Singapore (Thread 19)

[sardonyx]

yeah. IMO, pinakamagandang sale around this time of the year.  better than the GSS.

[ibarra]

ano kaya mga possible reason bakit hindi naga-grant minsan yung extension ng social visit sa sg?

[akireyhoj]

kelan mag oopen yung budget terminal?

[mkga]

We are five adults going to Singapore on March. Is there a hotel that can accommodate us all in one room only?

[meimei]

^sis mkga, please back-read or use the "Search function". that question has been tackled several times already. marami kang matutunan about Singapore (i.e., hotels/inns, EZ link, itineraries) when you just back-read. if after back-reading, meron ka pang mga tanong na hindi nasagot, saka mo i-post. thanks.


@sis akireyhoj, walang announcement sa website nila kung kailan mag-oopen, maybe because ayaw pa nilang i-announce nang ganito kaaga kasi i'm sure it will take a long time since it was closed to make way for the construction of Terminal 4. eh late Sept 2012 pa lang ini-close yun. actually, mas masaya ako sa change ng terminals ng airlines na dating sa budget terminal kasi hindi naman maganda ang budget terminal. hehe

[mkga]

Thank you, meimei! I actually read some posts already and saw that YMCA has a family room that can accommodate 4 persons. I emailed them about the rate but the fourth person is already an 'extra person' rate. I am thinking of making 'puslit' the fifth person in our group.

Post modified. Please refrain from quoting posts directly above yours, use the ^ or @ sign instead.

[akireyhoj]

^^thanks sis. baka kasi magpunta kami ng may o june gusto ko matry sa changi

[mozilla]

hi mga sis, question lang, will be planning to go to SG this March first time ko po lalabas ng bansa

what's the best route po be?

Manila-SG-KL-Manila or Manila-SG-KL-SG-Manila?

mas tipid kasi sa pamasahe yung pauwi na eh KL to manila di ba?

hindi ba maququestion ng IO kami from Manila? kulit kasi ng friend ko, baka tanungin daw kami...thanks po...

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ sis, ok lang yung MNL-SG tapos KL-MNL. Pag tinanong ng IO, just tell him/her na mas mura yung ticket sa ganung route tsaka mas time-efficient (sayang din kasi travel time nyo pabalik ng SG from KL just to take your flight back to PH). We tried naman before na MNL-HK tapos Macau-MNL. Important lang naman is makita ng IO na me plano ka umuwi ng Manila.

[meimei]

@sis mkga, i don't recommend sneak-in and SG is also very strict about it.

for five adults, you may consider Strand Hotel since they definitely have a family room for five adults. (disclaimer: i've never stayed here, i just saw it thru a simple google search). based on what i've read, this is a very basic hotel so don't expect much. but if you really want to stick with your budget, then this hotel is one of your main considerations.

but if you want to loosen the purse strings in order to get a better hotel, then just consider getting inter-connecting rooms in other better hotels (2 pax in one room and 3 pax in the other room) so at least you get maximum value for your vacation.

[DV]

Planning to visit the SEA Aquarium. Has anybody here been there with your child? How was it? Is it better to buy tickets online or at the ticket booths na lang? Are cheaper tickets available anywhere (travel agent, promo website, etc) or come packaged with meals? Thanks!

[minnie99]

^ I want to know too! And the Waterpark sounds and looks so fun, meron na kayang nakatry nun dito?

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Will be going with two college friends (2 girls kami and 1 guy) in May (3 days, Mon to Wed). We leave for SG at past 6AM.

I've been to SG countless of times with my family, and we stay in a hotel and we always do/visit any of these:

USS, Zoo, Bugis, Orchard

Of course, we also take tours kaya we dont worry about transpo. Pero now, 3 yuppies on a budget... Hehe.

Can someone please give their insights about what I have already planned? And I also need help on how to maximize our time given the places we could visit

Hostel: Probably someplace in Chinatown or Clarke Quay. I also considered Lavender pero parang malayo yata? Anyone stayed in Lavender Street? How did you manage?

Here are the places I researched, can you please give insights if maganda ivisit or not (i.e. read here in GT na yung temples medyo wala naman makikita)

Goddess of Mercy Temple
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Sri Mariamman Temple

Chinatown - is this a great place to buy pasalubong instead of Bugis?

Clarke Quay (I'm assuming nightlife is great here, we arent really those kinds of people, pero are there places to sit and have a drink here and watch city lights?)

Esplanade mall - I don't know what one can see here...
Merlion Park - sana tapos na siya by then... haha tapos na nga ba sya irenovate?
Flyer - I feel it's such a waste... is it better at night though?

Artscience Museum - still dont know what exhibits are on in May
Gardens by the Bay - definitely

Marine Life Park - has anyone been here? I really want to see this
Sentosa - is it worth going without paying for additional attractions? As in purely picture-taking and sight-seeing lang?
USS - personally sawa na ko hahaha

Botanical Gardens - malayo yata masyado

Zoo - been here but we always do this halfday since we've been here many times. Can first-timers appreciate it from morning til lunch?

Sri Srinivasa Peruma Temple
Temple of 1000 Lights
Haji Lane

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So I was thinking of staying in Clarke Quay kasi relatively malapit siya sa everything (I mean, Sentosa... Marina Bay...).

Pwede ba lakarin Marina-Esplanade-Chinatown-Clarke? Kaya ba to whole day (Gardens, Flyer, Merlion, Esplanade Mall, Chinatown, Clarke)? Or even less than whole day? I was thinking maybe first day namin is spent on that area... Then Day 2 either the zoo/Sentosa/USS+Little India/Bugis area? Last day kaya yata yung Zoo since that's what my family would always do... 5 kasi ang flight so mga 2 we have to be at the airport!

