Nancy Eben asked:


 

Singapore is a tourist destination, which the tourists all over the globe are eyeing for a holiday filled with all the fun and excitement. It is a small country but packed with tons of surprises that attract millions to the country. Located at the southern tip of Malay Peninsula, Singapore is both an island and a country, which has derived its name from the Malay words ‘singa’ meaning lion and ‘pura’ meaning city. This is also the reason why sometimes the city is referred to as the Lion city. From a sleeping fishing village, Singapore has developed into an important financial center and a popular tourist destination. The country makes an excellent destination for all kinds of traveler’s right from an adventure holiday, leisure trip, romantic getaway, to business destination and even a stop-off destination.

Holidaymakers travel to this city to experience a hi-tech cosmopolitan city that has a lot to offer them. The city appeals to all, which is always bursting with excitement and entertainment. The perfect blend of traditions, cultures and the modern infrastructure, along with an array of attractions and activities, makes the city a hot tourist spot. Add to it the warmth and welcoming nature of the people, Singapore is a wonderful place. Singapore can be visited any time of the year, as the city enjoys a pleasant climate the whole year. The temperature always stays close to 29°C and with a rainfall throughout the year. Thus, the climate is not a major concern area when planning to visit Singapore but the events that take place here. The country is a happening place and what better times than Singapore’s exciting special events, so check ahead for the date’s and reserve your Singapore hotel.

Singapore has a wide range and variety of accommodation to facilitate its visitors. The right mix of Singapore hotels caters to all kinds of travelers and their requirements. The Singapore accommodation on offer takes care that all from backpackers, budget travelers, family travelers to business travelers all get a comfortable and quality hotels Singapore. With the Singapore hotels providing utmost comfort and quality service, they are ideal pick for business or leisure travel. The colonial district is a popular choice for the tourists for putting up as it’s in close proximity to the city’s main tourist sites. Orchard road is another favorite place for the visitors to choose their Singapore hotel as this area is an important shopping center. If looking for a quite accommodation away from the hustle bustle of the city, there are options available in the Sentosa Island.

One of the most modern cities of Asia, Singapore is a cosmopolitan city that is also the wealthiest and cleanest city in the world. The country has an array of fun filled activities, attractions on offer for an exciting vacation. There is no better city, which keeps you entertained all the time with the festivals and events taking place through out the year. The country has a diverse culture, opportunities to explore the beautiful beaches, numerous attractions along with great shopping facilities. The country’s food and entertainment go hand in hand, offering a wide variety of food as Singapore is home to people from different cultures. The result is number of different cuisines available to the tourists. This is a unique city, which has all the right things to capture the visitor’s attention. Thus, the city has a vibrating, moving and exciting nightlife. After the night sets in, one can see the nightclubs, pubs and bars coming alive with activity. Its party time and people chill out until the wee hours.



Arts and Entertainment Singapore

Kevin Laura asked:


Traveling to Singapore has been a craze to many travelers across the globe. Singapore, known for its beauty, culture and high quality hospitality services, has attracted a lot of tourists. Particularly, Singapore hotels are known for its varied cuisines and for its excellent services. Many Asian travelers look out for cheap hotels in an international destination and their quest ends in Singapore cheap hotels.

Singapore, being the smallest nation, in Southeast Asia, enjoys the population of Malay, China, India and other nations. Singapore has a cosmopolitan outlook; however, Chinese forms the majority. People from all over the world, visit Singapore for different purposes. May it be a business purpose or a holiday visit, Singapore has its own unique way to serve the travelers.

Singapore offers many ways to make your visit enjoyable. Besides its distinctive heritage, remarkable environment, there are many added attractions also. Festivals, music, food and shopping centers have always been attracting the visitors to the city. It is obvious that travelers from far and wide come to Singapore to enjoy the exuberance of the city. Above all, Singapore hotels have never let down the expectations of the visitors.

Singapore hotels are famous for their warm hospitality services. You will be surprised to see the eminence of lodging facility that Singapore provides. Singapore offers a wide variety of hotels. The hotels, not only cater to the needs of rich elite class but also middle class families also find comfort, in Singapore cheap hotels.

