The flight was at 2230 hours Indian time n we reached Singapore at 0700 hours, 0430 am Indian time. at the Changi airport, the duty free shops are good for liquor n chocolates.collected tourist booklets n maps, which r free n very handy. Outside the airport, hail a cab.u can pay by either cash or card, all cabs r equipped with the electronic system which informs u where u boarded, where ur getting off n the exact fare. Lodging : for budget travel, we booked the budget hotel chains, the VIP Hotel, at Newton.a major factor was its close proximity to the MRT (metro) station, which is the most comfortable n fastest way to commute.
The hotel cost us 100 SGD a day, Rs. 3000/- per day, including breakfast, access to swimming pool and the jacuzzi.internet access was available in the room for a minimal charge of 3 SGD per day.After our initial stay, we moved in to the Oriental hotel, one of the finest and most classy hotels in the world. Convenience stores: a great convenience store is the “7 11” store, a 24 hour store offering products at reduced rates n has items like food, drinks, milk, shaving stuff, magazines, calling cards, chocolates, cigarettes n other day-to-day items. if u happen to be hungry at 0100 at night, just pop in, take a sandwich or something, heat it in the micro there n eat it.
Also, the super markets at the Giant stores r a great place to shop for daily needs. Food: the road side restaurants serve a dish called "roti prata" which is like a maida based bread n comes in different fillings of onion, plain, cheese, egg, mutton, chicken etc. served with a spicy onion gravy, costs a mere 01 or 02 SGD. A great place for hotdogs is the SuperDog outlet at the VivoCity mall.it has some of the best hotdogs n comes with a special chilli sauce, a restaurant speciality.There r various food courts in Singapore, where u can get a variety of dishes that suit n tempt your palate.
Lobsters, crabs, fish, chicken, mutton, beef, ham, turkey... But beware as it takes some time for the system to get used to the food there. A local speciality is the chicken rice dish, which comes in options of boiled or roasted chicken.u will find dishes from SriLanka, Malaysia, India, America, Germany, Italy etc. Smart travel: get a EZ card if u travel there often, or buy a ticket from the vending machines. on completing a round trip journey, return the ticket in the vending machine n get a refund of 1SGD. from Newton we went to Little India by the MRT. To visit Sentosa, either go to Orchard Street n avail of the free shuttle service or take a MRT which takes u directly into the VivoCity mall.
The train or cable car to Sentosa originates from the top floor of the mall. To go to the IKEA store n Giant store at Tampines, take the MRT to Tampines n from there a free shuttle which takes u to all the shopping malls in the area. Shopping places: Mustafa in Little India is a shopping mall with huge discounts.products include cosmetics, veggies, electronics, jewellery, clothing, toys, baby stuff, gadgets, accessories, home furnishings…major brands r available at reasonable rates.best for purchase of cosmetics, computer accessories, chargers, batteries, blank CDs DVDs etc.
At the Suntec City, u will find brands from all over. One of the best features in Singapore is that malls are built adjoining one another n u can walk from on to the other. The CarreFour store is another great place to shop for electronics n gadgets, home furnishings n baby stuff. All latest models in laptops, PC monitors, TVs, DVD players, PS, X-Box r available.next is IKEA. Located at Tampines, IKEA is a home store, with options in furnishings, storage, furniture, decorations, kids furniture, cribs, work place furniture…The finishing n quality is unmatched.Giant store, Tampines is a huge mall with brands n also a super market where u get great steals.
The last place we went to was Bugis Street. a road side shopping area, here u feel as if u have stepped into some Oriental city. There is a local temple n a huge oriental statue of a man standing tall in the middle. some very good deals in plants, bags, shoes, dresses n other products. its a place that needs to be visited for the sheer Oriental feel. Places to visit: Little India has some shopping outlets n a nice place for the tourists, especially those from India. Next is Sentosa.laze around at the 03 manmade beaches, go to the underwater park see the giant shark, sting ray, jelly fish, star fish, giant crab n others from the underwater family.
Dont miss the dolphin show. avail free shuttle services inside the island n end it with the laser water n fire show.for the Night Safari, shuttles r available from the Orchard Road.the safari starts around 07:30 in the evening n offers encounters with lions, tigers, elephants, leopards, hyenas, rhinos n deer.also visit the Jurong Bird park.In the evenings, go to the Boat Quey, Esplanade, Clarke Quey.
The tall skyscrapers, beautiful water bodies, the Merlion in the background, the lighted Fullerton hotel (which was earlier a Japanese torture chamber), the boats n structures, all add up to form a long lasting picture. While returning from Singapore, dont forget to visit the viewing area at the Changi airport, where u can stand at close proximity with some of the biggest and most beautiful birds from the international sky. Have a nice trip.