Singapore is a Southeast Asian island city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. The country is highly urbanised with very little primary rainforest remaining, although more land is being created for development through land reclamation.

Flying to Singapore is the best means of transport for long journey. It is easy to fly to Singapore because almost all the airlines travelling to Asia will have a flight to Singapore.Changi Airport(SIN) is the main airport of Singapore and officially on of the best airport in the world.

Consider entering Singapore through road only if you are located somewhere in Peninsula Malaysia. There are many bridges connecting Malay Peninsula to Singapore.

Singapore is hot and humid throughout the year therefore there is tourist intake throughout the year. However, the best time to explore the benefits of visiting Singapore could be during the festival season of Singapore( especially July).November to January Singapore experiences very wet climate and May to June are the hottest months.

Singapore experiences tropical or equatorial type of climate with no distinct season. Due to its location and proximity to ocean, it experience hot and humid climate throughout the year. Therefore the weather is hot and humid everyday. April and May are the hottest months and the diurnal range of temperature varies from 23ËšC to 32ËšC.

Although rainfall occurs throughout the year, the main monsoon seasons are from June to September(Southwest Monsoon Season) and December to March(Northeast Monsoon Season).Northeast Monsoon season is really wet and spill water over your plans of  visiting places. Southwest Monsoon Season experiences comparatively less rainfall and is considered the best season for visiting Singapore.

The urbanisation of Singapore has resulted in the loss of natural habitats and species. According to World Bank survey of 2010,the forest area of Singapore is reduced to 20% of the total area. However, Singapore government took Biodiversity conservations measures on time and presently  it is the home of huge diversity of plants and animals. Singapore natural reserves,parks,forests and sanctuaries are the home of 1400 species of native vascular plants,376 species of birds,282 species of butterflies,102 species of reptiles,58 species of mammals , 27 species of amphibians,200 species of hard corals,111 species of reel fish and 11 species of sea grasses.Jurong Bird Park is the largest bird park of Southeast Asia. Other animal parks are Singapore Zoological Gardens, Singapore Zoo, The Singapore Crocodilarium and Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom.

The Night Safari is the first nocturnal Zoo of the World and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore. The Night Safari currently homes over 2,500 animals. The Night Safari is managed by wildlife Reserves Singapore and about 1.2 million visitors visit the safari per year.

The Night Safari is an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical Forest that is only open at night, which can be explored either on foot via four walking trails, or by tram.

While surfing through the internet you will be surprised by the number of museums and art centres in Singapore. The museums basically showcases World War II memorials and ancient handicrafts. The entry is free for most museums except Peranakhan and Singapore Art Museum. Some important museums and cultural gallery of Singapore are National Museum of Singapore,Peranakan Place Museum, Singapore Mint Coin Gallery, Singapore Air Force Museum, Royal Selangor Pewter Museum, Singapore Art Museum and Changi Museum.

There are some beautiful and mesmerizing nature parks and gardens in Singapore. Browsing through the pictures will give you a good idea of their natural beauty and serenity. The most popular parks and gardens of Singapore are East Coast Park, Fort Canning Park, Japanese Garden,Mandai Orchid Gardens, Marina South City Park, Mount Faber, National Orchid Gardens, Reservoir Parks, Singapore Botanical Gardens and Sungei Buloh Nature Park.

Sentosa is a recreational island half a kilometre away from the southern coast of the main island of Singapore. It is a whole bunch of recreational package for adults and kids. The major attractions of Sentosa Island are Tiger Sky Tower, Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom,Merlion Statue, Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon, Songs of Sea, Sentosa 4D Magix,Sentosa CineBlast,Port Silaso,MegaZip Adventure Park,Azzura Beach Club, Wave House Sentosa, Sentosa Luge  & Skyride.Sentosa also has a number of beaches named Palawan Beach,Siloso Beach and Tanjong Beach.

The Singapore Flyer is the tallest  operational Ferris wheel of the world. It is 165 metres tall and located at  near the shore of Singapore’s Marina Bay. The Flyer has 28 air-conditioned capsules mounted outboard on the rim of the wheel with unobstructed 360 panoramic view of the surrounding island. Each capsule is capable of accommodating 28 passengers in a single ride. The wheel rotates in  a  clockwise direction. The terminal building comprises of bar , restaurants and housing shops.

