Itinarary for 2 Days in Singapore
Mar 3rd, 2004, 08:27 PM
#2
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi. Do what Singaporeans do best- SHOPPING 
Jokes apart, just pick up a copy of the'where' magazine and it'll tell you all there is to do in the city. What kind of activities are you interested in? If you're a 'foodie', interested in some fantastic restuarants, email me.
Good luck!
Jokes apart, just pick up a copy of the'where' magazine and it'll tell you all there is to do in the city. What kind of activities are you interested in? If you're a 'foodie', interested in some fantastic restuarants, email me.
Good luck!
Mar 4th, 2004, 01:18 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Take a look at the mini-guide which Fodors has already put together on this site. Click on Destinations above, scroll down to Asia and choose Singapore. There are lists of sights and some useful maps. The Colonial Singapore Walk is a great idea for an orientation walk of the old and interesting bits in the center city. Your hotel should also be able to offer walking guides and other guides put together by the Singapore Tourism Board. Take a look at their website at http://www.visitsingapore.com for ideas and local festivals which may be occurring in March.
My personal top ten would look something like this:
1. Colonial area walk, including a stop at Asian Civilizations Museum (Empress Place) in Raffles Quay. Your hotel is quite near this area. The walk itself takes about an hour, more if you want to go along the harbour area. If you are there on a weekend, stop to watch the cricket on the Padang. If you are dressed nicely, go into the Supreme Court building and ask to watch a trial, the judges wear wigs and the attorneys wear robes in the English style; there is something about a long white curly wig on an old Chinese man that breaks me up each time. . . . (Only to be beat by the courts in Bermuda, where the attorneys where Bermuda shorts!) You can have lunch along Boat Quay/Clarke Quay or lunch or tea at the Raffles Hotel (see below). (The Asian Civilizations Museum is in two locations, one in Empress place and one in Armenia Street, in another building which has been lovingly restored. They are about a 10 minute walk from each other. For both and for info on all Singapore museums, take a look at http://www.museum.org.sg)
2. Walking around little India for sights, smells and shopping. There are a couple of Hindu temples you can visit as well. Madras New Woodlands and Banana Leaf Apollo, two excellent cheap, and casual Indian restaurants are in little India (along with many others). Great for lunch or dinner.
3. Walking around the Duxton Road area for the same but with a Chinese colonial flavor. The L'Agile D'Or Restaurant is excellent for French food.
3. Botanic Gardens, esp for the orchid enclosure and on weekends, to see the thousands of Filipino maids on their day off. (How the rest of the world lives. . . )
4. Raffles Hotel, have a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, tea in -- or a meal at one of their restaurants.
5. Boat Quay/Clarke Quay area for restaurants and the old restored shophouses..
6. National Zoo, esp the Night Safari.
7. East Coast Park ? you can walk, rent bikes or rollerblades and enjoy the beach, palm trees and grassy areas. Many excellent casual and inexpensive seafood restaurants in this area. The website for national parks in Singapore is http://www.nparks.gov.sg, this site is full of ideas for visits to other parks as well.
8. Dinner at Alkaff Mansion, esp for Ristafell.
9. Brunch at the Shangri-La (weekends only). Outdoors, tremendous selection, excellent people-watching.
10. Pualu Ubun. Pualu Ubun is an island in the narrow waterway between Singapore and Malaysia, and most of it is a national park. You can rent bikes and explore the little bit of wild jungle and wildlife left in Singapore. There are some good seafood restaurant here as well. Take a look at the website for national parks in Singapore mentioned above.
Things not worth your limited time:
Sentosa Island
Science Museum
Jurong Bird Park
My personal top ten would look something like this:
1. Colonial area walk, including a stop at Asian Civilizations Museum (Empress Place) in Raffles Quay. Your hotel is quite near this area. The walk itself takes about an hour, more if you want to go along the harbour area. If you are there on a weekend, stop to watch the cricket on the Padang. If you are dressed nicely, go into the Supreme Court building and ask to watch a trial, the judges wear wigs and the attorneys wear robes in the English style; there is something about a long white curly wig on an old Chinese man that breaks me up each time. . . . (Only to be beat by the courts in Bermuda, where the attorneys where Bermuda shorts!) You can have lunch along Boat Quay/Clarke Quay or lunch or tea at the Raffles Hotel (see below). (The Asian Civilizations Museum is in two locations, one in Empress place and one in Armenia Street, in another building which has been lovingly restored. They are about a 10 minute walk from each other. For both and for info on all Singapore museums, take a look at http://www.museum.org.sg)
2. Walking around little India for sights, smells and shopping. There are a couple of Hindu temples you can visit as well. Madras New Woodlands and Banana Leaf Apollo, two excellent cheap, and casual Indian restaurants are in little India (along with many others). Great for lunch or dinner.
