Singapore Trip Report

I made a trip to Singapore last month (Sept. 2002). This was my first visit to the country. I made the trip for a few reasons: I needed to do a visa run since I am having an extended stay in Thailand using tourist visas; I have a friend living in Singapore whom I had not seen in a few years; I needed a bit of a break for the dirt and chaos of Bangkok.

Just for the record, I bought a round trip ticket (BKK - Singapore) for 6,200 Baht at J.P. Travel (just south of the Nana Hotel). Ticket price does not include the 500 Baht departure tax at Don Muang airport, but it does include the Singapore Changi airport departure tax. In fact, if the travel agent forgets to include the Changi tax in the ticket price, you don't have to pay it! I flew Cathay Pacific airlines and have no complaints about the service. In fact, they served premium ice cream on the flight, first time I have seen this on an airline and a nice touch.

As I was writing this article on Singapore, another one was posted on Stickman's reader submissions. The author, Jeroen, is a long time resident of Singapore and has a much better understanding of the country than I do; if anything I have written is at odds with his report, he is probably correct. What I write is merely the impressions of a first-time visitor newbie.

Notes:

- All prices are quoted in Singapore dollars. At the time I made this trip, $1.00 USD = $1.70 Sing dollar; $1 Sing dollar = 24 Baht.

- I am a frugal man by nature, and always have an eye towards getting the most value for the money I spend. I see this as a virtue; the bargirls in Bangkok do not. Well, I have the financial independence to quit my job and take a long holiday in South-East Asia, whereas they have to drag their sorry asses into the bar day after day and put up with our bad jokes and groping hands. Singapore is much more expensive than the rest of South-East Asia, but I will mention a few of the ways you can economize and still have a decent trip.


1) Changi Airport:

What can I say about Changi? One of the best, if not the best airport in the world. They got signs everywhere; no way you are going to get lost. No queue at immigration or customs. Polite, friendly and professional service everywhere you go.

When a newbie arrives in Bangkok, clears customs and walks into the waiting area, there is a very real possibility that they will get ripped off by hotel touts and dishonest taxi drivers. Changi could not be more different. I went to the hotel reservations desk in the airport, was shown a list of several dozen hotels of all price ranges, with the prices clearly listed. I chose one in my price range; the clerk phoned the hotel, made a reservation for me, and I even got a 10% discount on the price! The clerk also laid out all the transportation options for me. I could have taken public transit, a special airport shuttle mini-van, or a regular taxi. I choose the mini-van because it was a good balance between convenience and price - $7 for the half-hour ride to the hotel.

You may think I am getting overly excited about a mere airport, but when you arrive in a country for the first time, you can be quite vulnerable due to your ignorance. There are scumbags out there who will be delighted to fully exploit this if given the chance. They give a bad impression of the country to the first-time visitor, but most governments don't see overly concerned by this. My point is that Singapore, to her credit, cares very much, enough to keep these assholes off our backs until we are settled in and have a better lay of the land.


2) Accommodations:

Lonely Planet lists several budget accommodation options, but in their usual prissy manner they neglected to mention Geylang as a ghetto for budget hotels. The reason for this is that Geylang is the red-light district of Singapore - I will talk more about this below. However, it is a perfectly safe place to live. I saw several backpackers who were staying in the area, some of them female.

I stayed in the Fragrance Ruby Hotel on Geylang Lorong 20 (a Lorong is a Malay word for a small side-street or Soi). The price was $38 per night with the discount; the room was quite small but had all the essentials on my list - A/C, en suite bathroom, TV, good security and very clean. It was also about 5-10 minutes walk from the closest MRT train station. Actually, there are several other hotels of this class all around the Geylang area, so it really doesn't matter much which one you choose to say at.


3) Food and Booze:

OK, I will talk about booze first. Brace yourself for shock when you see what it will cost you to wet your whistle with any kind of alcoholic drink. Beer is about 2 or 3 times more expensive than in Bangkok. Wine and spirit prices were so high that I never considered buying any. I think you can bring in 1 bottle duty-free, so if you are coming to Singapore for a short visit, it is a good idea to bring a bottle for yourself or as a well-appreciated gift for a friend living there. There did not appear to be any cheap, locally-made spirits like you can find in Thailand or many other poor countries.

My friend in Singapore reckoned that the overly paternalistic government was trying to get people to drink less for their own good. I am a bit sceptical of this; I remember learning in Economics 101 about goods that have an 'inelastic demand' - whatever it costs, they will pay it. Singapore is basically on the Equator, it's always hot there, so I think the demand for beer is pretty inelastic. The government must collect a fortune in taxes on the amber fluid. It's a pretty sweet deal for them - they get to look good by fighting this 'social evil' while at the same time balancing their budget with the tax revenues (which also make them look good).

