TRAVEL TIPS TO SINGAPORE (for the first time)
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Merlion statue, Singapore |
Since there are so many cheap ticket offers to Singapore (especially from Surabaya which is usually rare) so many Indonesians visit the country. A country that used to be visited only by wealthy people whose main purpose was shopping. And now there are countless reasons and goals when we visit Singapore. Not only rich people. Anyone can ....
Previously, I reviewed about cheap cheap tips here, from where I can get cheap tickets to lodging and cheap food and drinks in Singapore. This time what I'm discussing are tips for those of you who are visiting Singapore for the first time, alone, without a travel agent, and anti-stray. Hahahahaha, these are tips based on my own experience when I first visited the country.
1. Round-trip Ticket (return)
It is mandatory that the name has a return ticket because when we check in, we have to show our return ticket to the check-in officer. And they also usually will ask. Likewise, when the immigration check Indonesia and Singapore will also ask for our return tickets. The goal is that they fear that we come to Singapore to look for work illegally.
2. Customs / Baggage check in Indonesia
Do not bring anything that smells like liquid in large packages such as perfume, make up kits, drinking bottles, etc. In my experience, I brought a 250 ml facewash and put it in the trash can because I was not allowed to have a cabin baggage and the tickets I bought were on average without cargo baggage. So you have to accept it for disposal or confiscation (without being returned).
My advice for those of you who don't have cargo luggage is to buy a travel size for flight make up kit in a transparent container, which usually only contains a few ml, and transfer all your make up to the travel size container.
Don't forget to visit foreign tourist destinations
The cigarettes that you will bring are permitted to enter Singapore, it's only limited to 2 to 3 packs. Not several slots, because the customs officer will confiscate them or you have to pay the tax according to what Indonesia or Singapore determines how much. You will be mistaken for opening a stall in Singapore
3. Wet tissue for toilets in Singapore
For toilet users like me who usually use water to (sorry) wipe, wet tissue is very helpful. Besides the wet tissue, it also smells good, in my opinion it is more practical than dry tissue. Believe me, all over Singapore on average there is no such thing as jetwash in the closet 😢, there is only dry tissue and I myself can't imagine the name after defecating is only rubbed with tissue. If you were skinny, at that time, where did you take the empty bottle that was refilled in the sink and then used it for wiping. Hahahahahaha trust me, it's complicated !!!
4. Fill in the arrival card (embarkation card)
For those who have been to Malaysia, maybe the immigration department is not as busy as when entering Singapore where they have to fill out the embarkation card as completely as possible. If it's not complete, go back to the filling stand and then fill it up again until it's complete. Don't be afraid to fill in the wrong words because there is a guide on the wall. There is also a guide that uses Indonesian.
The location of the filling booth is on the right before entering the immigration counter. As far as I know, terminals 1, 2 and 3 are the same for the location of the embarkation card filling stand.
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| I forgot the photo of the position where the filling stand is located. What is clear is on the right before queuing at the immigration counter |
When on flight, flight attendants will also distribute embarkation cards just before landing. It depends on whether you can take it or not, because those of you who are visiting Singapore for the first time will obviously be confused about how to fill it out. So my advice is to take and fill it at the filling stand because there are very complete instructions.
For those who want to know the details of filling out the embarkation card, try to follow the description I made below.
# 1 Fill in your name according to the passport. Do not make it short !!
# 2 Fill in the passport number. Watch out for back and forth, guys, the number.
# 3 For City is the origin of your flight. I flew from Surabaya so I filled SURABAYA
# 4 Country yes country of origin. INDONESIA
# 5 Flight number & airline name match the ticket. Make sure not until your ticket is lost or crumpled. My experience is riding Asia Air because the ticket prints are supermarket receipts, so automatically the writing is easy to lose.
# 6 Addres in Singapore is a temporary residence. This is really mandatory to fill in because they ensure that you will not embroider in their country. Fyi, I'm not really filling in the address. Just look for hotels on Traveloka and keep checking the address listed. Hehehehe done. They won't check until that much.
# 7 Country Of Birth is the country where you were born. Customize the one in the passport.
# 8 Date Of Birt / DOB, you know
# 9 Last City before Singapore is the city that you will stop by before entering Singapore.
# 10 Next City after Singapore, adjust it to your next destination after leaving Singapore. For example to Malaysia, Thailand, or back to Surabaya. Because after I came from Singapore back to Surabaya, I wrote SURABAYA
That's all, you just have to sign it. Again, adjust it to your passport because the officer will scan your passport and the signature you input will appear when making your passport.
Thumb scan is also needed at immigration counters. And this process is a bit too long because for people with palms who like to sweat without cause like me, this is a real pain !!!
