Well, what do World War II veterans have in common with Singapore? Very long lasting, unforgettable memories that you can share with fellow family members and friends. Especially those who had survived or had served in Singapore back in the year between 1942 to 1945.

So, if you travel to Singapore again with your family or friends or loved ones, would you like to walk down the memory lane? (Some memories are painful but some still brought back a smile. Do you agree?) Well veterans, if you happen to travel back to Singapore in your next holiday, make your travel a memorable one. These are some things worth visiting to bring back those dark years.

The Battle Box

The Battle Box is the largest underground command center of the British Malaya Command Headquarters in Singapore during World War II and tucked into the hillside of Fort Canning. This bombproof complex comprises of 22 rooms linked together by a corridor and capable of recycling its own air supply. Today, the Battle Box has undergone extensive restoration. Visitors will be able to relive the morning of February 15, 1942 when Singapore fell to the Japanese.

Reflections Of Bukit Chandu

Back in 1942, 1400 soldiers of the Malay Regiment fought with courage against 13000 Japanese soldiers. They chose death over dishonour. Pepper?s Ghost will bring you through the Battle of Pasir Panjang and you will be able to walk through the Galleries displaying maps, photographs and information regarding the Malay Regiment and the Defence of Malaya.

Fort Siloso

The British built Fort Siloso in the 1880s to protect Singapore harbour?s western entrance. During the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), it became concentration camp for POWs. Fort Siloso serves as an important window to Singapore?s colonial past and as reminder of the war years.

Changi Chapel & Museum

This place, called a beacon of hope for the hopeless. Built by Changi Prison inmates, the Changi Chapel stands as a monument to those who maintained their faith and dignity during the Japanese Occupation. More than 50 000 civilians and soldiers were imprisoned during those days. Some exhibits that you can find and relate to their agony are letters, photographs, drawings and their personal effects. However, their main attraction is a replica of The Changi Murals, a series of wall painting recreated from the originals painted by Stanley Warren.

Old Ford Factory

On February 15, 1942, Lt Gen A.E.Percival then Commander of the British Forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese Army. The ?ceremony? took place here, the Old Ford Factory. On February 16, 2006, Singapore Minister for Defence Mr Teo Chee Hean officially opened Memories at Old Ford Factory. Here, you can find the exhibition ?Syonan Years: Singapore Under Japanese Rule, 1942-1945?.

Kranji War Memorial

Kranji War Memorial honours the men from Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand who gave their lives for freedom in World War II. Here you can find 4000 servicemen?s graves stand in neat rows. For about 24 000 soldiers and air force men, whose bodies were never recovered, their names were inscribed on 12 columns. Besides that, it is also a burial ground for Singapore?s first two presidents.

Civilian War Memorial

Located in the Padang, the Civilian War Memorial is dedicated to all those who perished during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore between February 15, 1942 to September 12, 1945. Every year on 15 February, a memorial service is held here to remember the victims of the war. Here you can find four identical vertical pillars rise to a pinnacle of 92.5 metres, symbolising the shared experiences of the four major races of Singapore – Chinese, Malay, Indian and other races. The remains of the unidentified war victims are buried beneath the monument.

You may have heard the saying ?Singapore is a fine city.? You get fined for this, fined for that? you could even get fined for chewing gum (it caused a major door drama that stopped the MRT subway running). While there?s no doubt that Singapore takes a tough stand on fines for anti-social issues and basic public behaviour, Singapore is also fine city for a tourists on a stopover or vacation break.

In fact, Singapore is one of the world?s most popular destinations. A tiny island with mighty appeal, lying between Malaysia and Indonesia. Just 14 miles from north to south and 26 miles wide from east to west, it?s slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC. Singapore lies in the heart of exciting Southeast Asia, a bridge between east and west and a place that buzzes 24/7.

It offers visitors a world of fantastic possibilities. Its ultra-modern skyscrapers and towers of glass contrast with the colonial charm of historic buildings, secret laneways and Chinese shop houses.

It?s a confusion of culture with slick style and business energy. A melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian races. Safe, fun and friendly, the perfect place for a break. Singaporeans are super helpful to visitors and just about everybody speaks English as this is the main language of business and everyday life.

