SIN misc. questions
 

Debating a SIN mileage "run" (where I'll actually get a full day in the City). Flight arrives at 23:45 and departs 7:20 (no not the next morning - I have 2 1/2 shreds of sanity left).

(1) What's the best way to my hotel? Taxi? Shuttle services? Approx. cost and time?

(2) What's a "safe" amount of time to be at the airport for the return?

(3) How would you spend a "day" in SIN (on little sleep, not staying out late).

Any other SIN tips would be appreciated. I know there's some "mileage run" stuff about SIN and there's some more specific forums, but really, who goes there.....

Taxi. Shuttle is possible before midnight, but, for a first trip, the cost differential given the potential hassle isn't that great. Taxi drivers are uniformly honest.

I usually get to the airport 1.5 hours ahead. Leave enough time for security at the gate, which can be take some time. The procedures at SIN keep varying, so perhaps someone with the most recent information will reply.

As to your question about what to do, are you a Lonely Planet traveller or upscale or what? Where are you staying?

I usually recommend the Night Safari, which is fairly unique. There actually are a lot of decent reports in the specific discussion areas.

You could do worse than to review the 3 Perfect Days write-up. Shopping is just ok, but the food is great.
Rich

Eastbay - take the taxi. A trip to downtown will run about $12, plus a $3 surcharge ($5 from Fri eve to Sun). There's also a 50% surcharge on the meter fare for trips that start after midnight, so you'll probably be hit with that. Trip should be about 20 minutes if in downtown area.

As for what to do... for a day, loads. Little India, Birdpark, the Orchid park at the Botanical gardens, Night safari.

1.) Taxi, should cost 15 ~ 20 SGD depending on your destination; duration should be 15 ~ 20 minutes, again depending on destination. There are ATM's to the left as you exit the baggage claim area, the taxi queue is a bit to the left. Any taxi in this queue is fine, metered, safe (as long as the driver hasn;t been working for the last 36 hours without sleep) and approved.

2.) For UA 882 personally I would plan to arrive at the airport by 05:30, so leave your hotel at 05:00 by taxi. Checking in won't take so long, but the security line at the entrance to the gate will open ~ 06:15 and that can back up.

3.) A brief search (keywords: SIN, or Singapore) of the "Mileage Run", "United" and "Trip Reports" forums would yield a lot of recommendations on what to do for a day. Here is a link to the Hemispheres Magazine, click on the "Three Perfect Days" then select Singapore.
http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/home.htm


Have fun.

The time before flight to be at the airport is really driven by how long it takes at the gate. The 1K counter is a breeze, in fact they will come up to you with a clipboard and check your name off the list and be ready for you when you egt to the counter. Passport control takes seconds unless you are juggling a Grande Mocha from the Starbucks right in front of it, in which case it may take up to a minute. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif The walk to the gate is a five minute walk probably and then you get to queue there for them to check all passengers rather carefully. Axctually, some people breeze through without a secondary screening within the gate, but most get at least a bag emptying experience or at perhaps a switch on the computer one. The staff are polite and efficient and although the line moves slowly it moves continuously. You needn?t really get to the gate until 45 minutes before departure though so if you are at the airport an hour and a half early you will be fine.

Enjoy and be sure to pack cotton clothing.

Mike
Another vote on the night safari as well. Enjoy the local food too. It is a mixture of so many things and is a great "Taste of Asia".

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A few things:

1)Definitely take a taxi into town. It's very easy and from a U.S. perspective, a relatively good bargin.

2) If you aren't tired when you arrive, after you check into your hotel, wander (or take a taxi) depending on how far you are) over to Boat Quay along the river. Walk around and soak up the feel of a Singapore night. Then walk a few blocks to the outdoor 24 hour food emporium called Lau Pa Sat. The food is awesome and really cheap. It's also a relatively clean environment. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The food in Singapore is probably the best I've had anywhere that I've been to in the world.

3) Go to the Night Safari. I'm not much of a zoo person (I don't care for the whole idea of confining animals to cages -- but I do like to eat them -- that's another issue). But this is really unlike other zoos because you get to see animals in habitats that seem to approximate their actual habitats and you get to see them at night -- when they're awake and not sitting on their a*ses. The bat cage is particularly cool -- it helped me overcome my fear of bats.

4) Take a taxi just for a tour. During my last trip to SIN, four of us -- Kenji, Highflyah, Iluv2fly and myself -- took a taxi and had him just show us around the city. The rate was incredibly reasonable. He was really honest and also a pretty good tour guide. We spent maybe 2 hours and I got to see parts of the city I had never been before -- like the last remaining remnants of the old Chinatown. He did take us to a cheesy rock/gem store at the end -- where he probably gets a fee for bringing us. But we didn't buy anything and just looked around.

5) Do a search in Trip Reports, Mileage Runs and United under my name and you'll see some of my and others' comments regarding what to do in Singapore. Have fun!!