3. Walking around the Duxton Road area for the same but with a Chinese colonial flavor. The L'Agile D'Or Restaurant is excellent for French food.
3. Botanic Gardens, esp for the orchid enclosure and on weekends, to see the thousands of Filipino maids on their day off. (How the rest of the world lives. . . )
4. Raffles Hotel, have a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, tea in -- or a meal at one of their restaurants.
5. Boat Quay/Clarke Quay area for restaurants and the old restored shophouses..
6. National Zoo, esp the Night Safari.
7. East Coast Park ? you can walk, rent bikes or rollerblades and enjoy the beach, palm trees and grassy areas. Many excellent casual and inexpensive seafood restaurants in this area. The website for national parks in Singapore is http://www.nparks.gov.sg, this site is full of ideas for visits to other parks as well.
8. Dinner at Alkaff Mansion, esp for Ristafell.
9. Brunch at the Shangri-La (weekends only). Outdoors, tremendous selection, excellent people-watching.
10. Pualu Ubun. Pualu Ubun is an island in the narrow waterway between Singapore and Malaysia, and most of it is a national park. You can rent bikes and explore the little bit of wild jungle and wildlife left in Singapore. There are some good seafood restaurant here as well. Take a look at the website for national parks in Singapore mentioned above.
Things not worth your limited time:
Sentosa Island
Science Museum
Jurong Bird Park
Mar 4th, 2004, 01:37 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry, the place for tea in the Raffles Hotel is the Tiffin Room is your dressed up a bit, or the Empire Café for a more casual amtmoshpere. I wouldn't wear shorts and try to have tea in the Tiffin Room.
Mar 4th, 2004, 02:38 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cicerone has given you some great advice. I would just add a couple of things.
The Colunial Walk is defintely a way to get a taste of the history of Singapore. At the back of the Asian Civ. Museum is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called Indochine. Good place for lunch or dinner. You can dine indoors or out, with amazing views of the river, and the shophouses of Boat Quay, juxtaposed against the modern skyscrapers of the financial district. Best photo opp in SG.
Just a few steps down the quay from there is the Sir Stamford Raffles statue. Just across the footbridge from there is the Fullerton Hotel. Beautifully restored building that used to be the old General Post Office. It also has the Post Bar, which is the most chic place in town for an excellent martini. Our favorite night out is a cocktail there and then dinner at Indochine.
Sorry Cicerone, but I think L'Agile D'or is closed. However there are many other great options for dining. SG is a foodie's heaven. "Halia" is smack in the middle of the Botanical Gardens and all made of glass, so you can eat in aircon comfort (although they do offer a patio outside if you prefer) and enjoy the lush greenery. Varied menu, that includes some local favorites like laksa and some western items as well.
If you want to try a hawker market, a very local way to dine, the one in Chinatown, at the corner of Maxwell Rd and Southbridge Rd. is an easy to access location and very authentic. (I would avoid Newton Circus.) While in Chinatown, visit the "wet market" for a look at local food shopping. There is also an excellent Hindu temple and a beautiful Buddhist temple in Chinatown.
The Tiffin Room at Raffles does indeed have a fantastic afternoon tea. If you are here on a weekend, book ahead. It is extremely popular. They also have a wonderful N. Indian tiffin curry lunch buffet.
If you only have two days, I would not spend it at the East Coast. It's pretty, but nothing particularly "Singaporean" about it. Just doing the Botanical Garden, Raffles, Little India, Chinatown and the Colonial Walk, along with a some nice meals and a little shopping time, will take up most of your two days.