There are many star hotels in Singapore which are known for its excellent services and food delicacies. Hotels in this category are Hilton, Holiday Inn and Marriot. These hotels provide outstanding facilities to their customers. Singapore hotel reservation is very easy and budget friendly.

For higher middle class travelers, hotels like, Allson Hotel, Berjaya Hotel, Fort Canning Lodge, Bayview Hotel, Furama City Center, Garden Hotel and Furama Riverfront provide star services with their own unique ways of services.

Hotels for lower middle class are ASPHotel inn, Fortuna Hotel Broadway and Singapore hotels. Hotel 81 and Gateway Hotel are located in the Changi region of Singapore which also caters to the needs of the visitors. If you wish to stay in the Chinatown, you can choose from Tropical Hotel and The Keong Saik Hotel. In the west coast, there is Harbour Ville which also falls in the category of serving the lower middle class.

Singapore hotels are said to match all types of budgets. Travelers, across the globe come to this island for its ultra modern appeal yoked with the aesthetic cultural heritage. Singapore hotel reservation is tied up with many Online booking websites. This has made it easier for travelers to find a suitable accommodation that suits their budget and needs. Thanks to the internet that has made traveling so easy.



Singapore Tourist Attractions

Gabriel Tan asked:


With its multi-ethnic population, Singapore celebrates a myriad of festivals throughout the year. If you plan on visiting Singapore, you’ll enjoy mingling with the locals during these festivals. Here are 3 festivals in Singapore which visitors would not want to miss.

Thaipusam Festival (moving date, January or February)

Thaipusam is a festival to honor the Hindu deity, Lord Subramaniam. It is a time for Hindus to perform acts of penance or to give thanks for answered prayers.

In the weeks leading to Thaipusam, devotees spend up to a month praying and fasting. When the day arrives, friends and family help to load a cage-like steel frame onto the devotee’s body. This frame, which is also called a kavadi, may weigh up to 30kg! It is elaborately decorated with images of Hindu deities and peacock feathers.

Now, if you think this is some weight training of sorts, think again. From the frame of the kavadi, numerous spikes extend inwards into the devotee’s flesh. Then, there are the skewers that go through the devotee’s cheeks and tongue. As if this is not enough, oversized fish hooks cling precariously to the devotee’s back. Quite amazingly, nobody cringes and nobody bleeds!

Then, just when you think that the man has been punished enough, he goes on a 4km procession with all these punctures on his body, often skipping and dancing along the way! Should you be in Singapore at this time, don’t miss Thaipusam. See it to believe it.

Chinese New Year (moving date, January or February)

Chinese New Year is probably the most loved Chinese festival. It originated in China, where it is also called the Spring Festival because farming communities traditionally ‘welcome the Spring’. In modern times, it is a season to put the past behind and look forward to the future.

In Singapore, Chinese families begin the celebrations by shopping for Chinese New Year goodies and decorations.

In the 3 or 4 weeks leading to Chinese New Year’s Day, the streets of Chinatown bustle with roadside stalls and throngs of shoppers. You know that the season has arrived when you see those quaint Chinese lanterns start to hang from buildings. If you are in town, remember also to check out the acrobats at Telok Ayer Square. See them bend, contort and perform stunts to rapturous applause.

Apart from the usual reunion dinner and visits to friends and relatives, Chinese Singaporeans look forward to the River Hong Bao Carnival.

Held at the Esplanade Park, the River Hong Bao is a place to see age-old Chinese beliefs in action. Look out for the incredibly huge lanterns representing the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Around the Golden Tree of Wishes, the locals make their wishes and then throw coins at the Tree for good luck. Watch and be amused, or join in the fun, for all the money collected is donated to charity.

Then when you have had your fill, head for the Esplanade Bridge to enjoy the fireworks display.

The Orchard Road Christmas Light Up (Mid-November to End of December)

For more than 20 years now, the Orchard Road Christmas Light Up has captivated both locals and visitors to Singapore. In fact, 20% of visitors at the Christmas Light Up are repeat visitors.

If you head down to Orchard Road during this time, you will obviously find the usual Christmas fare - dramas and carols performed by church groups.

