I was in Beijing in 2000, but only for a few days. Though I am not very familiar with the transport system there, I believe my brief introduction here will be just as helpful.
Airport
The airport is about 30km away from the town area. And it provides shuttle bus services to several places in the town area, e.g. arts museum. If you would like to drive to the place, there is a charge for using the highway. And the amount varies based on the type of car you are driving.
From Beijing airport, you can reach most of the major cities all over the world via the domestic flights. It is very convenient.
Train
As capital of China, Beijing railway station is one of the most important railway stations in the country and it links to every other important city in China. You can reach the railway station by subway or by bus... There's four major railway stations, namely Beijing station, Beijing West station, Beijing South station and Beijing North station (Direct translation). Several bus routes passes through Beijing station.
Roads
There are 6 highways and 12 major roads in Beijing as well. You can reach Shenyang, Tianjin, Guangzhou, etc via the major roads. There are also 12 long distance bus stop spread all over the whole city.
Travel shuttle train
Everyday the railway station provides travel shuttle train which reaches several of the famous places situated around Beijing. Tickets can be purchased through a travel agency, or buy it at the railway station.
Subway
There are two main lines for the subway system. It usually starts at 5 am and the last train is around 11 pm.
Bus
The bus system in Beijing is very convenient. There are hundreds of bus routes available and they can bring you to every corner in Beijing. But you had better be prepared. Due to the large population, the buses are usually jam packed, besides the discomfort, do take note to be extra careful with your wallet as there might be pickpockets around.
Taxi
There are a lot of taxis in Beijing, and its starting charge is 10RMB. But if the place you are heading to if near your pickup point, they driver may not be willing to take you.
Bicycle
You can rent a bicycle in nearly every hotel all over Beijing. It will be a good experience for you to join in with the locals on their daily routine. But be careful when riding, avoid the peak hours as you will find all the roads jammed up by bikes, and if you are not skillful enough, you might just get into an accident.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
SiChuan Series - JiuZhaiGou Valley
I was in shock when I knew of the terrible earthquake that hit Sichuan, China. So many lives diminished in such a short period. It had been reported that up until now, 14,866 people died in this disaster. And it is believed that this figure will go even higher as time passed. It is really hard for me to believe that such a sad thing happened in Sichuan, one of the most beautiful provinces in China. An even greater shock was that it had been reported that in the following month, or perhaps as long as one year, there will be more earthquakes in the region. Oh my Gosh. Hope my friends and their parents will be safe.
This entry is written “in memory” of Sichuan. The reason behind such a special entry is because Sichuan is full of such great scenery it was a great place to visit. I was there for three weeks in 2001 traveling through Chengdu, Chongqing, JiuZhaiGou valley, HuangLong, LeShan big Buddhist and ErMeiShan. I was very impressed by the sight and the people there.
For anyone who intends to travel to Sichuan, JiuZhaiGou valley is one of the places not to be missed. Jiuzhaigou valley is about 400 kilometers away from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. It is about 40 kilometers and it is named after the 9 villages. A literal translation of “JiuZhaiGou” would be nine village valley, “Jiu” means nine, “Zhai” means village and “ Gou” means valley in Chinese. The area of the whole valley is around 620 square kilometer, about the same as the area of Singapore. And 52% of the area is covered by forest. There are numerous unique trees, bamboo, animals and flowers within the valley, thus it has been known to be a living heaven for panda as well as several other rare animals. Jiuzhaigou is famous for its lakes, falls, snow mountain and forest. Due to the small population in the area, the place is well preserved, “100% natural”.
It is quite convenient to go to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu. In order to save some money, try to get to Chengdu first, and then join a local travel agency. The price is pretty reasonable, for a 4 days trip, the average price range would be between 600-1000 RMB (please refer to the latest price in travel agency). Note however that entry tickets are not included in the price listed by the travel agency, and there is a discount for students if they bring along their student pass or matriculation card. For non-Chinese passport holders, there will be a discount as well. It takes about 10 – 12 hours to travel from Chengdu to JiuZhaiGou valley by bus, but now there is also the convenience of planes. The scenery leading to the valley is awesome; you will be able to catch glimpses of the snow mountain, grass fields, rivers and the forest.