The Colunial Walk is defintely a way to get a taste of the history of Singapore. At the back of the Asian Civ. Museum is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called Indochine. Good place for lunch or dinner. You can dine indoors or out, with amazing views of the river, and the shophouses of Boat Quay, juxtaposed against the modern skyscrapers of the financial district. Best photo opp in SG.
Just a few steps down the quay from there is the Sir Stamford Raffles statue. Just across the footbridge from there is the Fullerton Hotel. Beautifully restored building that used to be the old General Post Office. It also has the Post Bar, which is the most chic place in town for an excellent martini. Our favorite night out is a cocktail there and then dinner at Indochine.
Sorry Cicerone, but I think L'Agile D'or is closed. However there are many other great options for dining. SG is a foodie's heaven. "Halia" is smack in the middle of the Botanical Gardens and all made of glass, so you can eat in aircon comfort (although they do offer a patio outside if you prefer) and enjoy the lush greenery. Varied menu, that includes some local favorites like laksa and some western items as well.
If you want to try a hawker market, a very local way to dine, the one in Chinatown, at the corner of Maxwell Rd and Southbridge Rd. is an easy to access location and very authentic. (I would avoid Newton Circus.) While in Chinatown, visit the "wet market" for a look at local food shopping. There is also an excellent Hindu temple and a beautiful Buddhist temple in Chinatown.
The Tiffin Room at Raffles does indeed have a fantastic afternoon tea. If you are here on a weekend, book ahead. It is extremely popular. They also have a wonderful N. Indian tiffin curry lunch buffet.
If you only have two days, I would not spend it at the East Coast. It's pretty, but nothing particularly "Singaporean" about it. Just doing the Botanical Garden, Raffles, Little India, Chinatown and the Colonial Walk, along with a some nice meals and a little shopping time, will take up most of your two days.
Mar 7th, 2004, 07:54 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,751
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do check what's on in Singapore before you go, there was a link, I will dig it out tomorrow, I actually 'missed' getting to see Duran Duran (shows my age) by a couple of days and I think (Lindsey?) David Bowie was in concert just recently, saw something in the papers about it last week. Anyway you will often find some great things going on and Singapore is a great place to see Concerts and Exhibitions, organised, safe!
Mar 7th, 2004, 02:22 PM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
James, you are correct, we did just have Bowie here, and Bryan Ferry. I missed both due to husband's travel schedule (didn't want to go without him). Deep Purple and Enrique Iglesias are scheduled for April. The link for tickets to most events here is www.sistic.com.
Mar 8th, 2004, 02:13 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,751
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I lost out on Bryan Ferry with the Pretenders in Bangkok too due to work commitments...! I am really going to monitor these Concerts from now on, never a concert person in younger days so much but Singapore obviously a great place to see such events..
Mar 8th, 2004, 02:53 PM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is true.
Rolling Stones at the Indoor Stadium here last year was one of the best Stones shows I have ever seen (and without revealing too much about my age and how long I have been going to these shows, I have seen them all over the US and in Australia).
Took my 11 year old to see Avril Lavigne at the Raffles Convention Hall and she loved it.
If I hear about anything really major coming here, I will post a note for anyone in the region who might be interested.
Maybe a Fodorites night at a concert in SG?
Rolling Stones at the Indoor Stadium here last year was one of the best Stones shows I have ever seen (and without revealing too much about my age and how long I have been going to these shows, I have seen them all over the US and in Australia).
Took my 11 year old to see Avril Lavigne at the Raffles Convention Hall and she loved it.
If I hear about anything really major coming here, I will post a note for anyone in the region who might be interested.
Maybe a Fodorites night at a concert in SG?
Mar 17th, 2004, 12:37 AM
#11
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here are what I did last week in Singapore:
1. Go to little India, try some Indian food and shopping atMustafa Shopping centre
2. Water tour on Cheng Ho boat
3. Have dinnet at river side
4. Go for night safari & Jurong Bird park
Actually Sentosa island is really nice to visit but half day may not be enough.
Have fun in Singapore
1. Go to little India, try some Indian food and shopping atMustafa Shopping centre
2. Water tour on Cheng Ho boat
3. Have dinnet at river side
4. Go for night safari & Jurong Bird park
Actually Sentosa island is really nice to visit but half day may not be enough.
Have fun in Singapore
