As explained in more detail here, here, here, and here, each week for 8 weeks, I'll be starting a forum thread asking readers to share their tips/suggestions/anecdotes about a destination I'll be visiting in the next couple of months. The author of the best comment (most useful, funniest, etc - as judged by me) will win a small prize and will also be entered into the Grand Prize draw with the other weekly winners, where you could win 2,000 Norwegian Reward CashPoints (worth ~£185). All contributions are very welcome - particularly things like: Recommendations on what to see/do/eat/drink Thoughts on the best hotels (particularly sweetspots using points!) Tips on how to get around Best airport lounges and other airport info Best ways to fly there using points/miles Amusing/interesting stories about the destination/travelling there This week's destination is Singapore, where I'll be spending 6 nights. Where are the 'best' places to eat and drink? (In particular, does anyone know any cheap bars/deals, as the bar bill can add up in Singapore! We'll enjoy a lot of the pricier places too of course, but I really like to find something a bit more local/dive-ey too when I'm staying somewhere for more than a few days). Any suggestions on what a 9 year old might find entertaining would be really great too - my brother and his son are meeting us there. Share your knowledge, help me out, and maybe win a prize!
The Gardens by the bay are truly amazing at dusk, the flower dome and cloud forest are nearby, and definitely. The Buddah Tooth relic temple is great too. I wouldn't usually say this, but the obvious tourist stuff is actually excellent in Singapore, and your unlikely to be disappointed by any of it. There's no such thing as a cheap drink in Singapore, but the street food is cheap and generally decent, I think street food markets are referred to as hawkers. You can get the best ramen you'll ever eat though, at Tsuta Ramen. Their Tokyo outlet got a Michelin star! Not bad for about £20 Inc a beer. Make sure you try the chicken rice when you're out there, it sounds dull, but it's incredibly tasty. Oh and Kaya toast is a must for breakfast (it's especially good for hangovers). For the young'un, there's a great little (relatively) Universal Studios, that's quite Central, and definitely worth a visit. Getting around is pretty London like, the buses and underground are good enough, and taxis are fairly reasonable. I was in Singapore for the GP last year, and loved it out there. It's like the Singapore town planners decided to take a 90's concept drawing of 'the future' and actually build it. It really is quite stunning.
I'll be hitting singapore too. I'm there for 3 nights, and have booked the conrad on points. Looks quite well placed, appears to be well regarded, and exec rooms aren't crazy points. For my nights they are 93K per night, basic room is 60K. Interestingly, I am a party of 2, but booking for 1 results in a slightly less points rate for rooms that either include breakfast or include lounge access. Note that according to FT, diamonds get access to a different (lesser) lounge that what is availabe to exec rooms. The lounge offerings here are supposed to be rather decent.
My best tip is not to try and open a coconut by throwing it to the ground. While honeymooning on Sentosa we found a coconut that had fallen from a tree. I thought I would impress my bride by opening it up and sharing the delicious coconut water. It turns out coconuts are *really* hard to open, and when eventually smashed by repeated blunt trauma the 'delicious' water inside tends to get contaminated by bits of broken shell. I'm afraid I don't have much more relevant travel advice than that, as this was 1999. We paid cash for a package with hotel, transfer and economy Singapore Airlines flights via a travel agent whose shop we sat in to make the booking. How things change?! I will be following this keenly for tips with a view to returning to Singapore in the future.
Cheers mc! - will definitely check out the food suggestions (I intend to eat A LOT in Singapore!). Universal Studios is a good shout too - I loved going to one in the US when I was a kid.
Aye, Conrad looks nice - and isn't too badly price. We're going to rent a place on this leg of the trip I think though, because 3 rooms for 6/7 nights at any decent hotel is a bit of a wallet stinger. If I was going for a couple of nights by myself/with one other person, I'd be very tempted to give the Conrad a spin.
Absolute gem of a tip that one (I've fought the good fight against coconuts too, so you have my heartfelt sympathies).
Not sure if this is closed yet, but I'm in Singapore right now, and one of the absolute must do activities is to visit the Marina Sands complex. This is where the "Gardens on the Bay" is (mentioned above, brilliant light show underneath "wonder trees", the Rhapsody water fountain and light show (brilliant free show in the bay in front of the shopping mall, and also the famous Sky Lounge where they have the infinity pool at the 57th floor on top of the Marina Sands building. My tip is this: instead of paying $24 SGD to go to the observation deck on the 56th floor, and getting nothing for it, you can go around the corner and enter through the "Ce La Vie" restaurant/bar which is above the observation deck on the 57th floor, and the only prerequisite is that you must spend at least $20 SGD per person on food/beverage. So not only do you get a better viewing position, you also get to enjoy a drink and snack for your money. No brainer! (the same works at The Shard in London btw).
Cheers Luke - very nice tip and definitely one we will be taking advantage of! Hope you're having a great time out there!
Went to Singapore in August and had a fab time. We booked tickets for Gardens by the bay and a couple of other attractions using the Marriott portal. Was exactly the same price but got us some extra points. Allow plenty of time for the Gardens you could easily spend all day there.
You should definitely check out the hawker centres for food as well, as you can try a wide variety of good food from surrounding regions at very reasonable prices!
