Singapore

[Obsideon]

Anyone here been or know much about it?
I just started to look into it, it seems to be expensive city but cheap and delicious eats from hawker stalls.

Anyone can chime in some advice or tips on what to do there?
If you've been there what was your experience like?

[Teriyaki]

Ever been to Hong Kong?
I consider it like an alternative universe Hong Kong, where the streets are clean, the people are 10x less rude, and the crowds are not nearly as bad. Food is absolutely stellar wherever you go, since there is a huge diaspora of immigrants from multiple backgrounds. Cheap food in the hawker stands, but drinks are expensive if you like to indulge.

The hotel game there is strong as well, some of the best architecture and service combined.

[roastpuff]

Originally Posted by Obsideon

Anyone here been or know much about it?
I just started to look into it, it seems to be expensive city but cheap and delicious eats from hawker stalls.

Anyone can chime in some advice or tips on what to do there?
If you've been there what was your experience like?

Singapore is super accessible, super organized, and super clean - it's "Asia lite" as I call it. Great for those who have never been to Asia, but HKers and those that like a bit of excitement will probably not find it there. Everything is very regulated by the government - I call it the "World's Friendliest Dictatorship" - so there's rules for everything basically. Hotels can be expensive, AirBnB might be cheaper but I don't know since I always stay with relatives. Transit is very organized and easy - buses are frequent, trains are available almost anywhere, and Uber and taxi if you're lazy are great.

There are some great nature hikes in Singapore (MacRitchie Reservoir, Jurong Park, etc.) and Pulau Ubin is pretty neat for the preservation of a fishing village and non-planned forest area. Surprising amount of greenery, the domes at Marina Bay are worth the visit. Jurong Bird Park and the Zoo are fun, especially the Night Safari, if you have never been to one. Sentosa is meh, not my thing, but great if you have kids.

Nightlife is basically in Clarke Quay for dinner and drinks, Holland Village, Geyland (red light district for what it's worth) and probably other places that I haven't been to.

Food:

Satay, at Lau Pa Sat (old market) - pick a stall, the longer the queue the better usually
Fish Head Curry - I like Samy's at the Dempsey Hill location but others might say go to Muthu's instead.
Pepper Crab - Jumbo for me, but the other ones are good too.
Chili Crab - No Signboard. Hands down
Chicken rice - Tian Tian, or the other stall nearby. Worth the line up.

There is so much food in Singapore that it's hard to recommend stuff. But usually go for the longest lines - always a good sign. If you have any specific dishes you're looking for let me know and I'll ask my relatives there to recommend a place.

[cafe22]

Originally Posted by Obsideon

Anyone here been or know much about it?
I just started to look into it, it seems to be expensive city but cheap and delicious eats from hawker stalls.

Anyone can chime in some advice or tips on what to do there?
If you've been there what was your experience like?

Grab yourself a stack of t-shirts cause it's hot AF and even hotter at the hawker stalls since most don't have A/C.

Try the local food (bak kut teh, chicken rice, durian, stingrays, etc..)

Transportation is great, try to find a hotel near the MRT and you can get around town quite easily. That said, Grab and Uber are also pretty easy to use.

[bcrdukes]

For me, Tian Tian was just okay and was not worth the hype. Luckily I did not have to line up.

[Euro7r]

I was there in March, humid all day and hot. Depends where you want to stay, hotel prices will fluctuate depending on the hotel/location. I went Airbnb route since it was cheaper and I wanted to stay closer to the downtown core area, ended up renting near Singapore Management University. Most of the time, I just walked everywhere to explore.

Check out the Garden by the bay. I would suggest night time, looks super nice and not as crazy hot during the daytime. Food wise, hawker centers for cheap eats.

I wouldn't spend more than a few days in Singapore, it's not that big of a place.

[mickz]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

For me, Tian Tian was just okay and was not worth the hype. Luckily I did not have to line up.

My thoughts exactly. Tian Tian sucks. The people working there were super rude as well. Overhyped.

[Gh0stRider]

YouTube

[kr4l]

Marina Bay Sands is a must.

[Gh0stRider]

YouTube

[Obsideon]

Just got back from there.
Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas!

Food was cheap and delicious.
Highlights were:
Tian Tian's was actually really good, and lucky I went early so the line was only 3 people ahead, got my food in less than 5min. I found it hilarious there were at least 3 other stalls in that center that almost fooled me. They had pretty much identical sign colouring and font with subtle changes to the name in Chinese. One was called "Tian Tian Food" and another was "Uncle Tian" instead of Tian Tian Hainan Chicken. Look for the one with Anthony Bourdain plastered on the window. I almost got tricked lol.
The Black Pepper Crab was also delicious, surprisingly I did not enjoy the Chili Crab, too sweet for me.
The cheapest Michelin star stall Hawker Chan was also very good, there was excellent char and very juicy char siu and soy chicken. The rice was also fluffy and aromatic.

The worst part of Singapore was the night life. Went out 1 night to check out the bars in Geyland and Boat Quay. Wow it was pretty sad. Only a handful of bars open and the busiest pub had like 7 people inside. Doesn't help that liquor is extremely expensive, a small bottle of Asahi was $18!!! There was a poster near my hotel that was advertising happy hour, a 3L draught beer tower was $108 ... like wow.

The Zoo and Night Safari were fun, the animals all seemed healthy and very active. I never saw a lion roar in real life and the tigers were pacing around. Even the snakes were slithering about. I've been to many zoo's most animals are lethargic and just laying around.

[Gh0stRider]

Originally Posted by Obsideon

Just got back from there.
Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas!

Food was cheap and delicious.
Highlights were:
Tian Tian's was actually really good, and lucky I went early so the line was only 3 people ahead, got my food in less than 5min. I found it hilarious there were at least 3 other stalls in that center that almost fooled me. They had pretty much identical sign colouring and font with subtle changes to the name in Chinese. One was called "Tian Tian Food" and another was "Uncle Tian" instead of Tian Tian Hainan Chicken. Look for the one with Anthony Bourdain plastered on the window. I almost got tricked lol.
The Black Pepper Crab was also delicious, surprisingly I did not enjoy the Chili Crab, too sweet for me.
The cheapest Michelin star stall Hawker Chan was also very good, there was excellent char and very juicy char siu and soy chicken. The rice was also fluffy and aromatic.

The worst part of Singapore was the night life. Went out 1 night to check out the bars in Geyland and Boat Quay. Wow it was pretty sad. Only a handful of bars open and the busiest pub had like 7 people inside. Doesn't help that liquor is extremely expensive, a small bottle of Asahi was $18!!! There was a poster near my hotel that was advertising happy hour, a 3L draught beer tower was $108 ... like wow.

The Zoo and Night Safari were fun, the animals all seemed healthy and very active. I never saw a lion roar in real life and the tigers were pacing around. Even the snakes were slithering about. I've been to many zoo's most animals are lethargic and just laying around.

Thanks for the tips, i'll be there next month.