5. Go past the Immigration counter
Indonesians who want to go to Singapore for a vacation are not subject to a visa or free (for 30 days) as long as you prepare your return ticket. Those who are subject to visas are those of you who plan to work (stay long) or study. So all you have to do is take the queue to the foreigner and follow their rules, namely no cellphone, no camera, no food, and queue one by one until it's time to be called. Unless you want to get sprayed by immigration officers who are really fierce (this is not a lie, guys 👅)
* Singapore is a country that upholds discipline when queuing. So you don't just try to use Serobot.
note: If the officers ask, just answer casually. Usually it's just about what you do in Singapore or who you are here with. For those of you who are a little difficult to speak English, answer in Indonesian. They will understand your language and understand because on average the immigration officers are Malay people.
6. Pick up baggage and pass through Singapore customs
After passing the immgration counter check, you will find the baggage conveyor. For those of you who have luggage, wait until the baggage conveyor runs with your luggage. Usually it takes a while because they will turn on the conveyor after the passengers have passed through immigration. So you can't linger around the airport because your baggage might end up at the lost & found counters.
However, if there is no baggage (usually low cost carrier planes do not include baggage) you can go straight out and pass through customs. As long as you have a calm face, they will not be suspicious of your things. Unless you have a large suitcase, they will search it. Moreover, customs in Southeast Asia are entering the red line, aka on alert because many immigrants like to smuggle drugs and other goods.
7. Search for tourist maps and maps of public transportation
Warning: This is very important because you will not understand without these 2 maps !!
On arrival at Changi Airport Terminal 1,2 and 3, you will find lots of booklets / brochures and the like on the shelves near the immigration gate or on any side. I don't think it's hard to find it. Or you can find it in the information section. And don't just take brochures because they provide lots of brochures in various languages.
As far as I am, there is Indonesian language, but mostly Chinese, Cantonese and English. Look for it safely, just take the one in English.
The brochure also includes City Maps and MRT Maps which you definitely need while in Singapore. In addition, the importance of taking brochures is that there are lots of exciting tourist attractions marked on City Maps. So you can plan the destinations that you will take. You can also calculate the distance between the hotel, the MRT station, and the places you will visit later. I think it was helpful when I first went to Singapore. Sometimes there are lots of discount vouchers on the brochures that you take.
For those of you who are lazy to take city maps because if the brochure is as big as a prayer mat, prepare the destinations that you will visit at home or before leaving.
In modern times like now there is an MRT maps application that can be downloaded on the Playstore. And using it is easy too. Just type in which station you are taking and which station is your destination.
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Or you can download this image and save it on your smartphone as a provision so you don't lose it. |
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| They do the updated in every years, so be careful downloading old maps. Better just ask MRT maps in the MRT information section |
8. FREE Changi Airport Inter-Terminal Transfers
As a notification that Changi Airport currently (2017) consists of 4 terminals (the 4th terminal just opened this year) and Changi airport has inter-terminal links. There are 2 transportation options provided depending on your needs. There are shuttle buses located outside the airport and Skytrain that you can take without leaving the airport. Terminals 1 & 2 are located in an area which does not require a skytrain to travel. Everything is FREE!
For example, I usually take a jetstar which gets off at Terminal 1, then if I want to go to Terminal 3 to find food, I have to take the sky train. Or vice versa if I get off at terminal 3 and want to go to terminal 1, I have to take the skytrain.
9. Transportation from Changi Airport and around Singapore
Singapore is a developed country with excellent public transportation that is also visitor friendly. So there are several transportation options that I think will really not be confusing even though I have never been here before. There are Taxis, Buses, and MRT.
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MRT in Singapore at St. Petersburg Jurong East |
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| One of the MRT stations in Singapore |
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| Bus in Singapore, ground transportation other than MRT |
For transportation from Changi Airport, according to the transportation experience I use is the MRT. I almost never use a taxi because I think it's quite expensive, even though we can use uber and uber in Singapore, don't imagine it is as cheap as in Indonesia, guys. Here it is fair, or taxi rates are almost the same as other taxis except for premium taxis which are also expensive everywhere. And whether or not the taxi fare is expensive depends on what time you use it.
As far as I know, above 11pm and below 6am will be very expensive for one-way rates and also not including tax and others. Don't worry about dark taxis because there are absolutely no here (especially airports) or don't be afraid to scramble to not get a taxi because you can be sure that if you want to take a taxi, you have to queue with snaking queues.
In the era of 2019, where technological advances are rapidly developing, we can also use online taxis which can be easily ordered via an application on a smartphone. We can also determine the pick-up location. Like Grab and Go Car, which are quite popular in Singapore.
Anyway, Gocar is cheaper than grab.