7-11 stores are everywhere, same as in Bangkok. There was one just around the corner from my hotel, which was convenient because I could save some money by buying beer there rather than going to a bar. Tiger Beer is the main local brand, and you can get a chilled half-litre can of it at 7-11 for $4.60.

Most Singaporeans are Chinese, so you can get lots of good Chinese food there. I usually ate at the food courts, which are everywhere. You can get a decent sized meal for $4 or $5. The style of food is Hokkien or Teochew, not same-same as the Cantonese food you likely will eat at a Chinese restaurant in the West. There are also Malay and Indian dishes; actually, Singapore is a pretty good place to eat. I pretty much stuck to food courts and fast food joints, but I saw restaurants of all descriptions everywhere.


4) Transportation:

This is where Singapore really shines, at least in terms of public transportation. There is an MRT (Mass Rapid Transit?), which is a combination of a subway (downtown) and an elevated train (in the suburbs). It covers most of the country (which is no big deal because Singapore is only 30 kilometres from end to end). The buses also run frequently; I never had to wait more than 10 minutes for one. The MRT and busses are all air con, and some busses even have screens with some kind of televised or taped show to entertain the passengers.

For someone who has just spent several months in Bangkok, traffic jams were conspicuous by their absence. I understand that the government makes it very expensive to own and operate a car. They want to keep traffic flowing and encourage people to take the bus or MRT. Just imagine the economic benefits realized because people are in their offices doing productive work rather than stewing in their cars in the middle of a traffic jam.

I was particularly taken in by the use of advanced technology in the public transportation system. If you are going to stay in Singapore for a week or more, I recommend you buy this EZ-Link stored value card (foreigners can get one for $15 - $10 value plus $5 deposit). You just hold it up against a reader when you enter the system (train station or bus), and do it again when you exit the system - it automatically deducts the fare for the journey. You can add value to the card at any MRT station, and when you leave Singapore, you can get back your deposit and any residual stored value at Changi airport.

Another example of advanced technology are the signs at the MRT stations which tell you how many minutes to wait before the next train is due. These signs are both on the train platform and at the station entrances - if your train is about to arrive as you are paying your fare, you can make a run to try and catch it. This may not seem like a big deal, but it show to me the commitment of Singapore to use modern technology to improve daily life. This stuff is not rocket science, after all - you just need a transportation company with the will to use it.


5) Doing the 'Tourist' Thing:

You can buy a travel guide for Singapore, but it is not really necessary because there are lots of tourist brochures at Changi airport and all the usual tourist venues. I found the "Where: Singapore" magazine to be the best source of information for finding the places I wanted to visit.

I suppose you have to see the Raffles Hotel because it is so famous. If you want to go all the way, you can have a Singapore Sling at the bar, but it is pretty expensive. The Raffles Hotel really tries to milk their name for all it is worth - it is as much a high-end shopping mall as it is a hotel. There is, however, a really nice museum on the 3rd floor, worth checking out all the memorabilia of Western luxury tourism in the colonial era.

I visited all the major museums in Singapore, OK but not great. There was hardly anything to see in the Art Museum - and I thought Singapore was trying to become a cultural centre. If you are interested in military affairs, go see the 'Battle Box' at Fort Canning Park. This was the headquarters of the British and allied forces in Singapore during World War 2. It is a bunker about 10 metres below the surface. There are several exhibits and displays that illustrate the events leading up to the fall of Singapore to Japan in 1942.

I took a trip out to the suburbs of Singapore to visit a place called the "Singapore Discovery Centre". I expected to see technical and commercial exhibits, but instead it turned out to be propaganda for the Singapore armed forces. Well, not exactly, but most displays were of a military nature, and they tried to get the point across that it was a necessary, good and patriotic (and even a bit of fun) to be in the army. There were several groups of school children visiting the centre when I was there. I know that all men in Singapore are conscripted into the military for a few years, so I guess the centre was just getting the little boys prepped for the experience.

Singapore does have a 'Chinatown', which is a bit funny since 77% of the country is Chinese. I would give it a pass if I were you because it is like how a Chinatown might look at Disney World. It is nothing like Chinatown in Bangkok or what you would find in large North American cities. Ditto for the Muslim and Indian areas of town. If you are looking for a more authentic Chinatown experience, check out Bugis Village (just west of the Bugis MRT station). I was actually surprised to find fake Rolex watches openly for sale there; I had assumed that all forms of counterfeiting were vigorously suppressed in Singapore.

