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| Singapore (Asia) |
 Singapore (Asia) |
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Singapore (Asia) Reviews |
URSA
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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| Traders - August 2006 |
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When we arrived we couldn't believe it! We had never stayed in such a great 4* Hotel before! Mhe marble Lobby with stunning water feature gave off the impression of luxury immediately. On reaching our room, we couldn't stop grinning. It was modern and contemporary (I can’t stand flowers!) A big bed. A view of the pool. Crisp white linen. Dressing gowns, Slippers, and a tv speaker in the bathroom! Very nice! It is a big hotel with 3 restaurants, a bar, gym, spa etc etc. The pool is lovely with a cascading water feature over the edge of the 4 story's. We didn't eat at the restaurants, apart from breakfast, as we prefer to explore but they all looked very posh! The breakfast however, was fantastic. It was buffet style and featured breakfasts from al over the world! Pancakes and pastries to sausage and eggs to fruit to noodles to all sorts of strange concoctions! The whole place was very clean and has excellent air conditioning! The hotel's situ is fairly good. It is a 5 minute walk to the other end of Orchard Road (the main shopping road) The hotel is attached to a mall but we didn’t venture in there. It's about a 10-15 min walk to the nearest MRT and 5 mins to the nearest bus stop. Bars and Restaurants are nearby. (Don't go after 10 though because they're all shut!) All in all we had a fab time. If you're used to living in luxury then this probably isn't luxury enough for you but anyone who wants their own little haven for a 1 off treat it's great!
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JOHNNY
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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| The Strand Hotel - July 2002 |
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Postcard from Singapore
History, culture, sandy beaches, exotic food and irresistible shopping malls – Singapore has them all! It’s an island where East really does meet West, thanks to its former status as a British Colony. This really helped my husband John and I to find our way round – as all the signs were written in English as well as Chinese and most people spoke English too. It’s an island of contrasts – old colonial meets modern skyscrapers, traditional markets meet modern malls, old Chinese music meets karaoke bars. In short – there is something for everyone of every age.
What we did
After checking into a basic but spotless little hotel we cruised down the Singapore River in an authentic bumboat with eyes painted on the bows to symbolise good luck. This guided tour provided a perfect introduction to the history of the island and its many sites and we relaxed and enjoyed the gentle breeze that drifted over the river – glad of the brief respite from the intense Equatorial heat that would take a couple of days to get used to.
After disembarking we made our way to the Raffles Hotel for a ‘Singapore Sling,’ a refreshing pink-coloured cocktail that used to be a favourite of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of the colony in 1819 as a trading post. The air-conditioned Long Bar was wood panelled and beautifully furnished and one drink led to three more as we munched the nuts provided with the drinks and watched people of many nationalities arrive to sample the famous cocktail.
The next day we wandered through Chinatown with its fascinating market stalls selling strange looking roots, fresh and dried vegetables and herbal remedies. The scent of spices and aromatic oils mingled with the smell of fresh fish and ripe fruit and customers haggled in every language! We saw trinkets, antiques and knick-knacks that spoke of a time long past and beautiful hand-embroidered clothes that you would never find back home. I bought a red and gold silk dressing gown and some wooden hand made wind chimes – converting from Singapore Dollars to £15 in total! What a bargain!
We ended our tour of this wonderful ethnic quarter with a visit to the elaborately painted Sri Mariamman Temple – the oldest temple on the island. Our guide informed us that we should ring the bell on entering to inform the gods of our arrival! The quiet interior of the temple contrasted vividly with the noise and bustle of Chinatown – a stone’s throw away.
That evening we ate a delicious meal of fresh shrimps, lightly spiced and served with soft noodles, peppers and mushrooms in a traditional restaurant on the Clarke Quay, a bustling waterfront area with nightspots and restaurants that cater for every whim and fancy. We were spoiled for choice – and even the most expensive restaurant was cheap by comparison to English eateries.
The following day we took a bus to the Singapore Zoo on the western side of the island. There we spent the whole day, mesmerised by the beautiful animals that lived without cages – though thankfully at a safe distance behind deep trenches! White tigers, lemurs, elephants, deer, bears, apes….and so many others. A ‘Rainforest Trail’ reconstructed the atmosphere of a genuine rainforest where exotic birds and butterflies flew around us. When one beautiful butterfly landed on my arm I was delighted. A night safari in the vast wildlife park revealed a host of different animals – many endangered species – engaging in their night time activities, hunting, prowling and playing. This was a magical experience.
The next day we took a cable car from the World Trade Centre to Sentosa island, where we strolled through herb-scented gardens to the statue of the mighty Merlion, the symbol of Singapore. As its name implies, it takes the form of a lion’s head with the tail of a fish and its role is the guard the island. From the top of the Merlion Tower we enjoyed panoramic views of the island, its lagoons and sandy beaches with palm trees, its lush greenery and tiny beach bars. This truly felt like an island paradise. A special rock seat at the southern tip of the island enjoys fame as being situated at the southernmost point of the Asian Continent. From the island we took a cable car over to Mount Faber, crossing unspoiled rainforest. The views from this height were fantastic and we enjoyed a cold beer on the terrace of the café at the top of the mountain.