But perhaps you will be most enchanted by the Christmas lights. Uncountable fairy lights, bells and baubles hang over Singapore’s main shopping belt. They adorn the entire 5km stretch from Orchard Road to Marina Bay. Take a ride on an open-top double-decker bus, or watch from the road-side as the Christmas floats make their way through this Fairyland of sorts. It’ll remind you of that first visit to Disneyland and its magical Parade of Floats.

If you come from the Northern Hemisphere, this is a great chance to experience Christmas with a difference, right in the warmth of the Tropics.



Arts and Entertainment Singapore

Kevin Laura asked:


Singapore offers perfect vacation spot for stressed out professionals of the modern world. You can relax in the quite surroundings amongst exotic vegetation unique to the place. Recently, many Singapore hotels have been in limelight for their luxury and attractive services at very competitive and affordable prices to the tourists.

Apart from being one of the busiest business spots, Singapore is also renowned for its parks and botanical gardens. National Orchid Garden has a remarkable collection of orchid. You can see more than 3000 orchid species in this well maintained garden. Some of these species

are native to Singapore. 

Singapore is situated at the south eastern tip of the Asian continent. It shares its borders with Indonesia and Malaysia. Singapore is connected with Malaysia through a set of bridges. Connection of Singapore to Indonesia is through the sea route. Ferry ports along the coast offer easy means of transportation. Sea coast of the Singapore offers wide choice of hotels for accommodation.

Singapore is one of the few surviving city states in the world. Over the years it has developed into major center of trade in the world. Besides trade it has also developed into a major tourist center. Keeping pace with these developments Singapore has done excellent work in modernizing and expansion of its infrastructure and air travel facilities. Air travel provides one of the easiest means of travel to the Island.

Vast virgin beaches of the Singapore are one of the main attractions for the tourists. Tropical climate of the island adds additional flavor to the vacations of the visitors. You can enjoy the beaches of the island through out the year. You will enjoy the warm and comfortable atmosphere at the beach anytime of the year. Rain may be the only disturbing factor. Romantic Rains adds one of the attractive features to the tropical climate. You can enjoy short spells of rain during autumn and winter and rarely in spring and summer.

Singapore is also famous for its open zoo. This happens to be world’s first open zoo. This zoo provides shelter to many species of animals from various locations of the world. This zoo or zoological garden in the island is one of the most popular attractions among the tourists. This zoo is open in the sense that animals in the zoo live in the natural surroundings and adequate precautions have been taken to keep the visitors at a safe distance from the animals. If you like you can find a great Singapore hotel of your choice in close proximity to the zoo. 

Besides these attractions there are many places of cultural and religious significance. These include Thian Hock Keng temple and shrines of Ma Po Cho. If you are not short of time, think of extending your vacation to neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia. Both these countries offer countless tourist attractions and excellent facilities for tourists.

What ever you choose all these places promise you a memorable vacation. You can use the online services to find out more details about Singapore hotels and available vacation packages.



Entertainment Center

Ethan Ong asked:


The cultural industry in Singapore has blossomed of late and now high art and the wonderful world of cultural exhibitions have invaded this island nation to an extent where the scene itself has piqued interest within the community. The National Arts Council and the Heritage Board, working together with MICA (Ministry of Information, Culture and the Arts) have worked together for years to build Singapore into a Renaissance City - hoping to emulate the explosion of culture and art in Italy in the 14th Century - and hopefully spawning their own Michelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Singapore museum and the heritage museum are just some of the examples of how this nation has leveraged on its own culture and rich history to put together exhibitions and attractions that cannot be missed. Singapore’s founding, its prime leaders and its birth from a footnote in history to Sovereign nation are chronicled in a rich world of sound, art and words in the Singapore National Museum and the heritage gallery as well. Be sucked into the 1900’s again as chronicled in acute detailed is history of Singapore - with journals of our early colonial founders etched out in aching beauty and sound. Also, recently in the national museum was some of the notes of William Farquhar and his chronicle of some of the species of animals that used to reside in the Singapore jungles and some of the names the locals or ‘Orang Asli’ used to give to them.

