Make your next trip to this vibrant Asian hub even better.

1. Pick up a local SIM card on arrival

The days of paying outrageous amounts of international roaming are over. You’ll be able to get connected at a very reasonable rate, which is handy when you want to use public transport, find the best spots, or share your trip on social media.

2. Visit Gardens by the Bay first thing in the morning

It’s one of the city’s most popular attractions, and while the biodomes are ticketed, it’s best to get there early so you can roam before the bulk of the crowds wake up and wander in. The Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest open at 9am.

3. Wear sunscreen

Once you visit Australia’s ozone hole, it’s tempting to think you’re invincible when it comes to UV radiation. However, you can definitely still get sunburnt in Singapore. Slip on some (fashionable) long sleeves, slop on some sun protection, and slap on a (designer) hat.

4. Don’t be afraid to haggle

Singapore has great markets, such as Chinatown and Bugis Street, where you can bargain with shopkeepers to get the best prices. It’s important to be sensible and polite throughout the process – you can definitely push back a little, but don’t be too cheeky.

5. Bring your own water bottle

Singapore’s water is compliant with World Health Organisation guidelines, meaning you can drink it straight from the tap. It’s super convenient and it means you can cut down significantly on plastic bottle usage, reducing a huge amount of waste.

If you’re traveling during the summer months, there are a few precautions you can take to ensure that you stay safe and healthy. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Stay Hydrated

The summer heat can cause dehydration, so make sure you drink plenty of water and fluids throughout the day. Carry a reusable water bottle with you, and avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol intake.

2. Protect Your Skin

The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin, so wear sunscreen and reapply it every two hours. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and lightweight, long-sleeved clothing to protect your skin from the sun.

3. Stay Cool

Wear loose, lightweight clothing and stay in air-conditioned areas whenever possible. If you’re outside, seek out shaded areas and use a portable fan or misting device to keep yourself cool.

4. Be Cautious When Swimming

If you’re swimming in a pool or at the beach, make sure you’re a strong swimmer and never swim alone. Follow all posted rules and warnings, and be aware of strong currents and rip tides.

5. Watch Out For Insects

Mosquitoes and other insects can be more prevalent in the summer months. Use insect repellent, wear long pants and sleeves, and avoid areas where insects are known to gather.

6. Plan For Emergencies

Make sure you have a first-aid kit and any necessary medications with you, and know the location of the nearest hospital or urgent care facility in case of an emergency.

By following these precautions, you can enjoy your summer travels safely and comfortably.

You can never get enough travel tips, and while travelling, even small things matter. Check out these travel tips that will make your trip easier.

Most people aren’t natural experts at travelling. It is something that can only be acquired via experience. Missed buses, stupid decisions, cultural ignorance, and numerous other small mistakes all contribute to the development of travel savvy. Then, one day, you start navigating airports with ease and assimilating into different cultures like a fish to water. It kind of makes ‘Practice makes you perfect’ a valid saying.

Here are 10 travel tips to make your trip easy:

1. KEEP EXTRA SOCKS:

You can lose a lot of pairs for different reasons, so bringing extra will be helpful. Take more than you think you’ll need. A brand-new pair of socks is the best!

2. TAKE ONLY IMPORTANT THINGS WHILE SIGHTSEEING:

Carry the bare minimum of cash and credit cards necessary for quick recovery. Never travel with more than one ATM or credit card.

3. MAKE EXTRA COPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS:

Don’t forget to send yourself a copy of important documents through email. Never assume that you will always need to carry your original papers with you. Additionally, having a copy will be helpful for your police report if your passport is stolen.

4. LEARN IMPORTANT PHRASES IN NATIVE LANGUAGE:

Learning a few phrases like “Hello,” “Goodbye,” “Thank you!” and “Where’s the toilet?” will go a long way towards making friends with the locals, even if you don’t know the language fluently. They’ll appreciate your effort.

5. EXTRA TOWEL:

You never know when you’ll need it. Even though most hostels provide towels, you can never be sure if they will or not, and bringing a small towel won’t significantly increase the weight of your suitcase. Make sure it’s a lightweight and quick-drying towel.

6. BEST TIME TO VISIT HISTORICAL SITES:

Lunch is the best time as, during this time, fewer people will be in your way because most tourists, large tour buses, and groups are heading to lunch. It’s always a good idea to go to an attraction really early, really late, or at mealtime.

7. CARRY A WATER BOTTLE:

Always carry a water bottle. When possible, drink directly from the tap to conserve money and the environment. You may also get a water bottle with a filter if you’re heading somewhere where the water isn’t fit for consumption.

8. WALK AROUND:

These excursions are not only cost-free, but they’ll also give you a solid introduction and historical backdrop of the place you’re visiting. You kill time, get to ask the locals some questions, meet new people, and discover a ton about your surroundings.