Singapore is also just a few degrees from the equator, so it?s always a hot and happening place literally. Tip: dress for the tropics with light comfortable clothing.

Seven great things to do and see.

Singapore Shopping. A buyer?s paradise.

The number one attraction is undoubtedly shopping. Stroll down the main boulevard of Orchard Road and you?ll find plenty to tempt you and your credit card, but window shopping costs nothing. Each side of the road is lined with glossy designer boutiques, big stores and fabulous malls, not to mention shops displaying the latest digital wizardy.

Don?t miss exploring the other side of Singapore either. It?s fun to spend a day wandering the different locales and historic backstreets of Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street.

Enjoy a Singapore Sling at Raffles.

?When in Singapore, feed at Raffles?, that was the advice of the renowned English author, Rudyard Kipling, and it still holds true today. The legendary Raffles Hotel is consistently voted as one of the top hotels in the world. It attracted a bevy of literary talent to its doors, from Joseph Conrad to Somerset Maugham to Noel Coward who were inspired by its unique atmosphere. First opened in 1887, Raffles has undergone extensive restoration over the years but today it?s still as stylish as ever.

Now film celebrities, royalty, sports stars and anyone who?s anyone, chooses to stay Raffles. Even if your budget doesn?t allow an overnight booking, you could probably stretch to a refreshing Gin Sling in the Long Bar ? it was invented here. Bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created this deliciously different cocktail close to a century ago.

Food glorious food.

Making money is not the only things on people?s minds in Singapore. The subject of food is a national obsession. After breakfast has finished, where to have lunch and dinner are the big topics of the day. As a visitor, your taste buds are spoiled for choice with plenty of food halls, stalls, cafes and upmarket restaurants.

Nonya or Peranakan food is the closest Singapore has to a ?national? cuisine. It combines Chinese, Malay and other influences into its own unique blend. The resulting dishes are imaginative, tasty and often extremely subtle.

Travel tip: If you?re heading this way in the month of July, the annual Singapore Food Festival is in full swing. A gastronomic feast of workshops, places to eat, amazing recipes and things to try are all on the menu.

Singapore Zoo Night Safari.

Forget a typical zoo experience, this is an ?open? green environment where animals are allowed to roam in acres of lush jungle and parklands. Oppressive cages are absent. The animals are actually kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures, separated from visitors by dry or wet moats. The moats are concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision.

At night, Singapore zoo takes on a totally different feel with the famous Night Safari. A unique experience of exploring wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. Through subtle lighting, you can view over 1,000 nocturnal animals from 100 species in their habitat. It?s well worth spending an evening out here. Show time starts at 7.30 as the sunset in this part of world is very reliable, thanks to the position, close to the equator.

Sentosa. Singapore?s premier island resort getaway.

Just 15 minutes from downtown Singapore, you?ll find the resort getaway that is Sentosa Island. A stunning blend of leisure and recreational facilities, sea sports, golf and peaceful retreats. Get there by cable car (fantastic views) or bus, taxi and car.

A canopy of secondary rainforest covers 70 per cent of the 500-hectare island and it?s home to monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks, parrots as well as other native fauna and flora. With is long stretch of white sandy beach, this is the only place in Singapore with real beachfront accommodation, such as Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort. You?ll find this property (and many more choices all over Singapore) at sites like.

Clarke Quay. Night moves and grooves.

When the sun goes down, Clarke Quay, on the Singapore River, comes to life. During the 19th century, this was a commercial waterfront area, bustling with merchant vessels. The rich heritage is alive and kicking. The Quay been restored to create a colorful and stylish meeting place, filled with cosy cafes, bars, music and restaurants. Trendy night spots attract a big crowd, especially at the weekend.

Reflexology. Traditional Foot Massage.

Transport-wise, Singapore is easy to get around, by subway, bus or taxi, but you?ll probably pound the sidewalks taking in the sights and sounds of this great Asian destination. Make time for some pampering.

Reflexology or foot massage has long been part of Chinese tradition and culture – a superb way to relax after a tough day bargain hunting. You?ll find plenty of places to enjoy a massage, at exclusive Hotel spas, or the more reasonably priced specialty outlets all around Orchard Road, in shopping centres and Tanglin Road.

Singapore hotels to match every budget.