I personally was very impressed by the rivers and the lakes there. The water is so clear that you could literally see through it. This resulted in an illusion that the water is not that deep, the depth, in fact is more than 2 meters, and some places in the lake can be as deep as tens of meters down. The water is rather cooling even in summer, but it is dangerous if someone fall into it. A uniqueness of the waters is the variety of color that it reflects, this is due to the stones at the bottom of the lake. Some are blue like sapphire, while some others are in green and others. One of the names given to the lake is Baoshi hai which literally means the lake of Gems. Another impressive sight is the snow mountain. Just imagining this, the reflection of a snow mountain on a deep clear water connected at the horizon and you can barely tell the mountain and its reflection apart. It is little wonder why some people called Jiuzhaigou valley the “heaven on earth”. It will be so worthy for you to go to Jiuzhaigou valley to experience that kind of feeling. I am pretty sure that you will have a wonderful experience and a great time there.
This entry is written “in memory” of Sichuan. The reason behind such a special entry is because Sichuan is full of such great scenery it was a great place to visit. I was there for three weeks in 2001 traveling through Chengdu, Chongqing, JiuZhaiGou valley, HuangLong, LeShan big Buddhist and ErMeiShan. I was very impressed by the sight and the people there.
For anyone who intends to travel to Sichuan, JiuZhaiGou valley is one of the places not to be missed. Jiuzhaigou valley is about 400 kilometers away from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. It is about 40 kilometers and it is named after the 9 villages. A literal translation of “JiuZhaiGou” would be nine village valley, “Jiu” means nine, “Zhai” means village and “ Gou” means valley in Chinese. The area of the whole valley is around 620 square kilometer, about the same as the area of Singapore. And 52% of the area is covered by forest. There are numerous unique trees, bamboo, animals and flowers within the valley, thus it has been known to be a living heaven for panda as well as several other rare animals. Jiuzhaigou is famous for its lakes, falls, snow mountain and forest. Due to the small population in the area, the place is well preserved, “100% natural”.
It is quite convenient to go to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu. In order to save some money, try to get to Chengdu first, and then join a local travel agency. The price is pretty reasonable, for a 4 days trip, the average price range would be between 600-1000 RMB (please refer to the latest price in travel agency). Note however that entry tickets are not included in the price listed by the travel agency, and there is a discount for students if they bring along their student pass or matriculation card. For non-Chinese passport holders, there will be a discount as well. It takes about 10 – 12 hours to travel from Chengdu to JiuZhaiGou valley by bus, but now there is also the convenience of planes. The scenery leading to the valley is awesome; you will be able to catch glimpses of the snow mountain, grass fields, rivers and the forest.
