Before You Go to Singapore

Compared to the rest of SE Asia, Singapore is a wallet breaker. It can be much more expensive than travel in, say, Malaysia or Thailand. But it's still possible to live on $20 a day in Singapore if you budget. Living on a limited budget in Singapore means staying in dorm-style hostels and eating from street vendors and hawker stalls. But Singapore is generally a healthy and comfortable place at any price. And some of the best food is found at hawker centers.

Living cheap in Singapore will also mean foregoing one of the city's main attractions - shopping. Beware: it is possible to spend your budget for the week on Orchard Road before lunch time. Note that while haggling has become less common in Singapore, it is still worth a try and may save you some money.

Singapore is warm and humid all year. The temperature rarely drops far below 70F and gets to about 85F in the day. While Singapore has a wet season (Nov.-Jan.) and a dry season (May-July), the city's rain is relatively steady and there is not a great difference between the wet and dry times of year. With any trip to the tropics you will want to bring sun screen and insect repellant. There are few major health risks in Singapore itself. The city keeps a close watch on mosquitoes and diseases.

Travel cheap in the city. Singapore is covered with taxis. By any Western standard they are inexpensive. But you can do better. The Mass Rapid Transit system (MRT) connects up the entire island. You should learn to ride it. I would recommend making it your primary means of transportation and buying a pass instead of paying an individual fare each trip. Singapore also has a very regular and extensive bus system. And it is not difficult to rent a car if your budget allows for that.

Most Westerners do not need to obtain a visa in advance, as a 14-day permit is issued on arrival. If you'd rather stay a month, that's not usually a problem. Stays of longer than a month are rare and usually not allowed.

Somewhere between umpteen and a gajillion airlines fly into S'pore. Changi International Airport regularly wins awards for quality of service. Many visitors travel through Malaysia. You can move between Malaysia and Singapore quite freely by bus or taxi. A ferry operates from the airport area and Tanjung Belungkor near Johor Bahru. High-speed catamarans go daily between Singapore and Tioman Island in Malaysia. And Malaysia's rail system runs into Singapore.

On every trip I've made to Singapore I got a card to sign. On the back were the words "Death for Drugs." They mean it.

If you're caught with drugs (even a minuscule amount) they will give you a fair and speedy trial and then hang you quickly. By the neck. Until dead. I know: it can't happen to you. And you don't carry much with you. And it's for personal use. Don't think that matters in Singapore. You've been warned...