solo_traveller6

So with much trepidation in my heart, I have decided to go on a solo trip to Singapore and Malaysia in 2 weeks time (and its my first time writing here). The plan is 4 days in Singapore, and 4 in Malaysia. So does anyone have anything to say about:

- Suggestions for Malaysia - I was thinking of 2 days in KL, and 2 in Taman Negara national park
- Anyone has experience with national parks in Malaysia (group tours, etc.)
- the 3-4 best things to do in Singapore - geared towards history, culture, walking tours - I was thinking the asian civilizations museum, a night at the theater, etc.

Any other group tours I could join there (don't want to spend 8 days alone)

wein

Taman Negara is great! you cant see anything like that unless you go to the Amazon. I dont think much of KL. A day would be enuf.

Singapore is like a modern US city (think Orlando) but you can venture the streets of Chinatown(chinatown MRT) and Little India (Little India MRT)for a little more Asian flavour. museums are forgettable (ACM is best tho, Raffles Place MRT) as is theatre unless there is a good show on at the Esplanade (Raffles CIty MRT)For old architecture visit raffles hotel n CHIJMES(City Hall MRT)browse along the shophouses of Tg Pagar(Tg Pagar MRT) n Club St at night.For night a sedate night life visit the Night safari. For a wilder one, go to Muhammad Sultan Road on weekends for club hopping or Zouk at Jiak Kim St. For modern shopping go to Orchard Rd(Orchard & Somerset MRT). For the best spa, try Spa Botanica in Sentosa. For a good mix of hawker food,try Maxwell Rd hawker ctr(Tg pagar MRT) for lunch and Newton Circus(Newton MRT) for dinner. FOr a relaxing afternoon with coffee visit Holland Village.If you're a guy, Geylang has the wildest nightlife. Depends what you're looking for.. I've lived in Singapore for 17 yrs so feel free to ask for particular interests

JannaG

Here's a link on walking tours in Singapore:
http://www.singaporewalks.com/

And another link for various tours/tour ideas within Malaysia, including Taman Negara options:
http://www.cuti.com.my/

clear

wein,

My husband and I will be in Singapore in December. which hotel is the Lux hotel in your opinion? Also I love good seafood and good steak. what are the must sight seeing to do, where to eat and good shopping? Where can I find good & clean Halal/Muslim restaurants in Singapore (especially good halal Chinese resturant that serve peking duck). Thank you.

rv224

The most lux hotels in Singapore are the Shangri-La, Raffles Hotel, and the Fullerton.

For the best seafood, go to UDMC seafood center in East coast and try singapore's famouse chilli crab or pepper crab.

As for sightseeing, MUSTS:
*Little India and Chinatown
*Zoo (either by day or do the night safari)
*Take a river boat cruise of the river
*Eat/Drink along the river at Boat Quay or Clarke Quay
*Visit Raffles hotel and have singapore slings at the long bar - where it was invented
*Go shopping for things from all around Asia at Lims ARts and Crafts in Holland Village
*Shop for fashion along Orchard Road
*Shop for electronics at Sim Lim Center or Mustafah

check out
http://www.visitsingapore.com

solo_traveller6

Thanks for all your replies so far. A few more:
- So do I gather that Asian Civilizations museum is worth it or not?
- I'm looking for a mid-range hotel - I'm currently looking at Strand and Bencoolen in the Colonial district. I'm also looking at SummerView, Regalis, Singapore Marriott, Orchard Hotel and Le Meridien, although these seem to be much more expensive. Any suggestions for hotels for $S120 or less in the Colonial district/Orchard Road area
- I checked out tours for Taman Negara in the link you sent. Are these tours reliable and decent? Or should I just book once I'm there

Thanks for all your help.

wein

To Clear:

Most luxurious n expensive hotel is Raffles Hotel. Coming close are Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Fullerton (small rooms for lower cat tho)& Shangri-La Valley wing.

Sorry I dont know any halal chinese r'rants but those serving great peking duck include Royal China at Raffles Hotel,Wah Lock at Carlton Hotel and Lei Garden at Chijmes.

The best vareity of Good seafood can be found at East Coast UDMC seafood place by the beach. Most r'rants there are good incl Jumbo, Red house and Long Beach.

Best steak is at Mortons, Oriental Hotel.

What type of shopping are u looking for?

To solo traveller:
for hotels around $120-140 try
1. Scarlet at Erskine road- best botique hotel in the opulent venetian style
2. Hotel 1929, keong saik st- hip & funky.
3. gallery hotel, mohd sultan rd- post modern minimalist.These hotels are the newest. The ones u mentioned are quite run down.

MyTraveller

You miss out Langkawi!!!!
Langkawi is a must visit place, a mix of both hot sandy beaches with tropical rain forest.
Since you will be in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, why not try something slow and a bit layback.....with lots of sun and natural surroundings.
People are friendly and you will feel welcome.
Langkawi is located north of Malaysia.
Here's a link on Langkawi:-
http://www.langkawitravelnet.com

Oates_for1

You sound exactly like me. I have taken a huge breath and am going to try it on my own this time around. I too have never travelled on my own and am planning my trip from the 27th April till the 6th of May.
My plans are to arrive in Singapore roughly around 3 in the afternoon. Spend a day or so there then take the train to Kuala Lampur, spend another day or so there and then head down to Penang via train once again. Then finally to Langkawi for the remainder of days.

