Travel Guides
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Republic of Singapore
(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.
Caution
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Dangers & Annoyances
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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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Content Source:
Lonely Planet
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