Singapore

PDF

Singapore

PDF ebook

Edition 9th Edition
Release Date Feb 2012
Pages 224

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4 How to Use This Book

easy-to-use Top Sights features provide in-depth
sections coverage of the city’s very best sights.

Plan Your Trip SINGAPORE ZOO

Your planning tool kit – Photos, lists and These symbols help you to quickly
suggestions to help you put together your identify listings in the text and on the
maps:
perfect trip.
1 SIGHTS
Explore 5 EATING
6 DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
Your complete city guide – 3 ENTERTAINMENT
Top Sights features, in-depth reviews and 7 SHOPPING
2 SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
local tips.
Reviews are ordered by author preference
Understand to help you get the most out of the city.

Get more from your trip – Learn about
the big picture, so you can make sense of

the city.

Survival Guide These symbols give you the vital
information for each listing:
Your at-a-glance reference – Vital
practical information to help you have a S Sustainable s Swimming Pool
Option E English-
smooth trip.
% Telephone Language Menu
plus Number c Family-Friendly
# Pet-Friendly
full-colour h Opening Hours g Bus
map section p Parking f Ferry
n Nonsmoking m Metro
a Air-Conditioning b Subway
i Internet Access j Tram
Key on p206 e# 0 500 m W Wi-Fi Access d Train
ABCD 0 0.25 miles v Vegetarian

E F GH Selection

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ABCD E F GH

Singapore

“All you’ve got to do is decide to go
and the hardest part is over.

So go!”

TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Shawn Low, Daniel McCrohan

Contents

PlPalnanYoYuoruTrrTirpip 1page 4

Welcome to Top Itineraries ............... 16 Eating ........................... 26
Singapore......................... 4 If You Like... .................... 18 Drinking & Nightlife... 29
Singapore’s Top 10..........6 Month by Month ........... 20 Entertainment ............ 32
What’s New .................... 13 With Kids ........................24 Shopping...................... 34
Need to Know ................ 14 Like a Local ....................25

Explore Singapore 36

Neighbourhoods at a Orchard Road ................ 77 West & Southwest
Glance ............................38 Eastern Singapore ........85 Singapore.....................109
Colonial District, Marina Northern & Central Sentosa &
Bay & the Quays ........... 40 Singapore.......................96 Other Islands ................116
Chinatown & the CBD ...55 Holland Village,
Little India & Dempsey Hill & Day Trips from
Kampong Glam..............65 the Botanic Gardens... 102 Singapore .................. 124

Sleeping ..................... 140

Understand Singapore 153

Singapore Today .........154 Peranakan Culture ...... 170
History .......................... 156 Languages of
Food .............................. 164 Singapore..................... 174

Survival Guide 177

Transport ..................... 178 Menu Decoder ............. 187
Directory A–Z ..............183 Index ............................. 192

Singapore Maps 199

RICHARD LIM / ALAMY © MICHAEL COYNE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

(left) Baba House (p57) AUN KOH / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

(above) Deepavali
festival (p23)

(right) Kueh pie ti, a
Nonya speciality (p91)

Pulau Ubin
p116

Northern & Central
Singapore

West & Southwest p96 Eastern
Singapore Little India & Singapore
p109
Kampong Glam p85
p65

Holland Village, Orchard Colonial District,
Dempsey Hill & Road Marina Bay
the Botanic Gardens p77 & the Quays
p40
p102 Sentosa
Island Chinatown
p116 & the CBD

p55

Welcome to
Singapore

Singapore is the perennial
stopover no more. The city is
jostling to be Asia’s, even the

world’s, best city.

