Thread by @zerogeewhiz

Right, so obviously my tweet volume is returning to “normal” because I'm home from the #dayjob trip to Singapore. If you're thinking of heading there I have some tips.

Outbound from Australia:

1. I went from Sydney,
2. Got my PCR at the airport the night before I left...

...20 minute turnaround from Histopath for the princely sum of $79. Worth it.
3. Check-in was reasonably smooth, but print *everything*, especially the VTL paperwork. Things are a little confusing, you need the VTL confirmation, international vax cert and the SG Arrival Card.

Once through check-in, almost nothing is open in Sydney Airport apart from one Maccas, Sumo Salad and a cafe or two. So if you're departing early, expect a bad breakfast if you don't eat before you go.

4. Arrival in Singapore was straightforward and immigration very simple, VTL was the most important bit, the one I forgot to print. They cheerfully read it off my laptop screen.
6. Have the TraceTogether app downloaded and ready to roll, you can set it up before you go, but...

...there's the final step which says to wait until you're through arrivals. TraceTogether is linked to your passport and there's obviously a thing related to the VTL that activates your identity in the app, which works a treat, by the way.

7. At the moment, Singapore Changi is near-deserted and the vast bulk of people on my flight were transiting. I was on a very full Singapore Airlines 777 and I reckon six people were waiting for bags, 10 tops. So I was out in under 20 minutes to catch a cab.

8. Unrelated to COVID, a big proportion of Singapore's cabs are not taking credit cards, so tell the person so you don't have to switch cabs.

9. You will be wearing a mask at all times in or out except when eating and drinking. Take several because the weather makes you sweat.

Paper surgical masks are awful when they're damp so keep a couple on hand to switch around. I learned this the hard way. Breathing is hard through wet paper :-D

10. You must QR code everywhere using TraceTogether. Some places also have a device that you wave your phone at...

...with TT open and it pings your phone to check your vaccination status.

11. The five-person limit while eating out is strictly enforced. There were six of us: we sat at separate tables and were prevented from even interacting.

12. As with here, when everyone is wearing a mask, it's hard to understand what folks are saying. Almost everyone was very patient with me and my old man hearing, but I forgot how much lip-reading I do while travelling.

13. On the day you arrive, or the day after, you need an on-arrival RAT. There are tons of places that do this and it's S$15. They were a bit swamped the day I arrived and ditched the bookings and went with walk-ins. It's linked to your TT app, smooth as silk.

14. Just about everything is open but in the area I was staying, the Downtown Core, just about every second 7-11 or Welcome Mart was closed. Some markets are shut, Chinatown (tourist-dependent) was largely closed, but other places most definitely open.

15. The MRT is not nearly as busy as I remember it. You can also just use your debit/credit card on it now, which is nice.

16. Before you leave, your testing regime is dependent on your destination. Australia wants a PCR within 72hrs of departure or supervised RAT within 24hrs

The bloke who did my PCR approached my nostrils with the swab the way a clean freak approaches a dirty dunny with a toilet brush, I was dewy-eyed for an hour. S$110.

17. Departures was very smooth, with just the test result and vax cert checked. Two food shops open at Changi.

So if you're on an early flight, expect to wait a long time for some okay croissants at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Not even Pret was open. Nor was Heavenly Wang and I just mention that because adolescent.

18. Nobody checked the online DPD on arrival in Australia and as I have already documented, you still have to fill in a paper arrival card. Sydney Airport was the usual disaster.

My IG followers will know I had a pretty good time, so it's not a bad place to be for leisure or work, but for the former you'll be stuck for things to do as most tourist places are still closed. Hotel breakfast buffets are too, so don't book a room and breakfast, go to a cafe

There's some amazing cafes now in Singapore, so hit me up if you want the list of places I went, or check my IG feed for the Singapore stories collection.

TLDR: Wear a mask all the time, keep your TT app handy and be nice to everyone because you should anyway.

(And if any of this is wrong, feel free to drag me, @glengyron)