Uniquely Singapore! (Singapore)

Name: ukusa

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Product:	Singapore
Date:	25.08.06 (288 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An easy city to navigate, great culture combinations and great shopping!

Disadvantages: I can get hot and humid!!

Uniquely Singapore!! This is this city's catch phrase. It can be seen on signs as soon as you walk off the plane the moment when you do depart and they wish you a found farewell as the plane departs this fine city.

I am not sure what I thought I would expect from Singapore. However, whatever it was did not even compare to what I found in this spectacular city!

Upon arriving at the Changi airport, one becomes completely in awe of the airport which supports it's own stopover hotel, free movie theatre and spa! This is not to mention the vast amounts of shops and restaurants.

~Immigration~

On departing the plane, you make your way through the beautiful corridors filled with live plants and flowers of spectacular beauty, to the immigration lines. As the airline had not handed out immigration cards before arrival in Singapore, we had to fill out the card on the area provided before the immigration officers. There was plenty of space for the people to fill out the cards and there were ample pens to complete the task. The immigration card is a standard one and did pose any difficulty. Then into the very short line we went to have our passports stamped. The procedure was quick and harmless and we were well on our way to the luggage carousel. One thing we found different was that there was duty free BETWEEN immigration and the luggage carousel. So, if shopping is what you wanted to do, you could start IMMEDIATELY!!

~ First Glimpse of the City~

Our luggage arrived quickly. The area between arrivals and the luggage claim is completely glassed in so anyone waiting for you could see you even before you got the luggage! We had booked our holiday through Kuoni and there were a rep waiting for us as we came through. We were taken by a mini bus to our hotel. As it was only 9 am, we were able to get a nice look of the city as we came in. Our first impressions were that this was a HOT, lovely, clean and green city! This is an observation that continued throughout the entire trip. The roads were excellent and the time it took to get from the airport to the hotel was about 30 minutes or less. It was quick and pain free,
well except for the extreme HEAT!!

~Day One~
We were staying at the Carlton Hotel which is located on the opposite corner of the FAMOUS RAFFLES HOTEL and opposite of Chijmes. We were able to check in immediately. Our hotel was very nice and clean with a large room. The large picture window looked over the city giving us wonderful views confirming that this was definitely a very green city. Once we changed into our shorts and t-shirts, we were off to explore!"

Raffles Hotel- No trip is complete to Singapore without a look around the famous Raffles Hotel. Raffles Hotel opened in 1887 and is one of the last great 19th century hotels. Many famous people have stayed here and Singaporeans enjoy telling stories of the people who have graced the Raffles rooms. The hotel has been given a "face-lift" and the grandeur of it is impressive! It now houses, not only the hotel which are suite only rooms, but also 70 shops and restaurants. The Singapore Sling drink was made famous at this hotel and one MUST have one whilst there! We decided to partake in this drink on the veranda of the Long Bar located on the 1st story. This is the ONLY place in Singapore where you are allowed to litter!!! Each table has a large bowl of peanuts and the shells can be thrown on the floor! We were hungry, so we had Sunday brunch which was an amazing buffet of seafood and meats! The service was excellent and we never had to ask for anything as our needs were anticipated.

Well, it is said that the second most popular activity in Singapore to eating was shopping. So, off we went to explore what damage we could afflict to our credit card!! Immediately across from the Raffles Hotel is the Raffles City Shopping Centre.
Raffles City Complex was designed by world famous architect I. M. Pei. The centre has two hotels, a convention center, a variety of restaurants, and a Japanese department store. From there we went through an underground mall that took us to the Suntec City Mall! We were happy about this as it kept us out of the heat!
Suntec City Mall is the largest mall in Singapore with over 78,000 square metres of shops and resturants! It is here you will find the Fountain of Wealth.
The Fountain of Wealth is the World's Largest water fountain. The Fountain Of Wealth is upported by four 13.8 metres high bronze legs and spreading over an area of 1683.07 metres! I creates a spectacular view! The flowing water from the Fountain is a potent symbol as water is the essence of life in almost every culture. Make sure to have a walk around it to ensure your own good fortune and wealth!

Retracing our steps we headed back to our hotel to prepare for the evening. However, Chijmes seemed to be calling to me and we made a quick walk around this beautiful, converted girl's convent. Here you will find little shops that open from 11 am to 10 pm daily and restaurants that are opened from 11 am until LATE! The restaurants give you lots of choice. There are Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Brazilian restaurants just to name a few!!!

After our first day, we decided that Singapore was definitely a nice city to visit. It is a comfortable and safe feeling city that offers a wide variety of shopping and food. We found prices cheap against the £, even at the name brand stores which were very plentiful.