I'm a big fan of historical/cultural artifacts and the asian civilizations museum in S'pore also sounded fabulous to me. I was also interested in the "Malay village" does anyone know about it? It sounds interesting but I don't want to go to some sortof zoo for people kinda thing where people are just sortof on display... just doesn't feel right for me.. Can anyone give me more information?

solo_traveller6 have you already gone and come back? How was your experience. Please let me know
Thanks!

wein

no point going to the malay village. it's like a flea mkt. you can see more at the ACM or little india. there aint much cultural artifacts in singapore. penang has more.

Razzle_Dazzle

Wein,

I am going to be in Singapore for 3 days. On the first day, I plan to do a walk from Chinatown all the way up to the Sultan Mosque, with a visit to Little India in the evening; on the second, Botanic Gardens (my hotel is right beside it), the zoo and the night safari; on the third, Jurong Bird Park and...deliberating on of the museums or Faber Mountain.

I am more inclined towards visiting one of the museums, but heard people rave about Faber Mountain - is really worth it?

Thank you,
Razzle_Dazzle

Guenmai

Buy the book Treasures and Pleasures of Singapore. I think the Singapore book is combined with either Bali or Malaysia.When I go home I'll look in my bookcase and post you the ISBN number. The book has a list of 101 things to do while in Singapore.Singapore is VERY easy to do.And the food is great and the people friendly...and it's clean and safe. And yes, the Asian Civilization Museum is VERY nice. As for accomodations I highly recommend the YMCA International House Hotel , #1 Orchid Road, Singapore 238824, telephone [email protected] for reservations or call them. I like the rooms on the 8th floor which have a room safe.At the YMCA hotel, you get a private room with bathroom and breakfast included for about $45-$50...whether you are one or two people. I have stayed there for years and just e-mailed them last night. It's clean,friendly,a great location(next to the Dhoby Gaut MRT station)and easy to meet people. Plus the internet cafe, located on the floor with the cafe, is cheap and so is the laundry service...just leave your dirty clothes in a bag in your room and they will be picked up,laundered, and returned the next day. I go there annually and just e-mailed over my hotel reservation last night for my August trip.Reserve far in advance. Last summer, every day in the whole month of July was booked solid. In Singapore if you go down into the subway system, buy the MRT(subway) pass and you can ride all around. And then at the end of your stay,if you haven't used up all of the money on the pass, you just go back down to the MRT station and tell them that you're leaving and they will refund you the portion you didn't use. Can't be easier than that. Taxis are also inexpensive,too. As for traveling alone, don't worry about it. I'm in my late 40s,female, and have been traveling around the world(every continent except Antartica) alone since I was 17. And I do 1-3 overseas vacations a year. You'll love traveling alone. You meet more people that way. As for Kuala Lumpur, I would give it 3 days. Relax and don't rush yourself. I don't know where you're from, but if you're not from a HOT climate, your body will have to adjust to the heat. I AM from a hot climate, but I have to adjust to the humidity. I would give Singapore 4 solid days and KL 3 solid days.Happy Travels!

solo_traveller6

So I came back from my trip to Singapore and wanted to tell future travellers about it (especially Oates_for1)
I did not land up going to Malaysia, and stayed in Singapore for 6 days.

Here are the highlights:
- Stayed in Hotel Robertson Quay for first night - spacious rooms, but old run down building. So changed to Hotel 1929 in Chinatown for the rest of the days - great hotel, highly recommended - location, modern, friendly people, internet. The only drawback is the tiny room size. Rate for me was $101 + 16% taxes, which was much lower than list price. Hotel rates are highly negotiable once you are there - or threaten to leave after first night.

Must see:
- walk through Chinatown
- lunch/dinner at Boat Quay - the view is spectacular, especially at night. One day, I spent 3 hours alone at lunch there
- I know this sounds geeky, but if you are curious about random things, go to the Urban Redevelopment Authority building on 45 Maxwell Road. Its a government run center which is planning urban development for various parts of Singapore for the next 20 years-there are some very interesting models & pictures, which also serve as a nice map for Singapore's economic development. I just bumped into it and spent 2 hours there. The information lady was extremely helpful. Saw other travellers there too.

Good to do:
- Asian Civilizations museum - Good. But a bit dry and information overload. Need 2 - 3 hours for each section - South east asia, China, south asia, etc.
- Esplanade - shows are sold out 2 months in advance, but the walk, dinner, and view is good at night.
- Little India - Just so so. Lunch at Komal Vilas restaurant was excellent. But beware, its communal seating - and if you can't stand people eating with their hands, this one's not for you.
- Orchard Road - just like any big western shopping street

What I wasn't ready for:
- The jet lag - boy oh boy. I'm indian, and travel to India almost every year, so you'd think I know what to expect - but this jet lag took me totally by surprise
- The weather - 90 degrees F + 90% humidity. Travelling from the cool climate of the USA, this was a shock. It rained heavily twice while I was there.
- I had to take afternoon naps because I was exhausted with jet lag and heat.

Other tips for first time solo travellers:
- Some things will definitely not work out as planned, so be ready with backup
- Keep a journal - it helps with the alone times
- I had an iPod with lots of music
- Some of my happiest moments were spent sitting at Boat Quay, or at a local chinese coffee shop, sipping local coffee, and observing people and colors and cultural differences. That was fascinating

Let me know if you have specific questions.
Have fun and let us know how it goes.

wein

razzle:
skip mt faber. it is only 500ft high. if you're going to sentosa take the cable car. from the sky u can see mt faber. it doesnt hv views like the Peak in HK. go to the ACMuseum instead. Visit Raffles Hotel and CHIJMES beside it at night. bird park and mt faber are not worth it. the Botanic gdns is much better.