Singapore, the complete official name is the Republic of Singapore, is an island country in Southeast Asia, situated near the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and separated from it by the Straits of Johor. Singapore's territory consists of the diamond-shaped main island, Pulau Ujong in Malay, and more than 60 smaller islets. The Singapore Strait separates Singapore from Riau Islands. The total area of the country comprises 718 square kilometers; the population is 5.5 million people. The capital is Singapore. The official languages are English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.

The national currency is the Singapore dollar. Money can be exchanged at the airport, banks and exchange offices. ATMs are located literally everywhere. All major credit cards are widely accepted.

Singapore’s climate is tropical rainforest. The monsoon season lasts from November to January; while the hottest months are April and May.

This small island country is full of various attractions. One trip is not enough to see even half of historic sites, attractions, parks and picturesque corners of this amazing Asian state, so you will inevitably want to come back.

Nature lovers will be captivated by Singapore Botanic Gardens, where you can admire more than a thousand orchid species; by Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which makes an impression of an authentic jungle; and by Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, which give an opportunity to see lots of animals within touching distance.

Those who like urban beauty will be charmed by Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore River, from where you can see fantastic skyscrapers of Singapore. You can get the stunning panoramic view of the city from the Singapore Flyer, one of the largest observation wheels in the world.

Do not forget to visit Chinatown and Little India and plunge into the atmosphere of these ancient cultures.

And, of course, you will like shopping in Haji Lane in the center of the Arab Quarter, and delicious Asian food, which can be bought in widely spread street food markets.

Airports

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), the main civilian airport of Singapore

Diving in Singapore

One of the most popular diving areas in Singapore is Pulau Hantu, consisting on two islands, Hantu Besar and Hantu Kecil and situated about 20-minute motorboat ride from Keppel Bay. Here you can dive among picturesque corals and see nudibranches, turtles, seahorses, barracudas and nurse sharks. The water temperature is 28-30 degrees Celsius; the visibility is about 5 meters.

In the Marine Park of Johor, situated northeast of Singapore, you will find interesting underwater pinnacles, rising from 30m deep, plenty of hard and soft corals growth and fancy underwater rocks. The local marine fauna includes whale sharks and large manta rays.