by Danny Kwok

Created on: December 20, 2007

Singapore is a multi-cultural vibrant country located at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula. Founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819, this young nation used to be a British colony since its independence on 9 August 1965. As a nation, it has comes a long way from being a fishing kampong (village) to the world's busiest port. It is also a must-see traveling destination in the Asia.

{Reaching Singapore}
Traveling into Singapore is easy and accessible as most of the major cities flies to the infamous Changi Airport. To experience Singapore prior to arriving, you should fly Singapore Airlines (SIA) where you can experience the hospitality of the signature Singapore Girl in their traditional kebaya dress.

{Culture of Singapore}
Singapore is the crossroad of cultures where east meet west. You will find fast food like MacDonald and KFC next to the food courts that sells all types of Asian food from Chinese, Malay to Indian. The major languages used are Mandarin, Malay and Tamil with English as the current lingua franca. Thus, the language does not hinder most of travelers.

{Weather in Singapore}
Being a bright sunny island near the equator, you must remember to bring plenty of sun block and wear loose comfortable clothing. If the sky is dark, carry an umbrella just in case it rains. Humidity will range between 80% to a high of 95%. So, you could be sweating quite a bit in Singapore.

{Shopping in Singapore}
Singaporeans have two major loves: eating and shopping. You will notice that this is a city that never sleeps. Favorite shopping areas are centrally located along Orchard Road, Dhoby Ghaut, City Hall, Marina Square, Harbourfront and Suntec City while reasonably priced electronic and computer products can be found at Sim Lim Square and Funan Centre.

{Eating in Singapore}
To those gourmet lovers, Singapore is a food paradise. 24 hours eateries known as "kopitiams" or hawker centres are common along Geylang, Newton Food Centre, Lau Pa Sat, Chinatown and most housing areas. At these kopitiams, you can try all kinds of food like chicken rice, char kway teow, laksa, fish ball noodles, mince pork noodles, mee rebus, nasi briyani or desserts such as chendol, ice kachang and iced jelly cocktail.

You can also sample local drinks like kopi (coffee), tek terik (indian milk tea) or soya bean milk. The trick to exploring the Singapore cuisine is to be adventurous about the food. This includes trying the durian (known as the king of fruits), fish head curry or pig organ's soup.

{Transport

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