[bluestocking]

^ A few points lang.

Esplanade - People wants to see this because of the structure, not the actual mall. Ito usually ang nasa postcards ng Singapore. It is also near the Merlion na madalas din sa pictures ng Sg.
Behind Esplanade, is Makansutra - popular hawker-type dining for tourists.

Sentosa - is always a must kung di pa nakapunta mga kasama mo, pero nakakasuya nga if you've been here for a few times. Though pwede pa rin naman shots outside and just see the view of the beach at marami din pwede spots to take pictures. Shempre kasama na ang Luge ride, Segway or Ifly.

Clarke Quay - Night spot din for tourists. You can try to ride the GMax para may thrill. Hindi ko sure saan pa may bars na marami din tourist.


Gardens - maco consume na to ng half a day or more. Pero be prepared kasi mainit. Bring umbrellas and apply sunblock. Malapit na to sa Marina Bay Sands/Art Science Museum.

Singapore Flyer - I also feel it's a waste. 30 minutes naman sha, pero there's nothing much to see. But it's better to view at afternoon to night mga around 6pm (7pm ang sunset ) para may lights na ang buildings.

Zoo - Mejo malayo to from the city. Unless you're really into Animals, suggest ko skip muna or don't put it on your last day. Para di malayo byahe going to the airport.
Mas recommend ko Night Safari, but that's just me. Kaso tulog nga ang mga animals sa gabi haha.


Day 1 (half day) USS photo opp/Sentosa/Songs of the Sea.
Day 2 - Gardens by the Bay, MBS, Marina Barrage, Merlion, Esplanade then dinner at Makansutra, Clarke Quay for drinks.
Day 3- I think open ang zoo ng 10am pa, so di possible ang zoo kasi sayang if you have to leave before 2pm.
   

[jenny_syngkit]

@mozilla. We took the mla-sg-kl-mla route during our trip last dec. mas ok if we went to kl first then sg. Kase we won't be able to avail of the gst refund. Sa airport lang kase yun.

[DV]

Parang maganda yung GoSingaporePass kaya lang parang hindi kasama ang Marine Life Park sa attractions. Has anybody bought this?

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Preparing our itinerary na and we're looking to visit authentic/traditional/non-touristy places. I hope you can give me recommendations on:
--restaurants that serve pulled noodles (as in done in front of the customers or where customers have a view of the area where noodles are prepared)
--proper Chinese tea ceremony/tea shops
--traditional kopitiam
--traditional (and inexpensive) Chinese massage
--free cultural activities (outdoor concerts/dance/other shows)

Thanks!

[GirlCrush]

^i won't recommend the massages here. not only they're expensive but you can get a much better massage at home (Manila) Kopitiam here is foodcourt but if you translate it, it means coffee shop. if you're looking for a decent coffee shop that serves those traditional coffees here, I recommend Ya Kun. They have a branch at 313@Somerset and may stall sila at Takashimaya basement 2.. Must try are their kaya toasts. For pulled noodles, go to Wisma's food court (food republic). There's a stall there that serves noodles where they make the noodles infront of you They have a branch also at 313@Somerset's Food Republic For cultural shows, since CNY is just around the corner, Chinatown normally has these things. Try to check on google for the schedules I remember seeing this before on a website.

minnie99, Chinatown is okay for trinkets but make sure you check the quality before buying We bought some keychains here before but hubby told me he noticed the one he got natanggal daw agad yung loop. And for me lang, waste of money ang Singapore Flyer. It's better to go to Marina Bay Sands skypark instead if you want to see the view of Singapore skyline and there's no time limit pa of 30minutes

[minnie99]

@bluestocking thanks sis! I checked 8:30 ang opening ng Zoo. Still have to talk to them if they want to go to the Zoo, Night Safari (very convenient because this will leave us with more time in the day) or USS (now that I think about it, naeexcite na naman ako haha).

@GirlCrush thanks sis! Hmm di ko naisip yun ah. I've also been there na pero I definitely enjoyed it more than the Flyer! Haha. Di ko kasi gusto yung sa Flyer because I'm acrophobic and the slow ascent/descent scares me more than looking at Singapore atop a building. Check ko na lang din how much yun.

BTW, what time do malls open and close in SG? Alala ko we waited til 10am yata kasi I said earlier magbubukas pero parang ang tagal din namin naghintay. Haha.

EDIT: I have another question. Singapore Zoo vs. Jurong, which one do you think is worth visiting more? Then factor in Night Safari siguro, which among the three? Thanks in advance!

[Grayce]

^Singapore zoo vs. bird park? mas ok sa zoo and i hope by then open na ang river safari. night safari is so-so. yung zoo ang okay pero buong araw to specially if you also plan to see river safari by then.

my vote also goes to MBS skypark. Photo-op to sawa

[minnie99]

^Thanks sis Grayce! They went for Singapore Zoo, so I guess we're going there. Baka nga open na ang River Safari by then since Q1 yata target opening nila and we're going May... Pero for first timers (sila) they might appreciate the Zoo more unlike sa River Safari na baka softly opened pa lang? But I'm really interested to see the River Safari, so I'll check out reviews by April if bukas na, and try to convince them if ganun nga

Any feedback about the Gardens? Mas okay ba to visit pa-gabi na? Someone said that kasi and naisip ko baka oo, since 1) hindi mainit 2) pretty din ata lights at night doon?

[akireyhoj]

But sometimes dami tao sa MBS. Malas punta namin non. Super dami ng tao hindi kami makapag photoop kasi siksikan talaga di ka makakakuha ng magandang view. Sayang lang bayad namin wala pa ata kaming 30 mins. Don