Some tips
Clothing
Due to the heat and humidity in Singapore, loose and light summer clothing pieces are highly recommended for everyone wanting to visit Singapore, and be able to enjoy it fully.
If you're here on business, the smart casual attire of long-sleeved or short-sleeved shirts or blouses and trousers and skirts are usually acceptable unless you are attending a formal business dinner or when specified on an invitation card. Suits and ties are optional for business meetings, although still recommended.
Electricity
The voltage in Singapore is 220-240 volts AC, 50 cycles per second. Most hotels provide transformers and adapters on request. Otherwise, you should find one easily at most general stores. You should not spend more than S$15 for a converter.
Language
English is widely spoken and written here in Singapore. It is the language of business and study. All signs and instructions here are also in English. Other local languages include Mandarin, Malay and Tamil depending on their races and dialects.
Postal Services
Singapore Post operates a network of outlets conveniently located around the island. Offering a wide range of postal, telecommunication and agency services, most of these outlets are open Monday through Friday, from 8.30am to 5pm and until 1pm on Saturday. For more information, call 1605.
Telecommunication
In Singapore, there are three service providers Singapore Telecom (SingTel), M1 and Starhub supporting 2 mobile networks of GSM 900 and GSM 1800.
Payphones are abundant here. To make either a local or international call, you can use most pay phones which are operated by credit-cards or stored-value phone cards.
Payphones charge 10 cents per block of 3 minutes for a local call and accepting coins in various denominations from 10cents to 50cents. Stored-value phonecards, which are more convenient, come in denominations of S$2, S$5, S$10, S$20, and S$50 and are obtainable from any post office and most convenience stores.
To make an international call, dial the access code followed by the country code, area code and telephone number. Different service providers use different access codes.
SingTel’s IDD code is 001, 013 and 019,
M1’s IDD code is 002 and 021
StarHub’s IDD code is 008 and 018.
Singapore’s country code is 65. There is no city code for Singapore.
International Calling Cards in denominations of S$10, S$20 and S$50 are widely available at post office, including outlets at Changi Airport and 7-11 stores, and convenience stores.
Time
Singapore is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It lies in the same time zone as Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Perth (Western Australia).
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in Singapore. It is prohibited at the airport and discouraged at hotels and restaurants where there is a 10% service charge.
Things to do in Singapore
Shopping
I kid you not, this is the number one activity here, even among locals. Singapore is known to be a haven for shoppers, as proven by the strong consumer market in such a tiny island. Practically everything can be bought here at a fraction of the cost of what you can get overseas. The ultimate shopping place is Orchard Road (you can drop off at the Orchard MRT), where it takes a few hours just to window-shop, and I mean just looking at the window displays. Add a few more hours if you wish to go into the shops to look, and even more if you're planning to buy something. Best season to shop: June, during the Great Singapore Sale. This is when almost all the shops have a 50% to 70% off the merchandise. One recommended place is Robinson's near Somerset MRT - the place is packed during any sale.
Yue Hwa Chinese Products
For sport shoes, try the Queenstown Shopping Center (take bus 195 from Queenstown MRT). Computer stuff, Sim Lim Square is the place (walking distance, i.e. about 20 minutes from Bugis MRT), or you can try Funan Center (the reputed IT Mall) a stone throw's away from the City Hall MRT. High Fidelity equipment - you know, audio equipment that costs big bucks (my boss actually bought this interconnect cable for 2 grand!) - they have this place called the Adelphi directly opposite Funan Center, about 5 minutes walk from City Hall MRT. Groceries, you can get at Carrefour (it's located in Suntec City, about 15 minutes walk from City Hall MRT), reputed among the cheaper places to shop.
