister of Singapore. Singapore first joined the Federation of Malaysia on its formation in 1963 but separated to become an independent state in 1965.

Arguably the most expensive city in the world, this small island city-state has a certain sheen of wealth in the form of high-end shopping malls, luxury hotels, and fine dining. Besides, Singapore also boasts an array of attractions like nature reserves, riverside quays, marine parks, nightlife, and more. Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore Zoo, Singapore Flyer, Merlion Park, Sentosa Island, Universal Studios, Night Safari, Little India and China Town are some of the most popular places to visit as part of Singapore Tour Packages.

The national pastime of the people of Singapore is eating! From Michelin-starred restaurants to cheap hawker centers, Singaporeans are obsessive gastronomes who love to eat and the cuisine of the Lion City is one of the world's most diverse and tasty. Shopping in Singapore is second only to eating as a national pastime. The incredible shopping malls, classy boutiques, departmental stores on Orchard Road, the exotic elements of Chinatown and Little India and the world-class nightlife span across the spotless land of Singapore.

Being a multicultural country, the people of Singapore celebrates various festivals and events throughout the year. Pongal, Chinese New Year, Thaipusam, Lantern Festival, Vesak day, Singapore Grand Prix, International Festival of Arts and Singapore Food Festival are some of the festivals celebrated in the Lion City with great enthusiasm.

Though there are 8 airports in Singapore, Changi Airport is the main airport. It is one of the best-connected airports in Asia and has been repeatedly awarded as the best airport in the world. The airport is connected to several destinations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and North America. About 19 km from Changi Airport, the Tanjong Pagar MRT Station connects Singapore to Malaysia, Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur by rail, with a route to Bangkok. There are many bus services from Queen Street Bus Terminal in Singapore to Malaysia. The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is one of the quickest and most comfortable ways to commute around the island.

Although Singapore is a year-round destination, the best time to visit Singapore is from December to June when the country has the least amount of rain, the lowest humidity, and the most sunshine. The city sees a surge in tourism during the Christmas season, Chinese New year and during the Great Singapore Sale which begins in June and lasts till the end of July. August to October is the off-season in Singapore except for mid-September, the rush of tourist increases since September hosts the Singapore Grand Prix. Temperature is slightly higher than the rest of the months, and the rains are continuous.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Good
STD Code: 00 - 65
Languages Spoken: English, Chinese, Malay & Tamil
Major Festivals: Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival, Vesak day, Singapore Grand Prix, & Singapore Food Festival
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Singapore

By Air

Nearest Airport: Singapore - Changi Airport (1 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Tanjong Pagar MRT Station (19 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Queen Street Bus Terminal (19 Kms)

Top 16 Places to Visit in Singapore

Heritage

#1 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 2 km from Marina Bay Sands, 2 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 19 km from Changi Airport, the Merlion Park is a well-maintained park situated in front of Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. Overlooking the Marina Bay, it is a famous Singapore landmark and a must-visit place as part of Singapore Packages.

A major Singapore tourist attraction, the Merlion Park houses two iconic statues of the famous Merlion which is a beautiful mythical structure with a head of a lion and the body of a fish that is widely used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. The Merlion's body symbolizes Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which comes from the same root as the word tasek ('lake' in Malay). Its head represents Singapore's present name, Singapura, or 'lion city' in Malay.

Spouting water from its mouth, the Merlion statue stands tall at 8.6 m and weighs 70 tonnes. The original Merlion Park was first designed by the .....

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Park

#2 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 500 m from Marina Bay Sands, 2.5 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 17 km from Changi Airport, the Gardens by the Bay is a national garden and premier horticultural attraction for local and international visitors. Adjacent to the Marina Reservoir, it is one of the top 10 most popular gardens in the world and among the must-visit places as part of Singapore with Malaysia Tour Packages.

