SINGAPURA:
In Tamil and Sanskrit it means the Lion City. It comes under former Sriwijaya Empire in the 1st Century and during the Chola Empire ruled by Rajaraja Cholan. During that period it was a small fishing village girls name Thamasuka (Temasek in Malay).
When i came to Malaysia, i got the Singapore Evisa in India itself. I already booked my KTMB Train ticket from KL to Singapore and back via Online. It's a night journey and booked a 2nd AC birth. It arrived in the early morning to Johor Bahru city the border of Malaysia and got out of the train with other passengers with luggage for Security and Immigration check by Integrated Quarantine Complex. After exit stamp we will go through another way to the same train with out luggage further to Singapore Country just 10 minutes away which is called Woodlands Checkpost. Here everybody has to get down and Foreign Nationals has to fill up the arrival card along with our Visa. After few minutes they will stamp your passport and give a small label with number of days permit for your stay in Singapore. You have to keep it till your exit from the country and again hand over it to the immigration while you exit by train, bus or direct air transport.
It's one of the World Class city, Well Maintained, Organized and very neat. Most of the Country attractions are Man made, Artificial and not of a natural one like in Malaysia. Lot of Theme Parks, Zoo, Safari,etc are there to visit in addition to Sentosa Island, Gardens by Bay, Marina Sands, Singapore Flier,etc. There is a Universal World also.
There is a HOP ON HOP OFF BUS similar to KL but with 3 routes combined with a Hippo River cruise is available in Singapore with a pass of 24 and 48 hours validity. You can see most of the City and Countries attractions by having the pass.
After having a breakfast in Little India near Tekkamal on the Serangoon Road i started my tour in the morning itself till afternoon break at Botanical Garden. After having lunch at Hotel Komalas i continued by journey. It's a quite expensive city equal to Tokyo or Sydney if am sure. It's a safest city in Asia, other than orderly and neatness its a Sterile and Unfriendly city i feel.
Some of the view of the City from Hop on Hop off bus
I don't want to spend much days in Singapore as i was so much disappointed by its sterile approach and Rigid attitude. I returned back to KL via Johor spend my rest of the days and returned back to India. According to me nothing much interesting in Singapore as everybody says. Too expensive for a Budget Traveler.
