johndunse Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Potentially going to Singapore to visit friends who have moved out there - any thoughts, tips, advice about the country? I've heard the common perception of it being a tad dull is unfair.......anyone agree/disagree? Also any experiences on the prices of food/drink would also be appreciated. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I was there for a 2 night stopover on my way to Burma ... my Singapore sling in Raffles wasn't worth the money and that was despite it being free (guests get one free if you tell them when you order it , otherwise i think they come in about £26 with service and taxes !! ) Can actually get some good deals on Raffles if you are into your colonial name type tourism ..added beauty is that the room is for 24 hours so if you check in at 20:00 you dont have to check out until 20:00 the next day I just had a wander about the place , went on the Singapore eye , saw some exhibit of the dead sea scrolls , went up to some gardens on a hill ..like a say just a general wander around and all very nice even if there was nothing "must see" .. Also any experiences on the prices of food/drink alcohol gets more expensive the later at night you drink it .. people tended to buy a tower before the increases kicked in :-) went to a nice sea food restaurant by one of the micro brewery's ..but couldn't begin to tell you it's name .. food was good though (think it was expensive but the night got kinda hazy at some point :-) ) fair to say I enjoyed it ..I'd go there again on a stopover for a few days if I was travelling with Mrs H .. I wouldn't go there specifically for a holiday though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted February 3, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 3, 2012 I agree with Tony, completely. SIngapore slings are expensive and not very good. Other than Raffkles, the Eye and general wandering about, we went up to the top of the tallest building, which has a bar on the 70th floor, and of a night time you get a cracking view over the lights of the City, whilst sipping on a beer or three. There's also loads of places to eat and drink by a sort of marina place. They are very hot on law breaking - massive punishments for what we would think of as nothing - eating on the tube, litter etc. Worth a visit, and if you do, get the train from the airport to the centre - it's muchcheaper than a taxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Nice place.. very expensive for food and drink. on Clarke Quay it works out at about £7 a pint from memory with cocktails approaching £10. I had some cracking mojitos in the cuban bar.. about £14 each but worth it IMO. Served out of a jam jar The girls at Hooters are very nice Well worth a meal there to have a look! If you fancy a good night out then Ipanema in the famous Orchard Towers is a good place to party until morning! I'd go back but as Tony said, not more than for a couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
privateer Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 It's expensive! I've been there three times over the last seven years - last time in November last year. This last time the high cost was evident even more than on previous occasions as the Singapore dollar is much stronger against sterling than it was. First couple of times it was about $3:£1, now it's 2:1. It's a very well organised place but is becoming increasingly sterile as they knock down the older buildings and stick up the new stuff. The metro is superb and will get you anywhere, pretty much. If you are going to be there more than a few days get an EZ pass, it's their version of an Oyster card and is worth picking up. BUT only if you are there for long enough. There isn't actually all that much to do other than eat and drink. The Zoo is very good, as are the Botanical Gardens. They have a stunning orchid section there. Take a small umbrella/packable waterproof as it can piss down in any "season". It's near the equator and and doesn't really do seasons but there are times when the rain is more prevalent. There are some things you can do cheaply and others you can't. If you are so inclined you can keep food costs down by eating at fast food outlets, food courts and hawker places. That's what I normally do. There is just about any food available including some of the best Indian available anywhere. What you can't do is drink booze, smoke or stay in decent hotels cheaply, you can only temper the expense. You can find cheap hotels but I wouldn't want to stay in them. It's worth looking at Chinatown for more reasonable prices, you can also eat very well there too. Little India, I'd go and eat there but not sleep. There's also Sentosa Island if you are theme park inclined. I'm not so haven't been but it is evidently quite popular. Oh yeah, it's really **** hot and humid! Also, if you are a smoker you can't bring any in. It's illegal. I found out by accident after bringing in 200 that I picked up at Dubai before the connecting flight. I didn't get stopped by anybody, which was odd as I was carrying a rectangular box that could only really be a 200 carton in a Dubai Duty Free free plastic bag. Just as well as I subsequently discovered there is a decidedly stiff fine for it. TBH, if you are there for more than 2-3days you'll find yourself rapidly running out of anything new to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Potentially going to Singapore to visit friends who have moved out there - any thoughts, tips, advice about the country? I've heard the common perception of it being a tad dull is unfair.......anyone agree/disagree? Also any experiences on the prices of food/drink would also be appreciated. Cheers! Christ, you should have asked earlier I was born here and have lived here ever since. Food prices are cheap by European standards but very expensive compared to the rest of Asia. A plate of noodles at a "hawker centre" (open-air food bazaar) costs between S$2.50 to S$5 which is £1.25-2.50, I'm not a big fan of hawker food here though although many would disagree. Beer and cigarettes are HEAVILY taxed so do without alcohol and tobacco if you can. Oh, and if you think fuel is expensive in Britain....... Apart from that, public transport and taxis are relatively cheap although prices have increased somewhat over the last few years. If you're looking for nightlife Singapore has plenty of options by most standards, or so I hear (I'm not much of a clubber). If you're more of a cultural tourist though you might want to give touring the place a miss though, most of the tourist attractions are very contrived. If you're a shopper though then good, because