The Asian Civilisation Museum is also a prime example of a cultural Singapore attraction that you must visit as soon as possible. The rich tapestry of the Asian civilisations are realised in life like and breathtaking models and statues transported from dig sites all over Inner Mongolia, China and all over South East Asia. Be amazed as they tell the histories and lifestyle of Old Asia in a way no - one can, through pictures and objects that inspire the greatest story teller of all - your imagination. This museum also deals with propaganda and cultural material and how politics of old and of new has changed the face of culture in countries like Burma, Indonesia and China.

There is no end to the sort of cultural experiences you can enjoy in Singapore. The National Heritage Board has a smorgasbord of facilities and organisations to whet the cultural appetite. They have converted the old Ford Factory in Singapore to a memorial - museum like emporium of the 1960’s. The Peranakan Museum and the Singapore Philatelic Museum are just some of the examples of rich locations where you can view great cultural pieces and demonstrations for just a nominal fee.

Singapore is culture. It is founded on culture, built by tradition and lovingly shaped by hundreds of years of history - a maelstrom of inculturality that has given this country an identity that is rich, varied and beautiful. Singapore has decided to share this with anyone who wants to look, as well as bringing the rest of greater Asia into a single location - to inspire a living heritage and dynamic cultural attractions.



Arts and Entertainment Singapore

Manoj Gursahani asked:


If you have seen Krrish and cant get enough of it, how about tracing the superhero’s footsteps as he discovers his powers in Singapore…wander around Sentosa where one of the Krrish soundtracks was filmed or experience for yourself the backdrops for its mind-boggling sequences…

In a country gripped by a massive Bollywood craze, what better way to attract the 7.5 million Indians who travel to overseas destinations each year, than to get the Bollywood itself to use these destinations in their films. Rest assured, this is the best way of ensuring the widest exposure and generate curiosity among Indians.

That is exactly what Singapore Tourism board has attempted, when it made a deal with Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft Production for its latest film Krrish, the sequel to the Bollywood mega blockbuster- Koi Mil Gaya.

Over the years, Bollywood has interwoven a lot of exotic locales in the films. Every year, more than 20 Indian films are shot in Switzerland, a trend started by Yash Chopra with his penchant for extravagance. These locales not only captured the imagination of Indian audiences, but also led to increase in the number of outbound tourists to these destinations.

Soon after the release of Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Na Pyar Hai, shot extensively in New Zealand, the number of Indian tourists visiting New Zealand swelled by almost four times.

Surely the lure of Krrish and Singapore combined would be difficult to beat!

Marking a first of sorts for any affiliation between an International Tourism board and the Bollywood industry, Singapore has made its first overture for actively promoting the country’s tourism through Indian films.

The tourism board is all set to invest upto $10 million in Bollywood productions over the next three years, with the objective of developing and promoting Singapore, not just to the resident Indians but to the ever increasing number of non-resident Indians who visit the country regularly.

The fund would not only provide logistics and ground support, but more importantly also assist the film unit in getting the necessary approvals, including to block roads and traffic, from respective government agencies.

Geared up to reap the rewards, by riding on the hype created by the blockbuster release of Krrish, Singapore Tourism board has gone one step ahead and launched a series of ‘Singapore Krrish tours’ which are basically packaged tours targeted to lure the Bollywood and especially Hrithik’s fans to Singapore.

The tour traces the movie trail and across the places where the film was shot including the Singapore zoo and river, the Lau Pa Sat festival market, Sentosa Island, the Wild Wild Wet water park, Suntec City mall and the Esplanade art district.

Tempting the visitors with interesting trivia about the movie and its making, the Singapore Tourism Board is attempting to provide audiences a first-hand opportunity to relive the Krrish experience in the beautiful island city of Singapore.

Targeting the increasing number of outbound tourists from India, the International Tourism Boards are now tempting travellers not just to see famous landmarks or to go shopping but to visit the locations of popular movies, to experience these settings and hear the numerous stories during the making.

And with a plethora of international Tourism Boards now wooing the Indian film industry, expect a lot of packages in the future, aimed at generating increased revenue for these destinations by cashing-in on this Bollywood craze of the Indians!



