protagonist

First time in Singapore and only there for 2 days.

I want to stay in an interesting neighborhood, lots of things within walking distance (good food and entertainment- I am not much of a shopper)

What neighborhood would you recommend?

Any that I should avoid?

Thanks.

Annalisa12

I love the Mosque Street area. Such yummy and cheap crab.

HawaiiO

If u are from a western country, maybe Chinatown would be more interesting.
Some people like Tiong Bahru (not too far from Chinatown).

Singapore downtown area is small enough that u can get anywhere in a really short time.

protagonist

Thanks, Annalisa and Hawaii!

invisible

One more option - Joo Chiat. Interesting mix of Malay and Chinese neighbourhoods, good Vietnamese restaurants, 20 min walking to East Coast Park.

SQ319

+1 on this. Only thing is that it is further from the city centre (approx 15 min drive).

Chinatown is too sanitised for me, unless you are here before Chinese New Year.

Little India and Arab Street area has more buzz.

protagonist

Interesting....recommendations are all over the city really.

Makes me feel like I can't really go too far wrong regardless of where I stay.

Certainly not true of most cities.

protagonist

What is Kallang like? Is it a good place to stay, or should I lean towards the recommendations above? There is a hotel there that receives excellent reviews (4.5 stars on Tripadvisor) at a very reasonable price.

Also I have noted on Agoda some very good hotel deals at nice hotels last minute, compared with when I am traveling. Is Singapore the kind of place where I would likely do better to wait to book a room until right before I leave (early February)?

Thanks.

SQ319

Which hotel is it? Kallang is quite close to town area, so it's okay, but also depends on which part of Kallang.

I wouldn't wait, if I were you. I don't know when you are travelling, but Singapore does get booked up during peak events period such as the Singapore Air Show etc.

invisible

I guess it is not Kalang, but Geylang where rooms can be rented on hourly bases. I think you know what that means.

protagonist

Thanks, SQ119 and Invisible!
Hotel is Hotel Yan. Gets very good reviews on Tripadvisor and elsewhere though price is quite low....I'm a bit skeptical. Here is the reference (with address): https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Singapore.html

I was looking at hotels at twice the price and then came upon this one.

Since I am only staying a few days, I am willing to pay more for a good location. The rooms at Yan seem small by descriptions but adequate for me alone.

malgudi

This might help

https://wikitravel.org/en/Singapore

invisible

I concluded that it would be this hotel after doing some search. It is in Lavander/Bugis area - one of the recommended districts. Arab st/Bugis is 10 min walking away and there are plenty of things to see.

As far as rooms - if you want larger rooms expect to pay US $200 and up and have to stay at downtown core. So you need to decide what are your priorities.

SQ319

Adding to what invisible has mentioned, this location is actually good for both the Arab Street and the Little India area, You can walk to both areas; takes about 15 minutes. Nearest MRT station is Lavender, which is approx a 10 minute walk away, which means you are also within a 20-30 minute train ride from Changi Airport, barring any train delays.

Within the immediate vicinity, you're right next to one of the best (hipster) coffee places in Singapore and lots of hipster cafes around, though I would definitely recommend that you try the local coffee in our kopitiam too.

If you want larger rooms but dont really want to pay through the nose, you can look at the hotels in the Riverside area. They are not that expensive (around SGD150-200), walkable to Clarke Quay (for nightlife) and Tiong Bahru (for local food) and within a short bus ride from the main attractions. The hotel rooms in this stretch are generally decently sized (~28sqm), and though they are on the older side, are still pretty well maintained. Four Points by Sheraton and Holiday Inn did a renovation in the past 2-3 years.

protagonist

Good link. Thanks.