Have you looked at Finnair? They sometimes have great deals to Asia.
http://www.finnair.com/GB/GB/destinations/asia-pacific
Travel Singapore Recs
- Thread starter Tash1
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Have you looked at Finnair? They sometimes have great deals to Asia.
http://www.finnair.com/GB/GB/destinations/asia-pacific
I keep looking and looking at so many different options but we are limited, so many reviews on the cheaper hotels say how small and pokey they are which is fine for your average stopover but I want something special for our honeymoon.
However, special comes at a price, and not one we can afford if we want to do a combined honeymoon. We can't go anywhere for our first anniversary as my friend may be getting married the month before abroad so we need our holiday time and money for that..
We can't wait too long in booking it because we both need to get the time off work, without knowing exactly what dates we are travelling then it means we cannot get the dates off work secured, meaning either nobody else books holiday at all in September or we risk losing out because we left it too late.
It seems ludicrous to spend so much money just for the sake of a Grand Prix. It would be great if we had more money, nothing would be a problem then but because we have to be realistic about our budget then we have to be realistic about what we can afford to do. Grand Prix's are held all over the world, granted only one night race but Singapore it secured until 2017, maybe in the future we will have more money and we can go visit.
I don't think I am being unreasonable wanting to stay somewhere special for a honeymoon but it means Singapore is potentially out of the question, thus disappointing the SO.
I am beginning to get more and more fed up with the entire thing, I have suggested elsewhere or that he does some research but he is adamant he can find everything cheaper than me but he hasn't yet even looked. I am sick to death of the honeymoon now and quite frankly don't even want one if it is causing this much hassle!
Just to update...after much deliberation and stressing on my part we have decided to raise the budget to £5-6K which should get us everything we need and hopefully more.
After speaking to someone about Singapore today I am actually really excited about going, I want to have afternoon tea in Raffles!!! She also stayed in the hotel I am looking at and said it was amazing
I got in contact with an airline operator the other day and she said it is too early to book yet but it makes sense to get a flight straight to Bali but do a Singapore stopover.
It makes sense to spend a bit more, we have a good sized deposit for a house, and whilst it would be great to have more, there are plenty of people who don't even have what we have.
Thank you to everyone who replied, if anybody has any suggestions over what to see and do (other than the GP which should take up half or 3/4 of our saturday and sunday then that would be great!!
Is the night zoo any good? What are the Orchid Gardens like? Where is best to eat and drink (not too cheap but I can't afford Raffles every night sadly
)
After speaking to someone about Singapore today I am actually really excited about going, I want to have afternoon tea in Raffles!!! She also stayed in the hotel I am looking at and said it was amazing
I got in contact with an airline operator the other day and she said it is too early to book yet but it makes sense to get a flight straight to Bali but do a Singapore stopover.
It makes sense to spend a bit more, we have a good sized deposit for a house, and whilst it would be great to have more, there are plenty of people who don't even have what we have.
Thank you to everyone who replied, if anybody has any suggestions over what to see and do (other than the GP which should take up half or 3/4 of our saturday and sunday then that would be great!!
Is the night zoo any good? What are the Orchid Gardens like? Where is best to eat and drink (not too cheap but I can't afford Raffles every night sadly
)Just to update...after much deliberation and stressing on my part we have decided to raise the budget to £5-6K which should get us everything we need and hopefully more.
After speaking to someone about Singapore today I am actually really excited about going, I want to have afternoon tea in Raffles!!! She also stayed in the hotel I am looking at and said it was amazing
I got in contact with an airline operator the other day and she said it is too early to book yet but it makes sense to get a flight straight to Bali but do a Singapore stopover.
It makes sense to spend a bit more, we have a good sized deposit for a house, and whilst it would be great to have more, there are plenty of people who don't even have what we have.
Thank you to everyone who replied, if anybody has any suggestions over what to see and do (other than the GP which should take up half or 3/4 of our saturday and sunday then that would be great!!
Is the night zoo any good? What are the Orchid Gardens like? Where is best to eat and drink (not too cheap but I can't afford Raffles every night sadly
you don't need to spend a lot of money to get great food in singapore. in fact, it's almost a waste to go to "nice" restaurants. the hawker stands are amazing and singapore being what it is, they have consolidated them into hawker centers which are generally nice and clean. usually each stand has a specialty so order that from one stand and another from another, etc... it's super fun to mix and match.
i think singapore's primary attraction is food. most other activities (shopping, gambling) cost too much money .
You cannot go wrong with any of your chosen airlines (Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Virgin or British Airways). I think I used Singapore Airlines on my trip there a few years ago.
Do not forget to go for a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel. Bon Voyage!
Do not forget to go for a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel. Bon Voyage!
Chanbal said:You cannot go wrong with any of your chosen airlines (Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Virgin or British Airways). I think I used Singapore Airlines on my trip there a few years ago.
Do not forget to go for a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel. Bon Voyage!
I think its looking likely it will be Singapore Airlines..providing it wont all cost more than £6K..hopefully not..
