No doubt Singapore is a wonderful and organized city. One can read about the history, culture and population of Singapore from Books or from the website. But what I am going to review is the ideal holiday that an Indian family would look for in Singapore i.e. Sight Seeing, Shopping and Eating Out.
I have been visiting Singapore since 1987 and have been there more than 10 times.
Let?s begin with the Sight Seeing:
Sight Seeing is comparatively expensive in Singapore compared to Bangkok.
However, all commentaries are in English compared to Thailand. Sightseeing destinations are very well kept.
- Sentosa:
Can be reached by Bus, Ferry and Cable Car. The view from the Cable Car is awesome. Great Place to go to ? you need to reserve a full day if you really want to experience Sentosa in totality.
The Underwater World is worth visiting and if you are adventurous you can take a dive into the sea though it is very expensive ? it is worth the experience.
The ’’Meet the Dolphins’’ show at the Dolphin Lagoon is good and different, you are able to watch the adorable Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphins, commonly known as pink dolphins for its coat of ’’bubbly’’ pink in contrast to the usual grey appearance of dolphins perform their natural behaviours such as spyhop, tail -flapping, vocalizations, etc. but a disappointment for those expecting a Dolphin Show. You may also get the opportunity to wade into the shallow waters to touch these wonderful and highly intelligent marine mammals.
The Merlion is amazing and you must go to the top of the Merlion and have a view of Singapore ? it is simply breathtaking.
The Beach Side is excellent and they have recently introduced Trapeze which is good if your child is interested in learning the same ? safe as they have excellent trainers available.
The laser show is fabulous but do not try Video Shooting unless your Video Camera has a Video Light. The Victoria ride is fun. The Train ride and everything is a full day?s journey and experience.
Jurong Bird Park: The Birds of Prey Show and the All Star Bird Show are worth watching. From 1987 to 2002 ? the All Star Bird show was the same ? I guess Singaporeans are so organized or clinical that they forgot to change it. But this year there was a change. The monorail gives you a complete view of the Jurong Bird Park. The Jurong Bird Park has the tallest man-made waterfall.
The Zoo: Worth a visit and lots to do. But the Tram drivers can be very rude and intolerant to Indians. Other than the entry charges ? the Zoo empties your pockets with Photography charges (optional) with the Orang Utan, the Snake and the Pony. The Breakfast with the Orang Utan is absolutely a waste of money.
Shopping:
Singapore is not the place to shop if you are looking for bargains or cheap products ? do all that in Bangkok and Indonesia.
GST Refund (for Tourists): Simply ask for your Global Refund Cheque when you spend a minimum of S $ 100/- at any Store but you must spend atleast S $ 300/- to qualify for a GST Refund. You can get the refund of your GST at the Airport at the time of departure by showing your goods to the GST Counter. They do charge a nominal handling charge for GST Refund.
Electronics:
Try the High Street Centre or the Satnam House on High Street ? best prices in the whole of Singapore. But make sure that you know what Brand and Model you want to buy because they mainly cater to wholesale. Check out all the product information at any of the Best Denki outlets (maybe Takashimaya ? Orchard Road)
Sim Lim Square is worth it.
Funan Centre for I T Products and probably Sim Lim Towers.
Clothes:
John Little (Orchard Road) ? this is a part of the Robinson?s Group and has reasonably priced clothes for children.
Carrefour (Sun Tec City and Plaza Singapura); Covers a wide range of shopping needs.
Clarke Quay ? try the Sunday Market ? can get some good bargains.
Indian Sarees ? try Arab Street and High Street Centre.
China Town ? but you need to bargain a bit. On Sundays there is a flea market.
Fashion Jewellery:
Takashimaya and C K Tangs (Orchard Road) worth the price you pay as most of them come with a warranty.
Also, you can check out China Town.
General:
Most of the Malls at Orchard Road have a lot to offer but may not suit Indian Tastes or design if you are looking for Indian Designs but excellent for western wear though expensive.
Watsons ? great prices for Toiletries and cosmetics. Also, check out Guardian ? same as Watsons but something is always different.
Mustafa Centre: Must be wondering how I have not said anything about this so called great shopping mall for Indians. Yes, it is a great shopping mall if you are ready to compromise on everything. Everyone in Singapore would tell you that you must go to Mustafa Centre to exchange money but the difference is less than S $ 1.00 when you change U S Dollar, so even if you go by Bus ? the end cost is more.
shoplifters.
- Absence of sales persons and if available hardly helpful because they know very
little about the products.
when you spend a minimum of S $ 100/-?, but here they do not give you that by
saying that you must spend a minimum of S $ 300/- to be entitled to a GST
Refund. This is not true because you can accumulate your GST Refund Cheques
by shopping for S $ 100/- anywhere in Singapore but you must spend atleast
S $ 300/- totally to qualify for a GST Refund.
- Electronics are more expensive than High Street Centre and Satnam House.
Eating Out:
Plenty of options for non-vegetarians from Hawkers Centre to the food courts. Almost, every shopping mall has a food court serving a wide range of cuisines from different parts of the World.
Try the Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant (Keppel Road) ? this is located very close to Sentosa. You get an awesome view of Sentosa and the whole of Singapore as the Restaurant revolves. Be sure you are not a vegetarian and that you like Chinese Food.
Do not miss the riverside restaurants at Clarke Quay ? unusually different ambience.
NEGATIVES:
Though Singapore claims to be a safe place for shopping ?BEWARE?. I have bought a Nokia Mobile from The Funan Centre which is an extremely reputed mall from a dealer claiming to be a Nokia dealer but on contacting Nokia Singapore later I discovered that this agent was not an authorized dealer of Nokia.
Beware of Lucky Plaza (Orchard Road) ? they quote you all sorts of prices eg. I wanted to purchase a leather pouch for my Nokia Mobile ? one of the shops quoted S $ 125/- and another S $ 20/-. Besides, if you enter any shop and do not buy ? they get very irritated and start arguing and get aggressive.
Sim Lim Square and Sim Lim Towers ? do not bargain unless you are sure of buying.
Though Taxis are very safe and do not cheat passengers ? the Taxi Drivers from the Airport are not at all helpful to Ladies or Senior Citizens for getting their luggage out.