More Information about Singapore

Destination Overview

Despite its size, the small city-state of Singapore manages to have something for every holidaymaker. The city itself has plenty of sights to see including the Helix Bridge and the Marina Bay as well as a range of places to eat with Chinatown and Little India, both a product of centuries of immigration, being particularly popular among food lovers. It’s not all about the busy streets though. The island of Sentosa in the south is the perfect place for thrill seekers as it is home to a range of entertainment parks, such as Universal Studios Singapore, Adventure Cove Waterpark and Mega Adventure. However, Singapore also has plenty of calmer spots such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the Gardens by the Bay. Singapore is ranked highly in terms of quality of life as well as average life expectancy and healthcare. It is also extremely advanced in general with high standards of education and housing.

Flying to Singapore

1. Which airports serve Manila to Singapore?

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or, as most people call it, the Manila International Airport, is the most popular airport serving flights from the Philippine capital to Singapore and is around 7 km south of Manila.

2. Which airlines operate flights from Manila to Singapore?

The major provider of this service is Philippine Airlines as it offers departures every day and without connections. Jetstar Asia, Scoot, Cebu Pacific and Singapore all offer similar flights. Several other airlines can also provide daily departures but not without a connection. These include Air Asia, Air China, All Nippon, Etihad, KLM, Royal Brunei, Qatar, and Xiamen. AirAsia Zest, Garuda, Qantas, and a few others can also take passengers there but only have a handful of departures throughout the week.

3. How long is the flight?

Manila and Singapore may be in the same time zone but you should expect direct flights from Manila to Singapore to take around 3 hours and 45 minutes. Layover flights will add approximately 2 hours to this so will usually take a total of 6 hours or more.

4. Climate changes between Manila to Singapore

Throughout the year, the climate in Manila and Singapore tends to be fairly similar as both are consistently warm but each usually has their own periods of heavy rainfall. Singapore tends to get their biggest downpours between November and January, whereas the heavens typically open more often between June and September in Manila.

5. Culture differences and need-to-know

Singapore’s currency, the Singapore Dollar, can be acquired at most international airports, banks, malls, hotels, and tourist attractions. Most ATMs will accept credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard and Visa, so you can withdraw currency from those as well.

Singapore doesn’t require US Passport Holders to have a visa, whether you are going there for either business or pleasure.

City Information

With so much color and vibrancy packed into a relatively small area, there is much more to see and do than you might initially expect. Marina Bay is a particular highlight of the main city as you can take in a show as well as take your place at a table in the Marina Bay Sands Casino. Linking this section of town to the Marina Centre is the Helix Bridge, which is modeled to look like DNA structure and is quite a sight in itself, especially when lit up at night. As you walk across, there are several viewing platforms providing stunning panoramic views of the Bay and city skyline.

Food lovers and avid shoppers will love going down Orchard Road as it is home to numerous restaurants and high-end shops, with street carnivals and live music adding to the atmosphere. There are even more options in Chinatown, Little India, and the Clarke Quay area.

Away from the city, the island of Sentosa is another highlight with its numerous entertainment parks including Universal Studios Singapore, Mega Adventure and Adventure Cove Waterpark. With something to interest everyone, Singapore is a truly unique place to spend a holiday.