Spanning over 250 acres of reclaimed land in the Central Region of Singapore, the Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry that presents the plant kingdom in a whole new way. It was a part of the nation's plans to transform its 'Garden City' to a 'City in a Garden'. The development of the garden was started in 2007 and was open to the public in the year 2011. It has earned numerous awards and honors including the World Building of the Year in 2012, the President's Design Award (Singapore) in 2013, the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Themed Entertainment .....

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Adventure

#3 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 6 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 25 km from Changi Airport, Sentosa Island is a tiny resort island located at the Central Region of Singapore. Packed with many attractions, it is one of the must-visit places in the Line City as part of Singapore - Malaysia Tour Packages.

Just off the southern coast of Singapore, Sentosa was used earlier as a British military base and then a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. After the Japanese Occupation in World War II, Singapore returned to British rule, and the island was renamed 'Sentosa' which translates to 'peace and tranquility.' Throughout its remarkable history, Sentosa has transformed into a popular island resort which in itself contains many fun things to see and do. Sentosa is also widely known as being the location of the 2018 North Korea-United States Singapore Summit, where North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump met at the Capella Hotel located on the island. This was the first-ever meeting .....

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Wildlife

#4 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 27 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 31 km from Changi Airport, the Singapore Zoo is a zoological garden situated within the heavily forested central catchment area of Singapore. It is regarded as one of the best zoos in the world and among the prime places to visit during your Singapore Tour.

Formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Garden or Mandai Zoo, the Singapore Zoo occupies 28 hectares (69 acres) on the margins of the Upper Seletar Reservoir. The zoo was built with a cost of SGD 9 million granted by the government of Singapore and opened in the year 1973. It is operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, who also manages the neighboring Night Safari, River Safari, and the Jurong Bird Park. Awarded nine times as Best Leisure Attraction Experience by the Singapore Tourism Board, the Singapore Zoo welcomes approximately 1.9 million visitors annually. The zoo has not expanded beyond the original 28 hectares. However, 40 hectares of secondary forest were later .....

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Miscellaneous

#5 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 2 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 17 km from Changi Airport, Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort overlooking Marina Bay in Singapore. Owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation, it ranked as the most expensive standalone casino property in the world and one of the most versatile attractions to visit as part of Singapore Tour Packages.

An extraordinary feat of engineering and an architectural marvel, Marina Bay Sands is the most iconic hotel in Singapore. This is the most expensive building at the time of its opening in 2011. Designed by Moshe Safdie, the structure fascinates with its three sloping towers rising 200 m from the ground and linked at the top by the boat-shaped SkyPark Hotel. With over 2,500 rooms and suites over 55 floors, the Marina Bay Sands is the biggest hotel in Singapore and the most Instagrammed hotel in the world in 2017.

A distinctive feature of the hotel is the SkyPark, a three-acre park on top of the building with swimming .....

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Miscellaneous

#6 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 1 km from Marina Bay Sands, 3 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 19 km from Changi Airport, the Singapore Flyer is a giant observation wheel at Downtown Core, Singapore. It is the largest Giant Observation Wheel in Asia and among the must-visit places in the Lion City as part of Singapore with Malaysia Tour Packages.

Standing at a stunning height of 165 m, the Singapore Flyer was the world's tallest Ferris wheel until the 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller, opened on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, US, in 2014. The huge Ferris wheel is built on a 3-story terminal building at the Marina Bay. The Flyer is 150 meters in diameter, 165 meters high, and travels at 0.21m per second. Opened in 2008, this giant observation wheel offers 360-degree city views, a panorama that stretches to parts of Malaysia and Indonesia on a clear day.

The Singapore Flyer comprises of 28 air-conditioned capsules, designed to carry 28 passengers each through a 30-minute mind-stirring journey .....

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Wildlife

#7 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 18 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 38 km from Changi Airport, the Jurong Bird Park is an aviary in Jurong, Singapore. Managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, it is the largest bird park in Asia and among the must include places in Singapore Packages.