I personally was very impressed by the rivers and the lakes there. The water is so clear that you could literally see through it. This resulted in an illusion that the water is not that deep, the depth, in fact is more than 2 meters, and some places in the lake can be as deep as tens of meters down. The water is rather cooling even in summer, but it is dangerous if someone fall into it. A uniqueness of the waters is the variety of color that it reflects, this is due to the stones at the bottom of the lake. Some are blue like sapphire, while some others are in green and others. One of the names given to the lake is Baoshi hai which literally means the lake of Gems. Another impressive sight is the snow mountain. Just imagining this, the reflection of a snow mountain on a deep clear water connected at the horizon and you can barely tell the mountain and its reflection apart. It is little wonder why some people called Jiuzhaigou valley the “heaven on earth”. It will be so worthy for you to go to Jiuzhaigou valley to experience that kind of feeling. I am pretty sure that you will have a wonderful experience and a great time there.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Si Chuan Series - JiuZhaiGou Valley
得知在四川发生的大地震。很震惊那么多生命在一瞬间的消失。据悉死亡人数已经达到14866。难以想象是何等的惨剧。更令我震惊的是据说这次的地震，余震可能会延续一个月甚至一年。天，希望那些朋友们都还好。
这篇博客是专门记录四川的。在2001年在四川呆了三个星期，游览了成都，重庆，九寨沟，黄龙，乐山大佛，峨眉山。。。惊叹于四川风景的美好。也借此献给四川，一个美丽而坚强的省份。
九寨沟风景名胜区位于四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州南坪县境内，距离成都市400多公里，是一条纵深40余公里的山沟谷地，因周围有9 个藏族村寨而得名，总面积约620平方公里，大约有52％的面积被茂密的原始森林所覆盖。林中夹生的箭竹和各种奇花异草，使举世闻名的大熊猫、金丝猴、白 唇鹿等珍稀动物乐于栖息在此。 自然景色兼有湖泊、瀑布、雪山、 森林之美。沟中地僻人稀，景物特异，富于原始自然风貌，有“童话世界”之誉。有长海、剑岩、诺日朗、树正、扎如、黑海六大景区，以翠海、叠瀑、彩林、雪 峰、藏情这五绝而驰名中外。
去九寨沟，从成都走是比较方便的。如果可以的话，可以先到成都然后再那里再加入旅行团。价格不贵，大概几百到一千块人民币吧。（忘记了，太久以前了。）门票似乎是另外算的。如果是学生的话，凭学生证买九寨沟门票有一定优惠，持非中国护照也有优惠。从成都坐车道九寨沟大约要十多个小时，不过沿途风光都很美，雪山，草原，河流，树林，可以体验到大自然的美好。
个人对九寨沟最深的印象就是那里的水。清澈见底。它是如此的清澈，以致于每每给人错觉水很浅，但是其实水的深度都至少在两米以上。另外一个另人惊叹的是它的雪山，想象一下，雪山倒影在清澈的水里，山连水，水连山，山似乎是水，水又似乎山。。。难怪称呼九寨沟为人间仙境。到了那里，一切都有一种不真实的感觉，因为你会觉得一切的一切是如此的清晰，清晰得似乎超过你能想象的，似乎在梦中一样。那种感觉是无法形容的，要真正体验的话，去那里走一次吧。
这篇博客是专门记录四川的。在2001年在四川呆了三个星期，游览了成都，重庆，九寨沟，黄龙，乐山大佛，峨眉山。。。惊叹于四川风景的美好。也借此献给四川，一个美丽而坚强的省份。
九寨沟风景名胜区位于四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州南坪县境内，距离成都市400多公里，是一条纵深40余公里的山沟谷地，因周围有9 个藏族村寨而得名，总面积约620平方公里，大约有52％的面积被茂密的原始森林所覆盖。林中夹生的箭竹和各种奇花异草，使举世闻名的大熊猫、金丝猴、白 唇鹿等珍稀动物乐于栖息在此。 自然景色兼有湖泊、瀑布、雪山、 森林之美。沟中地僻人稀，景物特异，富于原始自然风貌，有“童话世界”之誉。有长海、剑岩、诺日朗、树正、扎如、黑海六大景区，以翠海、叠瀑、彩林、雪 峰、藏情这五绝而驰名中外。
去九寨沟，从成都走是比较方便的。如果可以的话，可以先到成都然后再那里再加入旅行团。价格不贵，大概几百到一千块人民币吧。（忘记了，太久以前了。）门票似乎是另外算的。如果是学生的话，凭学生证买九寨沟门票有一定优惠，持非中国护照也有优惠。从成都坐车道九寨沟大约要十多个小时，不过沿途风光都很美，雪山，草原，河流，树林，可以体验到大自然的美好。
个人对九寨沟最深的印象就是那里的水。清澈见底。它是如此的清澈，以致于每每给人错觉水很浅，但是其实水的深度都至少在两米以上。另外一个另人惊叹的是它的雪山，想象一下，雪山倒影在清澈的水里，山连水，水连山，山似乎是水，水又似乎山。。。难怪称呼九寨沟为人间仙境。到了那里，一切都有一种不真实的感觉，因为你会觉得一切的一切是如此的清晰，清晰得似乎超过你能想象的，似乎在梦中一样。那种感觉是无法形容的，要真正体验的话，去那里走一次吧。
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
News flash
From the news...