Bright Lights, Small City Fried Rice Paradise

Singapore is small in size but huge in ambi- Singaporeans are food crazy; along with
tion. In recent years it has lifted its global shopping, eating ranks as Singapore’s na-
profile by means of numerous shots of tional pastime. Food is both a widespread
adrenalin to its tourism industry. Integrat- passion and a unifier across ethnic divides,
ed resorts bring in tourists and big money with a profusion of establishments offering
(mostly thanks to casinos), the arts and Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Nonya (a
music scenes are overloaded with interna- hybrid of Chinese and Malay culinary tradi-
tional acts, and the Formula One night race tions) specialities. Although the city’s hawk-
is now well established. It’s hard to keep er centres and food courts are justifiably its
track of the changes sometimes. Singapore’s greatest claim to fame, eating in Singapore
great strides in the last few years have been is not just about rubbing sweaty shoulders
mapped onto its skyline, a breathtaking with locals. While much of its best food
hybrid of low-slung British colonial build- might originate over a humble wok, cook-
ings and towering skyscrapers. ing in Singapore is elevated to an art form
at many haute cuisine restaurants.
Shop Till You Drop
Garden State, Diverse Spaces
Electronics, fashion, video games, raw cloth,
spices, Chinese medicine – the list of things Most people come to Singapore for the
you can buy in Singapore is as long as it is legendary eating and shopping, but the
varied. Shopping is almost a spiritual pur- city’s numerous lush and exotic gardens
suit in Singapore and the heart of it all can are a surprising bonus. Urban planning is
be found at Orchard Rd, a veritable canyon important to the government, and there
of concrete, glass and steel. Singaporeans are large swaths of green spaces that break
love their malls, spending vast amounts of up Singapore’s concrete landscape. There’s
leisure time bathing in icy air-conditioning the innovative (a rooftop garden on top
while shopping, eating and movie-going. of the Marina Barrage) to the serene (the
Prices are no longer dirt cheap, but the MacRitchie Reservoir has a stunning tree-
extraordinary variety and the decadence top walk) and the natural (Sungei Buloh is
of the setting make shopping in Singapore a stopover point for thousands of migratory
memorable. birds).

AUN KOH / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

Why I Love Singapore

By Shawn Low, Author

Singapore is my second home (I grew up here) and each time I visit, there’s always some-
thing new to see. It’s a city that’s constantly being tinkered with, and it’s not all just about
malls. There are new gardens, museums, art galleries, cool bars and a gazillion restaurants.

I love that Singapore never sleeps. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve rocked
up with my brother to the local coffeeshop for cheap beer at three o’clock in the morn-
ing. And the food, oh the food. In Singapore, home isn’t where the heart is...it’s where the
stomach leads.

For more about our authors, see p224.

Above: Singapore cuisine

6 PHIL WEYMOUTH / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

Singapore’s

Top 10

7

Hawker Food (p168) Singapore Zoo and
Night Safari (p99)
1 Singapore’s hawker food is the stuff
of legend, and celebrity chefs from 2 Let’s put it out there: this is possibly
Anthony Bourdain to the late New York the world’s best zoo. The open-air
Times writer Johnny Apple have raved enclosures allow for both freedom for the
about the dazzling array of cheap and animals to roam and unobstructed visitor
delicious dishes available. There’s really views. The Singapore Zoo is one of the few
no better way to get into the Singapore places outside of Borneo or Sumatra where
psyche than through its cuisine, so roll you can stand under trees with orang-
up your sleeves and get ready to sweat it utans a few feet above your head, or where
out over steaming plates of yummy local mouse deer and lemurs scamper across
favourites. KITCHEN OF A CHANGI VILLAGE HAWKER your path. As evening closes in, the Night
Safari next door uses open-concept enclo-
CENTRE RESTAURANT (P93) sures to get visitors up close and personal
with nocturnal creatures such as leopards,
5 Food free-ranging deer and Malayan tigers.

1 Northern & Central Singapore

HEATH HOLDEN / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

8

Pulau Ubin (p121) Little India (p65)

3 Singapore’s very own rustic island 4 The most atmospheric of Singapore’s
getaway offers a glimpse at the kam- historic quarters is as close it gets to
pong (village) life that was a big part of Singapore of the old chaotic days. Experi-
Singapore as recently as the 1960s. By ence it with the masses on the weekends
hopping aboard a chugging bumboat when it gets packed to the gills with
from Changi, visitors can experience Pu- Indian workers wanting a slice of home.
lau Ubin’s old-growth mangrove swamps, The five-foot ways of the shophouses spill
then cycle past tin-roof shacks or ram- over with aromatic spices and colourful
page along a cross-country mountain products. The trendy set are drawn to
bike trail and end the day with a seafood cool little bars and if you have insomnia,
meal. If the great outdoors is not your simply head to Mustafa Centre for shop-
bag, you can take a cooking class instead. ping: buy an iPad at 3am before heading
If island life gets to you, you can always for a teh tarik and a roti prata. SRI SRINIVASA
stay a night or three at the local resort.
PERUMAL TEMPLE (P67)
MJ / ALAMY ©

PLAN YOUR TRIP SINGAPORE’S TOP 10
1 Sentosa & Other Islands 1 Little India & Kampong Glam







