Funan Center
Frankly, I would prefer to visit the less-known places. One interesting find is the Peninsular Hotel Shopping Arcade (near City Hall MRT): they have a pretty good guitar shop, and a few shops that are sells cool stuff. Far East Plaza near Orchard MRT, lots of shops that cater for the teen-ager. For something more exotic, try Chinatown and don't miss Yue Hwa (a 5-storey shop that sells products from China). Little India - do not miss Mustafa Center, most stuff here is slightly cheaper (no idea why, but it's true) than anywhere else.
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Eating
Eating, my favorite topic. It is said among people in this region that we live to eat, rather than eating to live. And it's true, judging by the variety of food we get here...which is why the years I spend in the US has been so uncomfortable - the food, urgh! There are your common McDonalds's to your Chinese, Malay, Indian food, to food that you can never get anywhere else in the world. Turtle in herbal soup, char kway teow, oh chian, mmmm....oh yes, have to tell you about the Singapore Food Festival that comes every year around July. That's when many of the big hotels, and shopping centers will open up various stalls everywhere in order to promote the food they are carrying. Very interesting, especially if you are adventurous with what you eat.
There even is this list going around the Web, but I have yet to try out most of the food listed, and so do not dare to recommend. However, there is this website that you can visit called the Singapore Unofficial Food Page which you can check out if you're interested. I believe it's created by some crazy guys who have nothing better to do than to visit each store and comment on the food. Hey, guess what, I might even join them some day.
Places that I have tried and tested so far to be good: Boon Tong Kee chicken rice at Balestier Road, Black Pepper Crab (order the Extra Large version) at Long Beach Seafood, Char Koay Teow (wet-type) at Marine Parade Hawker Center, Jian Bo Chwee Kway at Tiong Bahru Market, Tip Top Curry Puff at Blk 722 Ang Mo Kio Central, Laksa at Blk 107 Depot Road...not very many, huh? Anyway, a few hawker places you might consider trying: Chomp Chomp at Serangoon Garden, Tiong Bahru Market and Maxwell Hawker Center.
For something out of the ordinary, you can try ethnic restaurants. Anatolia in Far East Plaza serves Turkish food, Ling Zhi serves vegetarian, and there is this place in Metropole Hotel called the Imperial Herbal Restaurant that serves herbal soup (haven't tried it yet). Indonesian cuisine, the House of Sundanese is recommended. The others, you need to give me time to try it, first.
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Watching movies
This must be the favourite leisure activity judging by the number of people going to the movies these days. I used to frequent movie theatres by just asking which ones has the empty seats but not anymore. I realized this thinking is wrong, because in order to really enjoy a movie, one has to have comfortable seats, smaller crowd, bigger screen, and excellent sound. My current favourite place is GV at Plaza Singapura, it's a pretty small hall and the sound is fantastic especially for digital stuff. Do take a break and join the Singaporeans for the favourite past-time, i.e. watching movies: Singapore Movies Website.
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Other stuff
Let's see, another big pre-occupation of the people in Singapore is attending concerts. The government is in fact, trying their best, to raise the level of awareness of the Arts in Singapore that every year around June, they would bring in a whole bunch of people - buskers, musicians, mime, theater - for the Singapore Art Festival. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is not too bad if you like an evening of classical music. Do check out the SISTIC website if you're planning a few days here in Singapore. Who knows, you might even be able to get tickets for the show you missed a few weeks ago.
The churches in Singapore are on the brink of a revival right now, such that I would say it is a great idea to attend the services on Sunday. It is prophesied that Singapore will be the Antioch of the region, from which many ministers will arise from this tiny country and bless the nations around it. Do attend one of the many services and you'll know what I mean. Can't wake up early enough for church? No worries, many churches have 3 or 4 services on Sunday to cater for members that reach thousands. I attend this church called Faith Community Baptist Church that has 6 services conducted in English over the week-end across 2 auditoriums (plus 2 in Chinese and one in Filipino). Membership is about 10 thousand (yep, it's 10000), and they have one (well, actually there are 10 bands that rotate every week...maybe more in the future) full 5-piece band that plays cool, worship stuff. They rock, man
Have a Wonderful time