"Tens of thousands dead, missing or trapped under crushed houses, schools and factories.
Rescuers are struggling to reach towns and villages devastated by yesterday's huge 7.8 magnitude quake in southwestern Sichuan province, which is still being pummelled by wave after wave of terrifying aftershocks.
The quake's epicentre was about 93km from Chengdu, a city of more than 12 million people, and 260km from Chongqing and its 30 million population.
It has been reported that Wang Bin, Communist Party secretary of the county said they are in urgent need of tents, food, medicine and satellite communications equipment through air drop, and also medical workers to save the injured."
Extracted from http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23689952-601,00.html
"Tens of thousands dead, missing or trapped under crushed houses, schools and factories.
Rescuers are struggling to reach towns and villages devastated by yesterday's huge 7.8 magnitude quake in southwestern Sichuan province, which is still being pummelled by wave after wave of terrifying aftershocks.
The quake's epicentre was about 93km from Chengdu, a city of more than 12 million people, and 260km from Chongqing and its 30 million population.
It has been reported that Wang Bin, Communist Party secretary of the county said they are in urgent need of tents, food, medicine and satellite communications equipment through air drop, and also medical workers to save the injured."
Extracted from http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23689952-601,00.html
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Indonesia - Travel Guide － Yogyakarta (III)
在Yogyakarta 的另一边，同样是另外一个杰出的建筑群，那就是Prambanan。Prambanan和Borobudur大约在同一个时期建造，也是夏连特王朝的杰作，具体时间上应该是大约晚一百年左右。只是Prambanan在一建成就立刻被子民们给遗弃了。个人猜测和Borobudur在同一个时期遗弃，估计是当时伊斯兰教已经入侵了吧。没有任何根据，纯粹个人猜想。想不到其他理由，不过觉得这个夏连特王朝还是满牛的，一个王朝就修建了两个这么大的建筑群，不过也难怪异建完王朝差不多立刻就倒台了。（花这么多钱和人工，能不倒吗？）有点想说皇帝有病，不但建，而且还建的是两种不同宗教的。不过，还好吧，至少是给我们观赏的机会。1953年该寺院被修建，现在是世界上最大的印度教圣地之一。总共有224寺庙，但是该遗址是由三座主要寺庙的庄严形象所代表，它们是：布拉马寺Brahma Temple、维诗努寺Vishnu Temple和高达47米又是最大的诗瓦寺Shiva Temple。
从Yogya到Prambanan有直达车，大概坐差不多一个小时。基本上下车按着地图走走就到了，千万不要听信那些说甚么要用摩托车载你的人的话。真的很近的。（有钱没处花或者实在懒得走到话，我也无话可说。）也不要听信别人说甚么附近还有其他著名大寺庙的话。
Prambanan的票价和Borobudur一样，外国人10美金，学生票 6美金，本地人3,000rp。想当年实在经受不住诱惑，超着半生不熟的印尼话想买本地票，几乎得逞。只是最后关头卖票小弟多问了几句，没答上来，功亏一篑。不过，大家有点moral的话，还是不要学我吧。^_^
当年去的时候遗迹都还好，只是可惜的是Prambanan在2006（or 2007)年java岛的大地震中被毁坏了不少，小的塔好像被震塌了。如果无法修复的话，真的是一大损失。