28

Lonely Planet’s $$$ Fusion
Top Choices
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Kilo (p45)
Maxwell Rd Hawker Centre (p119) Food For Thought (p45)
(p60) Singapore’s best hawker
centre is also its most popular. Au Jardin (p105) Japanese

L’Angelus (p58) Central Mall Food Outlets (p47)

PLAN YOUR TRIP EATING Iggy’s (p79) This mainstayer Best by Cuisine Maeda (p91)
has remained top of the haute
cuisine scene. Chinese & Peranakan Best Hawker Centres
& Food Courts
Sin Huat Eating House (p90) Dim Joy (p58)
People come from around the Tonny Restaurant (p91) Lau Pa Sat (p60)
island to sample the best crab Wah Lok (p47) East Coast Lagoon Food Village
bee hoon (noodles) in town. Blue Ginger (p58) (p92)
Guan Hoe Soon (p91) Food Republic, Wisma Atria
Best by Budget (p80)
Indian Takashimaya Food Village (p80)
$ Gluttons Bay (p46)
Gandhi Restaurant (p69)
Bismillah Biryani (p69) Samy’s Curry Restaurant (p105) Best for Crab
Bismillah Biryani (p69)
Gandhi Restaurant (p69) Sankranti (p69)

Tekka Centre (p75) Malay & Indonesian Eng Seng Coffeeshop (p91)
No Signboard Seafood (p90)
Gluttons Bay (p46) Cumi Bali (p58) Roland Restaurant (p92)

East Coast Lagoon Food Village Tepak Sireh (p72)
(p92)
Zam Zam (p72)
$$

DB Bistro Moderne (p45)

Kilo (p45)

Cocotte (p72) Western
Guan Hoe Soon (p91)
DB Bistro Moderne (p45)

Nan Hwa Chong Fish-Head Saveur (p90)
Steamboat Corner (p72) Cocotte (p72)

Din Tai Fung (p80)

DOMINIC BONUCCELLI / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

Bars near the Quays (p48)

Drinking &
Nightlife

Whip out your dancing shoes and line your stomach – Singapore has
plenty to offer in the partying and drinking stakes. There are loads of bars
and clubs to keep you going until the birds are twittering, seven nights
a week. And if you’re hung over, the burgeoning coffee scene will supply
enough caffeine to wake the dead.

Bars of Holland Village and Dempsey Hill. If you
Recipe for the burgeoning Singapore bar need a sundowner after a long day of shop-
scene: mix equal parts rooftop bars, micro- ping at Orchard Rd, duck along Emerald Hill
breweries, Irish pubs, quirky bars and local Rd (p82) – there’s a whole raft of bars here.
watering holes. The Colonial District is dot- For something more mellow and bohemian,
ted with rooftop bars offering unparalled visit Kampong Glam, where you can smoke
city views. Next door, Clarke Quay is home sheesha in between brews. With so much
to the popular Brewerkz (p48)...no prizes for choice, you’ll truly be enjoying ‘happy’ hour.
guessing what they have on tap. Further out,
you’ll find everything from microbreweries
to bespoke cocktails in the expat enclaves

