By Kevin Poling, Director of Travel of Satori World Medical

Satori World Medical offers many choices in destinations to receive medical care. Whether you are traveling internationally for a shoulder or knee replacement or even a cosmetic procedure, such as a facelift, you and your companion can take some extra time on your trip to enjoy the amenities of your hotel and experience the rich cultural areas in which our International Centers of Excellence are located.

The fourth of the destination cities of the Satori Global Network™ I am highlighting is Singapore, an island located at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula.

Your ‘to do list’ while in Singapore:

• Visit the Orchard Road shopping disctrict
• If you are traveling in the summertime, go to the Singapore Food Festival
• Catch a concert or a show at Esplanade
• Go on a Night Safari at the world’s premier night zoo
• Relax at East Coast Park

Transportation

Singapore has a wonderful public transport system that has special pricing for those visiting the island. Tourists can purchase the Singapore Tourist Pass which provides unlimited travel. For a current ticket price of $8 per day, visitors can travel via Singapore’s buses and an extensive railway systems. Due to Singapore’s tropical climate, buses are air conditioned, and provide a comfortable ride. The railway systems are very fast, and provide 5 lines with over 80 stations.

Tours

Singapore has many attractions for tourists, and it’s easy to just explore the island yourself and find a day’s worth of adventures. However, for those who like to relax and watch the scenery, there are many great options available! For those wanting to spend time with a companion on their medical travel experience, there are numerous harbor and river cruises around the islands of Kusu, St. John’s, Sisters and Lazarus. Lunch, dinner, and tea is available on these tours of the waterways, and they are a great opportunity to relax and see new sights. For those feeling more adventurous and looking to catch a glimpse of the culture, trishaw tours are also available through Little India and Chinatown. Take a ride on three wheels and see some of Singapore’s hidden delights from a different prespective!

Shopping

Singapore is a mecca for shopping – and the avid buyer can find great deals on some of the world’s finest designer brands with just a bit of searching. Orchard Road is the main focus of the Singapore shopping experience. Here, shoppers can find anything from electronics to designer clothing, even rare antiques and imports, as well as very upmarket and custom tailored designer wear. Shopping in Singapore goes further than the main shopping districts though, deals can be found all around the city. Bargains can be found on useful every day items in the financial district, and all around the city and suburban areas there are lesser known shopping centers that offer some amazing items at even more amazing prices.

Culture

Singapore’s rich cultural heritage can be seen in many areas including Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam. Chinatown has recently been renovated, however some historic buildings and sites have been conserved. Chinatown is home to many shop houses, temples, mosques, and great places to eat, and gets quite festive around the Chinese New Year. Little India is a great place to shop for Indian goods and eat delicious Indian food. Traditional Indian goods such as spices, jewelry, silverware, and fabrics can all be found at great prices, and restaurants featuring fine North and South Indian Cuisine. The Kampong Glam is set in what used to be a fishing village and is just a few minutes southeast of Little India. Here, you can find the Istana Kampong Glam, which is ‘the Sultan’s Palace’, and also the Sultan Mosque. There are also a variety of merchants selling fine fabrics, Muslim merchandise, and foods.

Dining

Singapore’s unique blend of cuisine stems from the surrounding areas that have traded goods through this area since the early days of Eastern and Western trading. With heavy influences from both Chinese and Indian heritage, there are many different varieties and hybrids of some already classic food preparations. Singapore holds a high importance to eating, and eating well – you can find multiple course, fine meals 24 hours out of the day. In fact, the popular greeting in Singapore translates as “Have you eaten?”! Not only does the food have incredibly unique taste, and is available at all hours – but Singapore has extremely high standards for hygiene and preparation of food. You really can’t go wrong when dining in Singapore!

View more of Satori World Medical’s popular destinations

References
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore
[2] http://www.newasia-singapore.com/