Insight Singapore - A Travel Guide for Inquisitive Minds Insight Singapore Travel Guide Takes No. 2 Spot in 'My Top 5 Singapore Travel Guides' Ranking - Highly Recommended! What's good: Insight Singapore's writers don't just tell you what you can see and do at a place. They provide meaty background information that makes your visit to each attraction extremely meaningful. This guide is great for travellers who want more than a superficial understanding of Singapore. This guide's writers are also fast to spot those charming little places other guides miss. Even their write-ups of common places contain some gems you should take note of.

The back cover of the guide boasts of its 'evocative photography'. Indeed the best photos among the guides are found here. If your photography fails you, this guide's representative images could help you remember Singapore by. Which makes this a great souvenir.

The guide is also intuitively arranged. Read about a place when you're on a walking tour. And then flip the page to look for an atmospheric restaurant nearby. Somehow the arrangement is very easy to follow. Also the pages are filled with tips strategically placed in the margins, so you won't miss the top spots.

Insight Singapore is also interspersed with non-tourist-type commentaries. These commentaries give you a better understanding of places and events in Singapore.

Other strengths:

• clear, well-labelled maps
• a good concise pull-out review of the best restaurants
• an excellent section for excursions to Malaysia (Melaka, Tioman Island), and Indonesia (Bintan & Batam Islands)

What's not so good:

The section on accommodation is rather limited. This list is short, though the featured hotels receive substantial coverage. Unless you already know where you want to stay, you'll find this section rather frustrating.

This guide uses a $, $$, $$$ price-range indication system, rather than tell you exactly how much a place costs. It's my personal opinion, but I don't like to be surprised by a $100 difference in my hotel bill.

My recommendation:

Insight Singapore is a great buy if you want to keep your travel guide as a souvenir after your tour, because of its great write-ups, representative photos and glossy paper feel.

Because its hotel listing is weak, you're better off booking your hotel online first at trusted portals like HotelClub.com . Then when you're here, use the guide to move around.

Find good deals for Insight's Singapore City Guide at eBay.

The Others in 'My Topic 5 Singapore Travel Guides'

No. 1 - Lonely Planet Singapore
for its comprehensive, spot-on and objective coverage of everything you need for a great Singapore tour.

No. 3 - The Rough Guide to Singapore
for its incredibly good range of budget travel options and useful background information all-round.

No. 4 - DK Eyewitness Singapore Guide
for its numerous photos and see-through 3-D drawings.

No. 5 - Fodor's Singapore
for sticking out their necks to say which the best is in every aspect of Singapore travel.

and a good companion to these - Singapore Cityscoops. 

Go read my summary of Insight Singapore and other good Singapore travel guides.

Or get Insight's Singapore City Guide now.

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