Singapore is said to be a shopper's paradise. I did not buy very much myself, but it is fun to visit Orchard Road and check out the all the shopping malls there. There is a mixture of swanky and downmarket stores there. The latter can be found at Lucky Plaza and Far East Plaza. If you look like a tourist, walk through the basement and you will get all kinds of solicitations from disreputable-looking vendors. It reminded me of the TST tourist area in Hong Kong with all the rip-off electronics joints


6) Sanuk in Singapore:

I did not actually partake in any pleasures of the flesh. Frankly, there is no point if you are staying in Thailand, where you can get it better and cheaper. Singapore men go to Thailand (and Malaysia and Indonesia) to get laid, not the other way around. However, if you are interested in having a peak under prim, proper and puritan Singapore society to see its seedy underworld of love for sale, surf over to Mr. Sam Leong's website at:

http://www.sammyboy.com

Sammy has all the information a sexually frustrated Singapore man would ever need to know, including how not to get found out by the Missus. Moreover, he makes some commentary on Singapore society in general. I wonder if this site serves as a bit of a safety valve for the country? For all their wealth, I don't think a lot of Singapore people are contented with their lives.

If you just want a quick run down of the commercial sex scene, see:

http://www.sammyboy.com/comsex

And for an account of the despicable hatchet job that a local tabloid did on poor Sammy, see:

http://www.sammyboy.com/tnpinterview.html

As mentioned above, I stayed in the Geylang area, which is a legal red-light district (check out Sammy's site for more details). Even if you don't want to misbehave, it is still worth a visit at night. Most of the working girls are indoors, but you will find some soliciting outside. If you are a Caucasian male travelling alone, you will certainly get offers, but they are low-key and not at all aggressive. Note that it is illegal for the hookers to work the streets, but police enforcement does not appear to be all that strict. What is most interesting is to see all the men hanging around outside. Some are Malays who live in the area, but others are punters, walking around and checking out the merchandise. There are several outdoor restaurants in the area, so you can sit down and have a meal or a drink while you watch all the action around you.

This may not be every man's idea of sanuk, but I wanted to compare the girl-watching situation of Bangkok vs. Singapore. The girls of Singapore are somewhat more provocatively clothed then their Bangkok sisters - you see plenty of bared midriffs around. However, they are also more well-nourished; a consequence of being a richer country. The newspapers of full of ads for weight-reduction products. I would say on the whole that Thai ladies are better looking, unless you have a bias towards fair skin. One thing I noticed about Singapore women is that a lot of them use a heavily padded bra. It was really obvious when they wear it under a tight-fitting shirt or blouse. I guess they are insecure about their breast size?

I had a quick look at Orchard Towers, the infamous "four floors of whores". It is a bit tame by Bangkok standards, but still worth a look. If you miss Thai ladies, you will find lots of them working there. The fleet must have been in during my visit, because I saw a lot of U.S. Navy sailors on shore leave hanging around the area, doing the same thing they do in Pattaya, only their greenbacks don't go as far here.


7) Misc:

- The drivers here are much less aggressive than in Bangkok and other Asian countries I have visited. It was a pleasant surprise to cross the road and have all vehicles making a turn either stop an wait for me, or at least slow down and give me a wide berth as they completed the turn.

- I am a geek, so Internet access is a moderately important issue to me. There are not so many Internet cafes around, probably because most Singaporeans can surf the web at home, in school or in the office. You can expect to pay about $3.00 for 30 minutes at these places. As an alternative, you can visit the National Library Multimedia Centre and use their facilities - they charge $2.00 per hour, and offer quite a fast connection.

- The population of the country consists of Chinese, Malays, Indians and some farang expats. The vast majority are Chinese. In fact, I consider it a "Chinese country" (I regard Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as the other "Chinese countries" even thought all 3 are technically the same nation). Most Singapore-Chinese speak the Mandarin dialect when talking to each other. All Singaporeans speak good to fluent English.

- If any of you LOS expats are thinking of making a visa run to Singapore, take note that the embassy there only issues single-entry visas. It's strictly a routine procedure - bring in your passport and a photo, fill in the form, pay the fee, come in the next day to pick the visa. There is hardly any queue, and very polite and efficient service.


8) Comment on Singapore Society:

This section is highly opinionated, rather than factual as the other sections above. I think that Singapore is quite a unique country in the world, unlike any other place I have ever visited.

