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Travel Guide » Asia » Singapore
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Republic of Singapore
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(Singapore)


From the opium dens of the past to the hi-tech wizardry of today.

Singapore has traded in its rough-and-ready opium dens and pearl luggers for towers of concrete and glass, and its steamy rickshaw image for hi-tech wizardry, but you can still recapture the colonial era with a Singapore Sling under the languorous ceiling fans at Raffles Hotel.


At first glance, Singapore appears shockingly modern and anonymous, but this is an undeniably Asian city with Chinese, Malay and Indian traditions from feng shui to ancestor worship creating part of the everyday landscape. It's these contrasts that bring the city to life.

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Caution
Dangers & Annoyances

Singapore is a very safe country with low crime rates. Pickpockets are not unknown but in general crime is not a problem. This is not surprising given the harsh penalties meted out to offenders and the fact that hundreds of suspected criminals are held in jail without trial simply because the government does not have enough evidence to convict them. The importation of drugs carries the death penalty, which is regularly carried out. Simply, drugs in Singapore should be avoided at all costs.

The nanny state of Singapore takes a tough line on antisocial issues - the most famous being its ban on chewing gum (well, it does mess up the pavement and could stop the MRT from working). While having gum for your own consumption is no big deal, bringing it in bulk into Singapore will attract a heavy fine - the standard way of stamping out un-Singaporean activities.

Smoking in all public places, littering, jay walking and eating or drinking on the MRT are all punishable with hefty fines.

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