In Little India, you can buy the best sari material, freshly ground spices or a picture of your favourite Hindu god. In the small shops of Arab St, the cry of the imam can be heard from the nearby Sultan Mosque.

Budget accommodation is in 'crash pads' (dormitories) or Chinese hotels; the former are concentrated around Bencoolen St, the latter in Chinatown and on Jalan Besar and Beach Rd. There are few moderately priced hotels, but plenty of international-standard hotels - and there's always Raffles for those with bottomless wallets. For tasty budget Indian and Chinese food, try one of the hundreds of hawker centres (conglomerations of permanent food stalls) scattered throughout Singapore. Orchard Rd, the colonial district, Chinatown and Little India are the best areas for shopping.

Environment

Singapore consists of the main, low-lying Singapore Island and 58 smaller islands within its territorial waters. Urban areas comprise almost 50% of the land area, while parkland, reservoirs, plantations and open military areas occupy 40%. Singapore Island measures approximately 42km east to west and 23km north to south at its widest points. While there are built-up, high-density areas all around the island, the main city area is in the south, built on the shores of the Singapore River. The Central Business District (CBD) is at the southern shore of the river's mouth. Chinatown adjoins the CBD to the south-west. To the north of the Singapore River is the colonial district, which has many reminders of British rule. Further north again is Little India and Arab St. Orchard Rd runs north-west from the colonial district.

To the west of the island is Jurong, an industrial area with a sprinkling of tourist attractions. The east coast has some of the older residential areas, a major beach park and the international airport. The north-east is the location of huge housing developments and the central north of the island has most of Singapore's undeveloped land and remaining forest. A 1km long causeway connects Singapore with Johor Bahru in Malaysia; a second causeway is planned to relieve congestion. Under current plans, land reclamation and housing developments should dramatically alter Singapore's geography.

Hot and humid year-round, Singapore's temperature almost never drops below 20 degrees Celsius, even at night, and usually climbs to 30 degrees Celsius during the day. Humidity is high, hovering around the 75% mark. Singapore is wettest from November to January and at its driest from May to July - the difference between the two, however, is slight. And due to Singapore's proximity to the equator, it receives a steady diet of sunshine all year.

When to Go

Go anytime. Climate is not a major consideration, as Singapore gets fairly steady annual rainfall. You may like to co-ordinate your visit with various festivals and events: Thaipusam is one of the most spectacular festivals, occurring around February. If shopping and eating are your major concerns, July is a good month as the Singapore Food Festival and Great Singapore Sale are held.