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Travel tips to Singapore

Singapore is a small country in size but an economic giant especially in South East Asia. Singapore is situated at the south tip of Malaysia, just one degree north of the equator.

The city is a blend with the culture and religions of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European. The four main religions are celebrated by the different ethnicity and the auspicious day like Muslim celebrating the end of Ramadan, Vesak day for the Buddhist, the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Christmas and Easter for the Christians, New Year Day and the Lunar New Year celebrated by the Chinese are officially public holiday for all. Food is a passion to many and a very much talk about topic amongst the locals due to the wide selections of multi ethnic food and European cuisines.

Though it is relatively easy to get around in Singapore, it is always good to find out some useful information before you begin your travel. Here are some useful travel tips for Singapore:

Visas for Singapore

All travellers to Singapore are required to go through immigration clearance upon their arrival into the country. The granting of social visit passes to visitors is determined by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the point of entry. Visitors must satisfy the following basic entry requirements before they are allowed to enter Singapore:

A passport with at least 6 months validity Valid Singapore visa, if applicable Sufficient funds to last for the intended period of stay in Singapore Confirmed onward/return tickets (where applicable) Entry facilities to their onward destinations, e.g. visas. Completed Disembarkation/Embarkation Card Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, if applicable

Electricity connection in Singapore

Visitors to Singapore must check if their electrical appliances can handle the voltage of 220-240 volts AC, 50Hz. The power plugs used in Singapore are of the three-pin, square-shaped type. If your electrical device does not accept the voltage and the appliance plug shape is different, you will need a voltage converter and a plug adapter. However, most hotels in Singapore will provide transformers to visitors with electrical appliances of a different voltage when requested.  

Sales tax refunds in Singapore

The Goods and Service tax in Singapore is 5%. To qualify for sales tax refunds, you need to have a minimum purchase amount ranging between SGD0 to SGD0. To claim your GST refunds, pack the items in hand luggage, and present the item(s) and the receipt at the Global Refund Services after immigration and security when leaving Singapore. Also allow an extra 15 minutes before departure. The refund payment can be made by cash, credit card payment or cheque. A small handling fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

Environmental Concerns and Green Travel Tips

Eco-tourism or green travel is becoming a new catchword in travel. But this doesn\’t mean you need to rough it. You could stay in a tent or go backpacking or canoeing, but just little everyday things can make any trip more eco-friendly. You can stay in cities or in the countryside; sleep in a big hotel or a B&B…. but you do need to think about what you can do to protect the environment. I\’m talking conserving plants and wildlife but also other resources like electricity and water.

There are more and more of us traveling every year. With so many of us out there, it\’s more important than ever to think about how travelers impact the environment.

Making your travel “green travel” is a great way to protect the environment for people who visit after you do and for our children. You don\’t necessarily have to pay more to travel this way. You might even find that your travel will be more rewarding, more authentic… let you get closer to the people and places you travel to…. and cheaper!

So let\’s list some green travel tips….

Try to choose a green hotel. See if you can find out what kind of recycling program they have. Do they use energy efficient lighting? Low flow toilets? Water saving shower heads?

Check to see if guests have the option to reuse hotel towels and sheets instead of having them laundered everyday… then reuse them! Keep your showers short.

Turn off air-conditioning, lights, heat, television, etc. when you leave the room.

Bring your own toiletries rather than using the prepackaged ones at the hotel. Leave theirs behind. All those little bottles use lots of plastic, and who needs a whole drawer full of these once you get home?

Pack a water bottle that you can reuse. (Don\’t keep buying them. Most plastic water bottles don\’t get recycled.)

When renting a car, get the smallest most fuel-efficient car that you can be comfortable with. (Even consider a hybrid… it\’s more and more possible to rent hybrids these days.) And try driving slower. If you go 60 mph (100 Kilometers per hour-KPH) or less, you\’ll use less fuel… and just maybe you\’ll see more. Get maps and directions for the most direct route. No reason do drive around lost and waste gas.

Walk to use public transportation when you can. Stay at a centrally located hotel. Walk around to see the sights; in the countryside, hike or bike if possible.

If you\’re walking a beach, consider picking up trash along the way. If all visitors did this, all of our beaches would be so much cleaner.

You don\’t even need to follow all of these suggestions for green travel. If you just choose one or two during your trip, the earth will thank you.

One of the best travel tips for people thinking of going on any kind of trekking or adventure vacation with friends or family is to first consider whether their personal enthusiasm for this style of holiday is shared by the rest of the group.

The following story of a family’s holiday nightmare in Thailand provides an example.

The family had en Read more

Traveling does not need to put you in the poor house, just follow these 10 cheap travel tips to save money and still enjoy your vacation.

Carry Snacks With You

Buying snacks in bulk before you go and dividing them up into zip lock bags saves the cost and hassle of purchasing snack foods while traveling.

Bring Along A Water Bottle

Cheap travel tips do not need t Read more