imo the central district is a tourist haven. So the dullness of your time here will I think really depend on your personal tastes and preferences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 TBH, if you are there for more than 2-3days you'll find yourself rapidly running out of anything new to do. As a local, couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Simon Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Went to Singapore on my gap year in 2003, so my experience isnt really based on recent travel, but, one place I would definitely check out is Singapore Zoo. Its amazing! And has a really cool night safari experience where you go round in a little buggy and the animals are much more lively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 28, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 28, 2012 Do not go to Raffles Hotel and even sniff the air. Singapore may be a tad expensive (though not excessively if you go to the right places) The cabs are relatively cheap and abundant (though they no longer hold the world record for dispatched bookings in a day, that honour belongs to Liverpool now ), I found the cabs to be comparable to Liverpool Private Hire and anyone whose been up here will know that is cheap. the underground is excellent Little India is interesting but a shithole. If you are there on a Sunday Afternoon tea is a must, it's not cheap but I'd recommend the Ritz Carlton. Its full of shops (they even have M&S ;-) ) but nearly every Mall has all the same chains It's clean, unbelievably clean Universal Studios Theme park is crap (admittedly the main ride wasn't working when I was there (as it was still in the soft opening period) but every other ride was TAME! Sentosa is a bit of a rip off in general. Visit Vivo City Shopping Mall as its less western touristy and there's a great chinese restaurant on the roof The Singapore Flyer is expensive (but so is the London Eye) but its a **** to get a cab from as its stuck in the middle of nowhere (above the grand prix pits) Gangs of teenagers are simply kids having a good time, it is not the same as the uk, though it takes a bit of getting used to that it isn't an intimidating thing. Crime really is not visible on the surface (though I'm sure it exists) Didn't go to the zoo in the day but the Night Safari next door is well worth a visit (best to take a coach trip as its well away from the centre) Get a suit made for a fraction of the price in the UK Generally the tourist traps have the most expensive food, there are plenty of cheaper options for the adventurous The amphibious tour is a tad dull Some random thoughts from someone who vitiated twice two years ago (double stop over). I really enjoyed it, I'm a people / culture watcher when away and I found it to be a fascinating place and would love to go back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 29, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted February 29, 2012 Bourdain visits Singapore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 It's clean, unbelievably clean Apart from some of the toilets Crime really is not visible on the surface (though I'm sure it exists) Read somewhere that we have, incredibly, the highest incarceration rate among developed countries, although that is no doubt partly due to the litany of offences our legal system considers crimes as well as the lengthy imprisonment periods for even petty crimes like shoplifting which are, quite frankly, long almost to the point of being sadistic. Not sure how prevalent crime really is though, my parents did well shielding me from the shadier elements of society from a young age. Sentosa is a bit of a rip off in general. It's a HUGE ripoff, apart from the Underwater World which is like a marine zoo (lol) Generally the tourist traps have the most expensive food, there are plenty of cheaper options for the adventurous Hawker centres, they are, imo, the only bastions of genuine, unadulterated culture left in this country, most of our so-called tourist attractions are contrivances. Some random thoughts from someone who vitiated twice two years ago (double stop over). I really enjoyed it, I'm a people / culture watcher when away and I found it to be a fascinating place and would love to go back Don't understand why you think that way tbh, way I see it it gets boring after a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 can you go up this? - without staying there? is it worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Oh yeah, you can and it's worth it absolutely, great views for about £10 or thereabouts I think. If you're rich and have plenty of cash to spunk away though, booking a room on one of the higher floors is a good idea, incredible views and you get to admire it in the air-conditioned comfort of your own mini-palace instead of having to mingle with hordes of sweaty tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 2, 2012 Moderator Share Posted March 2, 2012 I was there when they were just finishing the garden on the top of the Casino, looks like it had an awesome view. (The casino was already open but they arent my bag) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Off to Singapore in 3 weeks time, in Singapore for 4 nights and Bali for 6nights, anyone got anything to add to what has already been written about Singapore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 who did you book that through? looking to do something similar next year but with hong kong thrown in too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Bump Anyone interested in touring this part of the world, PM me, I haven't played tour guide in a long time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 who did you book that through? looking to do something similar next year but with hong kong thrown in too If you're looking for a package then companies like Trailfinders and Travelbag are decent. However, I always find it easier and cheaper to book it yourself. Sort your flights out first (I've flown into HK and out of Singers on KLM before). Air Asia is your friend with pan Asian flights. Then once the dates are sorted, book the hotels through Booking/Agoda/Hotels.com etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NulliSecundus Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Bump Anyone interested in touring this part of the world, PM me, I haven't played tour guide in a long time When you reply to your PM's that is!! I had great fun in 2010 for 5 days - probably wouldn't need longer than that in Singapore - the Tiger beer brewery tour is worth a mention! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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