Asia Privilege Club

Singapore sits at the heart of Southeast Asia on the southern tip of the Malay peninsular and although it's the smallest nation, there’s so much packed into this modern pleasant city. The beaches and resorts of Sentosa Island, the history and culture of the Colonial district, fabulous shopping in Orchard Road and a host of fun family activities, Singapore has them all.

From the beauty of the Botanical gardens to the lively restaurants and bars, Airport facilities, accommodation, business travel, shopping, walking tours and more, visitors to Singapore won't be disappointed.

Activities

Singapore has countless activities that cater to its visitors' taste and pocket, offering the obvious highlights such as the shopping, and the consumption of the exotic cuisine, but it now offers so much more.

Especially over the last ten years, the number of unique themed Singapore Attractions has skyrocketed. There is a huge variety of physical activities one can undertake on land and in the water, and there's an ever increasing amount of Singapore Golf Clubs now on the island. The government has been striving to promote Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, and they're actively promoting the country as a cosmopolitan gateway between the East and West, highlighting Singapore's theatre arts, dance, music and visual arts.

Climate

Being 1 degree north of the equator, Singapore's climate is equatorial with no true distinct seasons. Owing to its geographical location and maritime exposure, its climate is characterized by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall. The daytime temperatures hover between 23 °C and 34 °C, with May and June being the hottest months of the year due to light winds and strong sunshine during those months.

Culture

Singapore is a small and relatively modern mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European immigrants. The culture of Singapore expresses the diversity of the population as the various ethnic groups continue to celebrate their own cultures, intermingling with one another.

Festivals

Living amongst the multi-racial diverse background in Singapore, festival celebrations are mostly religious, cultural or plainly commemorative in nature. The Lunar New Year festival is mainly celebrated by the Chinese community in the country, traditionally celebrated with a huge fanfare in Singapore. The color red is used substantially in all manners of decoration and visits to family and relatives are practiced over the two-day public holiday. Red envelopes containing money are passed out and given to children by adults and married couples symbolizing good luck and suppressing evil spirits.

The Hari Raya Puasa festival is generally celebrated within the Malay community, signifying the end of the Muslim fasting month and the start of a celebration that lasts thirty days. Time is taken out to visit close relatives and green is the traditional color used for decorations and gifts.

Deepavali or the festival of lights is observed by the Indian community in the garden state, where tourists and locals flock to Little India and marvel at the decorations. Indian families light up rows of lamps in and outside their houses signifying the uplifting of spiritual darkness, symbolizing the celebration of good over evil in the Hindu faith.

Food

Singaporean food is heavily influenced by Malay, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and even Western traditions. The cuisine of Singapore is said to be similar to the diverse cuisine of Penang, Malaysia, as most of the foods in Singapore can also be found in the state of Penang. Inside Singaporean hawker stores, chefs of Chinese ethnic background influenced by Indian culture might experiment with condiments and ingredients such as tamarind, turmeric and ghee, while a Tamil chef might serve a fried noodle dish.

Singaporean Food is an attraction for tourists, promoted in various differnt ways. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of international cuisine and styles at all times of the day and year, and their wide range in prices help create a food paradise to rival other contenders in Asia.

Religion

Singapore is a multi-religious country due to its diverse ethnic mix of peoples originating from various countries. Most of the key religious denominations are represented in Singapore and religious tolerance is promoted by the government.

The most followed religion is Buddhism, with more than 40% of the resident population declaring themselves as adherents at the most recent census. The majority of Malays are adherents of Islam with a substantial community of Indian Muslim.

Travel Tips
Greetings

Greetings will follow a strict protocol often based on both the ethnic origin and age of the person. Younger people or those who work in multi-national companies may have adopted the western concept of shaking hands with everyone, but this is not the case with older or more reserved Singaporeans.
Men and women may shake hands, although the woman must extend her hand first. Introductions are always done in order of age or status and when being introduced to someone of the opposite sex, nodding the head and smiling is usually sufficient. As with the other groups, the elderly or the person with the most status is introduced first.

Religion
Singapore is a multi-religious country. Around 51% of resident Singaporeans practice Buddhism and Taoism. About 15%, mostly Chinese, Eurasians, and Indians, practice Christianity - a broad classification including Catholicism, Protestantism and other denominations. Muslims constitute 14%, of whom Malays account for the majority with a substantial number of Indian Muslims and Chinese Muslims. Smaller minorities practice Sikhism, Hinduism and others.. Some religious materials and practices are banned in Singapore. The Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, are prohibited from distributing religious materials.

The Law
Do not get yourself involved with drugs. Penalties for drug offences are very severe in Singapore.
Do not support any manner of wild animal abuse. Never purchase any products or souvenirs made from wild animals including reptiles like snakes, monitor lizards, and also turtle shell and ivory.
Drop your garbage into a waste container. In an effort to keep the city clean and healthy, the fine will be imposed on a person who spits, discards cigarette stubs, or drops rubbish in public areas.
Observe all normal precautions as regards to personal safety, as well as the safety of your belongings.

We hope these guidelines are helpful during your stay in Singapore. More detailed information about Singapore provinces are available by clicking the appropriate listing in our Main Menu. This is where you will also find a selection of businesses that are offering benefits and discounts to Asia Privilege Club Members.

Please send your questions and comments by submitting the Contact Form or send an e-mail to
singapore@asia-privilege-club.com