We will be stopping off on our way to Istanbul for a couple days in Tioman Island-will only have small carry-on with us. On the way back, by the time we take the ferry to Mersing, bus to JB, another bus to SIN, I anticipate we will be back in SIN around 6pm. Our flight to Istanbul via DXB on EK leaves at 0320, so allowing for metro ride out, check in, retrieving bags from left-luggage, I would say we need to leave the city by midnight. This will be a Monday night so I doubt there will be any shows on except the cinema. Any good and cheap ideas?

Thanks!

http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/

Are you aware that there is a ferry from Tioman to Singapore? the ferry landing is about 10 minutes from the airport and this would be much easier than the Mersing route :) It will also give you more time to enjoy Singapore




We will be stopping off on our way to Istanbul for a couple days in Tioman Island-will only have small carry-on with us. On the way back, by the time we take the ferry to Mersing, bus to JB, another bus to SIN, I anticipate we will be back in SIN around 6pm. Our flight to Istanbul via DXB on EK leaves at 0320, so allowing for metro ride out, check in, retrieving bags from left-luggage, I would say we need to leave the city by midnight. This will be a Monday night so I doubt there will be any shows on except the cinema. Any good and cheap ideas?

Thanks!

We will be stopping off on our way to Istanbul for a couple days in Tioman Island-will only have small carry-on with us. On the way back, by the time we take the ferry to Mersing, bus to JB, another bus to SIN, I anticipate we will be back in SIN around 6pm. Our flight to Istanbul via DXB on EK leaves at 0320, so allowing for metro ride out, check in, retrieving bags from left-luggage, I would say we need to leave the city by midnight. This will be a Monday night so I doubt there will be any shows on except the cinema. Any good and cheap ideas?

Thanks!

Hi,

estnet is right, AFAIK there should be a direct ferry from Tioman Island directly to Singapore (Tanah Merah Terminal - ca. 10 min from Changi) with Penguin Ferry. Check out http://www.tioman.50megs.com/gethere.htm and call the ferry company to be sure.

Also, why would you want to take a "metro ride out" (ca. 40 - 45 min plus AFAIK you may have to change trains)? Cabs are very cheap in SIN, even if one is travelling on a budget. The fare from downtown SIN (e.g. Orchard Rd) to Changi is between 15 - 20 S$ (about 10 - 12 US$) At night there is a small surcharge, but nothing that breaks the bank. Up to you guys. Enjoy.

Cheers ...

Are you aware that there is a ferry from Tioman to Singapore? the ferry landing is about 10 minutes from the airport and this would be much easier than the Mersing route :) It will also give you more time to enjoy Singapore
Note that if the wind isn't blowing your way the direct ferry crossing can be quite choppy, and the ferry runs only in peak season. What time of year are you going? (You are aware that the east coast monsoon season starts around October, yes?)

The luxury alternative is to hop on Berjaya Air (http://www.berjaya-air.com/)'s daily Dash-7 flight from TIO to Seletar (XSP), the lesser-known of Singapore's airports. The flight takes around 40 minutes (US$70 or so), and from XSP it's around 20 minutes to Changi by cab. Tip: if you're staying at the Berjaya Resort, you can get a discounted package with flights.

We arrive SIN 2 Oct 0200 on EK, will spend 2 and 3 Oct at Bamboo Hill Chalets and return to SIN 4 Oct for flight to DXB on 5 Oct 0320. Hopefully this early in Oct we will miss the monsoon. I knew about the direct ferry but since we are going out on a Saturday it will be more expensive. SIN $168 per person which is $127 AUD each. The Mersing route which is mostly payable in MYR worked out to be around $100 AUD for both of us so we save over $120 AUD-better spent on shopping or eating! I am not really fond of boats but at least via Mersing its 1.5 hours vs 4 hours direct from SIN. Flying is way out of our budget.

We will be going to CAI next year on SQ and will probably get a Singapore Stopver package that includes free admission to Night Safari along with other attractions so might save that until then.

Are there any non-touristy interesting things to do on a Monday night? I suppose we can go to the cinema as a last resort or wander around Orchard ST-but hubby hates shopping-he likes to eat though!

Are there any non-touristy interesting things to do on a Monday night? I suppose we can go to the cinema as a last resort or wander around Orchard ST-but hubby hates shopping-he likes to eat though!
Go stuff yourselves in a hawker centre (dishes S$2-5 each) and then sample Chinese tea ceremony at Tea Chapter (http://www.tea-chapter.com.sg/); much more relaxed than the Japanese kind and a single S$8 pot (including demonstration of how to brew it) will last you hours.

Various things to do and places to go, written by people live there: http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Singapore

Luggage can probably be checked in long time before your flight so you don't carry around.

