Singapore - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 669

9

blind eye to the gay scene. All citizens of
Singapore are guaranteed housing, but the
government enforces strict ethnic quotas
per apartment building to prevent the
forming of ethnic enclaves or ghettoes.
Although undoubtedly authoritarian,
this approach does mean that Singapore
doesn't suffer from the ethnic tensions
which plague Malaysia.

SINGAPORE ONLINE
W timeout.com/sg A great guide to the
city's bars and clubs.
W yoursingapore.com The o cial

tourism website with general details on
Singapore's major sights.

he easiest way to make local calls is to
pick up an inexpensive SIM card for your
mobile phone; SingTel, StarHub and M1
cards cost around S$10. Changi Airport
has free courtesy phones.
International calls (IDD) can be made
from all public cardphones, but the
cheapest and easiest way is to use
internet-based Skype . All accommodation
options reviewed in this chapter offer
free wi-fi and internet . Travellers can also
enjoy limited free wi-fi in certain malls.

SPORTS AND OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES
Despite its urban reputation, Singapore
is a great spot to enjoy the outdoors.
Head down to the East Coast for some
beachfront cycling or rollerblading (rental
S$3-6/hr). Also situated on the East
Coast is Singapore's first cable ski park ,
Ski360 (1206A East Coast Parkway;
W

ski360degree.com), which offers an
affordable way to have a go at
wakeboarding or waterskiing (1hr from
S$35), while being dragged by an
overhead cable instead of a boat. Try to
get down there midweek as the weekends
tend to be crowded and more expensive.
he Bukit Timah Nature Reserve offers
several good running routes .
Singapore's recent boom has paved the
way for several new international sporting
events. In 2008, it became an addition to
the F1 Grand Prix circuit, with events
being held every September. he route
weaves between the Central Business
District and some of the country's major
attractions. Other major events include
the Barclays Golf Open (November) and
the Singapore Airlines International
Horse Riding Cup (May).

CRIME AND SAFETY
Singapore is the cleanest, safest city in
Southeast Asia for travellers, including
single women, though you shouldn't
become complacent - muggings have
been known to occur and theft from
dormitories by other tourists is a
common complaint.
It's with some irony that Singaporeans
refer to the place as a “ fine city ”. here's
a fine of S$500 for smoking in public
places such as cinemas, trains, lifts,
air-conditioned restaurants and shopping
malls, as well as eating or drinking on
public transport, and one of S$50 for
jaywalking - here defined as crossing a
main road within 50m of a pedestrian
crossing or bridge. It's worth bearing all
these offences in mind, since foreigners
are not exempt from the various
Singaporean punishments. Contrary to
rumour, chewing gum isn't illegal in
Singapore, but you won't find it on sale.
As in other Southeast Asian countries, the
possession of drugs in Singapore - hard
or soft - carries a hefty prison sentence

COMMUNICATIONS
Singapore's postal system is predictably
e cient (even during Christmas),
with letters and cards often reaching
international destinations in as little as
a week. here is an abundance of
post o ces across the state, with usual
hours of Monday to Friday 8.30am to
5pm and Saturday 8.30am to 1pm,
though postal services are available
until 9pm at the Singapore Telecom
Comcentre Complex, on Killiney Road.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Police T 999
Ambulance and Fire Brigade T 995