Singapore for a day
 

we will arrive late at night in Singapore and leave next night for Europe. My husband will be doing some work in the morning and my 2 young daughters (aged 7 and 10)and I will stay at the hotel. We willhave from about 2-3 pm until about 6-7pm and wonder how best to use the time - wander around Orchard Road, go to Marina Square or out to the zoo - can you have dinner with the oranutangs like breakfast? how long would it take to get to the Zoo from the central area and how is best to get there? <BR>Obviously not much time -but would like to give the girls a sense of Asian culture - I know pretty impossible in the time!!! <BR>thanks kate

Hi! Even though you have limited time in SIngapore the island is compact enough that you can do heaps in a day. My first suggestion is that you contact your local Singapore Tousism Promotion Board office and get some great brochures sent to you. The zoo doesn't offer dinner with the orang's, only breakfast as far as I know. The zoo is easily reached from the central area of Singapore. I catch a MRT train from Orchard to N9? and then catch a bus to the zoo from there. Its all set out very well and is a very cheap way of getting there. The bus drops you off at the front gate of the zoo and picks you up again on regular schedules. Singapore Zoo is a really great place to visit. All of the animals are in great enclosures. There's a fantastic kids petting zoo and education area. I enjoyed it too! One disappointing thing about the zoo is a lack of decent eating spots. In my view they are pretty dull. I'd suggest that you take your own snacks and cold drinks. Another great thing to do is to take a bum boat ride from behind the old Parliament House to Clarke Quay and then out into the harbour. It only takes about 30 minutes but gives a great introduction to the waterside areas of Singapore. Take a walk along Orchard Road and look at all the of the great shopping areas and do visit Takashimaya Department Store which is quite spectacular and situated in the HUGE Nee Ang City shopping centre. Make use of the underground railway to get around cheaply, quickly and very efficiently. By doing so you should be able to fit quite a lot in in your partial day in one of my favourite places in the world. Singapore is so clean and feels very safe. If you'd liek any other info just let me know. Enjoy!

Jurong Bird park and Sentosa Island are both places your children would enjoy.

thanks so much for your suggestions. Will certainly <BR>follow up with Tourist Board. We can probably get help <BR>with timing etc from the hotel. I want to give the kids a sense of the culture so th eboat ride sounds good and maybe some outdoor food stalls. The zoo, bird park and island all sound good but timing will be a factor. do you happen to know whether you can leave luggage at the airport? I may post a separate <BR>entry on that <BR>thanks again kate

If you want to experience some asian culture, the zoo is propably the worst place to go to - its for tourist! With the limited time, Its propably best for you to visit places like little india, chinatown.. Go to one of the Hawker Centers (the one in Chinatown is filled with locals). Otherwise , you can go on a sight-seeing tour on the train (MRT). Its propabl;y more rewarding this way. <BR> <BR>a piece of advise from a local.

thanks dominic - much appreciated <BR>kate

We are planning a trip to Singapore to visit a friend in late August or early Sept.Do you know what the weather pattern is then? How is public transportation?Is English spoken frequently? Thanks!

For a sence of authentic asian. Absolutely NOT the zoo , orchard road , sentosa Island. Try Chinatown, Arab street or little India. Sit down at some local small restaurant and have a nice meal <BR> <BR>WASA

Kate, <BR>I advise you to take a taxi to the zoo. It takes about 30 minutes and will cost about S$15. There is a lot of construction work in Chinatown right now, and its certainly not a pleasant place to visit. There is a beautiful Chinese Temple near Bugis Junction at Waterloo Street. Its called Kuan Yin Miao and is the most popular temple in Singapore. I feel there is no better place to experience Chinese culture in Singapore than here. For a taste of Indian culture, try colourful Little India at Serangoon Road. <BR> <BR>Since you have only a few hours, I would advise you to take the taxi around. <BR> <BR> <BR>Dorothy, <BR>Singapore is always 25-32 degrees Celsius all year round. During noon it can be unbearably hot so try to stay out of the sun. Also it rains whenever it likes. Public transportation is quite good and there are English signs everywhere. Everyone 35 years and younger knows how to speak English. <BR> <BR>Some recommendations: <BR>The newly-opened House of Mao restaurant at the China Food Square is the best theme restaurant in Singapore, and its like you have been transported back to Communist China during the Cultural Revolution. <BR> <BR>Boon Tat Street next to Lau Pa Sat serves the best Satay in Singapore. Its open daily after 7 pm. <BR> <BR>The Night Safari is more interesting than the zoo. Here you get the chance to stand face to face with a fruit bat, and touch it if you dare. <BR> <BR>Alicia:) <BR> <BR>

Can you let me know what the average <BR>cost of a hotel would be in US or CDN dollars. Also like to know the cost of <BR>food and drink. I'm a Canadian so our <BR>bucks no worth much right now. Thanks so much.

Kate, <BR>My advice would be to pick a bit of each in regard the notes posted here. As you have youngish children a day of local culture will be lost on them. The zoo is great but can get tiring for kids with the humidity, definately do go to a hawker stand for a meal, get out of the hotel early, keep away from orchard road (just shopping), do go to chinatown, even a drink at Raffles is a bit of fun. My kids, similiar ages, loved Singapore but you will need to mix it up a bit - even if just for a day!

Hi Nina, <BR> <BR>Checkout www.asiatravel.com for hotel prices in Singapore. You can get pretty nice rooms at about US$50. <BR> <BR>If you stick to food courts which are places with many stalls selling a large variety of food, a meal should cost around US$3. A can of coke or a bottle of mineral water should not cost more than US$0.70. You must definitely try the wonderful tropical fruit juices commonly sold at food courts. Pick from watermelon, pineapple, papaya, mango etc for about US$1.20 a cup. <BR> <BR>If you want to eat at restaurants here are some tips. The Pearl River palace restaurant at Suntec city is serving all-you-can-eat lunch at less than US$10 per person, I think they require a minimum of two guests. Also, Pizza Hut frequently has buffet lunch for about US$5. <BR> <BR>Alicia:)

Thanks Alicia for all the info. Sounds <BR>like it could be a cheap holiday except <BR>for airfare, even with our low Canadian Buck.