30  Oriole Cafe & Bar (p81) They roast their own
NEED TO KNOW beans at this cafe-restaurant.

PLAN YOUR TRIP DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE Prices Say What? How Much?!
Singapore is probably the most expensive
Regular bars add 17% to your bill: 10% place in Southeast Asia for drinking and
for service charge, 7% for GST. You’ll see nightlife. A beer at most city bars will set
this indicated by ++ on drink lists. you back between $10 and $18, and it’s not
uncommon for cocktails to ring in at $20
Opening Hours upwards. In addition, most dance clubs
 Bars: 3pm till late. have entrance fees of $20 or more (though
 Clubs: 6pm till late. these will usually include a drink).
 Cafes: 10am to 6pm.
If you’re looking to save on libations,
Entry Fees hit the bars early to take advantage of the
 Unless you know someone at the happy hours; these typically stretch from
door or get signed in by a member, at around 5pm to 8pm, sometimes starting
the hottest clubs you’ll have to join the earlier and finishing later. At these times
queue. you’ll generally get discounted drinks, two
 You can avoid the cover charge for drinks for the price of one and cheaper
some bars and clubs if you go early. ‘housepours’. On Wednesday or Thursday
nights, some bars offer cheaper (some-
Clubbing times free) drinks to women (a common
With a party on most nights, you’ll never practice in Singapore and not intended to
lack for a good time. Dance clubs prolifer- be sleazy). Those who don’t mind plastic
ate Clarke Quay (p48), and St James Power tables and fluorescent lights can hang
Station (p115) houses Firefly, a trendy out with the locals at hawker centres and
Canto/Mandopop club, Movida, a live coffeeshops, drinking $6 bottles of Tiger.
Latin club and several other themed clubs. Of course, if you’re really tight, you can
Home Club (p50) is packed with the latest always drink $5 beers in your hostel.
and greatest DJs spinning to a house full
of trendy hipsters. Rooftop bars such as Ku GLBT Singapore
Dé Tah (p49) bring in international guest While homosexuality is technically illegal
DJs on select nights. and lesbianism not even acknowledged,
the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-
Zoukout is a dance party held every gender) scene in Singapore exists nonethe-
December on Sentosa’s beach. It’s organ- less. Every August, the gay community
ised by Zouk (p48), Singapore’s oldest and rallies around the pride celebration, In-
best-known club. dignation (www.plu.sg/indignation). You
can find resources on GLBT bars and clubs
Singapore’s Best Coffee at www.pluguide.com, www.fridae.asia
Something is brewing in Singapore: arti- and www.utopia-asia.com.
sanal coffee made with ethically sourced,
locally roasted beans. If you can’t put up
with the sweetened local brew or the milky
soup from Starbucks, here are places you
have to check out. Look beyond espresso
coffee and ask for coffee brewed with
Japanese siphons, French press or pourov-
ers. Highlights of the scene include the
following:

 Plain (p63) Cool, minimalist decor.
 Loysel’s Toy (p45) Well-made lattes at the
base of an industrial building.
 Soho Coffee (p51) Central location; also does
tasty burgers.

31

Lonely Planet’s Top Best for Drinks Best for
Chilling Out
Choices with Views

Zouk (p48) Singapore’s oldest Lantern (p49) eM by the River (p50) PLAN YOUR TRIP DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
club still rocks the house. Level 33 (p49) 2am: Dessert Bar (p106)
1 Altitude (p49) Best view from New Asia Bar (p50) Tippling Club (p107)
a bar ever? Yes. Ku Dé Tah (p49) Loof (p49)
Emerald Hill Bars (p82) You’ll Zsofi Tapas Bar (p73)
be spoilt for choice here. Best for Beers
Brewerkz (p48) Tasty micro-
brews with a riverside setting. Tiger Brewery (p113)

Best for Dancing Paulaner Brauhaus (p50)

St James Power Station (p115) Brussels Sprouts Belgian Beer &
Butter Factory (p50) Mussels (p49)
Zirca Mega Club (p50)
Home Club (p50) Red Dot Brewhouse (p107)

32

Entertainment

There’s never a dull moment in Singapore. There are live gigs and local
theatre year-round, while at certain times of the year Singapore explodes
into a flurry of car racing, arts festivals and international music gigs.
What’s more, there’s plenty of opportunities for pampering and thrill
seeking.

Theatre the perfect recipe for a country full of movie
The Singapore Arts Festival (www.singapore buffs. Singaporeans love to watch movies,
artsfest.com) is held every June. Quality dra- and at around $10 per ticket, it’s great value.
ma, music, art and dance are featured. The Multiplex cinemas abound, and most are
associated Singapore Fringe Festival (www. clustered around the city area, on or near
singaporefringe.com) has plenty of street Orchard Rd. Singapore’s cinemas are notori-
performances. Esplanade – Theatres on the ously chilly places, so wear something warm.
Bay (p52) is one of the brightest spots in
Singapore’s vibrant theatre and dance scene. Sports & Thrills of all Sorts
Visiting Broadway musicals are put on at the Each September, the Formula One night race
Marina Bay Sands theatres (p52), and local comes to town, along with its crazy circus of
theatre groups such as Wild Rice and the performers (Linkin Park and Shakira have
Singapore Repertory Theatre regularly put previously provided entertainment). If you
up local plays as well as the occasional adap- want to be on the active side of the sporting
tation. Shakespeare in the Park, anyone? fence, Singapore has plenty of outdoor activ-
ities for those undaunted by climate. Some-
Live Music where in the region of a quarter of the island
Sure, a lot of average Pinoy cover bands is taken up by parks, many of which are
grace hotel bars, but an enthusiastic local joined by a series of underground park con-
music scene also thrives (to a point). The nectors and overhead bridges. This means
outdoor atrium at the Esplanade has the that you can walk, cycle or skate through
regular free performances and the Singa- much of the city without fighting traffic.
pore Symphony Orchestra plays, for free, at
the Botanic Gardens monthly. Spas & Massage
Spas, massage and paid-for relaxation are
If local music isn’t your thing, interna- big business in Singapore. Midrange to high-
tional acts and Cantonese and Mandarin end spas can be found in most malls and
pop/rock acts visit with startling regularity. five-star hotels. Spa Esprit (www.spa-esprit.
Timbre also organises the Rock and Roots com) is a popular beauty empire.
festival in May each year. If all else fails to
entertain, there are plenty of raucous Thai Another place worth a visit is the People’s
discos you could always visit… Park Complex (p64), which boasts several
floors of stalls offering reflexology, shiatsu
Film and even places where you can soak your
Take an affluent society, chuck it on a tiny feet in a pool of dead-skin-eating fish. Rates
island beaten down by the sweltering sun for vary from around $25 for a foot massage to
12 months a year and blammo, you’ve got more than $200 for a full-day package.