East Coast seafood centre - close to Changi by taxi, and in a park. Chilly crab... Pricey - 60-80 SGD bill for 2.
Geylang hawker food - for the adventurous ones, since Geylang is a red light district as well. You might find a 10-20$ hotel till 2am, too, but I've no idea...
Bugis - a little bit of everything - Chinese/ Indian temples/ Arab street; covered air-con "traditional-shop-house" street - wich is actually shopping/ eating mall. OK Singapore shopping both in and out; non-air-con food courts outside, where authentic Singaporean food still can be found. The famous 24 hour roti-prata is near-by on Bencoolen St./ Middle Rd crossing is not only delicious, but will cost S$10-15 for dinner for 2. Looks like a hawker place.
You can as well walk to Little India.

luggage CAN'T be checkd in "long" before your flight- but from OP it looks like you'll be retreiving it after you get back to the airport (good planning)

I had no idea the ferry to tanah mereh had become so expensive :mad:

Since you'll be traveling all day here's a thought - go to the convention center/suntec city. It's ac inside - there is a good (cheap) self serve food stall to the right near the entrance to mall if you go in to the convention center (laksa about sg3, roti less than $1) as well as two other restaurants there plus a BUNCH around the "fountain of wealth" (basement floor with a short free lazer show), including a huge (usually very crowded) hawker type place with many "stalls" as well as a variety of restaurants.
There are tons of stores - but wait - you can walk and window shop in ac comfort (there are 4 or so buildings at Suntec), try out a massage chair (free 10 minute massage ;) at OSIM - a store that sells them, look at the exotic fruits, food, fish at Carrfours - a huge grocery store (if you are into that), and there go upstairs and see a movie (from a choice of 3 or 4) - there is a cinema (it is quite cheap by US standards and the seats are very nice).

I think the stores close around 9ish, but a movie would last later. Since you are on a budget you can get the 36 bus back to the ap -it stops right outside the convention centre - but the last one is about midnight -so don't miss it. It's a long, sort of interesting trip, and much cheaper than a taxi - will get you to the ap in about 20-30 minutes.

Since you'll be traveling all day on boats, buses, etc and then on a plane it might be nice to be able to walk around in ac comfort with lots of food options and a movie all in one place.

Thanks, mates those are good ideas! Just what I needed-something not in any tourist book. The luggage is not an issue-from Changi website, the left luggage is open 24 hours so we don't have to lug the stuff we need for Dubai and Istanbul to Tioman.

We will need to get ahold of MYR. I know we can get SGD at an ATM in Changi. Is it worthwhile to buy MYR there or should we take the cash SGD across the border to JB and change there-this will be a Saturday morning around 7am so it needs to be accessable then as we need to pay either busfare to Mersing or take a share-taxi. I want to avoid too many ATM withdrawals as our bank in Australia charges $4 for each foreign transaction. Is there a significant difference between rates at Changi and in JB at Larkin bus station or the border? Locals, where do you get your MYR when you go to Malaysia?

First, do NOT go to the convention centre - it's as boring as it could get and locals go there because it's aircon - as they do with the Orchard Rd shopping malls. The quality of food is well, mediocre, and it's ZERO to see.
I would say this is worse than visiting a so called "tourist attraction" like Sentosa or Japanese garden. The breeze in East Coast PArk is way better. Usually no mosquitos, but cream might help for accidental encounter.

Money: every money changer either in Sg or JB will change the SGD:MR money at reasonnable rates. Also, Sg dollars get accepted as "money" in most Malay places at 2:1 ratio (so the person taking them makes appr. 10%). When they see your white skin, some "bright" Malaysian might try to tell you it's 1:1, but if you show knowledge, 2:1 is the norm (2MR for 1S$). The official changers rate is more around 2.2:1.

What about getting a massage (real one not the red-light variety!)? Is that reasonably priced and feasible after 6pm?

What about getting a massage (real one not the red-light variety!)? Is that reasonably priced and feasible after 6pm?

I think a spa treatment is a great idea. I went to SIN in January and had an excellent treatment at the Four Seasons Hotel. Though I was a hotel guest there, one doesn't have to be one to book a spa treatment. Compared to treatments at similar luxury spas in the U.S., the Four Seasons charges a mere pittance. Before my trip in January, the Four Seasons sent me a list of their spa services and prices. Here's a sample of some of them:

Massage
Shiatsu (50 mins) S$95.00
Swedish (50 mins) S$95.00
Aroma Massage (50 mins) S$110.00
Foot Massage (30 minutes) S$55.00

Facial
Soothing Facial (1 hour) S$80.00
Deluxe Facial (1 1/4 hours) S$100.00

Exfoliating Body Scrub (40 mins) S$75.00

And when you book a spa treatment, you are welcome to use their fitness center as well of course their pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam. There are also tennis courts, indoor and outdoor as well as lessons.

By the way, the Four Seasons Singapore doesn't automatically tack on 18% gratuity to the treatment prices "for your convenience" as so many spas in the U.S. do.

After my treatment, I gave the therapist a S$10 tip and she was so grateful and gracious. The service at the spa, as you might expect at a Four Seasons, was exemplary.