As many of you may know, Singapore only pretends to be a democracy; it is a de facto single-party dictatorship in much the same manner as found in communist countries. However, they are right-wing in how they run their economy, and one cannot argue with the astounding economic success that they have achieved in a generation. I would also have to say that the bureaucracy is unusually competent. Things work in Singapore, people are generally polite, law-abiding, and care about doing things the right way. Corruption seems to be rare or non-existent.

I will confess at this point that I have a streak of fascism in my soul, and I appreciate what an orderly society that Singapore has created. I think of all the times I have seen behaviour that offends me; people being inconsiderate, asshole drivers, disrespectful youths, etc. I say to myself "there ought to be a law ...". Well, in Singapore, there probably is a law.

But this is a gut reaction. My intellect and experience tells me that there can be very nasty side-effect in an undemocratic, fascist society. Perhaps Singapore is fortunate that they presently have leadership who have their heads screwed on right, but can they trust in their luck forever? My knowledge of world history tells me they cannot. I think about the other countries in South-East Asia that have been moving slowly to truly democratic forms of government. These places are not as affluent as Singapore yet, but they are building a structure, a framework for government that is ultimately more stable. The citizens in these countries are participating in the political process and developing the expectation that government is accountable to them. This is absent in Singapore today, and as long as it remains absent, I have some doubts about the long term viability of the country.

You can tell a lot about a country by reading the local newspapers. The 'Straits Times' is the main daily in Singapore. It is OK but not quite up to the standards of a top-line paper in the Western World. Where it is really lacking is in editorial content. Needless to say, there is no criticism of the government because the editors want to keep their butts out of jail. I find this to be a major failing because all governments screw up, and the most important job a newspaper is to tell us about it - how else are we going to keep the politicians and bureaucrats in line?

The other local daily, 'The New Paper' is a tabloid that always seems to have enticing headlines which appeal to the baser instincts of humanity. This is the paper that did an 'expose' of Sammy's website (referred to earlier); another time they did a story on how Geylang was being overrun with hookers from Mainland China. Even by the standards of Western Tabloids, it is a joke. I think Singapore is short on scandal-worthy news, so they need to make up stuff or blow it way out of proportion.

There are rules and laws that would be arbitrary in a more free society. For example, take the Internet / computer game centres which are typical hangouts for children. In Bangkok, you will see these places filled with kids (mostly boys) in school uniform taking a break from their studies by cheerfully blowing away everything that moves on the screen in front of them. But you won't see this in Singapore, because kids in school uniforms are not allowed in these places. Moreover, no school-aged children are allowed in on a school day between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM, whatever they are wearing.

Another example, one that I got off of Sammy's site: as a sexual act in their own right, blowjobs are illegal. However, there was a ruling by the Supreme court that blowjobs were legal provided they were a part of foreplay. So, imagine you are in a hotel in Singapore and your significant other is on her knees, giving you some oral satisfaction. Suddenly, the police burst in to your room, ready to arrest and book you. But you don't want to spend time in a foreign jail, so you quickly drag the lady onto the bed, lay her on her back, and starting making love to here in a very conventional missionary position. The cops, seeing that you are indeed a law-abiding chap and not some criminal sex pervert, wish you a pleasant time and take their leave.

There are lots of signs around everywhere, encouraging people to behave properly. Some of them seem a bit unnecessary. In the toilets, there are signs telling people to flush the toilet after use, dry their hands after washing them (so that you don't drip water on the floor and make it slippery), keep to the left if you are standing still on the escalator and make room so people can pass you on the right.

As mentioned earlier, most Singaporeans are Chinese, they run things, and I get a very strong feeling that they want to keep it that way. To her credit, Singapore does go far to trying to create and maintain racial harmony, but the ruling elite want to be sure that the Chinese continue to be the majority. No doubt they feel threatened because they see themselves as about 3 million ethnic Chinese surrounded by a few hundred million Malay and Indonesian Muslims. The government even goes so far as to encourage educated Chinese to have more babies.

You may love it or hate it, but Singapore is probably unique in the world, and is well worth at short visit if you are living in the area.

Singapore CHIJMES

Having undergone a spectacular facelift as a national heritage site, CHIJMES (pronounced “chimes”) is now a popular dining, shopping and entertainment site. CHIJMES Hall, the restored chapel, provides a breath-taking backdrop for musicals, recitals, theatrical performances and weddings.

Formerly one of the last few cloistered convents in the world, the fine gothic architecture is a favourite theme among photographers.