Singapore Tourist Attractions

Naveen Marasinghe asked:


 

The Great Singapore Sale is an event totally dedicated to shopping lovers which attracts people from many parts of the world. It is an annual shopping sale that is organized collaborately by the Singapore Tourism Board and other retail stores and malls in Singapore. It can be called the grand annual shopping festival which offers a range of products such as apparel, jewellery, electronic items, fashion accessories, cosmetics and perfumes, toys, Singapore souvenirs and many more. It will be providing the visitors with product discounts as well as other special offers such as discounted tickets to Singapore Zoo, Singapore Duck tours, to Sentosa and various local attractions.

During the period of the Great Singapore Sale, Singapore’s main shopping malls will be open till midnight and on weekends even past midnight allowing the visitors to indulge in the grand shopping experience of their lives.

There are various privileges that will be offered to the tourists who will be visiting this impressive fiesta such as the special lifestyle promotions that will consist of exclusive dining facilities, coupled with exciting nightlife and numerous entertainment facilities. The Tourist Privilege Cards are on offer especially for tourists who yearn to enjoy unique discounts when shopping. The sale runs for eight weeks and it offers a great value for money for tourists who are interested in purchasing branded, luxury products as well as for tourists looking for bargained items.

The sale will be held from 23rd May to 20th July starting from Singapore’s main shopping districts of Orchard road and Marina Bay and will spread towards the Heartlands of Singapore. Another major deal for the tourists visiting the sale can be considered as the partner promotions offered by MasterCard ,Global refund, and other tax free options which offer a truly amazing shopping experience combined with value for money and special discounts.

The Great Singapore Sale has become a shopping fiesta which is not only limited to shopping but also a venue for various exciting events and grand prizes that will be gifted to lucky visitors.

Comfortable and accommodation is available in luxury Singapore hotels that are located near the Great Singapore Sale area providing tourists a pleasurable experience coupled with elegant facilities.



Entertainment Center

Ethan Ong asked:


Singapore is not all about the fast paced city life style, stress induced traffic jams and a culture that ruches in and out and tries to squeeze you out of the picture - so they can get to the latest bargains and be the first in the queue of something seemingly important. Singapore realises that there is a time for speed, and there is a time to languish, and the entertainment scene has responded while, with an outcropping of many live lounges and relaxing bars for visitors, locals and tourists alike.

Its time to get out of the hotel and into the city. Sure, the hotel lounge is great but all you get to meet or usually other tourists! Singapore has a wide selection of lounges that will appeal to the senses and soothe you back to a meditative state with soft tones and a great martini. Balcony Bar and Alley Bar are some of the soft shadow lounges, dark, lit by candle light and draped with unobtrusive music that just lingers in your ear and reminds you of how good it is to just lay back and relax. In fact Orchard Road is filled with such live lounges, and Alley Bar and its sister Acid Bar, has some of the greatest jazz of blues local singers on offer.

Want something more up beat and groovy? Bars like Brix at Orchard Road and Thumper at Good Wood park hotel are just some of the relaxing lounges you can try to while the night away. They have imported foreign talents, with some of the best rnb live acts and pop incarnations you will ever see. The ambience is unmatched, plush sofa seats and well made drinks in an environment just made for chilling and relaxing are some of the things you can expect when you do come to any one of these places. Brix Bar and Lounge is slightly louder and more energetic, with a band that goes from soft sounds to hard pop and famous rock ballads by the end of the night. The crowd is friendly and the beer cold, two important factors for anyone looking for a good night out.

Hop on down to Clarke Quay and jive on down to places like Pump Room, Arena and Bellini Room. Early hours, these places are lounges that boast some great live bands - and is later transformed into a club when the midnight chime approaches. Le Noir lounge and the Loof in North Bridge Road are also some of the places you can head down to for a quiet night out.

In actual fact there are tons of places that offer good seating, great drinks and even better live music all over Singapore. You just know where to look and usually word of mouth is one of the best ways to get to where you want to go. You could be hanging in some outback lounge listening to the Prince of Wales or even 72 storeys up; taking in the sounds of jazz and rock high in the sky.



