On our way to Bali, we have a stopover. But where?
We have a choice of Singapore, Taipei, or Hong Kong as a stopover for three days before arriving in Bali. We have never been to any of these destinations. We enjoy culture, natural beauty, history, and art. Please give us your suggestions for our stopover.Thanks very much.

My personal choice would be Singapore. Moreover because is is only 2.5 hrs flight to Bali and I think it is the easiest to get around. if you enjoy art and history Singapore has some amazing attractions. You can have a tours to whwere you see and hear all about the regional history, there are always exhibitions going on.
I am guessing that as you are 'asking' that you have not visited the area before, Singapore would be a good firt point.
You can get out of the main bult up areas of the city an explore other parts of the isalnd, take a trip across to Johor Bhau in malaysia very easily if only to see a contrast with Singapore.
I know ohers may say Taipei or HKG, it is all very personal.

I agree with James on Singapore. That's the stopover I always use on my way to Bali. Singapore is an interesting city, and with only three days, I wouldn't do a day trip to Malaysia. There's a wonderful botanical garen with the largest display orchid garden in the world, a great cultural musem, a world-famous zoo, a bird park, Raffles hotel (which has a cherming little museum), and fabulous food everywhere.

Much as I like Singapore, I believe it has a great deal less to see and do than Hong Kong. While it's cleaner, it's also a lot less gritty. Hong Kong has considerably more buzz and excitement. Singapore has less of this, and a rather more manufactured feel.

Taipei is lacklustre compared to either (although I like it, too) and with relatively little to do. It is worth travelling there for the greatest collection of Chinese art and antiquities in the world at the National Palace Museum, which would repay several days of visits.

To take the list of interests:

Culture: with a small 'c', Hong Kong. With a big 'C', Taipei

Natural beauty: An overlooked asset of Hong Kong, in both the new territories, the outlying islands, and even some walks on Hong Kong Island itself, particularly the Dragons' Back.

History: Hong Kong. Much more remains of its past than in Singapore, the History Museum is one of the best of its kind in Asia

Art: Taipei. Although Hong Kong has one or two interesting smaller shows, everything pales beside the National Palace in Taipei.

Of the three, Singapore is the most relaxing, and the handiest for Bali, as has been pointed out. The Zoo, and particularly the Night Zoo, is rather fine, but do you go all the way to Asia to see zoos? Recent conversions of older buildings into bar and restaurant areas have been very successful, and are, indeed very enjoyable, but they have distanced the buildings from their past, and pushed Singapore yet closer to the West.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

I would choose Hong Kong because you are probably going to be routed through either it or Toyko or Taiwan en route. So, get off the plane and get into the swing of things. Singapore is great for anyone feeling a bit apprehensive about Asia - it's all very easy to do.
But HK offers so much more.

i too think that you would love hong kong if you have never been there....singapore is closer to where you are going but i find it sterile...its so clean, orderly and correct....

HK is exciting and very asian...good shopping, good food and lots to do...not too much nature unless you get out of the city, so i would forget that angle...
we like staying on the kowloon side...get a hotel as near the star ferry as possible....there are lots of them at all price ranges....it sounds like you may be on a tour and if so they will give you a choice or if not a decent hotel....a reasonable hotel in a great location is the Kowloon Hotel (just behind its sister hotel the Peninsula)...also believe it or not the salisbury YMCA is great too---i liken it to a holiday inn in the states...its not a typical Y...

Just coming back on the point above, does a 25-minute ferry ride seem too much for nature? That's all it takes to reach car-free Lamma Island with numerous walks along beaches and over the hills. Only a slightly longer ferry will get you to Lantau, which has moderately severe trekking of the kind where you let people know your intentions before you set off. Ferries leave from Central, so getting out of the city to nature is rather more convenient than it is from most other metropolises. It's just that most visitors don't try.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

What a happy dilemma! I have lived in both places. They both have a lot to offer. They are somewhat rivals. IMO, many people who have first seen or lived in Hong Kong tend to prefer Hong Kong, and vica versa. Many people say Singapore is sterile, etc, but to me, part of the charm of Singapore is trying to look below the rather thin western veneer to the real culture, which is an interesting mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian. Hong Kong does have the hustle and bustle and the fabulous mountains and harbour.

I assume you have a non-stop flight to Bali from either Hong Kong or Singapore. If you can only get a non-stop flight from one of those two, then IMO, choose the city with the non-stop flight. You already have enough long flights, and having to change to get to Bali will add several hours to your trip.