Open
Food and beverage outlets: 11.00 am till late (daily)
Shops and boutiques: 11.00 am - 10.00 pm (daily)

Location
30 Victoria Street, Singapore 187996

Tel
(65) 6336 1818

Fax
(65) 6334 3801



Getting There
Take the MRT to City Hall Station (EW13/NS25). Walk along Stamford Road and turn right at the junction of Stamford Road and Victoria Street. Click here to view MRT route map.


Accessibility for the physically disabled
The following information is obtained from Access Singapore.



1. Entrance facing Victoria Street - Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
2. Entrance facing Raffles City - Access by kerb ramp. Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
3. Entrance facing Bras Basah Road - Accessible to ambulant-disabled. Steps/Kerb (No ramp provided).
4. Reserved disabled car park lot - Basement 2. Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
5. Accessibility within the premises - Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required.
6. Lifts - Located at the Gallery with access to Basement 1, Level 1 and 2. However, the Gallery is not accessible to the disabled. Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required. Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
7. Public toilets for the disabled located at Level 1 (East Manor) - Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
8. Public toilets for the disabled located at Level 1 (West Manor) - Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
9. Public toilets for the disabled located at Basement 1 (West Manor) - Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
10. Eating outlets - Kerb at the entrance is found at most restaurants. Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required. Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
11. Public telephone - Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required. Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
12. Taxi stand - Nil

Singapore Activities

Singapore - Activities

Shopping
A favourite pastime for residents and visitors alike. There are masses of modern malls and shopping cities as well as the more unusual ethnic shops in Chinatown and Little India with their street stalls and markets.

Bowling
Singapore has over 200 bowling centres. Most bowling centres are open until the early hours, some are 24-hour centres.

Cycling
Cycle paths link many parts of the island. Bikes can be hired at East Coast Park and on Sentosa Island, mountain bikes are available on Pulau Ubin.

Water sports
Water-skiing, windsurfing and sailing are widely available and equipment is easily hired. The Kallang River to the east of the city has hosted international water-skiing tournaments. Round-the-island canoe trips are popular starting from Changi Point, East Coast Park and Sentosa Island. A number of diving schools run courses and offer day and night diving in local waters and nearby Malaysian waters.

Beaches
The most popular beaches are at East Coast Park and on Sentosa Island. There are lots of activities on offer, but they do get busy. There's a smaller beach at Changi Point from which kayaks can be rented. Kusu and St. John's Islands offer quiet swimming lagoons and the cleanest beaches.

The night boat
An interesting way to see the city at night is by taking a boat trip on the Singapore River. Trips which run from Clarke Quay and Raffles Place include a commentary on the history of places passed.

Exploring Malaysia
Singapore makes a good base for exploring the mainland to which it's linked by a causeway. There are regular bus and train services to many of the large cities.

Getting to Singapore

Visitor Information

The long arm of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) reaches many overseas audiences through its branch offices, which will gladly provide brochures and booklets to help you plan your trip, and through its website, at www.visitsingapore.com.

After you arrive in Singapore, several Visitors' Centres are staffed to assist, beginning with information desks at the Arrival Halls in Terminals 1 and 2 at Changi Airport, open daily from 6am to 2am. Other Visitors' Centres are located in the city as follows: at the junction of Orchard and Cairnhill roads (cattycorner from the Meritus Mandarin Hotel), open daily from 8am to 10:30pm; on the first floor of Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Rd. (near Ghoby Ghaut MRT), open daily from 10am to 10pm; and on Level 1 at the Liang Court Shopping Centre, 177 River Valley Rd. (near Clarke Quay), open daily from 10am to 10pm.

STB operates a 24-hour information hot line that is toll-free within Singapore at 1800-736-2000. By in large STB has up-to-date information, but if you need accurate information about travel timetables, I recommend you call respective airlines, ferry services, bus companies, or train stations directly.

Online Traveler's Toolbox

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of online tools to bookmark and use.

Cybercafes.com (www.cybercafes.com) or Net Café Guide (www.netcafeguide.com/mapindex.htm). Locate Internet cafes at hundreds of locations around the globe. Catch up on your e-mail and log onto the web for a few dollars per hour.

Foreign Languages for Travelers (www.travlang.com). Learn basic terms in more than 70 languages and click on any underlined phrase to hear what it sounds like. Note: Free audio software and speakers are required.

Intellicast (www.intellicast.com) and Weather.com (www.weather.com). Give weather forecasts for all 50 states and for cities around the world.

Mapquest (www.mapquest.com). This best of the mapping sites lets you choose a specific address or destination, and in seconds, it will return a map and detailed directions.

Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.net/currency). See what your dollar or pound is worth in more than 100 other countries.

U.S. State Department Travel Warnings (www.travel.state.gov). Reports on places where health concerns or unrest might threaten U.S. travelers. It also lists the locations of U.S. embassies around the world.

Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com) for locations of Plus ATMs worldwide, or MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com) for locations of Cirrus ATMs worldwide.

Singapore Guide

Malaysia Vacation guide is your one stop source of trusted updated information to Visit Malaysia.
Seamless Experience • Endless Choices

Your 'Uniquely Singapore Transit Adventure' awaits you!

A seamless transportation network and an efficient immigration clearance will allow you to reach the city from the award-winning Changi Airport within minutes so as to begin your exploration of Singapore. Best of all, you won’t need to pay airport taxes. An endless blend of modern world and rich cultures beckons and the diverse range of possibilities will leave you enriched, recharged and craving for more! If you prefer to stay within Changi Airport, there will be an abundance of rewarding food, shopping and entertainment experiences. Bring home timeless memories and you’ll be sure to come back for more.

TRANSIT UNDER 4 HOURS TRANSIT MORE THAN 4 HOURS TRANSIT OVER 6 HOURS



A seamless transportation network and efficient immigration clearance will put you in the middle of the action within minutes! Best of all, there are no airport taxes to be paid when you leave the airport to tour Singapore.

Can’t wait to use your time in transit to discover more of Singapore? Visit the Singapore Visitors Centres located at the airport to check out the various travel options to explore Singapore - hop on the Free City Shuttle to town, book a Free Singapore Tour or book a Taxi Tour Guide to show you the sights of the city.

Free City Shuttle to town
If you have at least six hours to spare in transit, hop on our Free City Shuttle to town to discover Singapore's ethnic heritage or opt for the ultimate retail therapy at one of the shopping malls:

Little India - Little India is a centre of Indian culture, commerce and leisure. Try a sari, watch spice grinders mill aromatic spices or have your fortune told by a parakeet, all in a day. Or, visit Mustafa Centre, a 24-hour emporium-cum-department-store which stocks everything — from jewellery and clothes to foodstuffs and electronics — under one roof.

Suntec City – Shopping in Singapore is a truly enjoyable adventure. You can find everything from fashion apparel, consumer electronic items, and computer software at the
popular Suntec City, Marina Square, Millenia Walk, Raffles City and CityLink Mall. The superb connectivity brings miles of uninterrupted shopping and dining under one roof.

Bugis Street - Care has been taken to preserve hints of this area's old-world charm which is inspired by the nostalgic nature of "pasar malam" or night market. This night market atmosphere with sheltered walkway and air-conditioned zones set this ambience abuzz. Experience an eclectic mix of trendy street fashion, cafe, hawker food and services as the street bustles at all times of the day. There is always something for everyone.

Check out the free shuttle schedules to the above places at our Singapore Visitors Centres.


Whisk off on an adventure with your personal licensed taxi tour guide (TTG). Let our dedicated TTG show you the wonders and sights in the city – the way you want it to be! Simply call 6472 7351 to book or approach our Singapore Visitors Centres for assistance.

* Booking of a TTG with normal 3-litre taxi (carries up to 4 pax) : S$35 per hour
* Booking of a TTG with Mercedes LimoCab (carries up to 4 paxs) : S$45 per hour
* Booking of a TTG with MaxiCab (carries up to 6 paxs) : S$45 per hour
* Minimum booking of three hours per TTG

If you have at least five hours to spare in transit, book a free two-hour city tour that brings you around Singapore for a glimpse of what’s in store for you. Simply approach our Singapore Visitors Centres for more information. These tours are run daily at regular timings. Pre-registration is required. Choose from the following tour options:

Colonial Tour
Retrace the fascinating footsteps of Singapore’s colonial past and witness its transformation from a quaint fishing village to a bustling metropolis. See how the past links seamlessly with the future, and the old with the new, as you take a bumboat ride along the scenic Singapore River.

Cultural Tour
Experience a fascinating potpourri of sights, sounds and smells as this tour takes you to the ethnic areas of Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, Little India and Katong to learn about Singapore’s distinctive cultures and custom.

Singapore Adventure

Moonlight HiPPO Adventure offers a 2-in-1 night adventure. It combines Sentosa’s magical musical fountain experience and City Tours. Included in this adventure are thrilling night scenes of Bugis Village, Chinatown, Orchard and Clarke Quay within the 4 hour guided tour.