Just need to find out how long we can have off work so that we know how long we have in bali
Singapore has become more expensive than a few years ago!
Love the hawker food centres for great traditional cuisines. Popular ones are Lau Pat Sat and Newton Circuit.
For decent restaurants & hotels, expect to add 17% for service charge & tax.
Be aware of taxi surcharges at Peak hours, especially departing from City Area & Marina Bay Sands, as well as midnight surcharges...
If you are flying with SQ, I think they offer some good deals and free hop-on bus with boarding pass. See if you'd like to check them out
Sentosa Island is worth visiting but not all attractions are worth to pay for. If you go to Underwater World, don't miss photo opportunities with dophins!! But be sure to get to the show at least 45min early to get a seat coz that's usually the most crowded session!!
Definitely recommend the Orchid Gardens in the Botanical garden. The species in Orchid Gardens are amazing! Suggest to have lunch at Les Amis (we didn't go but seems price is reasonably acceptable for the fine dining experience). We dined at a restaurant next to Orchid Garden, that one is nice too and bit cheaper than Les Amis. If time permits, definitely take a leisure walk around the Botanical Gardens Botanical Gardens is free and the Orchid Gardens cost a few dollars, but definitely worth the visit.
Raffles Hotel's Singapore's Sling is great! tried that and loved it. i think it was around 25SGD
It seems their set lunch is at a 'reasonable' cost too (comparatively to dinner price).
For me, one way to enjoy the lux experience is to dine somewhere nice at lunch (coz cost cheaper and you still get to enjoy the experience), then maybe find something cheaper and more authentic for dinner (perhaps visit a hawker centre to enjoy the local experience?)
For a local cafe, definitely recommend Toast Box for Laksa. They are everywhere, too!
As for the zoo, I am not a fan but Night Safari can be a one off interesting experience. It seems like there will be a wild zoo opening up in Singapore so you might like to check that out too from the singapore zoo website!!
Enjoy! It's a fun city
Love the hawker food centres for great traditional cuisines. Popular ones are Lau Pat Sat and Newton Circuit.
For decent restaurants & hotels, expect to add 17% for service charge & tax.
Be aware of taxi surcharges at Peak hours, especially departing from City Area & Marina Bay Sands, as well as midnight surcharges...
If you are flying with SQ, I think they offer some good deals and free hop-on bus with boarding pass. See if you'd like to check them out
Sentosa Island is worth visiting but not all attractions are worth to pay for. If you go to Underwater World, don't miss photo opportunities with dophins!! But be sure to get to the show at least 45min early to get a seat coz that's usually the most crowded session!!
Definitely recommend the Orchid Gardens in the Botanical garden. The species in Orchid Gardens are amazing! Suggest to have lunch at Les Amis (we didn't go but seems price is reasonably acceptable for the fine dining experience). We dined at a restaurant next to Orchid Garden, that one is nice too and bit cheaper than Les Amis. If time permits, definitely take a leisure walk around the Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens is free and the Orchid Gardens cost a few dollars, but definitely worth the visit. Raffles Hotel's Singapore's Sling is great! tried that and loved it. i think it was around 25SGD
It seems their set lunch is at a 'reasonable' cost too (comparatively to dinner price).
For me, one way to enjoy the lux experience is to dine somewhere nice at lunch (coz cost cheaper and you still get to enjoy the experience), then maybe find something cheaper and more authentic for dinner (perhaps visit a hawker centre to enjoy the local experience?)
For a local cafe, definitely recommend Toast Box for Laksa. They are everywhere, too!
As for the zoo, I am not a fan but Night Safari can be a one off interesting experience. It seems like there will be a wild zoo opening up in Singapore so you might like to check that out too from the singapore zoo website!!
Enjoy! It's a fun city
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Singapore has become more expensive than a few years ago!
Love the hawker food centres for great traditional cuisines. Popular ones are Lau Pat Sat and Newton Circuit.
For decent restaurants & hotels, expect to add 17% for service charge & tax.
Be aware of taxi surcharges at Peak hours, especially departing from City Area & Marina Bay Sands, as well as midnight surcharges...
If you are flying with SQ, I think they offer some good deals and free hop-on bus with boarding pass. See if you'd like to check them out
Sentosa Island is worth visiting but not all attractions are worth to pay for. If you go to Underwater World, don't miss photo opportunities with dophins!! But be sure to get to the show at least 45min early to get a seat coz that's usually the most crowded session!!
Definitely recommend the Orchid Gardens in the Botanical garden. The species in Orchid Gardens are amazing! Suggest to have lunch at Les Amis (we didn't go but seems price is reasonably acceptable for the fine dining experience). We dined at a restaurant next to Orchid Garden, that one is nice too and bit cheaper than Les Amis. If time permits, definitely take a leisure walk around the Botanical Gardens
Raffles Hotel's Singapore's Sling is great! tried that and loved it. i think it was around 25SGD
It seems their set lunch is at a 'reasonable' cost too (comparatively to dinner price).
For me, one way to enjoy the lux experience is to dine somewhere nice at lunch (coz cost cheaper and you still get to enjoy the experience), then maybe find something cheaper and more authentic for dinner (perhaps visit a hawker centre to enjoy the local experience?)
