General Travel

Singapore is smartly positioned as one of the most convenient places to visit in the world. With this kind of reputation, many travelers might be quick to dismiss by making little preparation or advance research before visiting the country. 

As a resident here, I have noted of the nuances which I think might benefit first-time visitors if they knew these points beforehand.

So without further ado, here are things to consider when coming to Singapore, from hotels to the type of clothes to bring. I tried my best to highlight those things which are not so obvious to travelers, especially first-timers.

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There is currently a very enticing promotion with Singsaver this month where you can receive a brand new Apple AirPods Gen 3 (worth S$269) or S$250 cash via Paynow. This is stackable with HSBC’s current S$30 cashback given away for those who apply via MyInfo on SingPass. New HSBC credit cardholders (those who have not held an HSBC card in the past 12 months) who apply for a credit card and get approved can choose to receive one of the abovementioned gifts. Existing HSBC cardholders will get S$30. This promotion is valid if you sign up until 31st March 2022 11:59pm.

Annual fee is waived for the first year for all the cards listed below. HSBC usually waives the annual fee for succeeding years as long as you actively use the card but if not, you can always cancel to avoid paying the annual fee. You can even cancel the credit card after receiving the robot vacuum cleaner or cash reward if you wish.

Note that this offer is valid only if you apply via the below exclusive links (direct application with HSBC doesn’t count for the promotion). Why is that so? Singsaver actually acts as an aggregator and affiliate partner for HSBC cards and from time to time, Singsaver and HSBC may jointly fund the gift in order to split the marketing expense between them. 

After clicking submit on your credit card application, make sure to take note of your Application Reference Number. You will have to fill out a redemption form (automatically sent to your email once you make a card application) in order to be registered.

Once your card is approved, remember to spend at least S$500 (can be in multiple transactions) within 30 days of receiving your card in order to receive the gift or cash reward. You will get an email within 60 to 90 days with instructions on how to claim your gift.

Here are the HSBC cards that qualify for the promotion:

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Update: The Standard Chartered Smart Card sign up promotion has been amended. Instead, receive either S$300 cash or Apple AirPods Pro (worth S$379) when you sign up for their Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card as a new cardholder and spend S$350 within 30 days. This credit card gives 6% cashback for MRT/bus rides, Toast Box, McDonald’s, Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Netflix and Disney+ with no monthly minimum spend required. This offer is valid until 4th May 2022 (11:59PM)

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Standard Chartered has an Ergotune promotion this month. Receive either S$300 cash or Ergotune Classic Ergonomic Chair (worth S$399) when you sign up for their new Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card as a new cardholder and spend S$350 within 30 days. This credit card gives 6% cashback for MRT/bus rides, Toast Box, McDonald’s, Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Netflix and Disney+ with no monthly minimum spend required. 

The SCB offer is valid until 14th February 2022 (11:59PM). 

If you are already an existing Standard Chartered cardholder, fret not. You still get to have S$30 cash with your successful application.

If you choose to get the cash reward, it will be paid to you via PayNow within 90 days from fulfilling the spend criteria.

Note that this offer is valid only if you apply via the below exclusive links (direct application with SCB doesn’t count for the promotion). Why is that so? Singsaver actually acts as an aggregator and affiliate partner for SCB cards and from time to time, Singsaver and Standard Chartered may jointly fund the gift in order to split the marketing expense between them.

After clicking submit on your credit card application, make sure to take note of your Application Reference Number. You will have to fill out a redemption form (automatically sent to your email once you make a card application) in order to be registered.

Once your card is approved, remember to spend at least S$350 (can be in multiple transactions) within 30 days of receiving your card in order to receive the reward. You will get an email within 60 to 90 days with instructions on how to claim your gift.

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Update: The Citibank Dyson promotion has been revised as follows. There is a new promotion where you can receive an Apple Watch SE (worth S$419) or Dyson V8 Fluffy (worth S$549) or S$400 cash via PayNow when you apply as a new Citibank cardholder. You can apply here or thru the individual card links below. Promotion is valid until 31st May 2022 (11:59PM).

Historically, S$400 is the highest ever cash reward offered by Citi for new card sign-ups.