Lonely Planet’s Best for Pampering 33PLAN YOUR TRIP ENTERTAINMENT
Top Choices
Willowstream Spa (p52) NEED TO KNOW
Universal Studios (p117) Spa Botanica (p120)
Gold-standard thrill rides for People’s Park Complex (p64) Prices
kids and adults.  $20 to $50 will get
Best for Hikes you a ticket to a local
Home Club (p50) Comedy theatre production.
‘masala nights’ offer stand-up Southern Ridges (p112)  It’s often free to
laughs aplenty. MacRitchie Reservoir (p99) watch local bands at
Bukit Timah Nature local nightspots; some
TAB (p83) A rotating calendar Reserve (p98) places have a small
of music acts keeps punters cover charge.
entertained. Best for Kicks  International music
acts are expensive and
Timbre@Substation (p51) tickets often average
Order a beer and rock out to $100 to $300.
tunes by local bands.  Big-budget musi-
cal tickets cost $65 to
Best for Theatre Ultimate Drive (p52) $200.
SKI360° (p94)  Expect to pay through
Singapore Repertory Exotic Tattoo (p84) the nose during Formula
Theatre (p52) G-Max Reverse Bungy (p52) One season in Sep-
Theatreworks (p52) Universal Studios tember – hotel prices
Necessary Stage (p94) rollercoasters (p117) often triple. Decent
grandstand tickets to
Best for Local Bands Best for Bike Rentals the F1 start at $298,
but if you’re on a budget
TAB (p83) East Coast Park (p88) you can get walkabout
Timbre@Substation (p51) Pasir Ris Park (p89) tickets from $38.
Crazy Elephant (p51)
BluJaz Café (p74) Tickets
Home Club (p50)
Tickets and an events
calendar can be found
on the Sistic website,
www.sistic.com.sg.

Best for Film

Parco Bugis Junction
(Map p208)
Suntec City (p54)
Marina Square complex (p54)
Cathay (Map p212)
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
(Map p212)
Plaza Singapura (p84)
Shaw House (Map p212)

34

Shopping

While it’s not the shopping haven it once was (Hong Kong and Bangkok
have stolen Singapore’s thunder), there are clusters of cool local fashion
designers and enough international high-street brands to sate the shopping
needs of most visitors. IT nerds can also rejoice at the low prices and wide
range of cameras and gear…available at any time of the day!

Shopping Strips camera gear, wander around Peninsula Plaza
Everybody’s heard of Orchard Rd, Singa- (p54) and Peninsula Shopping Centre (p54).
pore’s shopping mecca. Once lined with You can haggle slightly here.
plantations of the natural kind, it now seems
to grow new malls every few years. You’ll If you’re after art or antiques, it pays to
find most of what you want here; in particu- know your original piece from your cheap
lar, all the fashion brands. copy. For Asian antiques, the best places
to head are Chinatown (p63), Dempsey Rd
If you’re buying electronics or computer (p108) or Tanglin Shopping Centre (p83).
equipment, Funan DigitaLife Mall (p54), There’s also a collection of contemporary
Sim Lim Square (p75) and the Mustafa art galleries at the Ministry of Information,
Centre (p75) are all good places to visit. You Culture and the Arts building (MICA; p52).
have to shop around and be prepared to
bargain at Sim Lim Square. For second-hand For fabrics and textiles, head to Little
India (p75) and the Arab Quarter (p75).