Open 6 pm to 10 pm (Daily)
Admission SGD $23 (Adult), SGD $13 (Children 3-12 yrs)
Approximate Touring Time 4 hrs duration (guided tour)
Boarding Sentosa, SVC@Suntec City , Animal Farm@Orchard
Ticket Available at Sentosa, SVC@Suntec City, Animal Farm@Orchard, Tourist Information’s Kiosks @ Singapore River, Little India, Chinatown; selected travel agents, hotels and on HiPPObus.
Tel (65) 6-33-TOURS (868-77)
Fax (65) 6-339-3536
Email sales@ducktours.com.sg
Website www.tourist.com.sg

Singapore Travel Tales

After being in SE Asia 6 yrs I’ve always considered it refreshing to spend a few days in clean, efficient Singapore where everything works and runs smoothly and on time. But lately it is beginning to pale. Especially this time, March 2006, as the “Konsortium Bas Ekspres” from Penang went off and left us while we were clearing Immigration so we had to stand 1+ hrs in a very long queue to catch a slower “express” city bus on into town. If possible try to avoid arriving in Singapore on Monday mornings ­ you would not believe the enormity of the crowds of people trying to get across the causeway and back to work!!!

For shopping they have almost everything. And new models of cameras and electronics seem to get there at least 1 to 3 years before they hit Malaysia. But be aware that warranties are normally good only in Singapore. The dealers will say, “No problem, any trouble just telephone me and if you have to send it back my shop and I will take care of it.” But I have been nicked three times ­ an ‘LG’ LCD television, a high end Epson Scanner, and a World Space Satellite radio. E-mails or letters are completely ignored and phone calls are an exercise in dead end passing you off with the old army game.

20 yrs ago Singapore wanted to be a modern city so frantically began tearing things down to get rid of the old and on with the new. Couldn’t get rid of all the old stuff fast enuf, randomly and rapidly tearing down everything in sight to make way for the new Singapore.

Then suddenly they looked around and said, “Hey! What happened to all the tourists who used to come here? Why aren’t they coming to see our beautiful new modern (and expensive!) city?”

As for tourism you can see the more interesting stuff in two days easily. Their most vigorous tourism promotion efforts are the expensive Boat Quay area along the Singapore River, and Sentosa Island. Last time I was there, Nov 2005, they had torn down the ‘around Sentosa monorail’ and were building a new one so almost anything you might want to see involved very long detours walking around the extensive construction and it looked like it will last a long time. Also they tore down the nice maritime museum they had there.

But my usual haunts are not in any tourism guide books and definitely cannot understand why they are not made known. A favorite is the Omni-Theater and Science Center. 5 minute downhill walk from the Jurong East MRT Station. Website: www.science.edu.Singapore The theater is in a large spherical planetarium equivalent of five floors high and the picture completely surrounds you, making you feel every motion and sound. Try to sit in the center. Sometimes they also show I-max movies, much smaller format and not the complete surround view but still plenty large. The adjoining Science Center is interesting too and if you want to do both there is a package deal. If interested could easily spend a complete day there.

A stop just as good or better is Haw Par Villa, or Tiger Balm Garden. 9AM ­ 6PM. SBS bus #10, 30, 51, 143, 188 and 200 ­ off at stop #B18 or 20 on Pasir Panjang Road. Or, # 176 ­ off at stop B04 on West Coast Highway. Just a bit west from Sentosa Island and the World Trade Center. A unique, interesting, intriguing and incredible example of a Chinese billionaire’s fantasy environment of tablaux, statues, motifs, portraying old Chinese folklore, mythology, legends and values. His own personal theme park, built on grounds surrounding his opulent and unusual hilltop mansion. All worked out in interesting walks in mazes of tunnels and pathways that lead you thru the stories and examples of the virtues of good versus evil and rewards or sufferings you will have in your next life for what you did in this one.

The city owns it now and admission is free. The large bizarre mansion was torn down years ago and they are slowly and discretely trying to get away with tearing down the rest as it is a high maintenance cost, and for high rise buildings the property would be worth billions. So, as they are trying to give it the soft key it is not on any tourist info anyplace and almost no-one knows about it so you will never see many people there. I saw the other one too, in Hong Kong, but it was torn down more than 30 years ago for the same reasons. A real shame. They were built by the Haw Par Brothers, the ‘Tiger Balm Kings’ who originated and marketed the Tiger Balm Products that are still popular today. But to get full value of a visit you will have to try to find out some of the stories pertaining to what you are looking at. Some are explained with signage but some are not. If you go in “the jade room” they have some old books with lots of pictures about how it was when the mansion was there.

