When To GO
Singapore is hot and humid all year round, making it a joy to visit whatever you're planning to do. But still, it's a good idea to always carry a small, portable umbrella for those sudden tropical downpours, especially during the monsoon season (November to January).
Hotel prices fluctuate as much as the weather, so aside from a number of premier events like Formula One – where you’ll be battling for a room – you should get to stay where you want to. June and July, the hottest (and haziest) time, is also when the school holidays start.
Here’s our guide to help you decide the best time to visit Singapore.
- High season: June-July and February
- Shoulder season: December-January & March-May
- Low season: August-November
Good to Know
Singapore's history dates back at least a millennium, having been a maritime emporium known as Temasek and subsequently as a major constituent part of several successive thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819 when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, the colonies in Southeast Asia were reorganised and Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the Straits Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942, and returned to British control as a separate Crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and in 1963 became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak. Ideological differences, most notably the perceived encroachment of the egalitarian "Malaysian Malaysia" political ideology led by Lee Kuan Yew into the other constituent entities of Malaysia—at the perceived expense of the bumiputera and the policies of KetuananMelayu—eventually led to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; Singapore became an independent sovereign country in 1965.
Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government, and its legal system is based on common law. While the country is a multi-party democracy with free elections, the government under the People's Action Party (PAP) wields significant control and dominance over politics and society. The PAP has governed the country continuously since full internal self-government was achieved in 1959, with 83 out of 104 seats in Parliament as of the 2020 general election with 61.23% of the popular vote. One of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is also the headquarters of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) Secretariat, and is the host city of many international conferences and events. Singapore is also a member of the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization (WTO), East Asia Summit (EAS), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and the Commonwealth of Nations.
- Official languages – English,Malay,Mandarin,Tamil
- National language - Malay
- Ethnic groups - 74.3% Chinese,13.5% Malay,9.0% Indian,3.2% Others
- Religion - 31.1% Buddhism,20.0% No religion,18.9% Christianity,15.6% Islam,8.8% Taoism,5.0% Hinduism,0.6% Others
- AreaTotal - 733.1 km2 (283.1 sq mi)
- Population - 5,637,000[c]
- Density - 7,804/km2 (20,212.3/sq mi)
- Currency - Singapore dollar (S$) (SGD)
- Time zone - UTC+8 (Singapore Standard Time)
