In November, we escorted a group on the Azamara Quest,
roundtrip Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Our last visit to
Singapore was four years ago. The city hasn’t really changed, and we have always
enjoyed our visits to the island nation.
As we left Changi Airport for the hotel, I was surprised by
the lack of litter, graffiti, and exhaust fumes from older vehicles. Then I remembered, Singapore takes pride in a
clean city and environment. You can
drink the water and eat at the hawker stands (food courts).
Our recommended hotel in Singapore is the Hilton. It’s on the north end of Orchard road, near
shopping, restaurants, and the subway. We
spent three nights at the Hilton Hotel.
It’s in the heart of the city and has plenty of upscale shopping nearby. We walked a lot and used the MRT (subway) for
access to remote sites. We didn’t go
out at night but would not have any concerns about walking to nearby venues –
It’s a safe city.
We visited the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel. It’s the home of the Singapore Sling. It’s an interesting place to visit but has
become very touristy and pricy. However,
the visit to the Long Bar is recommended and you can enjoy the free peanuts and
throw the empty shells on the floor - it’s a local tradition.
The subway is a great way to get around the city. The ticket
kiosks are located in the terminals where you can buy a ticket: roundtrip or one
way for any subway destination on the island.
Don’t throw away your used ticket, you need it to get out of the subway
station at your destination. Besides,
the ticket stub is reusable, just add another segment or two to the same paper ticket.
You can use the ticket for up to 6 trips
in 24 hours. Uber is not available in Singapore.
If you are going on a cruise from Singapore, be sure you
know the name and address of your terminal since there are two cruise terminals
on the island and they are not close to each other. Small ships often sail out of the Harbor
Front terminal, near Sentosa Island. The
other terminal is close to the Marina Sands Hotel. Your cruise documents will list the address
for the correct cruise terminal.
Enjoy your cruise!
Questions about Singapore? Ask Anita, your travel expert at Land & Sea,
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