The following day we explored modern Singapore, with is skyscrapers and malls. In the centre we found all the British big-name stores – M&S, Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridges and many more. As I spent more and more money I decided to label these cool, air-conditioned malls ‘Danger Zones!’ Honestly – they were impossible to resist. I bought four skirts, six tops, a dress and two pairs of shorts. John bought quite a lot too! When we discovered the Hard Rock Café we were in seventh heaven!
The next day we visited the ‘Escape Theme Park,’ with adventure rides, games and fun-filled carnivals that were heaven for both adults and children. Flume rides, Go-Karting, roller-coasters… everything for the white-knuckle rides enthusiast! This was nail-biting fun.
For museum enthusiasts Singapore boasts the Ming Museum with its priceless collection of fine porcelain, numerous art galleries and the National Museum that traces the history of the island. The residents of Singapore are proud of their multi-cultural island – and the array of museums is awesome. For theatre fans there are numerous dramatic arts centres, classical and modern music concerts and just about anything else you could ever wish for.
What impressed me most was the multi-cultural aspect of the island. East and West united in perfect harmony within a spotlessly clean city that wasn’t like any city I have seen before. No litter, no dog pooh, no chewing gum (illegal to buy) no alcohol in the streets, no graffiti, no foul language, no drunkenness and little or no crime. It makes me wonder how the people of Singapore have managed to defy the louts and vandals to create this wonderful haven in which the elderly and the young can wander safely through the teeming streets.
Maybe we in Britain can learn something from them?
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LISA
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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| Shangri La - April 2006 |
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My husband and I have just enjoyed a fabulous 5 night stay at the Shangra-La. The hotel is out of the world. We stayed in the Garden Wing and we could not have been happier with the sevice we received. The small touches like newspapers, turning your bed down each night, clean bedding every day if required, clean towels twice a day, complimentary fruit. The Line restaurant where we ate breakfast was unbelievable for choice. We had paid for our breakfast in our price but I would advice to eat else where if paying day to day as $86 for a breakfast for 2 I found expensive.
The hotel grounds are out of the world along with the pool area. The one negative point that did let the hotel down from my point of view was business men having breakfast along with holiday makers was a little intimidating listening to men bragging how much business they had made through the last year ( the tables are very close together - so you can not help over ear!!) You do not want to listen to this kind of talk - perhaps there should be a seperate area for the business clients.
The hotel is situated 15 minutes for the busy Orchard Road area - taxi's are available to take you down if the heat is too much for a small charge of approx $5. I would stronlgy recommend for anyone to try the fantastic MRT system that the locals use- we saw almose all Singapre sights via this unbelievable clean and safe railway system, it's air cond; and very cheap.
Alcohol in Singapore very expensive wherever you drink but I would recommend the Murphy's Irish bar - excellent atmosphere - just off orchard Road near the top end near an excellent place to eat called Black Angus.
All in all an excellent holiday - would not stay at the Shangra La again would try and stay somewhere where they are more holiday maker orientated and a more central location.
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HICKS
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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| Pan Pacific - October 2003 |
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Pan Pacific is a beautiful hotel in the Marina Bay district of Singapore. I felt this location was better than Orchard Road as it was more scenic and in walking distance to Raffles and other interesting sights. When we arrived we were given a non-smoking room. As I was a smoker at the time we asked to be moved, within 5 minutes the porter was there to help with our bags and transport us to a beautiful executive room on the 34th floor. Beware if your scared of heights, i am, the lift is on the outside of the building for floors above 20. I used the service elevator with the staff! All in all a friendly deluxe hotel in a great location.
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GRAHAM
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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| Novotel Apollo - July 2004 |
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Singapore 'a unique experience', certainly lives up to its name. This is truly a city that never sleeps. Despite the long journey to reach this great island there certainly is no dissapointment upon arrival. The Novotel apollo was cetrally located, on Havelock Road, just minutes from Suntec City and Orchard Road. The facilities at the hotel were also top notch with a great size pool and a tennis court. There were several different resteraunts catering for most tastes and a the Waterfall lounge offering superb entertainment through out the evening. This spectacular city is well worth a visit for any person of any age.
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JARON
Guest
Voted this Destination:Not voted yet
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| New Park Hotel - October 2003 |
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Our holiday was fantastic; it was one of those holidays where you didn't want to leave. We were right in the middle of Little India and across the road from the excellent MRT (underground), there transportation system is excellent, not like ours!! We are both vegetarians and in fairness we did struggle, there were a lot of restaurants (mostly Indians where we were) but we didn't like the look of them. Instead we found a fantastic Vegetarian restaurant in Chinatown, which did vegi Prawns, Chicken Curry, Spare Ribs etc all made out of Tofu. The restaurant was always full of local people so we knew it must be ok. The staff were very helpful and recommended a few dishes, Cereal Prawns and Original Clay Pot are definitely recommended. The shopping was excellent as well, very cheap, too much choice really! Singapore on the whole was very clean and the people friendly, we always used the MRT even at night and didn't fell uneasy at all. I would also recommend that you visit the Zooalogical Gardens and stay on for the Night Safari. The only thing keeping the animals from you is a deep trench. It's not like a normal Zoo at all. The holiday is definitely recommended.
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| Rating points for this destination: | 455 | |
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