beergut

You do get the humidity in DXB during the Summer, even worse than in SIN but I must have only visited on the days when it didn't rain

neuf

I.e. ... two seasons. Hot and rainy, and hot and rain...-ier.

TrueBlueFlyer

I think it was raining all three times I transited through SIN

The one time I had an opportunity to stay in Singapore for 24 hours courtesy of Air France I decided to explore Amsterdam for a few hours courtesy of KLM instead... seems like an opportunity wasted

but now I'm looking for job opportunities in the area, as I really enjoyed that whole region on my last visit to Malaysia

uk1

We've had two trips where we had incessant rain and it does rather shape the day.

On thew plus side it forces you into food halls where you're forced to stay longer than planned. On the negative side you find yourself in hotel "lounges" for longer than you should.

Amsterdam is a great city though ...... if you like Indonesian food and can find a really good choice. BMI use to sell C class tickets on an auction site and I once decided to take the whole of my extended family on a trip to Amsterdam for the day for a heavy dose of ricetafel. I managed to get our then favourite restaurant to open for lunch specially for us and we hired a van to give us a potted tour of Holland. We also hired a canal boat for us all ..... with a bar .....

I guess it was a bit like your stopover ...... but taking your kids and partners and friends to another country for the day is a lovely thing to do once in your life.


Good luck with your job hunt ...... when you are esconced send us a food parcel.

Swanhunter

Indeed. ^

Musing a little more, I think it is the climate that really bothers me or acts as an unconscious block. Some of the things jpatokal mentions look fun. But I just know I'd be melting within 5 mins and not enjoying myself at all. I've spent enough time yomping around warehouses and the port to know I just can't do that level of humidity and do much more than sit still.

That said, weather aside I'd far rather be in Singapore than Dubai. I really don't get Dubai at all.

uk1

I think that's why it's a great place to visit. It's so completely different to the UK. After a while - whenever I'm somewhere really hot and humid I yearn for the greenery and rain of Hampshire and Wiltshire ...... and it's the contrast that makes you recognise what you have at home. If you don't travel how can you really put your homebase into perspective.

As another aside ... it's only on FT that will you come across someone like jpatokal who is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about his topic. Real knowledge. How many times have you read a travel page in a paper or magaizine and had the very real impression that it was an armschair trip? Facts wrong, sections lifted from web sites etc.

I do so hope he is waiting for us at the end of the quay on our next trip - he sounds like a lot of fun to show you what's underneath the surface and ready to be expored.

theblakefish

Okay folks, enlighten me here...why is it not just a stopover? I have been to the Indian/Chinese/Malay neighborhoods, done Orched Streed, the Battle Box (which is totally worth a trip)....but tell me why I should consider a 3-day stopover there instead of Seoul in my upcoming trip in May? I wanna hear the cheerleaders, here!

kitsura

Why not have a local show you around instead? I've been to all of the places he mentioned and also lots of non-touristy places and some of the offshore islands. I also happen to have an intimate knowledge of some of the the more *ahem* hidden aspects of Singapore.

uk1

My wife doesn't like <<"*ahem* hidden aspects of Singapore" >> thank you very much.

kitsura

It doesn't have to be that. There are many more interesting places that aren't considered tourist traps. Like the hot spring in Sembawang area for example.

HawaiiO

The MacRitchie Reservoir area is actually quite a nice nature park to walk around in and get away from the city's hustle and bustle.

Bukit Timah nature reserve is not bad too.

The Chinese like to go to Kusu island, a tiny island off Singapore to pay respects to their ancestors.

Ahhh, but I also love the vibrant nighttime in Singapore.
People going out to eat and walk around even at midnight.

Most American/Euro cities are dead after 9pm or earlier but the Asian cities are still so vibrant and alive. Love it!

uk1

The only complaint I have ..... and it really is scraping the bottom of the boat ( ).... is that they got rid of the proper bum boats and replaced them with pleasure boats and described them as historic bum boats! You couldn't beat those boats with the smelly noisy engines and some of those guys with their incessant throat clearing .....

And weren't they somewhat cheaper?

kitsura

Singapore's nightlife is meh. Compared to say, Taipei or HK that is.

ung1

Both Mac Ritchie and Bukit Timah nature reserve are great when compared to the rest of Singapore. But if you compare to reservoirs or lakes and forests elsewhere, for example in Canada, there's absolutely no comparison.

And about weather in Dubai - it's very hot and humid in summer, worse than Singapore. But the winters are very cool and pleasant, and its lovely sitting outside having a meal. In Singapore on the other hand, its either hot enough to get a sunstroke, or rainy enough to get completely drenched as everything gets slightly flooded.

I do agree with all the people who said its an expensive city. Perhaps not compared to Europe, but compared to the rest of Asia and North America, if you have to live here, rentals are crazy (try living in an HDB flat), cars are the most expensive in the world (and public transport, especially buses, isn't all that convenient), food (and I mean groceries and such) are expensive (I can only eat at a hawker stall so many times a week). Personally, I'd rather live in Europe if the cost of living is the same as Singapore (But I'd probably still pick Singapore over some other Asian cities). I understand, however, that for a tourist, costs can be fairly reasonable.

christep

They are significantly below those in Hong Kong and Tokyo. And, I would suggest, well below those in Manhattan.