Opened in 1971, Jurong Bird Park covers an area of 49 acres on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region. The park is home to more than 3,500 birds across 400 species, of which 20 percent are threatened. Committed towards conservation, the bird park is the first in the world to breed the Malayan black hornbill (1995) and the twelve-wired bird of paradise (2001) in captivity for which it received the Breeders' Award from the American Pheasant and Waterfowl Society. Jurong Bird Park is the only park in the Asia Pacific to have an Avian Hospital. This park is set to relocate to Mandai by 2020.

Receiving 850,000 visitors annually, the bird park is famed for its large and immersive .....

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Wildlife

#8 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 27 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 31 km from Changi Airport, the Night Safari is a nocturnal zoo in Singapore. Situated next to the Singapore Zoo, it is the first nocturnal zoo in the world and is a lifetime memorable thing that can be experienced as part of Singapore - Malaysia Tour Packages.

Opened in the year 1994, the Singapore Night Safari is the world's first safari park for nocturnal animals. The park covers an area of 86 acres of secondary rainforest adjacent to the Singapore Zoo and Upper Seletar Reservoir. Constructed with a cost of SGD 63 million, the park is a 13-time winner of the Best Attraction category awarded by the Singapore Tourism Board. Attracting 1.3 million visitors annually, this internationally acclaimed leisure attraction embodies innovation and creativity in products and services and service quality.

Managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, the Night Safari is divided into seven geographical zones, each housing its unique .....

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Heritage

#9 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 1 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, 1.5 km from Merlion Park, 3 km from Little India, and 20 km from Changi Airport, Chinatown is a subzone and ethnic enclave located within the Outram district in the Central Area of Singapore. Featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements, it is one of the most popular neighborhoods of Singapore and among the top historic places to visit in Singapore as part of Singapore - Malaysia Tour Packages.

Singapore's Chinatown is the place where people from all walks of ethnicities live together in harmony. This well-planned town is the largest township in Singapore and is divided into streets like the famous Pagoda Street and Sago Lane, each one famous for its unique offerings and architecture. Large sections of it have been declared national heritage sites officially designated for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

A good mix of hawker fare and swish eateries, history, and architecture, Chinatown is a riot of .....

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Park

#10 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 8 km from Marina Bay Sands, 7 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 24 km from Changi Airport, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a tropical garden located at Orchard Road in Singapore. It is the only tropical garden to feature as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and among must include places in Singapore Tour Packages.

The 160-year-old Singapore Botanic Gardens is the pride and joy of the city's green heart. The Gardens possess an array of botanical and horticultural features with a rich history and a wonderful plant collection of worldwide significance. It is the most visited botanic gardens in the world and is a unique example of the informal English Landscape Movement's style in an equatorial climate.

The first botanical garden was set up by Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore and a keen naturalist, in 1822 on Government Hill at Fort Canning but was closed in 1829. A new garden was founded at its present site in 1859 by an agri-horticultural society .....

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Shopping

#11 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 3 km from Chinatown, 4 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, and 21 km from Changi Airport, Orchard Road is a major shopping area located in the Central area of Singapore. It is one of Asia's most famous shopping streets and among the favorite hotspots for locals and foreigners.

Spread over 2.2 km, Orchard Road is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with some of the most high-end brands and premium malls of the island. Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards or the plantations that the road once led to. Those fields of palm have now given way to a glitzy district lined with malls and department stores, packed with all kinds of goods. Orchard Road has been a one-stop shopping destination for practically anything right from high-fashion brands to bargain electronics.

The fashion strip also has a few leafy parks, a presidential palace, sidewalk cafés and a charming enclave filled with some of Singapore's finest examples of Chinese .....

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Museum

#12 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 2 km from Chinatown, 3.5 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, and 18 km from Changi Airport, the National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in Singapore. Located at Stamford Road, it is one of the most prominent national monuments and among the must include places in Singapore Packages.