For a local cafe, definitely recommend Toast Box for Laksa. They are everywhere, too!
As for the zoo, I am not a fan but Night Safari can be a one off interesting experience. It seems like there will be a wild zoo opening up in Singapore so you might like to check that out too from the singapore zoo website!!
Enjoy! It's a fun city
For general day to day eating I dont want to spend a fortune so it seems like the Hawker Centres are a good place to visit.
I have come up with a short list of to do things and the costings for 2 people:
Botanic/Orchard Gardens $10 (Thursday or Friday)
Singapore Flyer $66 (Thursday or Friday)
Afternoon Tea (Lunch) in Raffles $140 (Thursday)
Dinner out once $80 (Friday)
Plus:
Transport: $100
Food and drink (lunch, dinner, snacks, excluding the above) $500
The prices for the attractions I got from the websites, I estimated the rest. Is this a good estimate?
Not sure how long to stay in Singapore for, looking into arriving on a Thursday morning, leaving on the Monday or the Tuesday.
We wont be wanting to do anything major on the Thursday as we will be tired from travelling but a walk around the gardens followed by afternoon tea or lunch seems pretty laid back.
What are the MRT times like? Will we be able to use it to get back to whichever hotel we are staying in after the GP finishes? I am not sure if we can afford to stay within walking distance..
Have a few hotels in mind but need to wait on a quote first.
This. I found the London Eye boring, but the Singapore Flyer is REALLY boring. You're better off just going to the roof of Marina Bay Sands.
I recommend the Night Safari at the zoo, although I was still dripping with sweat even at night.
IMO, 2-3 days in Singapore (including the GP) is more than enough.
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When we went there in Aug, we sorta planned itinerary for each day and also worked out ways getting there. For budget planning, we sorta listed the estimated cost next to it.
Totally agree with others about not going up the Singapore Flyer, it's just a Ferris wheel. I think you can also get similar views if you dine in some taller hotel buildings?!
For Hawker centre, laksa, fried noodle dishes are around 4-8 dollars depending on locations. Drinks are around 2 dollars and beer may be more expensive at around 5 dollars at least. If you have dishes like Stingray, minimum is around $12 for a small piece. Satay around 60cents per piece and usually with minimum order of 10. BBQ Chicken wing is must try at Newton Circuit and around $1.2 per piece with minimum order of a few pieces Hope this will give a good estimate of around cost
If you're eating chilli crab at a seafood restaurant, crab prices would be around $50/kg and other dishes are at least $10 (plus 17% service charge)
For MRT, i think it's sometime around midnight but I am not really sure about this. Perhaps you can go onto the SMRT website to have a look. I think some lines are operated by SBS which is on another website too. Sometimes, it maybe more worthwhile to get a taxi but really depends. Would be good to check out the map there too!!
Just wondering, which area do you plan to stay in?
I also recommend wandering around the streets of Little India and Arab Street. Stop in at shops and cafes and walk by the beautiful intricate temple in Little India (can't remember name) and the Mosque in Arab Street - really beautiful architecture. I bought some beautiful textiles in Little India and had delicious pulled tea in Arab Street.
Singapore also has fun markets to browse around. Chinatown and Bugis Street markets come to mind. Lots of things to bargain for.
As others have already mentioned, the Hawker Centres are great! Wide variety of local foods to try. You should also sample Chili Crab - a Singaporean speciality. No Signboard Seafood restaurant (not a Hawker Centre) is great!
Singapore also has fun markets to browse around. Chinatown and Bugis Street markets come to mind. Lots of things to bargain for.
As others have already mentioned, the Hawker Centres are great! Wide variety of local foods to try. You should also sample Chili Crab - a Singaporean speciality. No Signboard Seafood restaurant (not a Hawker Centre) is great!
Not sure which area we plan to stay in, it depends on the prices I suppose. It would be lovely to stay within Marina Bay but I think we may have to look at Clarke Quay, Chinatown or Little India. Somewhere that has easy access to Marina Bay without the prices...
SO is a picky eater so I hope he finds stuff to eat, hes fine with plain chicken and will eat that every day by choice...
SO is a picky eater so I hope he finds stuff to eat, hes fine with plain chicken and will eat that every day by choice...
then he's in luck because singapore has hainan chicken! at it's core, it is boiled chicken and rice but the broth that flavors both is so amazing and aromatic that my mouth is watering at the memory of it.
you know, singapore will be wasted on him if he does not open himself up to different flavors. there's no need to try the exotic meats (i don't remember many), but singapore incorporates many different cultures and there, you can easily sample their cuisine. and don't forget the tropical fruits - the variety is astounding and it makes the selection in europe/us look pitiful.
as i've said before, singapore's allure is its food.
apey_grapey said:
Il enjoy it then. Trying to get him to eat a tomato is a battle i always lose! The only fruit he will eat are bananas, he has an obsession with texture, same way i do about mushrooms but he takes it to a whole new level. Hes a silly boy :-p