Prambanan本身的雕塑很精致，和Borobudur不相上下。不过整体风格有些许不同，毕竟Borobudur是小乘佛教的遗迹，Prambanan是印度教的遗迹。总体来说，Prambanan的比较奇怪，各种各样莫名奇妙的雕塑随处可见。（如果你有机会在巴厘岛走走，就会发现风格的类似）放了一些雕塑的照片，还有最让我觉得好玩的“佛头鸟”的照片。（个人自己起的名字，不知道是干吗的，照着外表起的）
（1）Prambanan全景（地震前）
（2）好像是三座主塔之一，具体忘记了
（3）塔的入口
（4）怪怪的雕塑
（5）浮雕
（6）佛头鸟
从Yogya到Prambanan有直达车，大概坐差不多一个小时。基本上下车按着地图走走就到了，千万不要听信那些说甚么要用摩托车载你的人的话。真的很近的。（有钱没处花或者实在懒得走到话，我也无话可说。）也不要听信别人说甚么附近还有其他著名大寺庙的话。
Prambanan的票价和Borobudur一样，外国人10美金，学生票 6美金，本地人3,000rp。想当年实在经受不住诱惑，超着半生不熟的印尼话想买本地票，几乎得逞。只是最后关头卖票小弟多问了几句，没答上来，功亏一篑。不过，大家有点moral的话，还是不要学我吧。^_^
当年去的时候遗迹都还好，只是可惜的是Prambanan在2006（or 2007)年java岛的大地震中被毁坏了不少，小的塔好像被震塌了。如果无法修复的话，真的是一大损失。
Prambanan本身的雕塑很精致，和Borobudur不相上下。不过整体风格有些许不同，毕竟Borobudur是小乘佛教的遗迹，Prambanan是印度教的遗迹。总体来说，Prambanan的比较奇怪，各种各样莫名奇妙的雕塑随处可见。（如果你有机会在巴厘岛走走，就会发现风格的类似）放了一些雕塑的照片，还有最让我觉得好玩的“佛头鸟”的照片。（个人自己起的名字，不知道是干吗的，照着外表起的）
（1）Prambanan全景（地震前）
（2）好像是三座主塔之一，具体忘记了
（3）塔的入口
（4）怪怪的雕塑
（5）浮雕
（6）佛头鸟
Indonesia－ Travel guide － Yogyakarta (II)
在Yogyakarta 西北40公里，就是上文所提到的Borobudur 。
Borobudur是在公元八、九世纪，在当时夏连特拉王国的鼎盛时期，历时75年建成。它本身据说是由100万块火山岩积垒起来。（可知印尼火山之多，以后会有专门对火山的介绍。）奇怪的是，在Borobudur完成后的一百年，爪哇人不再到这里朝拜，遗弃了这座庙宇。再加上公元1000年前后的火山爆发，使它遭到掩埋、茂密的热带丛林逐渐将佛塔覆盖，沉睡于地下，巨大的古迹逐渐被世人遗忘，至19世纪才被欧洲探险家重新发现。
英国于19世纪占领爪哇。上尉莱佛士被任命为爪哇副总督.(应该就是发现新加坡的那个吧）他听说猎人与居民之间流传的故事，那就是在丛林中隐藏着一座大佛塔。于是命荷兰籍工程师前往勘察，于是这奇景因而重见天日。经过数月的挖掘，Borobudur逐渐露出地面，但怕伤害到这精美的遗迹于是停止开挖，原希望保存佛塔的原貌，然而一些浮雕佛像仍然被被窃贼偷走，1973年，经由联合国教科文组织的资助，开始了大规模的修复工程，使佛塔呈现今日之面貌。
Borobudur位于岩石山干涸的湖床上，是一座完整的大佛塔，方方正正的，基本上就像东方的金字塔。婆罗佛塔四面皆有入口，入口由石狮看守，游客可拾接而上，通向塔顶。
（1）远眺（2）侧面仰望
（3）守入口的石狮子
塔身有五层为正方体建筑，越往上逐渐缩小。塔身有许多供奉于壁龛的佛像，越往上佛像的数目越少。在最上层，是很多像倒扣的铃铛一样的建筑，因为敝人对佛教了解不多，所以不知道是做甚么多。不过站在Borobudur最顶层，远眺周围的风景，别有另一番风味。
（4）浮雕
(5)所谓的铃铛，这个算是塔尖吧，底下还有很多小的。
（6）塔顶远眺环拍（点击看大图）
Borobudur是在公元八、九世纪，在当时夏连特拉王国的鼎盛时期，历时75年建成。它本身据说是由100万块火山岩积垒起来。（可知印尼火山之多，以后会有专门对火山的介绍。）奇怪的是，在Borobudur完成后的一百年，爪哇人不再到这里朝拜，遗弃了这座庙宇。再加上公元1000年前后的火山爆发，使它遭到掩埋、茂密的热带丛林逐渐将佛塔覆盖，沉睡于地下，巨大的古迹逐渐被世人遗忘，至19世纪才被欧洲探险家重新发现。
英国于19世纪占领爪哇。上尉莱佛士被任命为爪哇副总督.(应该就是发现新加坡的那个吧）他听说猎人与居民之间流传的故事，那就是在丛林中隐藏着一座大佛塔。于是命荷兰籍工程师前往勘察，于是这奇景因而重见天日。经过数月的挖掘，Borobudur逐渐露出地面，但怕伤害到这精美的遗迹于是停止开挖，原希望保存佛塔的原貌，然而一些浮雕佛像仍然被被窃贼偷走，1973年，经由联合国教科文组织的资助，开始了大规模的修复工程，使佛塔呈现今日之面貌。
Borobudur位于岩石山干涸的湖床上，是一座完整的大佛塔，方方正正的，基本上就像东方的金字塔。婆罗佛塔四面皆有入口，入口由石狮看守，游客可拾接而上，通向塔顶。
（1）远眺（2）侧面仰望
（3）守入口的石狮子
塔身有五层为正方体建筑，越往上逐渐缩小。塔身有许多供奉于壁龛的佛像，越往上佛像的数目越少。在最上层，是很多像倒扣的铃铛一样的建筑，因为敝人对佛教了解不多，所以不知道是做甚么多。不过站在Borobudur最顶层，远眺周围的风景，别有另一番风味。
（4）浮雕
(5)所谓的铃铛，这个算是塔尖吧，底下还有很多小的。
（6）塔顶远眺环拍（点击看大图）