Another factor is time of year. When are you going? While Singapore is hot and humid all year, Hong Kong is really, really hot and really really humid from late May to early October. (It is just really hot and humid from about March to May). The humidity makes trying to get around to all the sights a little more tiring, and as for hiking as mentioned above, that is not really comfortable in those months, IMO. Also, the typhoon season runs from July through end October, and while rare, you could be there for 3 days during a severe typhoon and be sitting it out in your hotel room. However, Hong Kong has a marvellous winter from late October through February where it is dry, sunny and in the 70s.

Singapore has more cultural diversity. You will find little India, and an Arab area around the main mosque with great temples, mosques, restaurants and shopping; and the influence of the Malays and the mix of Chinese and Malay, called Nonya Babba, is all around, esp in food and the general approach to things in Singapore. Hong Kong is of course overwhelmingly Chinese. However, there are some interesting Chinese neighbourhoods and markets as with terrific people-watching.

If you like Indian or Malay food, Singapore is a better choice.

If you want to shop, esp for antiques or unusual items, Hong Kong is better. (Well Bangkok is best but that it not on your list. . .)

You can hike in Hong Kong as mentioned, weather permitting. You can water ski and sail in Singapore much more easily and cheaply than in Hong Kong and don't have the shark problem. You can also bike in Singapore (it is flat!). Hong Kong has some nice beaches, esp on the smaller outlying islands.

As mentioned, neither is a great city for art. Each has some good museums, but I would not pick one city over the other for this aspect.

In Jan/Feb there is a Hindu festival in Singapore called Thaipusam which is really something to see. Devotees piece their bodies with skewers which hold up huge headdresses and walk barefoot about 2 miles between two temples. There is firewalking and other similar physical feats going on at the temples. This festival is not even celebrated in India any longer, just in Singapore and at the Batu Caves near Penang Malaysia. This is worth seeing. (You could find the exact date on a Singapore tourist website.) Of course Jan and Feb are great months weatherwise in Hong Kong, so that is the toss up.

Chinese New Year (January 22, 23 24 in 2004) is better celebrated in Hong Kong IMO, as the weather is great and the fireworks in the harbour are spectacular.

Overall, I would weigh (i) direct flight (ii) time of year the most heavily. You can always get to the city you missed on your next trip to Asia. . .

What airline are you taking?
Anyway, Hong Kong, without a doubt.

Very definately my vote is for Singapore. I've been there twice, most recently in 2000 on my way to Kathmandu. The Shangri La is a great hotel to lose your jet lag in. Singapore offers culture (symphony, dance music of all kinds) history and much human diversity. Their flora and fauna is unique as Singapore sits on the equator. Be sure NOT to miss the Night Safari at the zoo, the botanical garden, the orchid and bird park. If you like to shop, there is plenty of opportunity to do that as well. At the time I was there, I was able to get a buss pass by showing my Singapore Airlines boarding pass. It was one of those hop on hop off tour buses. I spent hours doing it because it was air conditioned...its definately hot in Singapore.

Thanks very much for the suggestions and recommendations. We really appreciate it. We are doing this trip on our own, no tour. Just the two of us (humm, kind of makes you want to burst out in song....)We are flying Sinapore Airlines with the trip planned for late November.
Oh, by the way, as US citizens do we need visas for these countries? When I checked the US State Department web site for visa information, their info was dated May 2002. At that posting, no visas were needed for short tourist stays.
Again, thank you all.
M&J

You will get a visa on arrival at both of these countries.

No doubt SIngapore Air will have great hotel deals, especially in Singapore. There are lots of absolutely wonderful hotels in Singapore.

We did this trip in 1999, we traveled to Singapore (try the Ritz there, EXCELLENT), then to Bali (Ritz also fabulous, stayed in a Villa - what an experience), then to Hong Kong. It is a toss up between Singapore and Hong Kong. Both have lots to see, although Hong Kong has a bit more. Shopping is great in both cities. Either choice will be great. Have fun!

You will enjoy either Singapore or Hong Kong. The choice depends on what you like. If this is your first trip to Asia and are not sure how much culture shock you can take, then go to Singapore. It has plenty of ethnic areas and much to see, but is also very Westernized. Hong Kong will give you a more Asian experience, but still has enough Western influence that you won't feel too much culture shock.

You will enjoy Singapore Airlines, my favorite. All you need to take is your passport to go to either Singapore, Hong Kong or Bali.

If you are travelling on Singapore Airlines through San Francisco, they have a flight - SFO-HKG-SIN. I stopped in Hong Kong for a few days, then went on to Singapore and stayed there a few days, then went on to Bali.

If you have the time, you can visit both. The cost was the same, regardless. You have to go through Singapore anyway.