Singapore is one of major tourist destinations in Asia. Millions foreign tourist from all over the world visit this tiny country every year for shopping, medical treatment and leisure. This city state is also well known as financial and business center, aviation hub and world seaport. With citizen mixed from three major Asian ethnic group; Chinese, Malay and Tamil (Indian), it gets advantage by having various cultures which is interested foreign visitors.
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Here are some tips for you for traveling to Singapore for first time;
WHERE TO STAY
Because its smooth traffic flow and size of area is not too large (compared to some major Asian city such as Tokyo, Shanghai, etc), you have not to stay in city center or near major train station. There are so many options to stay in Singapore from budget hotel to luxury one. I suggest choosing a hotel by considering your main purpose to visit Singapore for example shopping or enjoying the beauty of the city. If your main purpose for shopping, its better to stay near Shopping area such as Orchard Road and nearby.
But if your main purpose for enjoying beauty of the city and entertainment, I suggest staying at hotel near Merlion Statue. Around the Merlion statue, there are several tourist attractions such as Singapore Flyer, Garden by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and the Merlion statue itself.
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But if you want stay near both Orchard Road and Merlion park, you should stay at Bencoolen area as it located between Orchard and Merlion park. If little India and Mustafa centre are also your itineraries vacation in Singapore, Bencoolen is also near both of them.
WHAT TRANSPORTATION TO USE
There are two modes of transportation that are commonly used in Singapore, firstly, train and secondly, taxi. It depends on you to choose one of them. For cost consideration, I suggest using train if you are traveling alone. But if you are traveling with friend, it’s better to use taxi. For convenience consideration, I suggest using taxi especially when you are traveling with children or elderly. The train service in Singapore is very good, but sometimes we still need to walk more than 500 meters from train station to tourist attraction location. Walking in a long distance in a tropical city is sometimes not comfortable for certain people. But again, it depends on you.
WHAT TO VISIT
There are several tourist attractions that are worth visiting when you are traveling to Singapore. For first timer, I suggest visiting Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands, Orchard Roads, Mustafa Center, and Jewels Changi Airport. Here are for more explanations;
- MERLION
Merlion is a mythical figure half fish and half lion. The iconic Merlion is on the edge of Merlion Park.
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The story of fish
His body symbolize Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing village called Tamasek, which means ‘sea city’ in Old Javanese. Its head reflects the country’s original name, Singapore, or ‘lion city’ in Malay. Smashing water from its mouth, the Merlion statue stands 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons. Built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng, it was inaugurated on 15 September 1972 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the Singapore River estuary to welcome all visitors to Singapore. (Source : visitsingapore.com)
Its iconic statue is one of landmark of Singapore and very popular among visitor, therefore it is always crowded by visitor everyday. Because of that, I think it is a must to visit when you are traveling Singapore.
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From the Merlion Park in which the Merlion statue located, you could enjoy the beauty of Singapore City view with the high structure which stands firmly around the mouth of the Singapore River, among them are Marina Bay Sands.
2. MARINA BAY SANDS
Marina Bay Sands® is a destination for those of you who value luxury. A leading integrated resort that transforms the Singapore skyline, consisting of three 55-story towers with luxury hotel rooms and suites equipped with personal butlers. In addition, the architecture was perfected by Sands SkyPark® which crowns three towers.
What to see and enjoy in Marina Bay Sands:
Sky Park
At Sands SkyPark®, be prepared to be astonished to see the view at a 360 degree angle from the observation deck. As a hotel guest, you can enjoy an extraordinary experience by swimming in an infinity pool overlooking the horizon. Dive into the pool before dusk and watch the beautiful sunset from the poolside, 200 meters in the sky.
Shopping Arcade
Shopaholics will be very happy to be in the rows of shops selling luxury goods at Marina Bay Sands®, which houses the finished collection of famous designer boutiques in Asia. Completing the retail area are delicious dining options, including restaurants by celebrity chefs, luxury restaurants and casual dining venues.
The center of the arts and science meeting
ArtScience Museum ™ at Marina Bay Sands® is an iconic building inspired by a lotus flower which is home to the much-anticipated exhibition, FUTURE WORLD: When Art and Science Meet. The museum also organizes blockbuster film tour exhibits that explore creative processes in terms of art, science, technology, and culture, including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal, Collider and many more.
Other attractions include Sands Theaters at Marina Bay Sands® featuring extraordinary world-class entertainment shows.
(Source : visitsingapore.com)
3. ORCHARD ROAD
Orchard Road is a retail center in Singapore where several department stores and luxury outlets located. it is also one of famous landmark of Singapore. For some foreign visitors, orchard is considered as shopping heaven as it offers various of products with cheaper price. some outlets often provide discounts that are quite tempting for visitors.
You could also buy various souvenir as gifts for your family and friends with affordable price such small pouch, key chain, T-shirt, miniature of some Singapore Landmark, etc. When you feel tired or hungry after exploring the shopping area, you could have some meals or drinks while relax in some restaurants or cafes.
4. MUSTAFA CENTER
Mustafa Center is 24 hours shopping mall located on Syed Alwi Road in Little India District. This Shopping Mall is very large approximately 2-3 times soccer field with 6 floors. In this Shopping Mall, you could buy various product with affordable price such as chocolates, perfumes, make up, watch, gadgets, bags, luggages, shoes, clothes and etc.
As it very large, I suggest using comfortable shoes when exploring the malls. If you feel hungry, you could have meal in Mustafa Cafe or in rooftop Mustafa Center. The dishes are very delicious and the price is affordable.
5. JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT
Jewel Changi Airport is a nature-themed entertainment and shopping arcade at Changi International Airport Singapore. In the center of it, there is a waterfall, the tallest indoor waterfall in the world and a beautiful tropical garden. It is home for a hotel and hundreds of luxury shops. Transit Passenger in Changi International Airport could kill their transit time by exploring the shops and enjoying the waterfall and garden while sitting on the bench. It has become a landmark of Singapore Tourism, therefore it is always crowded by visitor every day.
Thus, hopefully helpful.
duscik ceolah 