For transportation, travellers to Singapore can choose between a day pass, the EZ-Link (stored value card used by locals for transport and other small payments) or paying by cash.
Singapore’s day pass is called the Singapore Tourist Pass (which I will shorten to STPass).
Singapore Tourist Pass
When I first read about STPass, my gut feel told me the pass is not worth the money and that a regular EZLink is an even better value for a traveler.
Here is the cost of the pass:
1 Day Pass S$10
2 Day Pass S$16
3 Day Pass S$20
The official site also lists a comparison between the STPass and EZ-Link.
However, I’m not quite sure what this line means: “Hence passes issued in Singapore come with a rental deposit of S$10 which is fully refundable if the card is returned within 5 days from the date of issuance.”
Update: You’ll need to give an extra S$10 when you buy the card. You’ll forfeit the money if you decide to keep the card. (Too expensive!)
The math
To see if my gut feel is right, I’ll do the math of travelling on an EZ-Link card for 3 days. EZ-Link Card
For accomodation, let’s pretend that we’re staying at Raffles Hotel which I cannot afford (but bear with me).
Day 1:
Raffles Hotel to Singapore Zoo $1.89
Singapore Zoo to Orchard MRT station $1.72
Orchard Road to Clarke Quay MRT $0.83
Clarke Quay back to Raffles Hotel $0.88 Total spent: $5.32 + (non-refundable $5)=$10.32
Day 2:
Raffles Hotel to Chinatown $0.88
Chinatown to Little India $0.88
Farrer Park to Raffles Hotel $0.83 Total spent: $2.59 Day 1 + Day 2 expenses= $7.91
+ (non-refundable $5) =$12.91
Day 3
Raffles Hotel to HarbourFront $1.26
Monorail from HarbourFront into Sentosa $3.00 [Micheal said the pass does not cover this charge.]
Sentosa back to HarbourFront (Free)
HarbourFront to Raffles Hotel $0.83 Total spent: $5.09 + $3 Monorail Day 1 + Day 2 + Day 3 expenses= $16
+ (non-refundable $5) =$21
There’s a small flaw with my calculations though: Most of my transport cost involves taking the bus. I like taking buses but some travelers might shun buses because there are too many routes.
Verdict
[Update (12/6/2012):] If we add the $3 for Sentosa Monorail, it gets a little more expensive. Turns out, the STPass is quite a good value for travellers. This is due to the unrefundable $5 in the EZ-Link card. But you have to make sure that you will take enough public transport to cover your STPass.
I have to admit that the STPass does look a lot prettier than a regular EZ-Link. So if you are travelling to Singapore, maybe you can give it a try.
UPDATE: As Gurpal mentioned below, the card is only available at selected MRTs and at specific timings. Boo.
Have you bought the Singapore Tourist Pass before? How was your experience?
I have a confession. I have very bad taste in music: I love viral music.
Back when Rebecca Black’s Friday and Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe were popular, I listened to them repeatedly on Youtube not ironically but with full appreciation of the catchy lyrics and head bobbing tunes.
Currently on my Youtube loop (because I cannot buy it from the Singapore iTunes) is GANGNAM STYLE from PSY. Youtube charts
I thought about sharing the deep meaning of the song which parodies the dirt rich in Korea but I thought it would make you click the X button. Instead, I have compiled a list of Top 5 (in no particular order) covers of PSY’s song. (And leave the heavy reading to WSJ.)
From Malaysia:
ORANG SABAH STYLE (OPPA GANGNAM STYLE PARODY)
A Hakka version of Gangnam Style featuring my hometown (or homestate) Sabah. Lots of locations taken at places I am familiar with. The ending even has Bruno Mars.
Best line: Come to Sabah, wanna try the seafood. Go to island, Hey!
GANGNAM (SUPER KAMPUNG) STYLE
This is a version made by a Malaysian radio station. I think it’s really cool that the employees are sporting enough to do the invisible horse riding dance everywhere in KL.
Best line: “But in your kampung, you can wear sarong. Anywhere you go oh. Everybody knows oh.”
From Taiwan:
這群人 – 學尬乾那塞 (GANGNAM STYLE Cover/Skit/台語版)
“Studied like Shit”
A Mandarin + Taiwanese Hokkien version with a sexy dressed as a teacher/librarian. Sex sells, of course. Best line (translated): You… don’t study. Learn! Learn! Learn! Learn! Studied like shit
From Singapore:
Singaporean Style (Gangnam Style Parody)
Best part: Instead of the invisible horse riding dance, they have a shake your fist up and down dance.
Best line: “Ehhhhhh give me Tau Huay”
From Korea:
PSY (ft. HYUNA) 오빤 딱 내 스타일
“‘Oppa Is Just My Style”
OK, I’m cheating with this video. It’s actually a follow up to the original song, sung from the girl’s point of view.
UPDATE: Oppa KL Style
From KL, again.
The original video
PSY – GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V
Have you found any interesting covers of GANGNAM STYLE?
Singapore, the Lion City, is the smallest country in Southeast Asia but it is also the wealthiest. The country has a reputation of being clean, safe and strict in enforcing its laws.
For many travellers from the west, Singapore may only be the stepping stone to other countries in the region or to Australia. If you do end up in Singapore for only a day, here is a sample itinerary. I would recommend giving the city at least two days so there will be a second “24 hours in Singapore” coming up.
Day 1 9 a.m. 1. Explore Bugis area for food and temples
Take the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) to Bugis Station and head to the Bencoolen hawker centre on Albert Street. Choose between the Chinese, Malay or Indian stalls for breakfast.