Transportation in Singapore
Sorry for the lack of pictures for this entry but I promise the content will be as good as the Australia one.
Travelling around Singapore is as simple as can get, there is no such thing as not being able to travel to a location because you can't drive. There are buses, MRT (or sub-way), and taxis (or cabs). One useful website you may want to go to is http://www.streetdirectory.com/
At the website, you can find the place you are heading to using street name or postal code. When you click on the return result, you will also see at the bottom "Directions to", select bus and MRT guide unless you are driving. then enter your starting address or your hotel address, postal code is the best format. Once you have them entered, you get a full detail of the place you are going to. If the bus or MRT can't get you there, just hail a taxi. They are easily available and you can find taxi-stands at all shopping centers. Note that hailing a taxi in CBD area is illegal, get to a taxi stand and catch your taxis there (Singapore is small, don't worry about walking a little so long as you are on the right direction)
Bus stops
Singapore bus stops can easily be identified with the shelter and a pole that has all the number of buses that stops in the area. Most bus stops also have seats for you as you wait. And, most new ones have a board with the bus numbers and places that the bus stops, the bus fares, and the frequency of the bus.
Buses
Singapore buses do not have a fixed time table although certain bus numbers do, and there is also a new tracking system called "iris" that tells you when the next bus is coming... I honestly do not feel they are on the dot if compared to Australia's. However, because of the frequency, most waits are between 15 to 30minutes and thus not much of a concern.
EZ-link card
Similiar to Australia's tag on and tag off system using smartrider card, Singapore uses EZ-link card. Tag on and tag off if you bought that but a deposit is required (max fare is always charged when you tag on so remember to tag off !!), and can be purchased at bus interchange and MRT passenger service. This amount will be refundable, so do not fret over it. If you choose not to buy it, you need to pay exact fare for the bus trips, no refund will be given. Average fare range from 90cents to 2dollars but some may cost more and feeder services costs less.