Marina Bay Sands is an iconic integrated resort of Singapore fronting Marina Bay. It has three buildings of 55 storeys capped by a SkyPark. The infinity edge swimming pool is located in the SkyPark. Sands Expo and Covention Centre, Marina Bay Sands Casino and The Shoppes are connected to the hotel towers. One can have a panoramic view of City Hall, Esplanade and Singapore Flyer from the SkyPark.

The time difference between India and Singapore:

India is 2:30 hours less than Singapore. For example if India is 23:00, Thursday, March 13, 2014 then Singapore will be 01:30 Friday, March 14, 2014.

The unit of currency in Singapore is Singapore Dollar(SGD) which is divided into 100 cents(coins).The notes are available in the denominations of  $2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 10000 while the coins come in the denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20,50 cents and 1 dollar. Moneychangers are the best medium for exchanging money because they are easily available in every shopping complex and do not charge fees for exchanging. Banks are another medium of exchanging money but with service charge and rates varying from bank to bank. Credit cards like American Express, Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. ATMs are present all over the country(especially in shopping complexes and MRT stations)and widely accept MasterCard and cards with Plus and Cirrus.

1 Singapore Dollar = INR 49/- aprx

Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil are four official languages of Singapore. English is mainly used for official ,business and educational purposes but widely understood and spoken by the people of Singapore. Chinese is the native language of half of the Singaporean population. Singaporean Mandarin is the most common version of Chinese spoken in the country. Malay is the national language of Singapore.

Singapore does not have any specific culture but a blend of different cultures. Long time back, this land was inhabited by people from different regions. As a result of which we see the mosaic of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European culture.33% of the Singaporeans follow Mahayana Buddhism while the other religions include Christianity, Muslim, Hindu, Taosist and non-believers. Whatever be the religion all major festivals of the different communities are celebrated with pomp and mutual toleration.

Singaporean Cuisine is the symbol of diversity of culture of Singapore very much likes the Malaysian cuisine. It has been promoted by Singapore Tourist Board to woo foodies from all over the world. Singapore Food Festival is organised in the month of July every year to celebrate Singapore Cuisine. Singapore cuisine is greatly influenced by Malay, Chinese, Peranakan, Indian and Thai food. The best place to enjoy the delicacies of Singaporean food are hawker centres , food courts and restuarants. Popular dishes of Singapore are Chilli crab, Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teo, Bak Kut Teh, Fish Head Curry and many more. Singapore is also known for its tropical fruit collection like durian,rambutan,mangosteen,lychee and pineapple.

Have a fantastic holiday in Singapore but don’t forget to respect the local Singaporean culture.  Here are a few tips to help you:

• To help Singapore stay clean there are laws relating to jaywalking, littering, chewing gum, and smoking in illegal areas or dropping cigarette butts that are all strictly enforced.  You will be fined if caught.
• The family is at the centre of the social structure and elders are greatly respected – Elders are introduced first, are given preferential seating and are given the choicest food.  When in Singapore make sure you follow suit and respect the older generation. 
• Because of the diversity of Singaporean culture there are a number of different ways to meet and greet.  While younger generations have adopted the western handshake, the older generations are stick to the traditional greetings.  The ethnic Chinese will shake hands, ethnic Indians shake hands with members of the same sex (members of the opposite should bow the head and smile). Ethnic Malays shake hands between men, but otherwise bowing the head is a safe bet.  If in doubt wait for the local to make the first move. 
• When invited to a private home or entering a temple or mosque, remove your shoes.

Singapore nights are more beautiful and happening. As the sun goes down, the busy streets and stunning lights gather momentum with heartbeating nightclubs, bars and casino. You will feel that the city wakes up at night with more people, more dancing and partying!Music,entertainment,fooding and dining make the nightlife of Singapore. Some favourite places to hang around at night are Orchard Road, Clarke Quay, Esplande, Marina Gardens Drive, Holland Village, Mohammed Sultan Road, Boat Quay and many more. Enjoy!

• Valid Passport + old Passport with at least 6 months validity from the date travel.
• Application form duly filled and sign by passenger. Cross signature-half in form half in the photograph on the form.
• Two Photographs required (3.5 X 4.5 cm. matte finish, with white background and 80% facial) Recent camera clicked is a must.
• Incase of student collage Id card is required.
• Incase of Employed NOC is required on company letter head (mentioning the designation) addressing it to the visa officer Singapore High commission, New Delhi.
• Covering letter on plain sheet of paper addressing to the visa officer Singapore High Commission New Delhi (if passenger is retired person).