Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

These are frequently asked questions about Singapore or interesting Qs that I think (something I rarely do) you might want to read about. If you do not want to be mentioned or have your email address here please email me & I'll remove your name or address. I'm having less time to answer Qs now partly due to work, courtship & other activities. I sincerely apologies in advance if I can't answer your Qs. I need a life beyond this 17" display : )

Q

Is Singapore safe to move around at night, what time does the shop closes?

A
Singapore is generally safe to move around at night. In town, at 10pm there are still crowds roaming the streets during weekdays. During weekend,  midnight is still a safe time. In fact, clubs, disco closes at 3am and you can see taxi waiting for potential passengers all across town. 

Shops close around 9-10.30pm daily. During festive season, they may close at midnight or later. There are 24 hours convenient stores scattered around town and the island

Q
I am planning a stop-over in Singapore on my way home to Ireland. I was
wondering whether Singapore closes down on Christmas day? Are the shops
and facilities closed? Is it better to avoid being in the city on this
day? ....Abby, Australia
A
Christmas in Singapore is NEVER 'closed'. The shops frantically have sales the whole month of Dec. The streets in Orchard Rd, lights up like one huge x'mas tree. The shopping malls' facade will be decorated to contest for the best design award which means good exposure for the mall. Also there are people singing carols.
I think it's a good time to be in the city (Orchard Rd) It's a bit crowded but many people are snapping pictures, & you can feel the lively atmosphere in celebration of the birth of Christ (not that they are Christians but because it's a commercial holiday). Well, you won't be in a ghost town that is for sure. Everything is great during x'mas save the absence of snow.

Q
1) Is there ever a situation where you are expected to tip someone?
2)Is Singapore a night town? What time do most places open and close? It looks to me like most places open at 10-11am.
3)Finally, why don't people in Singapore wear shorts? 95% of people I saw today when I was out were wearing slacks or jeans. Hot, hot, hot!!!! ---- Geoff Petersen
A
u 1)Usually tips are out in Singapore. But if you use a hotel's service like bell hops etc, then it may be expected. Other than that, no tipping even in 'posh' restaurant. This is due to the fact that there is a 10% service charge on your bill. Well, if you feel there are giving extraordinary service why not.
2)Yes, most shops open around there & closes around 9pm - 10.30pm. Pubs & clubs have license to open till 3am
There are also entertainment center (arcade, bowling alleys) that open 24hrs. From Friday to Saturday nites, cinemas tend to have midnite shows.
3)Don't ask me!! I think it's peer pressure. I was born here wearing jeans. I agree it's damn hot & humid. But if I wear shorts & go out with my friends, I'd feel 'underdressed' & everyone will look at me like I'm some geek or something. Westerners wear shorts & are accepted (Read: mindset, afraid of hot weather, which isn't true). Well, One of the reasons I think is becoz some restaurant don't allow patrons who wear shorts or bermudas to dine there, So does pubs & clubs.. I guess maybe I can safely say that most asians care more about appearance than practicality. (notice also the youths wearing real expensive stuff)

Q
Tony Smith (an expat) added these comments about shopping & Transport.

A
Some additional comments on shopping - Paris Silk in Holland Village (Lorong Liput, I think) is excellent value for electronic goods, watches, etc. Originally run by two brothers (Kevin & Larry) it has really grown over the 7 years I've resided in S'pore & has become a Mecca for most ex-pats, where they know they will not have to bargain, but get a fair price, which will usually be better than they could obtain elsewhere. Your comments on Lucky Plaza & Far East are well made & I would add that vendors will very often pressurise their customers into buying merchandise before they let them see it! Personally, I never shop at such places, since I don't feel I get a good deal, and I do enjoy bartering. Also Mustapha's in Little India is another establishment with a huge range of products at bargain basement prices - maybe worth a mention?
Transport - I'm sure you must have mentioned this in your page wrt stored value cards for MRT and both SBS and TIBS buses, but make be of interest to point out that transport ceases to function after midnight: most major western cities operate until 1 or 2 am, if not during the week then certainly at weekends.

Q
Dear Robin,
I will be travelling from Taipei to Milan by Singapore Airlines on the 13th September. As I have to wait 6 hours in Singapore for my next flight to Milan, can you tell me how can I make use of my 6 hours in Singapore? Is there a free tour service provided for transit travellers in Singapore? Your information will be very useful to me. Thank you. -----Ken, Taiwan

A
If I'm not wrong, you actually can arrange for a free city tour in the airport. This is for transit passengers. Although I'm not so sure how many hrs must you 'clock' to qualify. You can always ask the crew b4 you reach S'pore. Although it is a short tour, I guess you'll get to see a few key sights.

