|
After
reading some Singapore travel journeys of other friends, well I thought
this must be a fun destination.
I had heard a lot about the quality of Pakistan Airlines, well I must
admit it, it is super.
So I had one week to discover Singapore, which I know it, is not
enough to see it all. So I did make a list at home of all the things
that I wanted to do and see. So I made a day-to day planning. But what I
didn't realize is the climate, oh my goodness, so hot and humid. In fact
if you look on a world map, Singapore lays almost on top of the Equator.
There were moments I really suffered, and then I thought this can't be
heaven, it must be hell, so hot so terrible hot, and even at night I did
not really cool down a bit.
My planning:
day 1: arrival in Changi Airport Singapore with a Pakistan airlines(PIA)
flight, after checked in the hotel, a walk through Chinatown, along Boat
Quay, the Raffles monument, the Padang, the Merlion park.
day 2: Bright Hill temple and the Singapore open Zoo
day 3: Little India, Arab street, Raffles Hotel, Fort Canning
day 4: Jurong bird park, Science Center, Chinese and Japanese gardens
day 5: Haw Par Villa park, Discovery center, Clarkes Quay
day 6: Sentosa
day 7: Botanic garden, Orchid park, Orchard street, Night Safari
So as you can see I had a full schedule.
Getting Around: Changi
International Airport located approximately 20KM east of
Singapore City. Non-stop PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) flights
from KARACHI take 07hrs to reach Singapore; major hubs in Europe - 12
hours. And if you`re arriving from the west coast of USA, it would take
you approximately 17 hours (with a minimum of one transit stop) to reach
Singapore. Changi Airport is regarded as one of the most attractive
& efficient airports in the world. To prove it, this airport has
been voted the #1 airport in the world consecutively for over 5 years
now. Facilities you`d find at there include full banking & money
changing services, medical clinics, business centers, a fitness center
(!!), a supermarket and superb transit hotels with private bathrooms
which are extremely popular; so, advance reservations is definitely
recommended.
DEPARTURE TAX: The Singapore Airport departure tax is S$21
but it might already be included in your air ticket. For all travelers/
tourists, don`t forget to claim your Goods & Services Tax (GST)
refund of 3% of your purchases made in Singapore at the Departure Hall
of the airport. Ensure that you have the necessary receipts before
filling up all the necessary documents.
CABS: You can grab a cab at the cab stand located just
outside the `Arrival` Terminal. There should already be a long line of
cabs waiting to take you to wherever you wish to go. The ride into the
city should cost no more than S$20 including airport surcharge
of S$3. Journey time into the city (Orchard Road/ Suntec City)
should take about 20 to 25 minutes via the Expressway.
Do note that there is a 50% surcharge between midnight and 6.00AM (if
you`re arriving in the wee hours of dawn).... and a small surcharge
during peak hours (various surcharges to ply certain highways) and to
enter the city. :-) That`s how this country control the smooth flow of
traffic.... If you want to take a luxurious Mercedes `Presidio` cab into
the city from the airport, the cab drivers may charge you a flat fee of S$35
for this service. My advice? Unless you`re Donald Trump and would
love to arrive in style, I`m sure a regular cab should suffice... IF
you`re taking a Mercedes cab anywhere else in Singapore, there should be
no extra charges incurred i.e. the fare is the same as a regular cab.
Yes, yes... we`re trying to follow Germany in this aspect re: Mercedes
cabs.
AIRBUS: The Airbus, a premium shuttle-bus service
that leaves the airport every 20 minutess, provides economy transfers
between the airport and the city for S$5 (tickets from the Airbus
Counter at the Arrival Hall).
PUBLIC BUS: If you`re on a super-tight budget, a normal public
bus (bus no: 36) costs a mere S$1.20 from the airport
into the city.
Mass Rapid Transit/MRT (metro): You can now take the MRT
directly from Changi Airport station to the city center (Orchard Road)
anywhere else in Singapore in the air-con comfort of a smooth subway
train. The cost = slightly more than a bus ticket fare. I think this is
the best choice compared to taking a cab because the MRT is so clean and
efficient!
Getting Around:
Singapore`s amazing super expressways (in Los Angeles, they would call
these `freeways`). Thanks to these expressways, it takes me less than 5
minutes to reach in the Central Business District every
morning.
You`d be surprised to find that the people here are a pretty unique
bunch. We may appear very westernized but we still do retain lots of our
Asian culture inside us...
Any language barriers? Absolutely none. Singapore is the only Asian
country where everyone speaks fluent English.... But some Singaporeans
tend to mix their English with their native tongue; it is now commonly
known as `Singlish`.
singapore
Singapore, the diamond-shaped
island that lies at the southern tip of Malaysia's pendulous finger, is
an experiment that shouldn't work but somehow does. Founded by British
civil servant Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 and sprawling out from the
mouth of the Singapore River on the southeast coast - where the capital
Singapore City lies - it defies expectations. Here is where East and
West meet with high-tech city skyscrapers towering over the squat
Chinese and Hindu temples that stud the city. A curious blend of ancient
and modern, the city is home to an ethnic mix of Chinese, Malaysians,
Indians and British ex-pats. Islanders live harmoniously thanks to
religious tolerance, increased prosperity, stringent no-nonsense laws
and a constant balmy equatorial heat.
Since 1965, when the island became a Republic,
Lee Kuan Yew, now Senior Minister, has pursued a vigorous free trade
policy that has seen an unprecedented rise in the standard of living
(most city dwellers own their own homes) and exponential economic
growth. The Asian crisis of 1997 caused mayhem elsewhere, but here it
was little more than a slightly worrying blip, although unemployment did
rise from a steady 3.2% to 6%. Such tremors are cause for concern but,
to the visitor stepping into Singapore's world-beating Changi Airport,
there is little indication of anything other than impressive efficiency.
What can be dangerously beguiling is the safety and cleanliness of this
city; dangerous because it has been achieved and maintained at the
expense of personal freedom. Canings, corrective work orders and harsh
financial penalties can accompany breaking the law. Persistent litterers
will find themselves suffering what in Singapore is the huge ignominy of
picking up litter themselves, while a current clampdown on failing to
wear seatbelts carries a possible jail sentence.
Yet, in the financial and business districts, a
new breed of well-heeled ex-pat seems to enjoy a high life of constant
revelry, sometimes with a marked absence of moral probity. For in
Singapore, oiling the wheels of success and becoming the best - an
economic miracle to show the rest of the world the way - seems
paramount. The prestigious Forbes Magazine has enticed CEOs from
around the globe here for a major business conference entitled Forbes
Global CEO Conference in September 2001 - an impressive coup for
Singapore's government as all previous conferences have been held in
America. All of this business goes on amid a constant flow of festivals
and events in the ethnic quarters of Chinatown, Little India and Geylang
Serai, which mark the many religious and cultural occasions throughout
the calendar. Singaporeans still rely on feng shui consultants,
astrologers and fortune-tellers for advice when moving home, getting
married or planning children.
More challenging to the status quo is a budding
arts community that provides an outlet for feelings long denied in a
series of annual showcases. More traditionally, Raffles Hotel and a rank
of museums furnish insights into the past. But the modern consumer
culture is always pressing in: the Great Singapore Sale dominates the
early summer in bustling Orchard Road; and food outlets at every turn
offer - traditional hawker centres, modern food courts and a range of
restaurants - ensure a meal is always just minutes away
|
|
|