Singapore 10/6/16 – 13/6/16

Malaysia – Singapore
So we left our Siem Reap hotel at 1pm and got to our hotel in Singapore at 10pm with only a 2 hour flight! The transfer to the airport great, the flight great, it was when we got to Singapore we hit several issues. We got to the shuttle bus stop ok, but had just missed a bus and the lady said we had 40 minutes to wait. So we went for a coffee and got back to her 30 minutes later, for her to say the bus had gone and we would need to wait for the next in 30 minutes. OK so we waited and waited and it eventually showed up. The shuttle journey took another 45 min before we were dropped off at our hotel, the Park 22 Hotel at the edge of Chinatown. We had chosen this for its location, the room size and with all the mod cons. We paid extra for one of their “Supreme” rooms. We checked in and went to our room. We couldn’t open the door fully as it banged against the bed. We manoeuvred in, but there was nowhere to put our bags and no window. We looked for the En suite, but found a small door , inside there was a sink, next to a toilet with a shower above them, it was tiny. So before we unpacked we headed straight downstairs and requested the room we had booked. The receptionist stated there were no balcony rooms for 2 more days and they didn’t have any other bigger rooms than what we got. Not happy at all I stated this wasn’t good enough, and showed her our on line booking then stated we would not be staying here and walked out. Luckily our hotel was on a street with dozens of other hotels so we went next door, stated our case to the receptionist there who then showed us 3 different rooms in their hotel. This hotel was called 1929 Hotel. The rooms were great, even their deluxe room, which we decided to have for the night. Back at the original hotel and there was a manager at the desk. I stated we had found somewhere else so we were back just to pick up our bags. The manager apologized and said there would be a supreme room available from tomorrow, as he was frantically doing something on the computer. We were then asked to give our key back, which I did but in hindsight was not sure if that was a good idea as we had already paid for it. We were now ready for a drink, so the first bar we got too, (a few doorways from our hotel), was a rooftop bar, so in we went. When in Singapore, what’s your first drink? For us it was Singapore slings, and very nice they were. We had 2 each costing SD$112 that’s nearly NZ$120?
The following day, went back to the original hotel and hey presto, we were in the room we had booked. Great room, plenty of space, balcony, fridge and in-room safe, all what we had booked. I wonder if we will get our first night back?
Once unpacked we ventured into the local vanity – Chinatown. We had 2 tasks to do today, find a Canon camera shop, (as ours had clapped out a couple of months ago, and we only bought it in NZ in Dec), and find a tailor. Chinatown in Singapore is like any other you would find around the world. There was the hustle and bustle, market stalls selling every trinket you could imagine and streets full of red paper lanterns, (which at night time illuminated the night sky as if it was daylight. There are many, many streets that make up Chinatown here, all interwoven with each other, so much so you could get lost amongst them. We walked around and spotted a camera shop, and yeah for us it included all brands of cameras including Canon. The shop owner, (named Roy), was very obliging and as much as he tried he could not fix ours. So we ended up buying another one. As we chatted, he asked us to look at his jewellery shop next door. Again we were greeted with smiles and open arms, whereupon I ended up buying a thumb ring, (don’t know who that happened). Next Roy asked if we wanted him to take us to his brothers tailors shop. Within a few minutes I was measured up, cloth decided, garments chosen and asked to return in 2 days. WOW we’d only been walking around for a couple of hours and had spent $1000.
We had the most wonderful Chinese food that evening in such an authentic atmosphere, in the middle of “food street” in Chinatown. It was the best I’ve tasted ever. Totally recommend a stroll in this area.
The following day we decided to do a bit of sight seeing, so as we have done in most cities we bought tickets for the open top hop on hop off City tour. What we hadn’t reckon on was how big Singapore is, it’s completely massive and the biggest we’ve ventured into. So big, the city tour has 7 (yes 7), routes, luckily we had bought tickets that enabled us to ride on all of them. Unfortunately time got hold of us and we only got to see a fraction of it, anyway we did get to see the most iconic tourist sights including, Raffles hotel, the Art Gallery, the Singapore Flyer (similar but bigger than the London eye), the Gardens by the bay and the Sands Sky Park. We were out and about for 12 hours today, so packed a lot in.
The next day we thought we needed to go to Raffles Hotel, (as we had only passed it on the bus), so made our way to the nearest MRT station, worked out how to get there and boarded the underground train. Not only is the city huge above ground, but wait until you experience it’s underground train systems. Again massive with huge amounts of people using it from locals to tourists alike. A great and possibly the best way to get around the sprawling city. Once at our destination, cameras, phones, GoPro in hand we were snapping shots likes crazy. We tried to get into the hotel, but we were spotted by several Turban wearing people, so followed the signs for the Long Bar. The signs led us around the hotel, through some of its grounds and up to the second level – and there it was in its full colonial style. Full of authenticity, full of history, and full of people drinking Singapore slings. Apparently this world famous drink was first concocted in 1915, by a bar tender there. He made it for the ladies, (who in these days were frowned upon for drinking alcohol in public places), as it was pink! And as you know full of alcohol. What bliss, the sun was shining through the wooden shutters which reflected throughout on the magnificent architecture within the bar, you could almost here the distant chatter of the ladies from Tenko when they were released after WW11. Oh the history, the sights the aroma was truly amazing.
Once back at Chinatown we picked up my wedding attire from the tailors and went for yet another amazing Chinese food experience before we headed back to the hotel as we have a 5am start tomorrow.
The high lights in Singapore have been, wandering around the beautiful Garden by the bay with its flora in full bloom, Chinatown and the Marina Bay.