IN SEARCH OF FASHION, NOT JUST SHOPPING NIKI BRUCE

If you’re looking for something different, skip the usual high-street brands and check out
some original, Singapore fashion.

RAOUL is a ‘masstige’ (combination of mass and prestige) brand for men and women
that’s developing a following for its minimalist style and is one of the few Singaporean
brands that tends towards European cuts, meaning you’re more likely to find ‘larger’
sizes. RAOUL accessories are particularly good; the structured leather bags look like
Celine, but at a quarter of the price.

If you prefer a more feminine look, check out alldressedup for its combination of soft
draping and structured tailoring. Known for its unique use of prints and colour, this is the
go-to brand for workwear and accessories like chunky necklaces and clutch bags.

Among the up-and-coming Singapore designers, names making waves include max.tan,
a cross between Comme des Garçons and Givenchy’s Ricardo Tisci, and young&restless,
with its unstructured draping and voluminous tailoring. Other young designers to check
out include Depression, a monochrome mix of unisex jersey pieces and neat tailoring;
AL&ALICIA, soft ‘boyfriend’ jackets, shorts and cute dresses; Reckless Ericka, Japanese
inspired men’s and women’s wear; and WYKIDD, smart casual menswear with hand-
worked detailing. For a good overview of new labels check out multi-label boutiques
Blackmarket and Front Row or visit Parco Next Next in Millenia Walk (p54). Female and Her
World are local magazines that regularly feature the best of local and international design.

Niki Bruce is the editor of herworldPLUS.com, a Singapore fashion & lifestyle website.

Lonely Planet’s Best for Cameras 35PLAN YOUR TRIP SHOPPING
Top Choices
Peninsula Plaza (p54) NEED TO KNOW
Orchard Rd (p83) You’ll find Peninsula Shopping Centre
everything in Singapore’s retail (p54) Opening Hours
mecca. Sim Lim Square (p75)  Retail stores: 11am to
9pm or 10pm.
Haji Lane (p69) The latest Best Malls  Mustafa Centre and
indie chic housed in restored Challenger at Funan
shophouses. ION Orchard (p83) DigitaLife Mall: 24 hours.
Ngee Ann City (p83)
Little India (p75) Five-foot ways VivoCity (p115) Bargaining & Returns
redolent of spices and dripping 313 Somerset (p83)
with atmosphere. Raffles City (p53) Prices are usually fixed
in all shops, except at
Dempsey Rd (p108) A quiet and markets and in some
cool enclave of upmarket delis shops in touristy areas. It
and furniture shops. pays to know the prices
of gear back home in
Best for Gadgets case you get over-quoted
at independent stores.
Funan DigitaLife Mall (p54) If you do have to haggle,
Mustafa Centre (p75) stay good-humoured
Sim Lim Square (p75) and don’t get petty
(erm, that’s the price of
a 70¢ can of Coke) – this
causes everyone to lose
face. Shops in Singapore
don’t accept returns.
Exchanges are accepted
if the item has its original
tags and packaging.

Taxes & Refunds

Visitors leaving from the
airport can get a refund
of the 7% GST on their
purchases, under the
following conditions:
 Minimum spend of
$100 at one retailer on
the same day for no more
than three purchases.
 You have a copy of the
GST refund form from
the shop (they aren’t
available at customs).
 Present the refund
form, items and receipts
to customs at the air-
port. They stamp the
form, then you can claim
the refund, which is
processed here.
 Smaller stores may
not participate in the
GST refund scheme.

36 FELIX HUG / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

Explore
Singapore

Neighbourhoods Orchard Road . . . . . . . . 77 West & Southwest
at a Glance . . . . . . . . . .38 Singapore . . . . . . . . . .109
Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Colonial District, Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Marina Bay & Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . . . 81 Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
the Quays. . . . . . . . . . . 40 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Eastern Singapore . . . .85 Sentosa &
Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Other Islands . . . . . . . 116
Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . . .48 Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Sentosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . . .93 Pulau Ubin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Southern Islands . . . . . . . . . 122
Chinatown & Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
the CBD . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Day Trips from
Northern & Singapore . . . . . . . . . . 124
Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Central Singapore . . . .96
Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Pulau Bintan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . . . 61 Top Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Johor Bahru . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Pulau Tioman . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Melaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Holland Village,
Little India & Dempsey Hill & the Sleeping. . . . . . . . . . . .140
Kampong Glam . . . . . . .65 Botanic Gardens. . . . . 102

Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . . . 73 Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . .106
Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75