Q
1) Football.... I'm a soccer nut and would really miss the UK football. Is it possible to pickup Sky Sports television via cable or satellite over there ?... what sort of UK soccer coverage do you get ?
2) Golf... I'm a single figure handicap golfer, is it possible to get into a club over there ?... I hear it's very expensive
---- Steve Egllon, UK

A
1) We have the English league over here. When in season, every thursday it's the weekly highlight prog (correct at the time of writing. Find out the latest schedule from the TV stations . & one feature match every week. Not much but good enuff. They dun allow satalite here so ...no skytv. During the World Cup, we have coverage for all the matches. Most major European Cups will be shown live here. The Sports Channel from Cable TV offers live telecast of the English Premier League among others.
2) Err yes, clubs membership is as bad as car price here (Easily S$150K). U could try asking your company to get u a corporate a/c or get a cheaper membership in Malaysia or Indonesian island like Bintan near here. That's how my friends beat the price. It's still no where near affordable.

Q
Dear Robin

How are you. Hope you are fine. My name is Munir Bahram and I am sending this email from brisbane, Australia. I came to know about your e-mail address from your web site. We need help to find cheap and appropriate accommodation in Singapore. Hope you don't mind to help us.
We want to visit singapore for about 10 - 15 days from end of february. We try our best to find out about cheap accommodation from the web, but every detail are more S$50 per person. I read some of cheap accommodation from your web site. If you do not mind can you send us the detail of some more accommodation which price range for double room (for two person) would be from S$20 - S$30 per day. We are four people visiting Singapore.
We would love share house with some one also. Can you send us the detail of name of hotel / motel, address, phone, fax and email (if any).
Once again many thanks in advance.
Hope to see you in singapore.

Munir Bahram
Brisbane, Australia

A
Lots of people ask me this Q. I have a small section on this under the icon "Stay" Do refer to this page for more info.

Q
Hi Robin,
it was nice browsing through your page here on the net...and the
information you have is interesting and comprehensive.
question for you:
1. Are there any adventure sports in Singapore which we could indulge
in(hang gliding, water sports etc)? If yes, where, and if possible, how
much is the approximate cost.

Pallavi Gupta.

A
There isn't any place to hang glide here. However, there are water sports (not the kinky ones) that you might enjoy like Water skiing, wake boarding, wind surfing, canoeing & diving. The current is not strong enough for any surfing though.
Cost shouldn't be a problem. It ought to be cheap. I'm not to sure how much it'll cost coz I don't do water sports except canoeing. This cost about S$5/hr.

Q
Could you please tell me what kind of credit cards are customary
accepted in Singapore, since I will travel to Singapore shortly and no
one seems to be able to tell me which ones are accepted (eg american
express, eurocard, mastercard or so)?
Thanks. awaiting your reply,
greetings for the oncoming chinese new year

Willemsen, Susanne

A
Singapore being a commercial hub accept major credit cards like Visa, Masters, Amex, Diners. Shops & places that accept these cards will display the respective logos on the door.

Q
please send all info you have

Pete Waddington

A
Eek! It's all on my page. Cheers! (These are usually located in my links eg. misc link. You will find public transport guide & etc there)

Q
Hi
I have just found your web site very interesting congratulatuions on it.
I am coming to Singapore next Weekend on a company convention. One night there is a choice of dining at Bugis st, Clarke Quay or Boat quay. What would you recommend for a wild night out.

Thanks
Andy King

A
If you like booze and music, go with Boat Quay. Many working adults unwind there. There are different music scene like retro, pop, rock, jazz and even a quiet coffee place to relax.
Boat Quay is more for Partying.

Clark Quay is more family oriented with restaurants, touristy shops and rides.

Unless of course, if your wild nights out suggest otherwise check out Geylang, the only legal place in Singapore, yes, LEGAL, for the potential 'John'. Please don't ask me about the rates or best place.