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| The yellow logo (left board) is the MRT logo. And the sign next to it is an indication of the time the train will arrive in a few minutes |
For the bus itself I never used it because I found it quite confusing with the code and purpose they were using. Many people suggest taking the bus because you don't have to be tired going up and down the escalator to reach it like when you take the MRT. And another advantage is that you can see around the buildings and street atmosphere in Singapore.
note: I don't know why I prefer to take the MRT besides being cheap, I also feel a different sensation from the city where I live. When will you take the MRT if it's not in Singapore 👅👅.
10. Ez-Link Card for MRT and Bus
The payment method for public transportation in Singapore uses an Ez-Link card like in Indonesia, namely e-money, which you can top-up regardless of the range. It's just that the ez-link card in Singapore can only be used on the MRT, buses and monorail to Sentosa Island. Cannot be used for taxis, ticket passes, or purchases at supermarkets (certain supermarkets can be like Seven Eleven).
You can buy it at the service / information passanger around the MRT station. For the first top-up of 11 sgd, the contents of 7 sgd as a deposit, which can later be returned when you return home and are no longer taking the MRT or bus. If it's lost, unfortunately the deposit is 7 to SD. 70 thousand floated dong hehehehe. For those of you who intend to save it and use it at a later time it is also fine, because ez-link has no expiration time limit.
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At that time, I was given the 50th edition of Singapore's Independence
Day ez-Link |
There is also an ez-link 3 or 7 days tourist pass where you buy it for around 30 sgd (forgot the nominal) and limited alias when you go anywhere using the MRT and buses without needing to top-up it again. As the title suggests, this card has a time limit depending on whether you buy it for 3 or 7 days. And in my opinion it is very expensive because for 7 days traveling around Singapore it will not cost you 30 sgd or 300 thousand rupiah.
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30 sgd + 10 sgd (deposit) unlimited used 3 days pass |
Ez-link top-up cannot be done on Seven Eleven or the like, nor can it be done at an ATM. Top-up can only be done in the information inside the MRT station (usually the officer will advise you to the machine) or in a special machine for ez-link top-up. The trick is just to follow the step by step on the screen. And don't forget to choose a language that you think is easy to understand.
11. Money Changer, ATM, Credit Card
For those of you who already intend to travel abroad, of course, you have to have money ready. In ancient times, it was mandatory to carry 300 sgd of cash as proof that that kind of money was enough to live 3-4 days.
Just bring enough because in Singapore, of course, there are many money changers lined up. It's just that you will feel inconvenient if you have to exchange money first, and of course it will take your vacation too. Because it is not certain that money changers are around you or one destination with a destination to be selected.
In modern times, anything can be done, including withdrawing ATMs wherever and whenever or overseas, especially in Singapore. Make sure that the ATM you use can withdraw cash at Singapore ATM machines. Or it can be seen from the type of ATM used such as ATMs with the visa, cyrus, Master card, etc. logo and just look for an ATM machine with the same logo. The money you receive will be clearly in accordance with the country you are visiting and it depends on the exchange rate of each bank used. For Singapore, of course, the Singapore dollar will come out And of course there is a fee that is in my experience, namely 5 sgd or 50 thousand for one withdrawal. Expensive huh 😫
note: Make sure to the bank you are using first that the ATM card you are going to use can withdraw cash outside Indonesia.
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| Just match the ATM card which you have using which logo |
There are also many banks in Indonesia that can transact in other countries, especially in Singapore, apart from the above, namely OCBC NISP, Niaga Bank, Citibank, Maybank and several other International Banks. Because I don't want to lose from being charged 5 sgd when withdrawing, just open an account at Citibank hehehehe. So when traveling outside Indonesia anywhere I can withdraw cash via an ATM.
Likewise, credit cards can also be used when the card you are using has the visa logo. But don't use a credit card outside Indonesia once because the charge fee is high.
12. (trivial) rules in Singapore that you must follow
Actually the rules in Singapore are not much different from Indonesia, it's just that there are a lot of trivial rules in Indonesia that you shouldn't do when in Singapore or don't let you take them for granted. And you have to deal with that 😎
Chewing gum, in Indonesia maybe we can eat as much gum as we like and throw it away at will. Sometimes I even find gum marks stuck everywhere. It's dirty and I can't imagine the virus from whose saliva has spread hehehehhehe. In Singapore, don't expect to do stupid things like that. And you won't find supermarkets or small kiosk stalls selling gum. I ever casually asked Singapore why gum was not allowed to circulate in Singapore, and their answer was that gum trash was difficult to clean, especially if it was stuck on the road. So Singapore does not bother to waste time just cleaning the gum that is stuck everywhere.
Cigarettes, not much different from Indonesia, in Singapore there are also a lot of smokers and they also sell cigarettes everywhere. And the cigarettes that you bring from Indonesia will not be taken by the customs officers when checking (depending on how many packs you bring, as long as you don't get excited like you want to open a stall). It's just that there are rules when smoking, and not just anywhere, while walking, indoors, or while riding a motorbike (this is too much) you can just smoke cigarettes like Indonesians do 😅😅 Like it or not you have to smoke in a place that is already provided. If not available, smoke outside in front of a trash can. * Fyi, the price of cigarettes per pack is 10-12 sgd or 100 thousand. Are you sure you still want to smoke there?