Singapore is one of the world?s top travel destinations, especially for stop overs. (U.S. citizens can stay up to 90 days without a visa.) Accommodation-wise, you?ll find a wide range of hotels to suit your budget ? from major 5 star international names to smaller hotels offering great value rates. Book online and see the deals you can find.

Singapore is a major medical tourism destination and one of the five hottest spots for medical treatments in Asia.

Visitors can select from a wide range of services to enhance their health and well being. These include health screening, medical wellness, aesthetic and anti-ageing programmes.

This island city boast a growing list of number 1 spots under its belt. No. 1 port, airport, mathematical geniuses… and the list goes on. Medical treatments’ standard is top notch, and service is uniformly excellent.

It is therefore no surprise that Singapore is a popular destination for medical tourism as well as medical evacuations in the region. Prices are also generally lower than the West, although may be more expensive compared to its neighbors in the region. Three key agencies, the Economic Development Board, the Singapore Tourism Board and the International Enterprise Singapore have come together under the Singapore Medicine Banner to develop the Republic in one of Asia?s leading health care destinations.

Statistics in 2003 showed that 230,000 foreigners sought medical treatments here. Singapore Medicine is aiming to serve one million foreign patients a year by 2012 and generate $3 billion in revenues and create at least 13,000 jobs in the medical tourism industry.

Singapore provides the complete spectrum of healthcare services from primary care such as health screening, to quaternary care services such as organ transplants. Tourists coming for medical treatments also come to Singapore for a broad range of specialist care including Cardiology, Gynaecology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Oncology, Otorhinolaryngology, Urology, Neurosurgery and Opthalmology, besides General Surgery and General Medicine.

The country specializes in services for cardiology, ophthalmology, and oncology. Singapore is also a thriving dental hub.

Singapore’s Dental Care

Some of the most advanced dental care in Asia can be found in Singapore. The island has one of the highest dentist-population ratio of 1:5,000, and almost half of the population here adhere to the twice a year visit to the dentist.

Here, the dental infrastructure is of the highest quality, with most of the equipment and dental products manufactured abroad. The equipment are also well maintained according to stringent criteria, ensuring that dental care is prompt and professional, and of course, safe.

With the high standard of dental care, Singapore is Southeast Asia?s dentistry center and you would come here for the best dental treatment available. Patients seeking treatment come from western countries, but dentists here also see to many patients from neighboring countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

So if you are looking to brighten that smile of yours, straighten the wry tooth gone crooked or perhaps even to change your whole set of smilies altogether, Singapore may just be the country to make you smile once more.

In 1996, Singapore coined a “Smile Singapore” campaign. The island was then worried about its tourism industry, and decreed that Singaporeans should put on a happy face when meeting a visitor to the country. Fast forward 10 years, the island has done away with the slogan for a new one that is “Uniquely Singapore”, and has even more to grin about. It has found a new niche in medical tourism to earn those fickle tourist dollars.

Looking for flights to Singapore? We will help you book your holiday in Singapore or business trip dates. While traveling to Singapore with Travour, you can find the best hotels in Singapore. We will make your tour to Singapore a memorable experience.The Republic of Singapore is a city-state island located in Southeast Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Malay Peninsula. Its position is south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of the Indonesian islands of Riau. The name Singapore is being derived from the word Singa, which means lion in the Malay language. While, the other word Pore comes from Sanskrit language meaning city.

Singapore, which was established as a trading port in 19th century by the British, gradually developed as a hub of British impact in the region of Southeast Asia. It has recently achieved independence from Malaysia in the year 1965. Since then, Singapore has never looked back. It has developed rapidly as an unbeaten free-market economy having one of the maximum per capita gross domestic products all over the world. Today, Singapore is a big finance and transport focus in the region.

Singapore is a republic country with a Westminster parliamentary government system. The head of state is the president. The lawmaking branch of government is the Parliament while the executive branch is the cabinet, which is headed by a prime minister, the head of government.

There are a dozen small islands in Singapore. Among all of them, Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the bigger ones. Bukit Timah is the highest point of Singapore and also a big attraction for the tourists.

The climate of Singapore is a tropical rainforest climate that has no distinct seasons. The climate is mainly characterised by consistent temperature, high humidity and plentiful rainfall.