Q

dear sirs,

we are a family of four, two are still kids and we planning to
visit your country for vacation this october. My question is, are there
toilets or restrooms in downtown or places we tourists might pass or
go?My two kids or even me might use them and we are in the middle of our
particular tour of a tourist place. Thank you very much for your
response.

michael chua

A

Welcome to Singapore, non-third world country. Singapore have lots of toilets in malls, tourist attractions. If you are around Orchard Rd, Go to any mall and you will find the 'pot' at the end of the rainbow : ). Also, Some places require you to pay S$0.10 - S$0.20 per entry. In most cases, it's free. MRT stations have free toilets too. Speaking of toilet, if you are visiting the Night Safari, make it a point to go to the toilet. It's simply beautiful!

Q

Hi Robyn,

My name is Ms M L and i am planning on making a brief individual
trip to the country singapore...... i have a bunch of questions that need
to be answered, so could you do your best at answering each of them.....
when you return my e-mail please put the answer on the line next to the
proper number, this is important and well-earned trip, i intend to turn
this trips information into a journal !!! please do your best in making
this a trip to remember.... thankyou very much!!!
1) where is the country i am visiting located ?(actual or breif place)
2) what visa requirements are required by the country i am visiting?
2b) how do i obtain my visa?(i already have an australian passport)
3) what health requirements need to be considered before i leave australia?
4) what is the address of the australian embassy in the capital city of the
country i am visiting?
5)what is the best way to travel there(from brisbane)?
5b)what will it cost me to get there(i'm a budjet traveller)?
6)what is the best way to take my spending money?
6b) how will i get local currency when i am there?
7) what is the history of this country(breif and not so breif)?
8)what is the present form of government?
9) main religions?
10)what is the main language of this country? (please also write me 6-8
phrases that will be very useful)
11)what are the important local customs?(i don't want to cause any offence)
12)what are the medical problems i am likely to encounter?
13)are there any local dangers i should be aware with?
14)what will i eat(good to try local cuisine)?
15)what should i do and see?
15b)where will i visit once i have reached my destination and what will i
see there? please write me a short itinerary of places i should visit
...see...i want to visit at least 3 other places, villages or landmarks of
INTREST)?
16)what are the local products that will make good souvenirs for my friends
at home?
17)will i be able to contact australia - what is the availbility of phone
and postal survices?
i intend to fly out on the 7th of september...i will stay at least 1
month!!
i looked at your site and i thought it was excellent!! but these question i
didn't come across..even though they might be in there please do me a huge
favour and send all these questions back to me as soon as possible...it's
very, very important!!!!

yours truly

Ms M L...thankyou...my e-mail adress
is.. 

A

She's cool isn't it? Read the first question & I know she wants me to do her homework for her. Gosh, doesn't even take the time to change some of the questions so that it looks like she's asking them just plain lazy cut & paste. Anyway, even if it's a genuine case, as I mentioned, my object of the website is to provide secondary info. Core info are out there in number, why spend my time duplicating them. Besides I have some goods links to core sites that I reviewed. Oh, I don't do homework or research for anyone. Research work teaches you how to look for info, read, filter and report. It's a skill which you have to learn. So be a good fellow and go to the library or web for info. Some may argue that research also includes interviewing people. Well, it does. But this one doesn't really like to be a lab rat : )
(Update: apprently, some months later, i suspect she was using her mom email account, someone sent me an email from this account stating that there was no such request at all and request me to remove her email)

Q

send me some info about place to see in singapore.

Saif Ur Rehman, Pakistan
advocate.

A

Again, I have to apologies here, but I don't own or work in a travel agency or have the resources to do that. To those who are less suave about the net, having a webpage doesn't mean that I am a company or a government agency. If you need brochures, please visit the Singapore Tourism Board website or call their offices in your country. Cheers.

Q

How are you?
I've just been visiting your website and I have a question for you. I'm 18
(almost 19) yrs old and coming to Singapore for a visit in late June/early July (from Australia).
My dad will be there on business, so I can stay with
him, but otherwise from that I'll probably be alone. Basically what I want
to know is how safe it is. Would you (if you were me) feel comfortable
staying by yourself in some of the different places in Singapore or in one
of the youth hostels/chalets/camping grounds on one of the surrounding
islands? Because I'd like to go and stay on one of Singapore's surrounding
islands.

That's the other question, which isn't quite as important as the first.
Which of the islands are your favourites? I'd like to visit places that
don't exist solely for tourists and give a realistic representation of
Singapore.

I would appreciate it heaps if you replied to this.