Have you taken a vacation recently or are you infected by the pandemic of work? As jobs become difficult to find and keep, people are also becoming increasingly concerned about their income, investing long hours at work at the cost of other important aspects of their lives.

If you too have relegated vacations down your list of priorities, it is time to recognise that it is as important as good food and exercise.

Stress

When you are loaded with multiple pressures at work, your body reacts with the survival response of fight or flight. Sustained challenges lead to constant stress, which does not go away even when you go home. Being stressed prevents you from thinking straight and impedes your analysis and actions at work. When you take a vacation, you immediately reduce the stress in your life and give yourself the space and time to get back to work with a clear mind.

Health

Life is short. Don’t make it shorter by avoiding vacations. Reports say people who do not take vacations have a 21% higher risk of death from all causes. If you sit for long hours oand have poor eating habits, coupled with low sleep and high stress levels, hypertension is a given. Consider vacations as an enjoyable way to invest in your good health.

Productivity

Studies agree that if you don’t take vacations, your productivity suffers. Long periods of work without break lead to irritability, poor decision making, poor communication and relationships and more days off due to ill health. When you go on vacation, you reverse all that and come back with greater focus, an optimistic mindset and productivity soars.

Biggest investment

The primary resource for creating wealth in your life is you. Think of vacations as an investment to increase the size and value of that asset. A vacation is an opportunity to expand your horizons by travelling to new places, signing up for new experiences and creating memories that sustain you. As a bonus, you meet interesting and extraordinary people and create relationships that enhance either your personal or professional life.

New vistas

On vacation, you are exposed to new environments, different human behaviours, cultures and diverse ways of doing business. You learn there is no single way to either deal with life or work. What matters is how many different tools and perspectives you have at your disposal to navigate responsibilities and challenges. Vacations serve as unstructured education for you where you absorb and imbibe fresh perspectives.

Family time

While working, you tend to compromise on your relationships, especially within your family. As work deadlines take priority you miss out on family gatherings and regular bonding opportunities. You cannot compensate for lost time and opportunities by waiting for retirement. Make up for lack of quantity by increasing quality and intensity when you take time off. Vacations are your ideal investment as travelling together is the best way to build relationships.

Lose on promotion?

Are you afraid you are in a hyper-competitive environment and taking vacations may lose you the next promotion to your colleague who never takes a day off? Or are you worried that you will get laid off simply because you availed of some authorised leave? Studies say there is no evidence to show that people who are promoted took no vacations. On the contrary, people who rise fast usually have balanced lives.

Learning and creativity

Science says that the human mind maximises learning in resting hours. Hence all education is structured with adequate breaks. The way your brain functions is that you absorb and record information through your working day. Then, to use that information effectively your brain needs time off to process it, make meaningful connections with other learnings that you have and throw up creative ideas from these connections.

To consolidate your regular learning, get adequate sleep every single night to let your brain recover and build new connections. To get creative and find new solutions, free up your brain’s resources from the daily grind of survival and workplace challenges. Like most successful people, you will find that your best insights and most creative ideas emerge from your sub-conscious when you are on vacation.

Something to look forward to

Finally, if your job and personal challenges drain you daily, then your planned vacation becomes your beacon of hope and happiness in the days leading to the trip. As you plan and prepare for something that you look forward to, the daily effort gets easier and seems worthwhile since it is paying for your vacation. If you are smart, while on vacation you will commit to your next vacation giving yourself the energy and enthusiasm for the work that will get you there!

HOW TO TAKE A VACATION

More and shorter

Many short vacations do more for you than one long one. Instead of taking three weeks off together, imagine a week off including two weekends every four months. What about 15 weeks in a year when you take a Friday off to travel three days? This means minimum impact on work and maximum help to you!

5 day to-do list

Are you always swamped with critical work at the last minute just before you head to the airport for your vacation? Most of us fail to plan for a vacation. Make a week’s pre-vacation to-do list including tasks to be handed over, communication with people and finish off urgencies a day prior to your holiday.

Empower apprentices

If you are a manager, start training your best team member as your understudy to take decisions on your behalf. Before your vacation, empower her with authority and define expectations and deadlines. Put her name and contact on your auto-responder email and if it works well, you can auto-forward all your email to her.

Joint plan

Always discuss your absence with your manager, colleagues and clients. Share your plan about who will take care of urgencies, communication and deliverables. Get everyone’s buy-in and inputs so they don’t disturb you for mundane issues. For emergencies, let them know how they can reach you.

Don’t do it all

While you are trying to control the impact of your vacation at office, relinquish control of executing the vacation to co-travellers. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Once dates are finalised, outsource the thinking and planning to others including travel itinerary if any, activities, budget and ticketing.