We are trying to plan a summer vacation (yes, very early, but we want to co-ordinate with some friends) and are looking at Singapore and then Bali. How many days is good for Singapore? Three? We love food, sights and some touring and shopping. We live in NYC and like vibrant cities. Is Singapore a good destination for this? We would then spend about ten days in Bali, splitting time between the beach and Ubud, I think.

We could also perhaps get to KL for two days but that may be a bunch of travel (by flight or long bus) for just a day or two. Thanks.

PS
Is it also the case that Bali is a better destination then Koh Samui, or Hua Hin?

We might be the exception...we loved Singapore, had 6 full days there, and could have stayed much longer. There is a lot to do. Our daughter loved it too. Great food. Didn't have a bad meal there.

We also love Bali...much better than Koh Samui for us, at least. Great value too...your money buys a lot in Bali.

Thank you Kim.

While we loved Thailand we likely want to visit someplace new. Singapore is so often referred to as "sterile" and such but it looks very interesting and they say if you like food its the place to go. Perhaps we can do 4 days there.

My brother is in Bali now (he got good feedback from the board) and seems to love it. He says many parts, Ubud especially, are like looking out an old 1940s movie, except everything is real. He also said the people are incredibly nice.
Thanks again.

I adore Singapore and Singaporeans and have been going there on vacation for nearly 10 years. I've spent as long as almost two weeks there, but I'd say if you have 5-6 full days, then go for it. I'm from L.A. County and love cities,too.

I like to shop for textiles and antique jewelry in Singapore and also EAT. Singapore has fabulous food. Do a search on this forum and we've compiled our favortie Singaporean places to eat.

I've also been on Bali which is a very relaxing place.

As for KL, I've been there and I found it very interesting architectually, but I found it not very exciting...sort of Singapore light to me. Happy Travels!

I'm one of those who think 2 days is more than enough in Singapore. I went once, spent 5 VERY LONG days and will never return. My least favorite place in asia.

I'm an American living in Asia and just spent a weekend in Singapore. You don't need much time there. The gardens are lovely -- don't miss the orchids in the Botanical Gardens. Little India is fun. We did not visit the zoo, but my husband and I loved the Night Safari, a nocturnal zoo. Very cool. Eat at some hawker stalls and try Samy's for curry. But -- I wouldn't spend a lot of time in Singapore. I do find it rather dull. Bali is beautiful and fascinating.

Does Singapore have the hustle and bustle of someplace like BKK, or even NYC? Or, is it more like Boston or Miami?

And, I can likely do a day trip to Malacca. Is that a good add on?

The night safari does look terrific.
Thanks.

I'd stick with Singapore and Bali, you'll have plenty to do without adding in KL. I always enjoy Singapore. So three days in Singapore plus 10 in Bali is a good division. Bali is a much more interesting place than either Koh Samui and Hua Hin, with its unique culture (the only Indonesian island that is Hindu). While there are certainly beaches, I don't consider it primarily a beach location as Koh Samui and Hua Hin are.

I'm from NY, and, no, Singapore does not have the vibe of Manhattan. Is it worth seeing? Sure. But I wouldn't devote much time to it. It is easy to combine Singapore and Bali and if you're interested in Asia, you'll be interested in the contrasts between its major cities. It is not a city I need to see again but you may enjoy checking it out.

Singapore has many faces. Some sterile and boring, some not and very interesting. Some busy areas and some not. Some city, and some countryside, believe it or not.

We found the area by the Esplanade, where the Mandarin Oriental, Ritz Carlton hotels are, to be sterile...very glossy and did not feel like we were anywhere in Asia. Even the hawker food there at Makansutra Gluttons Bay was boring...not poor quality, but boring, and more expensive than other hawker food we ate. The Esplanade theater itself is very nice, and we very much enjoyed the King and I there.

Clarke Quay area is colorful and touristy, but lively at night and interesting for a fun n ight out.

We loved being lost in Little India, Arab Street, Bugis and Chinatown...very Asian, like little transplanted countries plopped down in Singapore. Very colorful, and complete and complete with dirt and poverty...not sterile at all.

Plenty of hustle and bustle on Orchard Road, and plenty of interesting shops, both high end and not so high end.