Formerly known as the Raffles Library and Museum, the museum was started as a segment of Singapore Institution's library in 1849. It was moved to the present building at Stamford Road by Colonel Sir Henry Edward McCallum in the year 1887. Spanning over 18,400 sq m, the National Museum of Singapore is the biggest in the country, with exhibits that largely reflect the rich history of Singapore as well as Asia. It is one of four national museums in the country, the other three being the two Asian Civilisations Museum, the Peranakan Museum, and the Singapore Art Museum. It was named the National Museum of Singapore in 1965 and was renamed the Singapore History Museum in 1993. When .....

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Adventure

#13 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 6 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 25 km from Changi Airport, Universal Studios Singapore is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It is the first-ever Hollywood movie-themed park in Southeast Asia and among the best places to visit in Singapore with kids during your Singapur Trip.

Occupying the easternmost part of the 120-acre Resorts World Sentosa, the construction of Universal Studios Singapore started in 2008 and was opened in the year 2010. This is the first Universal Studios theme park to open in Southeast Asia and second in Asia while Japan being the first. From thrilling roller coasters that zoom through reality-bending animations, live-action shows with popular animated characters, and dance parties to kid-friendly carousels, lip-smacking delicacies, and mesmerizing zone setups, Universal Studios Singapore promises to be an exciting getaway for the entire family. The park has been marketed by Universal Parks .....

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Wildlife

#14 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 6 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and 25 km from Changi Airport, the SEA Aquarium is a marine wonderland situated on Sentosa Island, Singapore. Part of the vibrant Resorts World Sentosa, it is one of the largest aquariums in the world and among the places to visit in Singapore with Malaysia Tour Packages.

One of the top places to visit in Sentosa Island, the South East Asia Aquarium or the SEA Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world until it was surpassed by Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China. It contains a total of 45,000,000 liters of water for more than 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species. The chief draw of SEA Aquarium is the Open Ocean Tank - world's largest viewing panel at 36-m long and 8.3m high. This is also the only aquarium in the world to house the giant oceanic manta ray.

It is a 360-degree 4D multi-sensory shipwreck simulation and has more than 100,000 marine animals of 800 species across 49 habitats found between Southeast Asia, Australia, .....

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Pilgrimage

#15 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 1 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, 1.5 km from Merlion Park, and 21 km from Changi Airport, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a Chinese Buddhist temple and museum complex located in the historic Chinatown of Singapore. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Chinatown and among the top places to visit in Singapore.

Built-in the year 2007, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple architecture is inspired by the Buddhist temples during the Tang Dynasty in China. It was conceptualized and designed by Shi FaZao who is the Chief Abbot Venerable of the temple. This five-storey temple is also based on Buddhist mandala, signifying the universe in Buddhism. It is adorned with beautiful Buddhist statues and figurines, lanterns, flowers, and bright colored walls. The temple has a gorgeous interior and exterior depicting the rich Buddhist heritage.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple gets its name from a sacred relic which is believed to be the left canine tooth of Buddha and .....

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Museum

#16 of 24 Places to Visit in Singapore

At a distance of 1.5 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, 2 km from Chinatown, 3 km from Gardens by the Bay, and 21 km from Changi Airport, the Asian Civilisations Museum is an old museum situated at Empress Lawns in Singapore. Situated near Victoria Theatre, it is one of the top museums in Asia and among the must include places in Singapore Tour Packages.

The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is one of the pioneering museums in the region to specialize in pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. It was established in 1997 in the Old Tao Nan School building on Armenia Street, mainly with displays inherited from the Raffles Library and Museum. The museum later widened its collection with the opening of its flagship museum in 2003 in the restored Empress Place Building, which is a fine example of a neo-Palladian architectural style. The museum launched two new wings with new galleries in late 2015. It forms a part of the four museums in Singapore, the other three being the Peranakan Museum .....

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