Singpore in March

[glidingray]

I heard there is a train connection all the way from Singapore to Bangkok, but have not found it in internet about it, so far stories are always about:
- yes you can go from Singapore to Malaysia by train
- yes you can also go from Malaysia to Thailand by train
It does not say what station and how long does it take etc.

I'm thinking of diving in Thai but I also would like to see a little bit of several countries by taking ground transportation, preferably without transit posts...you know, bulky dive bag to manage.

They said immigration process is a lot faster if one takes a train than bus, but there are others who said bus is faster than train. Talking about too much information... La - la - la, I still prefer train though.

Info will be very much appreciated.

Ray

 

[keralucu]

I think if you want to see some of the country and not worry about lugging your gearbag, train is definitely the way to go.

Check these out - I hope some of it helps...

http://www.bangkokpost.net/travel/train.html

http://www.ajarn.com/Travel/visa_runs.htm

http://www.asianconnections.com/travel/travel_tips/thailand/

http://freespace.virgin.net/markgideon.smith/Malaysia.htm

Cheers

 

[Asiandivergal]

Hi Ray,

I have never done the train trip before - but i read somewhere that someone did it before. Yes, there is a train service from Singapore to Bangkok, but you will need to change a couple of times. There is no direct train service - think you will need a couple of hours each time to transit, and there will be several transits involved. It also seems like a v.v. long trip and not comfortable at all (esp the final leg to Bangkok).

I think if you take the bus, it will be faster, and you will still get to explore around quite a bit.

Anyway, hope you have lots of fun in Thailand if you have time, do check out Railay Beach at Krabi - a really fantastic place - we took some time off diving to do some rock-climbing.

 

[scubakat]

It's ticketed!.... I will be in Singapore/Malaysia from March 20-29. YAY!!! I wish that I had more time to explore Malaysia & Thailand. I may try to find my way north for a few days, that is if I can motivate myself to get off of the beach.

Singapore plans include lots of eating, sightseeing for a day or so, hitchhiking up to Malaysia (via public bus),likely to Tiomen Island, for some Snorkeling/SCUBA diving, and maybe,if time allows busing it across the Malaysian peninsula to check out the countryside. Then back to Singapore for as much food as we can eat before dashing off to the airport.

We will spend a couple of days in Tokyo on our way out, then back home to Seattle....

So... What are the "Must-See" things in Singapore? I like visiting gardens, eating good food, walking lots. I am not fond of shopping for consumer goods, but I do enjoy browsing public markets. Can anyone recommend a good hostel or inexpensive hotel? There will be at least four of us traveling together.

Thanks all!!
Kate

 

[keralucu]

Sounds like you have a fun trip planned, Kate. If you do get up to Thailand and need any help with anything, let me know.

Enjoy yourselves!

 

[Zept]

Kate, if you like gardens, you should visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Do it by yourself, not on an organised tour -- the tours stampede through in 20-30 minutes. Easy to get there by taxi or bus. Within the gardens you'll find the National Orchid Collection, which is a separate area with a huge collection of orchids (duh!).

Botanic Gardens

Both the Zoo and the BirdPark have nice, garden-like environments, as well as animals or birds. The Night Safari, a zoo-cum-safari park that you visit in the evening, is also very popular. I think it's overrated, but everyone else thinks it's great, plus it's something you can do after it gets dark (about 7pm).

Zoo and Night Safari
Jurong BirdPark

For something a bit different, I like Sungei Buloh nature reserve. It's a wetlands reserve with mangrove swamps, walking trails and boardwalks, lots of birds and interesting local wildlife. However, it's kind of out of the way if you're only here for a day or two, and you'll be eaten alive no matter how much insect repellent you apply.

Sungei Buloh

Hope that helps. Have a great trip!


Zept

 

[SaltyWhale]

Hi Scubakat

Should u need any advise on where to go (Diving or normal destinations) in Malaysia, please do not hesitate to ask......would be happy to give you some tips.....

Cheers

 

[Asiandivergal]

hey kate,

great to know u will be here soon! maybe we can meet up over drinks, bring you to some nice eating places, and swop diving stories! It sure would be nice meeting scuba board divers in person hehe I'm sure Thresher would be happy to be there too with a warm welcome too

Yup, Botanic Gardens is lovely, try visiting it on a Sunday, where they usually have some open-air jazzy or orchestra performances by the lake. weekdays are fine if u prefer fewer crowds.

More on gardens and parks and other similar genre:
Chek Jawa at Pulau Ubin. There was a "battle" between the govt who had planned to reclaim the land vs the nature lovers in singapore as the mudflats and mangroves contained treasures such as crabs, worms, octopi, sand dollars, sea stars, bristle stars, sea grass, molluscs, barnacles, algae, sea anemones, sponges, sea cucumber etc etc etc. Surprisingly the nature activists won! you must understand that this is revolutionary, coz in singapore, once the govt decides on an action plan, nothing will sway their decision. Check out this website for an interesting read:
http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/news/chekjawa/

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve - this is where you will find Singapore's highest hill at 164 m - great work out with a lovely view and this is where you find a huge amount of rainforest area.

Fort Canning Park just off the main shopping belt of singapore. This place is famed for its "ghostly" encounters, historial past with some relics still there, a reminder of its military past.