We spent a day at the zoo, loved it. Another day we went to Sentosa with some friends we made in the hotel pool..both girls were only children, so it was great for them to have a companion. Another day, we walked through the Asian Civilizations museum (very good) and Clarke Quay and the area around Raffles. We spent a whole day wondering neighborhoods, eating and shopping...great day. One day of relaxing by the pool and theater at night. We also went to the Night Safari and enjoyed that. We were in Singapore for the National Day celebration, and watched fireworks from the rooftop pool at the Four Seasons. We left with a slew of things left that we wanted to do.

www.visitsingapore.com is a great place to get ideas. We will go back, defiinitely.

Thank you. The mention about some time at a pool also sounds good. After a day of walking a few hours poolside, even in a city, is always something we like. And, I hadn't realized there are so many ethnic enclaves in the city. Those look great, as does the vistisingapore website. I imagine we could lose ourselves for a morning walking various neighborhoods.

KL seems so exotic and interesting, but the feedback isn't as good as I would expect. I will check how easy/difficult it is to add two days to KL, taking account of either the short flight or the longish bus ride.
Thanks again.
Tengo

I would DEFINITELY DEFINITELY, not in a million years call Singapore a 'vibrant city'.

I have been several times and whilst there are some fun things to do there (e.g. Night Zoo and Little India), I would not spend ANY more than 3 days there.

My friends and I call it 'soulless, sterile Singapore'.

Singapore spent millions of dollars and 50 years "sanitizing" then discovered, hey tourists like that old stuff and now they're bringing it back (but it's still suspect if you ask me.)

I actally like Singapore but in small doses. I can't think of an American city that I would compare it to: maybe a combination of Bangkok and Dallas? The food is very good. The shopping just okay. I don't consider it a particularly good walking or wandering city. I like the Botanical Gardens and the Night Safari, a lot.

If you liked Bangkok and are looking for another soul-ful Asian city then I would suggest Hong Kong. Much more character than Singapore.

I haven't been to Hua Hin so can't comment. Ko Samui is a beach resort and a very fine one. Bali is a life experience. The beaches are fun, but not breathtaking, but the culture and scenery of all of Bali is stupendous.

Thank you. Yes, HKG looks terrific (and we love Chinese food, heading for dim sum every couple of weeks here in NYC's Chinatown and in Queens) and that might be the best option.

However....
For summer travel it appears the Olympics are indeed proceeding in China, in August (I will check for the exact dates), and I have been told that hotels, even in HKG, will be nuts for July and August. Not only on occupancy, but on pricing. However, I will double check that. Also, is HKG way more expensive than Singapore? We need two rooms, with the pre-teens in tow.
Thanks
Tengo.

Frankly, I find KL less interesting than Singapore! I would not take time away from Bali to go to KL.

I would spend the whole time in Indonesia. There is a lot to do in Bali and it is a wonderful country. You could go from there to Java and see Borobodur and the surrounding area which is wonderful or perhaps South Sulawesi for a few days. KL is not worth more than a day and as I said before Singapore is for me for people who want to say they went to asia without really experiencing any of it. Really souless. If you want a a vibrant city and don't want to return to bangkok, try Hong Kong. It is very busy and vibrant and also very asian.

Very well said KimJapan. Happy Travels!

In preparation for your trip, you might enjoy reading Elizabeth Gilbert's book "eat, pray, love". The first section (eat) is about Italy, the next(pray) about India, and the last (love) about Bali.

I lived in Singapore for many years. It's not as boring as people say at all, though some Singaporeans can be a bit dull.

Best things are the food which is amazing (try the chilli crab and other seafood at a restaurant on the east coast), the bars (there are plenty of places to go, from glamorous to sleazy - my top tip is the bar at the Fullerton Hotel) and the hotels, which are good value. Luxury hotels like the Pan Pacific, the Oriental, the Marina Mandarin and the Westin Stamford are cheaper here than most other countries and most have spas and nice pools.

From Singapore you can take day trips by boat to the nearby Indonesian islands. You can also visit Malaysia: all you need to do is hail a cab and drive there. Cabs are cheap: the government keeps the price down. Don't bother hiring a car.

3 days you can do and see it all in Sing. Also Sing is probably the only destination in SE Asia where you can eat from the street stalls without any fears!