C'mon, the guys ask for cheapo real Asian massage - like the US5 p.h. in every soi in Thailand.
You can get decent foot massage (might include shoulders) for 40 min in many places - every older shopping mall has a massage place. Quality - beware the Chinese type hurts more than the one in Thailand, but some masseurs know "ang-moh" prefer less painfull. Price - S$ 15-20 per session, you might have ot bargain to go to the lower end.
Example for place (authentic painful type, sorry) - the junction of Middle Rdd and Bencoolen St (near Bugis) has this famous 24h Rotti prata Muslim Indian place. Opposite to it - on the other side of Bencoolen you see this dingy looking old shopping mall-office tower, the ground floor is a foodcourt. As you enter, from that entrance, you see the foot massage place on the left behind some stairs.
I can imagine all 15-20 $ foot massage places are locals frequented, hence quality is authentic Asian, and prices are for locals, too. The places are all over.

I forgot to mention body massage is double the price, and most people do prefer foot massage. The places close 8-9pm. You get the busiest times after 6pm, but with so many place you will strike it lucky somewhere. Beware you look for bright "foot" sign, since usually you do not see the parlours from the street, they are discretely hidden.

Wow! The Four Seasons sounds heavenly, but the foot massage is much more in our budget. Thanks again!

If you're really looking to do things cheap, I'd recommend you stay on the JB side of the causeway for some of the evening. From Larkin Bus Terminal you can easily get a bus into the city centre, or a cab will be under RM10 (just be sure to set the price before you hop in, or insist on the meter - good luck with that! :D ). But for food you'll pay basically the same in RM as you would in SG$ (so pretty much half the price). The same for massage services as well (though you'd want to be careful where you choose in JB, as a lot of it caters to Singaporeans crossing the causeway looking for extra services as well :D). They've finished the greater part of the beautification project for the downtown area of JB, so now it's only somewhat scruffy instead of very seedy :).

As for changing money you can get decent exchange rates on Aussie dollars in JB as well, so don't feel you have to change to Sing dollars and then to MYR - just across the causeway there's plenty of money changers open all hours, though at Larkin I'm not so sure (I'm sure others have better knowledge).

Hmmm-that is an interesting idea-massage in JB. We would have to be pretty careful to avoid the red-light places though. We stumbled into one accidentally in Bangkok once. It was in the Sukhumvit area which is pretty touristy and they advertised authentic Thai massage. It was in a long room with mats on the floor and curtain dividers. The massuese assigned to my husband kept trying to close the curtain between us-I wouldn't let her. Don't know how cheeky she would have been even with me less than one metre away! They weren't very good masseuses, they just didn't have the strength in their hands-the best part was when they walked on our backs. I wonder if Tioman has massage (outside the Berjaya which would be very expensive.

I don't mind spending more time in JB as we will be back to Singapore next year anyway. Does anyone know a good massage place there-no "extras", thank you!

Looking in JB City Square there's a day spa place at www.city-square.com/stores/equilibrio/index.php - I haven't been there myself, so can't vouch for the quality, and might be a touch out of the price range you'd be looking for. But the location is certainly convinient. I know all the larger upscale hotels in JB have massage facilities too, but at a price point to match.

For eating there's a great night hawker centre that sets up just a block or two from City Square, next to the Hindu temple (I'm pretty sure it's listed in the Lonely Planet if you've got that). Plenty of cheap eats there, and great tasting too. There's nice places to eat closer to the waterfront as well a bit out of town, but without your own transport they're not particuarly convinient (you'll end up paying more for the taxis then you will for the food :D).

I had a look at that website-it looks pretty posh-didn't give prices. I couldn't find anything on google other than hotels. I got an email back from the place I am staying on Tioman-no massage there. That is a little surprising-you would think that with so many tourists an enterprising local would set something up! The hawker centre sounds promising-at least we can economize on food!

I had a look at that website-it looks pretty posh-didn't give prices. I couldn't find anything on google other than hotels. I got an email back from the place I am staying on Tioman-no massage there. That is a little surprising-you would think that with so many tourists an enterprising local would set something up! The hawker centre sounds promising-at least we can economize on food!
This is not Thailand: most outfits on Tioman are run by Muslims, and Muslim women can't do massage on strangers. JB, on the other hand, is mostly Chinese like all major Malaysian cities and have no such qualms.

We are back from this trip now and this is how we ended up killing time:

We got a direct bus to SIngapore from Mersing so decided not to hop out in JB. It dropped us at Newton Circus, from there we got a local bus to Orchard Road and changed money. There is a tourist office and just down the street a shopping mall with a McDonalds at street level. Upstairs there is a money changer where we changed a few bucks and right next door was a Chinese massage place-foot and back massage. We talked them into 1 30 min back and shoulders massage for each of us total $70. At the tourist office, we picked up some maps and noticed there was a special going on a Singapore night tour for $21 SGD each so we booked that. It took us to Chinatown market, the dancing water show on Sentosa (which quickly became tedious as was very childish) and the Bugis market. AFterwards, we had the driver drop us at the bus stop and got the local bus back to the airport and reteived our large bag from storage.

BTW If you are in terminal 1 buses are more convenient to the city, if in terminal 2 then the MRT is better if you are coming and going at hours the Skytrain doesn't operate midnight to 6am if I remember right. Also, you should know that most shops are closed between midnight and 6am. I didn't know that and had been planning to stock up on mini DV tapes for the camcorder. There is only a newsagent and booze/cig/perfume shop open, neither could help us.