MRT station to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to open Jan 14

Source: ChannelNewsAsia  14 Jan 2012

Two more Circle Line MRT stations will open for service next Saturday.

Train frequency at Bayfront and Marina Bay stations will be seven minutes during peak hours. During off-peak hours, commuters can take shuttle train services from Stadium, Nicoll Highway and Promenade stations to Bayfront and Marina Bay stations.

Out of five exits at Bayfront, four will link to the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort.

The Transformers Ride Opens At Universal Studio Singapore

The Transformers Ride Opens At Universal Studio Singapore, Resort World Sentosa, from Dec 3 2011 onwards so if you are going to USS don’t miss this ride. It’s actually a Indoor Rollar Coaster Ride with riders wearing 3D glasses as they are taken through the 12 scenes shown on giant cinenma screens during the four and half minute ride … you can actually feel the wind, water and hot air blown right at you. Experience the ride from the youtube video below. Be warned that the queue for the ride may take as long as 2 hours as reported in the news and the ride is limited to tose who are at least 102cm tall.

Singapore launches electronic tax refund system for tourists

Soutce: philstar.com

Singapore launched an electronic goods and service tax refund system on Wednesday to make it more convenient for tourists.

The Electronic Tourist Refund Scheme (eTRS) was jointly developed, deployed and operated by the Inland Revenue Authority and Global Blue, an international company offering payment solutions.

Under the system, international shoppers can choose a credit card as a token to which all their purchase details are tagged automatically. The same token will be presented at the eTRS self-service kiosk at the airport so that the refund can be credited directly into the same credit card account.

Visitors can also choose to receive refunds in cash.

Shoppers who do not have credit cards will have slips issued to them from retailers who have adopted the eTRS system, and the slips can be used to claim refunds through the kiosks.

The time taken to complete the refund claim process is reduced by about 80 percent.

Since end-October 2011, some 1,400 retailers covering more than 2,000 stores in Singapore have adopted the system. By August 2012, the number of retailers using the system will increase to 3,500.

The Singapore government is the first to implement the eTRS that can link up multiple central refund agencies and independent retailers on a common platform to provide foreign travelers with the tax refund.

Ten other countries will have electronic refund systems within two years.

Luxury Sportscars and Bike for Rent

Adapted from The Sunday Times  Nov 6 2011

$182 for 15 minutes in a Lambo
Experience the adrenaline rush of driving a supercar or riding a Harley-Davidson at a lower price tag

Two companies here are taking it to heart by providing luxury rides in supercars and on Harley-Davidson motorbikes at relatively easy-on-the-pocket prices.

Ultimate Drive is one such company that gives fans of luxury sportscars a chance to play pretend. It offers customers either a Ferrari F430 F1 Spider or a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and they can opt to drive the car themselves or be driven in it. The fully automatic cars come with an F1-style, paddle gearbox, which is semiautomatic.

Frenchman Marc Griot, 49, who owns the company, says it costs about $4,000 a day to rent a Lamborghini from regular car rental shops.

But at Ultimate Drive, which started offering rides in December last year, customers can opt for a 15-minute ride, with a driver, for $182.40. And some happily shell out $588 to self-drive around the Formula One circuit and expressway for one hour.

Mr Griot says that at least half of his business comes from Singaporeans and time slots are booked solid, especially on weekends. 'It's a dream for many people to get in one of these cars, but they can never afford to do so. The car costs $1 million to buy and much more to upkeep. In comparision, $182.40 is quite reasonable to a lot of people for that short experience.'

The company, located in Marina Bay Sands and at the Singapore Flyer, is also attracting a young crowd due to its comparatively relaxed rules on driving these hotrods. Here, drivers need only be 21 and above and have two years of driving experience with a recognised driving licence.

Such joyrides are expanding beyond supercars. BigLoudRides, set up by two Finnish men in July, offers Harley-Davidson enthusiasts without a motorcycle licence a chance to hop on for a scenic passenger tour and be part of a convoy of loud, revving machines.

The company, based in Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade, does a heritage road tour and a night city tour, as well as overnight trips to Malaysia. Those with a proper bike licence and are older than 27 can take the bikes out on their own for 24 hours for $219, while those without a licence will be assigned a driver. Guided tour packages start at $350 for four hours and include a meal and helmet rental.

For now, says co-owner Juha Kuntola, most of the requests for tours are from tourists, though they are getting more inquiries from Singaporeans for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.

Full article here.

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall re-opens

Source: Channel News Asia, 08 October 2011

SINGAPORE: Relive the days spent by Dr Sun Yat Sen at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH), as the revamped museum re-opens after a year of redevelopment.

It was closed in October 2010 for extensive redevelopment.

It now has five new galleries, original artefacts never displayed before, creative multi-media displays and a new storyline that focuses on Singapore and Nanyang's role in Dr Sun's activities and the impact on Singapore.

The refurbished SYSNMH aims to re-create the ambience from a century ago, when the 20th century villa served as the home and headquarters of Dr Sun's revolutionary activities in Southeast Asia.

The aim is to turn it into a respected heritage institution, to connect and work with key stakeholders to promote Chinese culture and community rootedness, as well as to establish partnerships with regional and international counterparts.

The memorial hall offers visitors a closer look at the lives of Singapore's revolutionary pioneers and highlights the pivotal role Singapore and Nanyang played in the success of the 1911 Revolution.

Speaking at the opening, former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo, said: "Culturally, the 1911 revolution transformed our value systems, emphasising the importance of democracy, gender equality and the welfare of ordinary people. It was the icon of the cultural revolution in the Chinese mind."

To mark the re-opening, all visitors will enjoy free entry from October 9 to 30.

This coincides with the launch of the Wan Qing CultureFest 2011, an inaugural cultural extravaganza organised by the SYSNMH in conjunction with the re-opening of the museum and the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution.