The seasoned traveler typically has as many stories of travel nightmares as he does of glorious experiences -- your luggage gets sent to Timbuktu, your hotel reservations get mixed up, and your taxi driver takes you to Lord-knows-where. The good news about traveling to Singapore? This place works. A seamless communications infrastructure means that you can plan your own trip, without a middleman travel agent, and still have everything go as smoothly as if you were on an organized coach tour. Reliable phone lines, fax technology, and Internet presence make advance planning a breeze. Of course, it helps that so many Singaporeans speak English. Additionally, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is a wealthy and well-oiled machine that has anticipated the needs of travelers. The STB is perhaps one of the most visible government agencies in Singapore, and it's impossible for any tourist to get out of the country without encountering at least one of its many publications or postings or coming face-to-face with one of its innumerable representatives. If you have access to one of its offices before your trip, it's a great source of information. I'll run through the nuts and bolts of travel to Singapore, letting you in on everything from how much your money will buy to the best time of year to travel, what to wear, how to get here, and how to find your way around. Tips on Hotels -- Singapore hotels overlook the leisure market for the more lucrative corporate-travel one, which means that most hotels offer services and facilities aimed at busy working executives -- club room facilities, business centers, fitness centers, rooms with big desks and Internet access -- all at a cost. Most leisure travelers will be out and about, seeing the sights, and will never use most of the facilities a hotel has to offer. If this sounds like you, I'd recommend staying in a small but cheap boutique hotel rather than a big-name international chain hotel. However, if a luxury room is a big part of your ideal vacation, then Singapore has plenty of options to pamper you -- for a price. Destination Singapore: Pre-Departure Checklist Visitors from the U.S., Canada, the U.K, Australia, and New Zealand can obtain a visa upon arrival, provided they carry a passport valid for at least 6 months from date of entry. Singapore does not require any vaccinations to enter the country, unless you've been traveling in Africa or South America within 6 days of arrival, in which case you'll need a certificate that shows you've been vaccinated against yellow fever. It is advised to book your hotel and travel arrangements prior to arrival, especially if you are traveling anywhere in Asia from mid-December through to the end of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which is super-peak season. Because Chinese holidays follow the lunar calendar, they fall on different dates each year. In 2007 Chinese New Year began on February 18. In 2008 it will start on February 7, and in 2009 on January 26. Did you make sure your favorite attraction is open? Many children's activities are open only on weekends, public holidays, and during school holidays (which in Singapore fall between mid-May and the end of June, and again from mid-Nov through the end of Dec). If you're traveling from mid-December through to the end of the Chinese Lunar New Year, please be advised that many mom-and-pop businesses, shops, and eateries close for anywhere between 3 days and 2 weeks. Larger stores and main attractions will remain open, sometimes for shorter hours. If you purchased traveler's checks, have you recorded the check numbers and stored the documentation separately from the checks? Do you have a safe, accessible place to store money? Did you bring adequate supplies of any prescription drugs you are taking? Local pharmacies will not dispense drugs with foreign prescriptions. Do you have your credit card PIN? If you have an e-ticket, do you have your printed confirmation slip? Did you leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home? Do you have a photocopy of the identification page of your passport? Do you have the address and phone number of your country's embassy with you? |