MRT
If you are travelling without EZ-link card, simply purchase a one-time travel card at the machines (can definitely be spotted easily at all MRT stations). An additional $1 will be charged but when you reach your station, simply insert the card into the slot at the same machine and your $1 will be refunded. When purchasing, note that the machine uses touch screen system, just touch the location you are going to and fare will be calculated. Simple.
Changing from bus to train or train to bus or bus to bus will entitle you to a discount on the 2nd trip. However, that is only applicable if you are using the EZ-Link card.
Singapore may be small but you might still lose your way. Once you are in the area you need to be, just ask around and there will be people who will gladly point you in the right direction. The staff at passenger service, MRT, are your best guides.
Taxis
Taxi fares are relatively cheap in Singapore as well, once hailed, the starting fare will be at $2.50. Because of the varying provider, some might be higher, but they are not more than $3. Taking the taxi from one end of Singapore to the other will cost around $30 if you do not get stuck in a traffic jam. Once it hits 11pm, the fare starts to cost more, by mid-night it is at 50% more based on your total fare cost, during peak hours, there are also extra charge of 35% and all trips from the airport will also add to your cost. Even so, I would say the fare is still reasonable.
Travelling around Singapore is as simple as can get, there is no such thing as not being able to travel to a location because you can't drive. There are buses, MRT (or sub-way), and taxis (or cabs). One useful website you may want to go to is http://www.streetdirectory.com/
At the website, you can find the place you are heading to using street name or postal code. When you click on the return result, you will also see at the bottom "Directions to", select bus and MRT guide unless you are driving. then enter your starting address or your hotel address, postal code is the best format. Once you have them entered, you get a full detail of the place you are going to. If the bus or MRT can't get you there, just hail a taxi. They are easily available and you can find taxi-stands at all shopping centers. Note that hailing a taxi in CBD area is illegal, get to a taxi stand and catch your taxis there (Singapore is small, don't worry about walking a little so long as you are on the right direction)
Bus stops
Singapore bus stops can easily be identified with the shelter and a pole that has all the number of buses that stops in the area. Most bus stops also have seats for you as you wait. And, most new ones have a board with the bus numbers and places that the bus stops, the bus fares, and the frequency of the bus.
Buses
Singapore buses do not have a fixed time table although certain bus numbers do, and there is also a new tracking system called "iris" that tells you when the next bus is coming... I honestly do not feel they are on the dot if compared to Australia's. However, because of the frequency, most waits are between 15 to 30minutes and thus not much of a concern.
EZ-link card
Similiar to Australia's tag on and tag off system using smartrider card, Singapore uses EZ-link card. Tag on and tag off if you bought that but a deposit is required (max fare is always charged when you tag on so remember to tag off !!), and can be purchased at bus interchange and MRT passenger service. This amount will be refundable, so do not fret over it. If you choose not to buy it, you need to pay exact fare for the bus trips, no refund will be given. Average fare range from 90cents to 2dollars but some may cost more and feeder services costs less.
MRT
If you are travelling without EZ-link card, simply purchase a one-time travel card at the machines (can definitely be spotted easily at all MRT stations). An additional $1 will be charged but when you reach your station, simply insert the card into the slot at the same machine and your $1 will be refunded. When purchasing, note that the machine uses touch screen system, just touch the location you are going to and fare will be calculated. Simple.
Changing from bus to train or train to bus or bus to bus will entitle you to a discount on the 2nd trip. However, that is only applicable if you are using the EZ-Link card.
Singapore may be small but you might still lose your way. Once you are in the area you need to be, just ask around and there will be people who will gladly point you in the right direction. The staff at passenger service, MRT, are your best guides.
Taxis
Taxi fares are relatively cheap in Singapore as well, once hailed, the starting fare will be at $2.50. Because of the varying provider, some might be higher, but they are not more than $3. Taking the taxi from one end of Singapore to the other will cost around $30 if you do not get stuck in a traffic jam. Once it hits 11pm, the fare starts to cost more, by mid-night it is at 50% more based on your total fare cost, during peak hours, there are also extra charge of 35% and all trips from the airport will also add to your cost. Even so, I would say the fare is still reasonable.
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