For more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/tonycesare/Singapore02?authkey=Gv1sRgCM2xvoDdvtjx8AE&feat=directlink
Maybe it is because we had been travelling in South East Asia for almost eight weeks, or maybe it is just a really cool city, but we were more than pleasantly surprised by Singapore. It was by far the most Western place we had been in a while. Things were modern and ran efficiently. No funny smells or trash in the streets. Although it’s a bit pricey, Singapore is a great place for a one or two day layover.
First, the airport is one of the nicest airports in the world, and that is not an exaggeration. There is free internet everywhere. It was fast, efficient and simple to get through… and people are helpful! There was not a single tout to be found and everyone gave accurate and obliging information. Then the biggest shock of the last two months, a taxi with a meter! And he used the meter! What a welcome relief; we didn’t have to haggle for a reasonable price to get us to our hotel. The roads were well marked, the buildings gleamed in the night sky, and there was even an 18-hole golf course we drove by that was completely lit so people could play at night! It was like we had taken a two-hour plane ride from Borneo and been dropped on a different planet.
After arriving at our hotel at 9pm, we decided to see what the nightlife was like so while waiting for a taxi, a friendly local suggested a couple spots and the one area we chose to go (Clark Quay) was hopping. People from all over the world, congregating at a riverside locale with restaurants of every type, bars full of loud and laughing people, and live music. It was awesome! The Singapore slings and beer flowed like wine. We ate Spanish food and went to the “Crazy Elephant” bar and watched a sixties/seventies cover-band absolutely rock the house. The lead singer/guitarist was an American who looked like he ran out of money traveling in Singapore and decided to stay while his backup band looked like the local IT department who in their spare time happened to be the rockin’-est band in SE Asia. It was a great night and we had a lot of fun for our only night in Singapore.
On our one day in Singapore we spent time walking around the city, seeing the sights, drinking cold-coffee beverages, watching baseball at a pub and eating good food. There is really not that much touristy to do in Singapore, but the city is so clean, so efficient, and so friendly it was just a great day. We enjoyed walking down the cleanest city streets in the world (you could eat off the sidewalk) without an assault from touts, paying the fair metered price in taxis and soaking in the equatorial wonder that was Singapore. Forget KL and Hong Kong, Singapore is THE city in SE Asia.
Then, after taking another metered taxi ride to the airport (such a simple joy), Erika flashed her Qantas gold card and got all three of us into the Qantas lounge where we sipped complimentary cocktails, ate complimentary food and used the free internet before boarding the plane back to Oz.
Since April 28th, One or both of us has visited; New York City; Hong Kong; The Philippines (Manila x3, Boracay, Palawan, Cebu); Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai); Siem Reap, Cambodia; Peninsular Malaysia (Penang, Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur); Borneo Malaysia (Sandakan and surrounds, Mt. Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu); and Singapore. We were now on our way back home to the lucky country.
Up next: the Northern Territories of Australia.
First, the airport is one of the nicest airports in the world, and that is not an exaggeration. There is free internet everywhere. It was fast, efficient and simple to get through… and people are helpful! There was not a single tout to be found and everyone gave accurate and obliging information. Then the biggest shock of the last two months, a taxi with a meter! And he used the meter! What a welcome relief; we didn’t have to haggle for a reasonable price to get us to our hotel. The roads were well marked, the buildings gleamed in the night sky, and there was even an 18-hole golf course we drove by that was completely lit so people could play at night! It was like we had taken a two-hour plane ride from Borneo and been dropped on a different planet.
After arriving at our hotel at 9pm, we decided to see what the nightlife was like so while waiting for a taxi, a friendly local suggested a couple spots and the one area we chose to go (Clark Quay) was hopping. People from all over the world, congregating at a riverside locale with restaurants of every type, bars full of loud and laughing people, and live music. It was awesome! The Singapore slings and beer flowed like wine. We ate Spanish food and went to the “Crazy Elephant” bar and watched a sixties/seventies cover-band absolutely rock the house. The lead singer/guitarist was an American who looked like he ran out of money traveling in Singapore and decided to stay while his backup band looked like the local IT department who in their spare time happened to be the rockin’-est band in SE Asia. It was a great night and we had a lot of fun for our only night in Singapore.
On our one day in Singapore we spent time walking around the city, seeing the sights, drinking cold-coffee beverages, watching baseball at a pub and eating good food. There is really not that much touristy to do in Singapore, but the city is so clean, so efficient, and so friendly it was just a great day. We enjoyed walking down the cleanest city streets in the world (you could eat off the sidewalk) without an assault from touts, paying the fair metered price in taxis and soaking in the equatorial wonder that was Singapore. Forget KL and Hong Kong, Singapore is THE city in SE Asia.
Then, after taking another metered taxi ride to the airport (such a simple joy), Erika flashed her Qantas gold card and got all three of us into the Qantas lounge where we sipped complimentary cocktails, ate complimentary food and used the free internet before boarding the plane back to Oz.
Since April 28th, One or both of us has visited; New York City; Hong Kong; The Philippines (Manila x3, Boracay, Palawan, Cebu); Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai); Siem Reap, Cambodia; Peninsular Malaysia (Penang, Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur); Borneo Malaysia (Sandakan and surrounds, Mt. Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu); and Singapore. We were now on our way back home to the lucky country.
Up next: the Northern Territories of Australia.
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