~Day 2~

We decided to make an early start and return to Suntec City to buy 2 day tickets for HiPPO tours. At the price of 1 tour, you can get a Sightseeing Pass that allows you to enjoy 6 fabulous tours over 2 full days from 10 am to 10 pm. It is free & easy, unlimited ride on the open top HiPPO bus. Unique to HiPPO in Singapore, guests on the novel bus are treated to a 360 degree uninterrupted paranomic view of the city.


Singapore Sightseeing Pass value tour package offer includes;
1. City Tour (10 am - 5.30 pm), unlimited free & easy hop on/off
2. Heritage Tour (10 am to 5.30 pm), unlimited free & easy hop on/off
3. Sentosa HiPPOtours (10 am - 9 pm), unlimited free & easy hop on/off
4. Singapore River Cruise (10 am - 11 pm), single entry, 30 minute ride
5. Moonlight City Adventure (6 pm - 10 pm), 4 hours guided tour
6. Red Lantern Tour (6 pm - 10 pm), 4 hours guided tour
Tickets only cost about £10 each for the two days. We found it an excellent value and for the remainder of the two days, we used this as our means of getting around.

We decided to take the City Tour first. This took us through the city centre and the guide gave a great over view of the city's history and make up. We got good views of the Merlion in the harbour and got off at one stop to go on the 30 minute Singapore River Cruise. This cruise took us from the city centre to the harbour where we got some awesome pictures of the Merlion! Back we hopped onto the bus and we got off on Orchard Road. This Road is a mecca of MORE shopping malls of every shape and size with shopping stalls along one side of the road. While on Orchard Road we shopped and tried the famous Chilli Crab. MMMMMM….. You definitely have to have Chili Crab while in Singapore!

Later that evening, we took the Red Latern Tour which took us to a local living/shopping area to partake in the culture, the red light district to see a different side of Singapore and Little India. The final portion took us down Orchard Road to view the amazing Christmas lights on display.

~Day 3~

This was to be our last day in Singapore. We decided to take the Heritage Tour and got off in Little China for some shopping. Little China offers a wide selection of stall shopping which I enjoy tremendously. It was here that we bought so much stuff that we didn't think we could get all back to the hotel!!! The day was hot, so we jumped back on the bus to finish the tour and headed back to our hotel room to get some rest. Jet lag was setting in!

~Interesting Information on Singapore~

Singapore is an interesting blend of old world and new world. The city is clean and modern. However, it's laws can be strict and swift. There is NO littering, NO gum and NO spitting. Fines are large and community service humiliating. 20% of a workers pay goes immediately in a state run saving scheme from day one and this is what is usually used to buy a home. One CANNOT buy a home until they are married!! In order to buy a car, you must first buy a piece of paper stating that you are allowed to buy a car and this cost about £500. The racial ratios in the various areas are evenly divided. An area will have an equal amount of Muslims, Buddhist, Hindus and Christians living in any given area. It takes only 14 minutes to get from one side of Singapore to the other. The current government is only 40 years old!

~Other Bits and Pieces~

1- Singapore is the place to go for electrical goods and accessories. If you are interested in such items, just ask for where to find the best deals. We were not looking for any electrical goods. However, we were looking for accessories for a new video camera we had. We found that Little China was a great place for this and we were able to haggle to get the best deal. However, be warned, they are willing to haggle and come down on their price but they will try to sell you something else when you are finished. At one point, I had really had enough and wanted to move on and I kept saying NO to what they were offering- polarized lens for £18. So, they threw in tri-pod for the same price. Again, I said NO. Then they threw in new camera bag for the £18. Again, I said NO! They then went down to £15 and a promise not to sell me anything else! So, I got a Sony camera bag, Sony tri-pod and polarized lens for £15!!!
2- The weather is HOT! It is tropical so don't forget to wear the sunscreen!!!! I am serious! Even on the over clouded days you can get a nasty burn. Also, keep hydrated. Drink plenty of water!
3- Bring comfortable shoes. Singapore is an easy city to walk in. So, take advantage and get some exercise in while you are shopping.
4- If you do buy higher priced items, be sure to claim back the tax at the airport on departure. The refund is given to you immediately and can even possibly be given in other currencies besides Singapore dollars.

~Overview~

We found Singapore to be a lovely city that can be easily done in 3-4 days. It is definitely a shoppers paradise. The exchange rate with the British pound is good. So, take advantage at the name brand and market stalls alike. English is widely spoken. So, there are no worries as for communication and ALL signs are in English!!

This is definitely a place I would recommend for a visit!!

Summary: A wonderful and friendly place to visit as part of an onward journey!