If your Singapore itinerary includes a shopping spree on Orchard Road you’ll be happy to learn that the 7% GST included in prices can be refunded when you leave the country. To be eligible for the GST (goods and services tax) refund you must meet several conditions. You must be 16 or older; you must … read the full post

Here’s a factoid for you: Singapore is actually made up of 63 separate islands. But most people, even locals, don’t venture much further beyond the main island and Sentosa. Many of the outlying islands are explicitly off-limits to visitors because they’re used for heavy industry or military training, but my goal is to visit as … read the full post

Recently we had the chance to pose some questions to Singapore’s most famous critic of hawker food – KF Seetoh of the Makansutra guide. Instead of asking where to get the spiciest chili crab or the most savoury char kway teow, we kept it simple and asked just one question: If you had just one … read the full post

After the cleanliness and crazy prices, what friends who’ve visited me in Singapore commented most about was the heat. Though the temperature is similar to Bangkok or Bali, Singapore feels hotter. Maybe it’s the relentless humidity or the extreme difference between the icily air-conditioned indoors and sweltering outdoors, but you’ll sweat through your shirt in … read the full post

There’s no doubt the biggest and newest attractions are what draw tourists to Singapore, but it’s still surprising that the Malay Heritage Centre is closing for major renovations after only 7 years. The up-side to the closure is that the centre is having an Open House with free admission until April 30, 2011. The Malay … read the full post

There’s a rare chance to catch some independent Asian cinema on the big screen during Singapore’s first Southeast Asian Film Festival. The festival features emerging and established Singaporean directors plus films from six other countries in the region. The event is being held at the Moving Image Gallery at Sam@8Q, an extension of the Singapore … read the full post

There’s a new reality series about Singapore on the National Geographic channel.  “Every Singaporean Son” follows 14 young men as they trade in their iPhones for assault rifles and begin their mandatory national service. Singapore has an imposing armed forces and every male citizen spends two years in full-time military training once they turn 18. … read the full post

You can feast on every kind of Asian food imaginable in Singapore, but sometimes nothing satisfies like a burger. Restaurants in trendy areas like Clarke Quay charge upwards of S$20 for a burger and fries, but it is possible to satisfy your Western craving for much less at a hawker centre. While the Western food … read the full post