The road on the escalator, which is where Singapore and (maybe) other developed countries have their own rules, namely when riding the escalator stand on the left side for those of you who stay. While the right side is reserved for people who walk fast especially rush at rush hour. We can't go as fast as taking an escalator and then taking either side. Unless you are willing to be hit by people running on the escalator steps.
Oh yes, in Singapore you cannot go around using the elevator because people with special needs are entitled to take the elevator. But sometimes when it's quiet I use the elevator hehehehe just as long as you know yourself during rush hour you have to take manual stairs or escalators.
Exit and enter, what is meant is when we want to exit or enter from the MRT door, elevator door, or any door (doraemon kali ah 😁), we must prioritize the people who are going out. Don't let you jump in or out without the rules like you usually do in Indonesia. Hehehe.
Prioritize people with special needs, especially in MRT cars or buses that are clearly displayed as priority seats, which are designated for passengers with special needs. If there are no passengers with these characteristics, it doesn't matter if you occupy it. Just don't miss it guys. Likewise, the use of the elevator as I explained above.
Crossing the crossing, don't, like we often do in Indonesia, cross without crossing the zebra crossing and just raise your hand to stop the vehicle. In Singapore, zebra crossings and traffic lights are provided with stop button facilities that are used to cross. So don't just cross guys, this country have rules 😉
Eating and drinking, Singapore has its own rules for this one. Especially in public places such as bus stops or at MRT stations, which completely prohibit eating & drinking activities. My experience was that I was feeling hungry then sitting in the MRT platform area and we ate as we pleased and 5 minutes later we were visited by the Singapore police to warn that we had to pay a fine of 500 sgd because we had broken rules that we really didn't know (see the rules wrote, no hehehe) Fortunately, we didn't pay any fine because we just found out and just came to Singapore for the first time 😓
In fact, around the public locations I visited throughout Singapore, it is very, very clean. So there is nothing to lose if it is forbidden to eat and drink anywhere.
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| Those Rules !!! |
The rules for staying at hotels (not hostels), which are somewhat different from Indonesia when you book a room for 2 people and then what you bring is 3 or 4 people, they will charge a fine which if I'm not mistaken could reach 300 thousand per head. Not a fine but as a substitute for an extra extra bed because they only provide the room as ordered. So if you come in 3 to 4 or so, it's better to book a room according to the number of people. Unlike in Indonesia, where I usually order 1 room for 4 people because I can sleep "untelely" in one room hehehehehe
13. Buy online ticket passes for rides in Singapore
In Singapore, there are a lot of cool rides or places that will really lose if you miss them. Therefore, there are also many ticket agent agents who sell tickets online, such as in Traveloka, for example.
For one entry into the universal studio by buying a ticket on the spot it can be 60 sgd or 600 thousand. While many online ticket agents sell only around 400 to 500 thousand. Not bad to save 150 to 100 thousand right ...
So if you really plan to go to Singapore, it's better to plan what places to visit. So we can also buy tickets online at the same time.
note: Some hotels usually also offer discounts for popular places in Singapore.
14. Hotels and Hostels
Often times, many travelers misunderstand the difference between hostels and hotels. It is not much different, in fact, only the situation sets it apart.
Hostels usually contain more than 2 people in a room or room. Prices posted are per person (not per room) and usually the rates are not too expensive, ranging from 100-200 thousand.
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| Phil inn Hostel - Bugis Region, Singapore |
In contrast to hotels, which are usually calculated from the per-room rate. It remains to be adjusted how many people will stay. And make sure it is in accordance with the provisions of the room if it is for 2 people it is better not to use it for 3 or 4 people.
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| Lloyd's Inn Hotel |
15. Portable Internet Connection
Today's technological advances make everyone really have to have a data package especially for updating and existing needs. There are many choices of internet data packages that can be used when traveling abroad. And of course not all places we can get a free internet connection without a password. Even with roaming data packages it is not as cheap as Indonesia.
One of the foreign internet connections that is quite simple and practical, apart from roaming packages, renting travel wifi from Indonesia is one that can save costs because we only need to bring one wifi that can be used simultaneously or thetering, up to 5 gadgets.
JavaMifi can be an alternative solution for renting wifi because in addition to the advantages I have mentioned above, the battery also lasts up to 15 hours. Not bad right ....
For rental, go directly to www.javamifi.com
There should be many more tips for first-time travelers to Singapore. But what I think is important and needs to be explained are only 15 points, which I also experienced when I was a traveler (to be exact) in Singapore.
Don't forget to visit year end holiday cheap price but meaning
Have a nice day,