Thanks,
Liana, Australia

A

I don't think there is any island that you can stay in except for Sentosa. That's a tourist spot. Only with Hotels that are quite expensive for budget travellers
The rest of the island like Palau Ubin are camping site but without the proper facility. So you can also forget abt it. But if you are planning to stay at youth hostel around the main island, that's quite safe. Again, being street aware and know what not to do also help. But all in all, it's safe for a girl to move ard town from dusk till dawn.

Again Pulau Ubin is the island with less moderate tourist 'contamination'. There is no proper place to stay there just Camp sites with no proper sanitation facility. These facility are only located at the jetty and parts of the island that are miles from the campsites. If you want to catch a glimpse of Singaporeans living out their life, go to a neigbourhood town. That's where most live and do the daily chores other than work.

Q

I am planning to move to Singapore soon. Am from California.
Please tell me:
1) is electricity in 110V/220V?
2) can I bring in a TV/VCR set from California and expect it to work in
Singapore?
3) can a California phone work in your system? (not a cellular phone.)

What else have I missed?

Thanks Vince

A

1) 220V is the standard here and around S.E. Asia. More volts more fun : p
2) If your TV is a multisystem, it will work here. If not, over here PAL is the standard. TV sold here are multisystem PAL/NTSC. Video media are formatted in PAL.
3) Phones should be able to work. I think...Cordless phone have to be approved by IDA. This is because there are phones that uses frequencies that disrupt signals here.
FYI) Cellular phones supported here are the GSM900 (M1, Singtel & Starhub) & GSM 1800(Singtel).
M1, Singtel & Starhub.

Q

HI. I was told that there is a law in Singapore about men's hair length.
I was told that if it's too long, it will be cut off at the airport upon
arrival. I've searched the internet, but found nothing on the subject.
Is this law non-existent? My boyfriend refuses to go to Singapore
because he's afraid his hair will be chopped off.

Thanks, Kimberly

A

You are right abt the hair. But that holds true in the 70's where long hair is associated with Triad and Secret Society. Now, even executives have pony tails and is accepted. Don't worry, you will not be penalised even if your whole body is covered with tattoo or with long hair. So come and enjoy yourself. THERE IS NO LAW OUTLAWING LONG HAIR OR TATTOO IN SINGAPORE.

See what I mean by the Marketing done by the government as a place for tourism or work?

Q

Hey there.

As a New Zealander coming to Singapore to study at NUS for 3 years, I just
have a few questions relating to student life not quite found on most of
the Singaporean sites.
What is the Drinking Age in Singapore, and what age do you have to be to
get into pubs or nightclubs?
Because alcohol is so expensive there, do the students actually drink and
go out, or is clubbing alcohol-free more the style?
Any info you have would be invaluable.

Thanks

Anthony, New Zealand

A

Drinking and smoking age is 18. Be aware that if you are caught in any of these activity and is underage, you can be fined or jailed.
Certain pubs and Disco have a minimum age requirements so that they can filter the crowd.
Students limit their drinking in pubs/disco as price is high. One way they beat the pubs/disco price is to buy drinks from 7-11 and get high before entering the pubs/disco. Another is to hang around some rich kid who pays for all the drinks ; ) Esctasy still exist in some pubs/disco but regular checks by the police makes it risky to consume them.

Q

My name is Kimberly A. Christensen and I have been doing a little
research on Singapore today because I am thinking of getting an
internship there. I keep reading things about not eating things you buy
in the streets, and the water problems. They say this exists in SE
Asia, but does that include Singapore?
Also, exactly how hot is the weather? I went to Costa Rica this past
summer, and the humidity was a very intense thing...

Please respond,
Kim

A

Hi Kimberly,

Thanks for taking the time to write. Well, if you have read about my section on food, you will know the health ministry here grades and check on the food here. In Singapore, we don't have hawkers in the streets anymore, what we have is  food centre. Tourists take the chance to try out these food and tour group would feature one of them in the tour. (Usually Newton Food Center)

There are no water or food problem here. The quality of water here from the taps are fit to drink without boiling and taste like bottled water. If you have been to London, the tap water is heavily treated, if you can drink that, this must be 'champagne' compared to that. Of course this holds true in Singapore only. In SE Asia, you will want to heed the advice.

I guess that Costa Rica would be a good way to describe Singapore's weather and humidity. The 2 countries exist very near the equator. Our temp range from 22 degree celcius to 34.

Q

When I visit Singapore can I wear my bikini or are there modesty laws?

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