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There is currently a Singsaver credit card promotion where you can get yourself either a brand new Dyson AM07 Tower Fan (UP S$499) or S$300 cash via Paynow. New Citibank cardholders (those who have not held a Citibank card in the past 12 months) who apply for a credit card and get approved can choose to receive one of the abovementioned gifts. This promotion is valid from now until 13th January 2022 (11:59PM).Annual fee is waived for the first year for all the cards listed below except for the Citi Prestige. Citibank usually waives the annual fee for succeeding years as long as you actively use the card but if not, you can always cancel to avoid paying the annual fee. You can even cancel the card after receiving the gift if you wish.

If you are already an existing Citibank cardholder, fret not. You still get to have S$30 with your successful application.

Note that this offer is valid only if you apply via the below exclusive links (direct application with Citibank doesn’t count for the promotion). Why is that so? Singsaver actually acts as an aggregator and affiliate partner for Citibank cards and from time to time, Singsaver and Citibank may jointly fund the gift in order to split the marketing expense between them.

Similar offers have been running for the past couple of months, with the gift going as low as S$200. The current S$300 cash offer is above average, historically, for the cash sign-up reward.

After clicking submit on your credit card application, make sure to take note of your Application Reference Number. You will have to fill out a redemption form (automatically sent to your email once you make a card application) in order to be registered.

Once your card is approved, remember to spend at least S$500 (can be in multiple transactions) within 30 days of receiving your card in order to receive the reward. You will get an email within 60 to 90 days with instructions on how to claim your gift.

Here are the Citibank cards that qualify for the promotion:

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From 1st December 2021 to 2nd January 2022, Lazada is launching a limited-time pop-up in Orchard Road showcasing some of their exclusive items for year-end shopping. The pop-up also has a vending machine that churns out surprise items to visitors.

As part of the pop-up, Lazada showcases their LazMall Prestige which houses a number of luxury brands such as Vertu, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Moet Hennessy, Bacha Coffee and more. LazMall Prestige shoppers can also head to the gifting station and pick from a selection of curated wrapping materials and cards to personalize their gifts for free. Every Friday to Sunday from 2 to 6pm, there will also be workshops for shoppers including Furoshiki cloth wrapping and calligraphy workshops. Some of the exclusive deals on display here include the Miffy and Dan Black Tote, BB Orange Book Pouch and Miffy in the Snow Pouch. There is also a curated gift hamper from Bacha Coffee that is sold exclusively on Lazada. All of these deals will also participate in Lazada’s 12.12 sale.

To complete the Christmas experience, shoppers can take a photo with family and friends at the Instagram- and TikTok-friendly heart-gram display or take a break after shopping with the best F&B deals using the ‘Deals Nearby’ function on the Lazada app. Simply open the app, swipe the main icons to the right, select ‘more’ and shoppers will see the ‘Deals Nearby’ option for a list of F&B choices in the area. Offers available around the pop-up showcase include 2x bubble tea from Chi Cha San Chen for just S$8, Jollibean Mee Chaing Kueh + Soy Milk Set for just S$2 and Pezzo Classic Thin Crust Pan for just S$16.50.

A personal highlight of the pop-up is the vending machine that churns out mystery items to visitors. To redeem an item, visitors just need to purchase a ticket from the Lazada app (you can buy here) for S$2. Each redemption will involve a sure-win item that is worth much more than S$2. Items include some premium items from well-known brands. I personally received a skincare product from Clinique worth S$22.

The pop-up is located on the sidewalk in between Ngee Ann City and Wisma Atria.

There is currently a very enticing promotion with Singsaver this month where you can receive a brand new iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum (worth S$818) or S$330 cash via Paynow. New HSBC credit cardholders (those who have not held an HSBC card in the past 12 months) who apply for a credit card and get approved can choose to receive one of the abovementioned gifts. Existing HSBC cardholders will get S$60. Do note that the cash amounts stated are inclusive of the bonus S$30 for applications done with MyInfo via Singpass. This promotion is valid if you sign up until 20th October 2021 11:59pm.

Annual fee is waived for the first year for all the cards listed below. HSBC usually waives the annual fee for succeeding years as long as you actively use the card but if not, you can always cancel to avoid paying the annual fee. You can even cancel the credit card after receiving the robot vacuum cleaner or cash reward if you wish.