East Coast Park - great place to cycle, rollarblade, chill out by the beach, think there's also a bird sanctuary there as well. Hey, you must try the seafood there! a whole row of seafood restaurants there for your picking after a great day at the beach - Jumbo would be my personal favourite

Labrador Park - another tranquil, historical area - lots of brides get their photoshoot done here hehe

For more info on parks and gardens in singapore, try checking the NParks website - they're the custodian of all the parks and gardens in singapore.
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

Other things to do: check out arab street and little india for "the other side" of singapore - it's vibrant and colourful and lots of things to see, and interesting stuff to buy.

And need i mention the food? singapore is a food paradise, the local food here is great - and eating out at hawker centres is a novel experience lots of yummy chinese, indian and malay food to choose from - you should check out Newton Hawker Centre, Maxwell Market, Pasir Ris Park (great nite ambience), Geylang, Serangoon Gardens Chomp Chomp. These are the places where locals go in pursuit of good food.

Sentosa Island - a tourist trap! Overcommercialised and tacky!The only place worth visiting there is the Underwater World - u can see the dolphins and go diving with sharks, rays and all in a huge aquarium - you can feed them as well. Heard from some diver friends that this is really cool.

For a lovely nite out, suggest you check out Chjimes - they have retained a bit of the colonial feel, and it's got a nice ambience.

you mentioned that you like markets? then u should get down to one of the residential areas in the early morning, and witness the locals buy their groceries at the "wet market". Even the younger generation like us rarely go there anymore, which is quite a pity, coz it can be quite interesting.

Hey check out this website by a local on interesting things to do and places to stay - it's really refreshing and untouristy which gives you a better picture of singapore http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/7222/

Tips on crossing the causeway to Malaysia will have to be in a separate thread hey i am also thinking of doing a weekend diving trip to Tioman or Aur/Dayang in March - if u are interested, why not join us? sure would be fun, and we will take care of all the arrangements hehehe will let u know more, coz we are still trying to work out the details.

Hope this helps, and if you'd like to meet up with some local divers here, just lemme know, and I will work something out. Tour guide services, especially to great eating places, can also be arranged on a voluntary basis

 

[voln]

Kate,

All the tips you got are right on - I just wanna add...

At hawker centres, particularly the more touristy ones like Newton, be aware of aggressive hawkers who want to charge you an arm and a leg for mediocre seafood - for seafood it's better to go to a seafood restaurant like ADG's recommendation - Jumbo on the East Coast. At Newton and other hawker centres, the thing to do is try the more basic food like noodles and things - see what other locals order and do the same - you can totally go up to people and ask where they got what they're eating because different hawker stalls are self-owned and vary widely in quality.

Food markets - the biggest is probably the main chinatown one - just head towards Chinatown (Eu Tong Sen Street) and walk towards Outram and you should hit the market on the south side of the street, there are also non-food stalls selling trinkets and stuff - be sure to bargain. Be warned - a food, or as called in Singapore, "wet market" is a hardcore experience, and you'll want to dress down and watch your purse!

Satay club is no more - at least not in its original state - it has been "moved" to Clarke Quay and homogenised beyond all interest! For good satay (which is barbecued chicken, beef or mutton on sticks, dipped in a peanut sauce), go to Taman Serasi hawker centre which is just outside the Botanic Gardens and can therefore be combined with your leaf-peeping adventure! Be sure to check out all the varieties of orchids - Singapore is famous for them.

I second the Night Safari - I went for the first time last year when I was back in the homeland and really liked it!

Cheap digs - tough one - Singapore is expensive for SE Asia - most smaller hotels are in the Bugis Street / Geylang area, I am not too sure how safe that area is, or around Coleman Street downtown, like the Peninsula Hotel (unrelated to the famous one in HK), Coleman Hotel or the like - those are a little more expensive but better located. Oh, transportation - the MRT, which is what they call the subway, is clean and efficient, buses are good but confusing as they don't automatically stop at every stop and you should ask the driver for help or he/ she assumes you know where you're going - unfortunately Spore's road system is confusing (and like T pointed out - changes all the time!) If going out late I would advise taking cabs back - not expensive and pretty reliable. If you plan to take public transport a lot you could get a stored value card that works on the MRT and buses.

Customs/ habits to observe - don't tip - it's not expected (as a result of which service is sometimes indifferent), try not to dress too skimpily (although tank tops are fine and in the heat and humidity, a godsend), Singaporeans dress very casually, but in some places like mosques and other places of worship you might want to dress a little more modestly out of respect. If you eat in a hawker centre and order food from muslim and non-muslim stalls, do not use the utensils from the muslim stalls to pick up the food from the non-muslim stalls, unless they are disposable (muslim food is like kosher and prepared according to religious regulations). FInally, bring lots of tissue paper - the restrooms aren't always well stocked....

Have fun! The airticket you got was a really great deal btw!

V.

 

[Thresher]

Heya scubakat

Well, what else can I say? I was planning to write you a guidebook but I see that ADG, voln and Zept have already given you some amazing information about Singapore. Even I'm excited about all the stuff they wrote about! (Jumbo Restaurant....mmmmmmm :approve: ....pepper crab...slurp!)