Entertainment Center

Nancy Eben asked:


 

Dubai, known as one of the fastest growing cities, has been given the epithet of ‘Pearl of the Arabian gulf’. Augmenting number of visitors and travelers to Dubai have caused economic growth and in turn, responsible for set up of several international hotels. Multitudes of hotels are found in boundaries of the city blended with modernity and history. Statistics have recorded increase in the growth of Dubai hotel industry. The increase of approximately 6.5 million guests in 2006 in Dubai has been one of the key factors for increasing number of hotels in Dubai. Establishment of Dubai hotels score the world record with highest number oft tourist and revenue in January 2007, more than the occupancy level of Sydney, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

 

Hotels in Dubai offer superb facilities and amenities with wide variety ranging from luxurious ones to cheap hotels in Dubai. Many of the cheap hotels are spread across Bur Dubai and Deira. Dubai marina is well renowned place of tourist attraction and business connection, which has engendered the development of hotels around it. There are many 1 to 3 star hotels that offer highly concessional rates and good room services as per Dubai’s status. One can come across many budget hotels around Ibn Battuta and Mall of Emirates. It offers services like gym, kids club, aerobics, health club, and steam room etc… all these facilities can be availed in these cheap hotels in Dubai at the low rates of $43 per night stay.

 

Jumeirah beach hotels are luxurious hotels that possess unique traits of authencity, exceptionality and luxury. It is one of the premier life style destinations of Dubai that gives the visitors the pleasure of life. It introduced a new lifestyle that integrates all the exhilaration and excitement designed for families, couples and friends. Award winning Jumeirah beach Hotel, located on the shore of Arabian Gulf, is built in marvelous shape and has its private beach. Wild Water Park in proximity to it brings exhilaration for young people. The massive cooling plant is not intruded in the main building to avoid engineering requirement within the hotel. The most specialized feature of this 5 star hotel is Arabian style beach villa and its designing to reflect Dubai’s seafaring heritage.

 

There are many tourist attractions in Dubai and shopping is one of them. One can shop the article of Africa and Eastern Europe, as Dubai is an open port. Moreover it have low import duties, which resulted in low prices of brand items and hence, have attracted tourist for shopping. Dubai is therefore called the ‘Shopping capital of the Middle east’. It has many malls stuffed with high fashion clothing, gold, jewellary, carpets, electronics, sporting equipments and handicrafts.



Entertainment Center

Ethan Ong asked:


What are the best sport stores in Singapore? Where do you go when you have the adrenalin of the athlete pumping through your brains and you don’t have the proper equipment to rule the world with your prowess? No need to look to the trees and fashion a shoe out of bark and angsana leaves but simply head down into town and be sucked into the velocity of hundreds of sporting outlets all over the island that will leave you and soon, your competition dizzy.

Well the first thing that hits your mind are brand names like Adidas and Nike, which have striped this country and checked every possible location where any sort of human traffic will be passing through. Let’s face it, many of us have been hit by the fitness bug but no regime is complete without some sort of rubber air cooled spring shoe or ceramicool outfit to keep us fast, give us grip and windy and cool - even when the situation heats up. These famous brand names are everywhere, from old shopping centres to new fangled multi plexes like VivoCity. Their boutiques are usually quite huge and they are the ones who are on top of technology when it comes to the latest science of making you run faster than the wind and jump higher than the clouds.

There isn’t much left for me to say here because the quality of the products and the uses are pretty well spelled out in the hundreds of advertising campaigns all over T.V. Impossible is nothing and just do it are two answers you should be looking for when you think there is no way you can find the right shoe for you or if you are still contemplating whether you should join that marathon - at age 51.

But if you are looking for a wider variety and a chance to bargain, stores like World of Sports are the one stop center for every brand imaginable, from the famous to the mediocre and prices ranging to the wallet tearing to the extremely cheap and reasonable. Brands from umbro, puma, reebok are just some you can expect to come across. The good thing here is they have everything, from track pants to tennis shoes, from golf balls to latex tank tops. Everything you need to play 6 different types of sports at once is available in abundance - even to tiny details like sweat bands and caps.

Just a note to the thrifty shopper, try to head down to places like Peninsula Plaza or wholesome sporting stores in Queensway shopping centre. The prices are much cheaper and you can haggle your way to a 2 for 1 deal - if you are good enough. There isn’t enough space for me to list all the shops that are available in these margin malls but they are plenty and they are reliable, lower rent means lower prices and the deal you will be getting in some of these places are well worth the journey there.



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