The official currency is Singapore dollar-SGD. Some shopping centres and hotels would accept British Pounds, however exchanging money is safe and easy, thanks to the fantastically developed banking system. Exchange bureaus can be found everywhere and are sometimes even better than the banks, as they don’t charge service fees.Opening hours and bank holidays. Most stores are open from 10 am until 9 pm. Being a tiny city-country that represents four ethnic groups and four official languages (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), Singapore also celebrates Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year, Buddha Day, Eid (end of the month of Ramadan), Diwali (Hindu New Year). Most shops are open on those days, however there are exceptions.Tipping is not required, nor recommended in Singapore, however there is a certain controversy. Use your discretion to decide whether to tip at restaurants but be aware that there is normally 10% service charge added to the final bill. Also, sometimes the tour guides expect a little gratitude at the end of the tour.English language is one of the four official languages of the city, along with Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, so you would not meet any difficulties communicating.The local time is GMT+8 and the International dialling code is +65.

Visit the Gardens by the Bay: one of the recent landmarks in Singapore. The futuristic “trees”, easily seen from far and connected by a high walking bridge are part of a bio nature park, spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in the centre of Singapore, adjacent to Marina Reservoir.Singapore Zoo is a home to 315 species of animals, of which 16 per cent are considered endangered. The zoo houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world and attracts 1.7 million visitors each year. The Singapore Botanic gardens is a 158-year old tropical garden located at the end of Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping district. It’s the only tropical garden in the world to be honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Gardens have received numerous accolades and are also home to the National Orchid Garden. There are more than 1000 species of and 2000 hybrids of orchids.Sentosa Island is an island resort south of Singapore, featuring a 2-mile long white sandy beach. There are lots of attractions on the island, so we recommend a full day visit, or overnight in one of the 15 4 and 5-star hotels.Other places of interest in Singapore include the Singapore flyer, National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sultan Mosque.If you have a free evening, head over to the historic Ruffles hotel for a Singapore sling – the birth place of the famous cocktail, or head over to the rooftop bar at Marina Bay Sands hotel for a mesmerising view of Singapore at night. If shopping high end fashion is your thing, then definitely take some time to stroll along Orchard road shopping district. Chinatown Street Market, Arab street, Little India and Clarke Quay are also worth a visit. If your time is limited, we would recommend taking a half day tour of the city. It takes a few hours, gives you an overall idea of where all points of interest are, and you can decide to stay and not continue with the tour at any point if you spot an interesting restaurant you would like to try, or decide to haggle for a piece of jewellery at Arab street.