On your tour to Singapore with travour.com, you will find exciting travel destinations that have made Singapore a noted attraction in the list of international tourists. Tourism is one of the greatest industries of Singapore. The rich Singaporean cultural diversity reflects the rich colonial history and a wealthy civilization, which is the perfect amalgamation of Malay, Chinese, Arab and Indian cultures.

On your visit to Singapore you can shop extensively at the high profile shopping precinct located in the Orchard Road here. Jam packed with many multi-storey shopping centers, the area looks lively and colourful with a lot of local and international visitors. There are also many hotels here. That’s why Orchard Road has been designated as the tourism hub of Singapore.

Other popular tourist attractions that you would visit on your tour to Singapore are, the Singapore Zoo and a Night Safari here. This is a great opportunity to explore the Asian, African and South American habitations in the dark, which diminishes all the visible barricades between the tourists and the wild animals. The Singapore Zoo, which is actually an Open Zoo, has all the animals not kept in cages, but in enclosures, which are at a distance from the visitors. For more tourist attractions, please visit your tourist attractions in Singapore section.

Singapore is a pretty little and modern blend of semi-autochthonal Malay population and majority of the Chinese and the minority of Arab and Indian migrants. This has given Singapore a noteworthy degree of cultural intermingles with its exceptional mishmash of all these cultural groups. This further gets reflected in the Singaporean cuisine and also become the cultural attraction for the upcoming tourists.

Many of us Singaporeans avoid the tourist-filled Newton Hawker Center. We don’t often wrestle with the ubiquitous chile crabs either. Why should we, when there’s a melting pot of rustic flavors waiting to be explored elsewhere on the island?

1. Good Old Frog Porridge
At this spare, concrete-floored restaurant, you choose the way you want your frog done—in pungent rice wine, swimming in curry, or, most popularly, in a dark soy sauce brew with heaps of ginger and spring onions (blistering dried chiles are optional)—then wash it down with smooth clay-pot porridge. A side order of blanched choy sum topped with fried shallots is all you need to make the meal complete. 249 Outram Road (65-6536-9515)

2. Ng Ah Sio
Just four months after the 2007 military coup, the ex-Prime Minister of Thailand allegedly made a lunch stop at this nondescript shop during his short stint in Singapore. The draw? The highly addictive ba kut teh, pork rib broth flecked with crushed garlic and pepper. It’s served with hunks of pork ribs and a bowl of piping hot rice, plus a choice of side dishes, such as deep-fried dough fritters and stir-fried lettuces. 208 Rangoon Road (65-6291-4537)

3. Guan Hoe Soon
This no-frills restaurant on the eastern fringe of Singapore has been churning out intensely flavored Peranakan fare since 1953. Choosing favorites here is impossible, but you won’t want to miss the ayam buah keluak (a rich, highly spiced stew of chicken and Indonesian black nuts) or the beef rendang (plump, tender cubes of meat slow-cooked with coconut milk and spices). If you go on a Saturday, you can try the babi panggang—you won’t find anyone else in Singapore serving this dish of barbecued pork with pickles and a sweet and sour sauce; it takes four hours to grill. 214 Joo Chiat Road (65-6344-2761)

4. Sik Wai Sin Eating House
For four decades, crowds have been drawn to this dilapidated shophouse in the bustling Geylang red light district for heart-warming Cantonese food. It’s the grand dame of the restaurants known as zhi char, where home-style dishes are wok-cooked to order. Everyone comes for the same thing: steamed song fish head drenched in bean paste and garnished with pork lard and spring onions. The steamed minced pork with pungent salted fish and the satiny-soft fried tofu tossed with prawns are excellent, too. 287 Geylang Road (65-6744-0129)

5. China Whampoa Homemade Noodle
Said to have originated from Fujian in China, ban mian noodles are kneaded, then stretched and cut by hand into irregular-sized flat sheets before being quickly cooked in a robust broth perfumed with ikan bilis (fried anchovies). One of Singapore’s best versions can be found in a cramped hawker stall at the Whampoa Market. Served with balls of minced pork, crunchy bits of ikan bilis, heaps of vegetables, two tiger prawns, and a small dish of tongue-searing chiles on the side, these noodles are ambrosia. Blk 91 Whampoa Drive, #01-24 (65-9625 6692).

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