Loose and light summer clothing (preferably natural fabrics) is recommended, especially for outdoor activities like bazaar shopping and sightseeing. Evening wear depends very much on the setting. Jeans, T-shirts and sandals are acceptable in casual eateries and hawker stalls, but discouraged in fine dining establishments. For men, a tie and jacket may be necessary in some of the more exclusive places. For woman, anything from dressy silk to casual cotton would be appropriate.

This is Singapore and yes you can drink water straight from the tap but we suggest you get in the habit of drinking bottled water especially if you will be visiting other countries in the region.

Smoking is banned in public buses, taxis, lifts, theatres, government offices, cinemas, air conditioned restaurants, shopping centres and covered areas. First-time offenders may be fined up to a maximum of SGD 1,000. Smoking is also not prohibited in air-conditioned pubs, discos, karaoke bars and nightspots .

Singapore is clean and wants to remain so. A carelessly thrown tissue could result in a SGD 1,000 fine for a first offender, and a SGD 2,000 fine and a stint of corrective work order cleaning a public place for repeat offenders.

There is no limit on the amount of currency you can bring into take out of Singapore.

The local currency is Singapore Dollars - expressed as either SGD or USD. Paper notes are available in SGD1, SGD2, SGD5, SGD10, SGD20, SGD50, SGD100, SGD500, SGD1,000 and SGD10,000. Coins are minted in 1,5,10,20,50 cents and SGD1 & SGD 2.

Money changing services are available at Singapore Changi Airport 24/7 and at most banks, hotels and shopping complexes. Generally speaking licensed money changers give a better rate than most hotels and if you take a step or two into a shopping centre you'll almost always get a better rate than if you use the one at the entrance. Visitors are advised not to change money with unlicensed operators. Most banks open from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm on weekdays and 9.30 am to 11.30 am on Saturdays.

Credit and charge cards are widely accepted in Singapore. Hotels, travel agents, retailers, restaurants - even taxi cabs readily accept international credit and charge cards.

Oddly for a service economy tipping is not common or expected in Singapore. It is prohibited at the airport and discouraged in hotels and restaurants where there is a 10% service charge automatically added to your bill. A tip should only be exercised in instances where the bill does not include a service charge.

The country code for Singapore is 65. As of now there are no area codes. Local calls cost SGD10 cents for the first 3 minutes. Many businesses have toll free numbers (1-800-xxx-xxxx). Coin phones are being phased out in favor of card phones (but now everyone in Singapore seems to have their own handphone). Visitors with a GSM handphone may purchase a 'HI-Card' - a temporary phone card - SGD25.00 or SGD50.00 at any SingTel outlet.

IDD calls can be made from the numerous phonecard and credit card phones located at post offices and around the city area. Phone cards come in five denominations of SGD 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50, and are sold at Singapore Telecom service outlets, post offices and some retail shops. International Calling Cards in denominations of SGD 10, 20 and 50 are available at all post offices, Changi Airport, SingTel, Sunpage shops and some retail outlets.

Getting connected in Singapore is a breeze. There are three mobile phone networks: CDMA, GSM 900 and GSM 1800. Rates for all calls are based on SingTel, MI or StarHUb IDD rates.

Feeling queasy? Not to worry you're in Singapore. Singapore's medical facilities are among the finest in the world, indeed Singapore is SE Asia's medical centre of choice with well-qualified doctors and state of the art equipment. Registered pharmacies are open until 10.00 pm Most hotels have their own doctor on 24-hour call.

When leaving for the airport make sure to keep SGD 15.00 for the Passenger Service Charge (airport tax). This is usually already included into your air ticket but often it isn't and you'll need to pay during check-in. If you are in transit for less than 24 hours, you may leave the airport without having to pay the service charge upon departure.

Also just a quick last minute reminder. It would quite hard not to get in the shopping mood when you visit Singapore. That said make sure you check with your home country's customs department to understand how much duty you may have to pay upon returning home.