Singapore Introduction

If you're new to Singapore, here are a few tips to get you started.

The weather is the first thing that hits new arrivals. Hot and humid or hot and downright wet are the two seasons. But most buildings are over-chilled, which is why locals carry jackets with them when they’re out and about.

Then there's getting around. Despite the pacy financial centre reputation, the local walking speed is slow. Cars are no quicker. Traffic jams are frequent in the Central Business District (in spite of hefty peak hour tolls) and on the arterial roads at rush hour. It costs a lot to just to get a licence to buy a car here, let alone purchase the car, but that doesn't seem to lessen the universal desire for wheels.

There's almost always a trusty, tidy Nissan Cedric taxi close by, with a driver who mostly knows where they’re going. Use them to get yourself oriented, then switch to the subway, which is clean, efficient and easy to use (once you’ve bought your subway card).

The food is famous. With vibrant Chinese, Malay and Indian communities and their myriad religious and cultural practices, there’s good eating at almost every turn here. The hawker stalls where once legendary numbers of street food vendors gathered under rickety roofs have mostly been closed in, spruced up and air-conditioned. But the culinary offerings are still terrific. Ask any local for their recommendations on the best place for a favourite dish and you’ll get tips to spare.

And we can't forget the rules. Singapore has been much satirised for the strictness with which it enforces even low-level laws governing social behaviour. But the satire doesn't lessen official resolve. This is a law-abiding democracy and laws are enforced without exception by a plentiful police force and civil guard. Don’t expect to get away with anything judged antisocial.