what to do in singapore
 

talked the wife into going on a run to sinapore feb1-4 2002. what can we do for the 2 full days
thanks for the help

I'd go back to the zoo. I went during the day, though there have been favorable reports about going to the Night Zoo. There's plenty of shopping along Orchard Road, or you can tour out in some of the neighborhoods. There's also plenty of cafes and restaurants along the river.

A number of people have posted photos, so you might search here for those. Mine are at:
http://home.pacbell.net/tom911

Have you decided where you are going to stay? Singapore has probably the best choice of hotels to pick from. If budget is no problem you should consider the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton or the Fullerton. The latter has only been open six months so you'll be sure to get a good deal. If you are looking for a good deal try the Gallery Evaison (might of spelt wrong). Take an umbrella as the afteroon showers are sudden and heavy.

If you are using points the Westin is good for location, and the south tower has recently be refurbished. Take you wife to Suntec Shopping Centre and buy her a bargin ring or something!

There are several recent trip reports posted here. You might do a quick search and come up with several ideas.

I'm not much for zoos (I'd rather see animals in the wild), but we did enjoy the Night Safari. It's very well done and all the animals were very active. Don't miss the giant fruit bat enclosure.

The nature preserve also has some good hiking. Generally you will spot monkeys, birds, some funny little squirrels and, if you have sharp eyes, maybe some lizards and snakes hiding out. As we learned though, don't mess with any of the brightly colored ones.

Orchard Road is a zoo, just a different kind. If you really need to see 4 Esprit's in one road, or go to Tony Roma's, or pick up a prostitute, Orchard Road is the place to go. It's trying hard to be the 51st state of the USA. In other words, it's a complete waste of time, except to marvel at how much Western crud you can pack into one place.

The Indian area north of the city is interesting, there are some museums to the west of the city, there's Chinatown to the south and Satay Club and the Quays near that. The boat trips are a nice, cheap (or free, if you're on a Singapore Airlines stopover) way to see some of the city.

If you are interested in shopping, silk is cheap down at Clarke Quay. Lots of odds and ends are cheap in the Indian markets too.

As many others have done also, I found the famed Night Safari at the zoo excellent.

we plan on staying at the conrad. have the free night from easy stays. tom911 pictures of the zoo has made me put that on the must see list. thanks for the other sugestion I'm starting a list.

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A fine hotel! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

But get out and see Singapore, since it's perfect for a "mileage run" as you can see much of this fine city state in just two-three days! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Rbernheim:

Stay tuned. Highflyah, Iluv2fly and I are planning on making a Singapore run from Chicago on the same days that you are going. Hopefully, we can get together and see some of the sites. Highflyah and I have been there before and know some of the good things to see.

Gees, tell us how you really feel! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Satay Club? Really? Please tell me this is the case. I went to the Satay Club (outdoor food hawker area specializing in satays) a number of years ago and loved it. I've been looking for it ever since but I've been told it has been defunct for a number of years now. I haven't been to SIN in the last two years, so I would be delighted to know if the Satay Club has been resurrected.

Go here http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt...ker/satay.html for satay in Singapore.

Enjoy http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by VanMan (edited 12-06-2001).]

[This message has been edited by VanMan (edited 12-06-2001).]

I'm afraid I never knew the original place. It was indeed resurrected off Clarke Quay and I've been there a number of times in the past couple of years. It's on one of the pedestrian lanes that runs from Clarke Quay out to River Valley Road.

It's listed, appropriately enough, on clarkequay.com.sg:
http://www.clarkequay.com.sg/satay2.htm

Premex2000,

One more Mike to add to that list. I am there 2/1-2/11. Sounds like rocking good time in the making. I have spent the past year and a half there every month and have a few favorite restaurants I can intro. So rbernheim, looks like you not only have the night safari to look forward to (take bug repellent), but company also if you wish. I will be at the IC (338-7600).

Mike

Plenty to see and do, even for non-shoppers. Examples: Take the 30-minute river cruise. Walk (and eat) around Chinatown. Do likewise around Little India. Go on the zoo "night safari" (a truly unique and worthwhile experience). Go to Pulau Ubin, an island (off the northeast coast of the main island) that still has the old "kampong" (village) atmosphere, which has disappeared from the rest of Singapore because of modernization. Visit Sentosa Island (a leisure island just south of Singapore) and: ride the neat aerial cable car for the views; see Underwater World (tropical aquarium); visit Fort Siloso (WWII history lesson); walk the beach; visit Dolphin World; and numerous other activities. Visit Jurong Bird Park. Just off Orchard Road, walk up Emerald Hill Road to admire the classic shophouses, another vestige of colonial Singapore, and stop in at the BeadHub store (string-it-yourself beads). Walk around the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the National Orchid Garden. Take the 2-1/2-hour harbor cruise (with stop at Kusu Island). And don't forget the obligatory Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel! Also, there are some good museums, such as the Singapore History Museum.

And of course, eat and drink!

Kathy

[This message has been edited by KathyWdrf (edited 12-06-2001).]

...and more eating:

http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/life/...89569,00.html?

Better yet, take the two-hour harbor cruise for SD$22 rather than the boring Singapore River cruise. Avoid the cheesy Night Safari. Definitely do the food stalls at La Pau Sat: a huge, delicious meal for two can be had for less than $10 US.

I think I'm only qualified to help on the "What can I do in Singapore for 7 hours?" question! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Two additional ideas away from the central city:

Ride the MRT subway (mostly aerial) for a circular tour of the island, past some of the most sustained apartment tower block developments you'll ever see. Get off at something like Chep Chang Mai to ride the driverless aerial LRT past further megadevelopments at close range. This is the real Singapore where 90% of the inhabitants live.

Visit Changi Prison Museum, near the airport. Prison used by Japan as a brutal POW concentration camp during WW2, now modernized and the site of occasional whippings and canings.

In the course of going to various parts of the island, I rode nearly the entire MRT system at one time or another. The scenery gets dull. More interesting is to ride on the top of one of the double-decker buses such as the one I rode all the way back from Changi Village to the center of town. (I believe it was line 2, but will have to check that once I'm home from my Philly trip.) On a bus you see the street scene, and on the top deck you have a nice bird's-eye view.

Kathy

Good idea. I've let the Singapore Tourism Board know that they need to produce a bus map for distribution - right now nothing is available and the system is rather confusing for the uninitiated.

Two more sightseeing ideas:

1. The morning chirping competitions of caged birds on Tiong Bahru at Kim Seng (not for animal rights activists). Some of the cages are nicely designed, as are the ornaments inside, and the bird song is remarkable.

2. The URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) Gallery at 45 Maxwell Road in Chinatown. Gives you the inside scoop on how Singapore can accommodate 3.2 million people on a tiny island. Development methods and practices past and future with many displays, including a huge, optimistic model of planned megadevelopment downtown!