If you enjoy buying or perusing useful and unusual trinkets, mostly small hardware and home appliances, plus boat instruments and compasses, travel accessories, etc etc, look for the ‘Meng Store’. A small shop in #02-14 Clifford Center, near Marina Bay and the Singapore River and next 2 the Raffles Place LRT Interchange. I even finally found nice ‘fits all sizes’ sink plugs there, so handy in all the guest houses and hotels that have no drain stoppers in the sink and you want to wash some clothes… Although the Clifford Center is a large new looking building the old man who runs it has been in the same shop location 30 yrs and some of his stuff has been there that long too!

Most common shopping list items in Singapore are hand phones, electronics, and cameras. My priorities on digital cameras would be: batteries, pixels, zoom. Zoom takes time and you might even miss a shot while fiddling with it. So first go for LOTS of pixels, if you have that you can just point and shoot. Then use your computer to select and blow up just the portion of your shot that you want. But the less pixels you have the less you can enlarge anything. Of course lots of zoom is big benefit but does take time so if you need to grab a shot in a hurry you can forget the zoom if you have plenty of pixels. And, DON’T buy any camera that does not offer the option of using standard AA torchlight batteries. You can buy them anyplace and it avoids the disappointment of missing photos because your camera’s battery is dead. There are now rechargeable AA batteries up to 2500 mAh which means they will last longer than most camera batteries at much less cost. And when your camera is a couple years old they will probably discontinue that model so might quit making the proprietary battery for it too. Believe me, I have already experienced it!

I have two Ricoh Cameras that used to be one of the better German brands. But like almost everything else they are now made in Japan or China. One camera’s lens went sour after two years and the repairman said the model has been discontinued and when they discontinue a model they also discontinue the spare parts… Also Ricoh is now focusing more on office equipment rather than cameras.

Decent sleeps in Singapore are not cheap. Lots of hostels but most could more aptly be called flophouses. One reasonable one tho used to be, “D’Simple Hostel” Loke Yew Street, in block SW of intersection of Hill St and Stamford Rd (continuation of Orchard Rd) about two yrs ago was double or twin w fan and shower S$26, Air Con S$32. Clean, central, cheap.

I’ve tried several places but my personal favorite is the ‘Sakura Garden Hotel’. Nice place but cheap because it is too near the red light district in Gaylang. 6 yrs ago it was brand new, was the ‘Princeton Hotel’ and their cheap rooms were S$39. New ownership and new name now but same price. But, in Nov 2005 and still in Mar 2006 they had a big banner advertising S$35 special promotion price, a very good deal by Singapore standards. All rooms have AC, double bed, big TV, hot water, electric coffee pot in the room with instant coffee supplied, and drinking water. Tall Skinny building 9 floors high, with lift, on Lorong 15, between Sims Ave and Gayling Road. If you go to Singapore by bus the main bus station is ‘The Golden Mile’ on Beach Road. Go across Beach Road and catch the #100 bus, get off at Lorong 9 in Gayling (on Sims Ave) and walk two blocks farther and turn right on Lorong 15. Bus will probably cost S 90 cents.

A ‘must do’ first stop in Singapore should be the Bugis Junction MRT station. Go underground to where you buy the train tickets and get an ‘EZ Link’ card. Load it up for any value you might need as it is good for any bus or train while traveling around the island of Singapore and at much reduced rates. When you leave they will refund any unused portion except S$5 for the card. Or if you might come back it is good for seven years. At the same window buy, “The Public Transport Map” for S$5. It is the best map you will find ANYPLACE. Has all bus and train routes, all streets and they are indexed, most large buildings are named, all pages show which way is north, and all for sides of every page show the number of the adjoining page. In Singapore every bus stop has a sign showing the street name and stop #. And they are all indicated on the map. If you don’t have that map you should stay home….!!

When leaving you can buy a bus ticket in Johore Bahru for less than 2/3 the price. So If interested in doing that go to the Queen Street Bus Station, two blocks north of Rochor Road and catch an express bus to JB for S$2.40. Keep your ticket. You will need it because you get off at immigration. At Singapore check-out you catch same bus if you hurry but Malaysia check-in takes much longer so the bus goes on and you catch the next one. At Larkin Bus Station in JB a tout will jump into the bus to ask where you are going. Big station so you could screw around forever but he knows all the buses including the independent ones so will get you onto the very next one to go. Usually in less than 15 minutes. Will charge you RM1 extra for the ticket, about US27 cents, for a good bit of streamlining so no rip off there…