 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cruise Guide > South-East Asia > Singapore > Singapore | |
|
Singapore Time Zone GMT + 8. Currency Singapore Dollar (S$) = 100 cents. Language The four official languages are Malay (the national language), English, Chinese (Mandarin) and Tamil. Most Singaporeans are bilingual and speak English. Sightseeing Raffles Hotel, built in 1887 and declared a National Monument exactly 100 years later, is one of the world’s last remaining Victorian grand hotels of the East. Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin made it a favourite retreat and today, tourists flock for afternoon tea in the Tiffin Room and a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar. The four main districts of Singapore’s Chinatown each have a distinctive flavour of their own. Night Safari is billed as the world’s first and only night zoo, with over 1200 animals, covering 110 exotic species in eight zones that recreate geographic regions. Sentosa Island is a purpose-built island theme park and offers beaches, history, golf, gastronomy and a host of themed attractions. The largest bird park in all of South East Asia, Jurong BirdPark, is a refuge for more than 8000 birds of 600 different species from all over the world. The National Orchid Garden, in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, has the world’s largest orchid display. Other attractions include the Asian Civilisations Museum, the colonial architecture of the Supreme Court and City Hall, the site of the Japanese surrender to Lord Mountbatten in 1945. Shopping Singapore’s justifiable reputation as Asia’s cultural melting pot makes it a shopper’s paradise. Good buys include Indian spices, jewellery and brassware, Chinese clothes, food and medicines, Arabian batiks, cottons, silks and velvets. A host of more Western goods is available in the island’s 120 shopping malls, of which the largest is Ngee Ann City on the famous Orchard Road. Eating Out There are over 30 different international cooking styles in Singapore. Malay cuisine is a favourite, famed for its use of spices and coconut milk. Satay (skewers of marinated chicken cooked over charcoal) served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onion and rice is popular. Hot, spicy or sweet Indonesian cuisine includes beef rendang (coconut milk curry), chicken sambal and gado gado (a fruit and vegetable salad in peanut sauce). One of the best ways to eat in Singapore is in the open, at one of the 8000 street foodstalls. Country Singapore Region Asia Pacific |