Note that this offer is valid only if you apply via the below exclusive links (direct application with HSBC doesn’t count for the promotion). Why is that so? Singsaver actually acts as an aggregator and affiliate partner for HSBC cards and from time to time, Singsaver and HSBC may jointly fund the gift in order to split the marketing expense between them. 

After clicking submit on your credit card application, make sure to take note of your Application Reference Number. You will have to fill out a redemption form (automatically sent to your email once you make a card application) in order to be registered.

Once your card is approved, remember to spend at least S$500 (can be in multiple transactions) within 30 days of receiving your card in order to receive the iRobot Roomba 692 robot vacuum or cash reward. You will get an email within 60 to 90 days with instructions on how to claim your gift.

Here are the HSBC cards that qualify for the promotion:

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Update: The American Express Bitcoin promotion is over. For the latest American Express credit card sign-up offer, pls check out here.

There is currently a very enticing promotion with Singsaver where you can receive up to S$365 worth of Bitcoin. New American Express cardholders (those who have not held an American Express card in the past 12 months) who apply for a credit card and get approved will receive S$265 worth of Bitcoin. If they are also within the first 2,000 successful applicants in the campaign, they will receive an extra S$100 worth of Bitcoin. This promotion is valid if you sign up until 10th October 2021 11:59pm.

Existing American Express cardholders who apply will also get a Bitcoin reward. Existing cardholders will receive S$50 worth of Bitcoin and if they are within the first 2,000 successful applicants, they will receive an additional S$50 worth of the cryptocurrency.

The current Bitcoin offer worth up to S$365 is among the most attractive, historically, for the sign-up reward for both new and existing American Express cardholders. 

Annual fee is waived for the first year for 3 of the cards listed below. You may be able to waive the annual fee for succeeding years if you actively use the card but if not, you can always cancel to avoid paying the annual fee. 

Note that this offer is valid only if you apply via the below exclusive links (direct application with American Express doesn’t count for the promotion). Why is that so? Singsaver actually acts as an aggregator and affiliate partner for American Express cards. 

After clicking submit on your credit card application, make sure to take note of your Application Reference Number. You will have to fill out a redemption form (automatically sent to your email once you make a card application) in order to be registered.

Once your card is approved, remember to spend at least S$500 (can be in multiple transactions) within 30 days of receiving your card in order to receive the reward. If you apply for the American Express Platinum or American Express Singapore Airlines Ascend KrisFlyer Card, you will be exempted from the minimum spend requirement since those cards require payment of annual fee. You will get an email within 16 weeks with instructions on how to claim your gift.

Here are the American Express cards that qualify for the promotion:

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Staying wired while traveling is practically a must these days and while there are a couple of ways to get internet connection while on the road, there are pros and cons for each method. In my years of traveling, I have tried these methods:

• Buying local sim card in my destination – This is widely available in major airports but speeds can vary depending on the network provider. You might also have to queue alongside other arriving passengers to buy a sim card. If your mobile phone does not handle dual sim cards, you might need to bring an additional phone with you (assuming you have an extra phone lying around). This can be an issue though if you are crossing land borders, where land borders don’t necessarily have shops selling local sim cards.
• Using your home network provider’s roaming data service – This is certainly convenient but it is likely to be an expensive option. Your local network provider can charge a bomb if they don’t have a standing agreement with any of your destination’s network providers.
• Renting a portable WiFi device – This is useful if you intend to visit multiple countries in a single trip. It is a suitable option for those who do not travel frequently. For those who travel often, it might be more economical in the long run to get your own device rather than renting.
• Getting a portable WiFi device of your own – This is useful if you travel frequently or would like the flexibility of integrating your wifi usage with your home network. Depending on where you are located, prices for data top-ups of WiFi roaming devices could be comparable to your home country’s internet cost.

Although I have not been traveling as of late, I have been testing out Pokefi which is a portable WiFI roaming device. The device is available for purchase which means that instead of being charged by the day, you just need to pay an upfront cost for the device (with an added 5GB of data at the start) and just top-up whenever you need additional data.

The fact that you own the device opens it up to a lot more methods of usage. For instance, rather than just relying on the device for internet needs while on the go, the device could also complement one’s internet needs while at home or while traveling within one’s home country. The initial 5GB that comes with the device has no expiry date while top-ups have expiry dates ranging from 2 to 10 years which is more than enough time to exhaust the data allowance.

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