Sorry I've been MIA for a while, though as I'm about to go backpacking around Europe for 5 weeks I'm...
Sorry I've been MIA for a while, though as I'm about to go backpacking around Europe for 5 weeks I'm afraid it will be a little longer before I resume the 3 'R's! Hopefully I'll have loads of travel ops ready for when I get back... ;)
Member since:07.05.2001
Reviews:21
Members who trust:35
More than just shopping and satay, Singapore is a rich and lively town with much to offer even the in-transit traveller.
On my last trip home to Australia, my husband insisted we go with Singapore International Airlines instead of one of the cheaper airlines I usually choose (he couldn't bear the thought of twenty odd hours in the air without having his choice of movies and video games, apparently). So as neither of us had been there before we decided to stop over for a night and a day.
The first thing that hits you about Singapore is the humidity - we landed in the late evening and though the temperature was only around 30 degrees Celsius (not that hot when you come from Brisbane), because of the moisture in the air it felt a hell
of a lot hotter.
Singapore Airlines do a pretty good deal in the stopover department - for around £20/night for twin share you get a 'First Class' hotel room (nothing too fancy but not bad either), unlimited free rides on the SIA Hop-Onbus (which circles most of the main attractions in Singapore every half hour or so) and free passes including the Singapore Zoo, a River Boat Tour, the National Orchid Garden, the Jurong Bird Park and several museums. I believe the hotels also offer 50% discount on food for SIA customers, though we didn't take advantage of this.
Clarke Quay is amazing at night - more neon than Soho or Kings Cross. Though we were a bit worn out to really take advantage of the nightlife there are scores of restaurants, pubs and discos all along the promenade (including a 'Hooters', for the pervy blokes out there). Market stalls and small eateries abound late into the night, so even if you're not in the mood to party a wander down this way is definitely recommended.
Our first stop the next day was the Botanic Gardens - not as amazing as some I've seen but still quite pleasant. There was an orchid display just about to open which sounded like it could be pretty good (should definitely be running by now).
Then on to Orchard Road - the main centre for shopping. Dave (my husband) was determined to find the cheapest price for a digital camcorder so we headed for the nearest appliance shop. Immediately we were set upon by a clerk, offering us a price at least £100 less than the Brisbane Duty Free cost, and then offering to drop the price by a further £50 ('tax free') if we bought it straight away. We took a card and said we'd be back.
Not two metres out the door, we were approached by a man asking 'you looking for camcorders?' who then directed us to a shop upstairs, saying it was 'much cheaper than this one'. We went up, to be presented with a full demonstration of the same camcorder, for a cheaper price, added extras and a speech on how the downstairs store was staffed by frauds (he even showed us a newspaper article). I was almost believing the guy until we said we would think about it over lunch - he seemed to start going to tremendous lengths to get us to buy the thing before we left the store. Finally disentangling ourselves, we decided to leave the camcorder for the time being.
We continued on to 'Little India', which was quite interesting - loads of little shops selling sarongs, spices and the like. With the pungent smell of incense, coriander and tumeric in the air as well as the crowds of people bedecked in saris and bhindis you could almost imagine you were in India. For the Sci-fi fans we came across a little shop here called 'Quantum Leap Trading' (it turned out to be just a paper shop but Dave took a photo anyway).
From here we went to Suntec City Mall, which was supposed to house the tallest fountain in the world. Well, the design was pretty massive, but I guess they decided to conserve water because that day it was running not much more than a metre high. We still walked around it three times with our hands in the water though (this is supposed to make your wish come true).
Next stops were Merlion Park, (where they have the famous statue of the half-lion-half-fish), Sri Mariannan Temple (fascinating and intricate) and Chinatown (where we had a cheap and delicious meal). In the evening we took the River Boat Tour, which was enjoyable and quite informative, before browsing the markets once more and heading to the airport.
Unfortunately we didn't get time to check out the museums or the zoo (which by the way does a 'Night-Time Safari', also included in the free vouchers), but we'll be stopping there again later this year so I hope to add to this then.
For tourist information on Singapore: www.visitorsingapore.com
For Singapore International Airlines: www.singaporeair.com/uk (select 'search and sitemap' to find more info on the stopover deal)
I'm going to Singapore in five weeks on my way to New Zealand, and am also taking advantage of Singapore Airlines stopover deal. It sounds fantastic. Harry
atlantis140 27.05.2003 00:39
great opinion. Singapore and Singapore Airlines are fantastic. Dave
Paula_23_uk 22.05.2001 09:23
I too stopped over in Singapoer on my way home from Australia and I agree, the first thing that hit me was the humidty. What a lovely place to stay though and I am planning to return for a fully holiday there. What more can you want, a nice hotel, cheap electrical goods and loads of McDonalds - ha!ha! Anyway, I would recommend Singapore to anyone as a holiday or stop over point - it's a great place to be!! Good op! Paula
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May 11th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