For coffee lovers, skip the Starbucks and get a Kopi which is served with sweet condensed milk.
After food, head to the Goddess of Mercy temple, or Kwan Im Thong Hood Choo Temple on Google Map [178 Waterloo Street]. You won’t miss it because of the scent of incense. Outside the temple, there are flower sellers and fortune tellers who will read your palm or your face and tell you if you will have a good life or a bad one.
Temple of the Goddess of Mercy
A couple of doors away is the bright and colorful Sri Krishnan Temple which is over 130 years old. You can visit the temple after taking off your shoes. The statues of gods and goddesses inside the temple are worth looking.
Opposite the temples are stores selling dried food. When you approach the stores, you will smell a unique scent of dried mushrooms and Chinese herbal medicine.
After the temples of Bugis, turn back into the shaded Bugis Street. Inside, there are many souvenir shops and drink stalls. If you are adventurous, at the other end of Bugis Street, right next to the bus stop, is a Chinese food stall selling marinated spicy duck neck and duck feet.
12 noon 2. Arab Street
It is time to head to walk to Arab Street for more sightseeing and also lunch.
On Arab Street, you can visit the Sultan Mosque[3 Muscat Street] which is said to be the most beautiful mosque in Singapore. Tourists can go into the mosque at specific hours.
Sultan Mosque
For food, you can visit the various restaurants on Haji Lane for Arabic food. For Indian food, I recommend Zam Zam Restaurant [697 N Bridge Rd] which also has another branch at the other end of the shophouse lot.
Zam Zam Restaurant
After lunch, you can wander around the area for trinkets and even Sari cloth.
3 pm 3. Chinatown
From Arab Street, the easiest way to Chinatown is by bus. If not, you can take the MRT to Outram Park and change to the purple line and to Chinatown.
I’ve heard many tourists say that Singapore’s Chinatown is the cleanest Chinatown that they’ve visited. Still, the area is a bit stuff so try to be there when the sun is not too high up.
Chinatown
Recommended sights: Chinatown Heritage Centre [48 Pagoda Street]
In this three-storeyed shophouse is a recreation of a typical Chinese quarters in Singapore’s early days. The early Chinese immigrants lived in tiny rooms during the night while they did labor work in the morning.
Sri Mariamman Temple [242 South Bridge Road]
If you did not visit Sri Krishnan Temple in Bugis, there’s another Indian temple in Chinatown. This temple is even bigger with even more painted statues.
Sri Mariamman Temple
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum [288 South Bridge Road]
This Buddhist temple houses the tooth of Buddha. I find the exterior of the temple too “modern”–the walls too white, the paint too fresh and the lines too straight.
There is plenty to eat in Chinatown. Opposite the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is Maxwell Food Court where famous chicken rice stalls are located. I prefer the food court next to People’s Park Complex although it can get really hot in the day.
7 pm 4. Clark Quay
After dinner, walk along Eu Tong Sen Street to Clarke Quay MRT station. This area comes alive at night, although I must warn that the restaurants and bars are targeted at tourists.
If you feel like it, take a boat ride on the Singapore River. I would not recommend this as it is too touristy.
Then take a stroll to the mouth of the Singapore river. You will walk through many underpass and past many bars and restaurants. Use the brightly lit Fullerton Hotel as your guide, walk towards it. On the left of the bank is the Asian Civilization Museum which has a good collection of Asian artefacts (but is closed at night).
After you pass The Fullerton Hotel, cross the road to the Merlion Park. Here, you will find two Merlions–half lion, half fish beings made up by the Singapore Tourism Board.
Opposite, the strangely shaped Marina Bay Sands sparkles. At night, it has lazer shows with light beamed to the sky.
View of MBS from Merlion Parl
Our last stop is the Esplanade, which is the shiny durian (prickly local fruit) building. It’s like the Sydney Opera House, but pricklier.
10 pm 5. Mustafa Center
After the Esplanade, you can choose between going to more pubs, heading back to your hotel and rest or visit Mustafa Center. The nearest MRT station is Farrer Park.
The shopping center is 24-hours and has almost everything you need. If you want to get Indian spices, gold chains, a watch, T-shorts, souvenirs, this is the place.
After all that shopping, maybe it’s time to head back to sleep so you won’t miss your plane.
IF YOU GO
ACCOMODATION
Rooms in Singapore will not be as cheap as the rest of Southeast Asia. As transportation in the city is convenient, it does not matter much where you are staying.
If you only have a short time in Singapore, the best locations will be near the sights: Little India, Chinatown, Bugis, Clark Quay etc.
This list is only a reference:
Five Stones Hostel http://www.fivestoneshostel.com/
Near: Clark Quay
[Disclaimer: One of the owners of the hostel is a friend of my colleague.]
From photos, this looks like a funky place to stay. All dorms and rooms have shared bathrooms.
MONEY CHANGER
Most money changers in Singapore are honest and give rates that are similar (even at the airport), although those inside shopping malls have more expensive rates.
While these are the more famous money changers, it’s not worth the transport fee to reach them just so you could save a few cents. “Best” (everywhere is quite good) places to change money are Chinatown and Mustafa Center.
STAY CONNECTED
Prepaid 3G in Singapore is not as cheap as Malaysia. There are only three mobile operators here: SingTel, StarHub and M1.
Personally, I use StarHub’s prepaid because it gives me 50 (yes, five-zero) free international SMS for the day when I send 5 international SMS in a day.
StarHub has a special Preferred Tourist Prepaid SIM Card with free 300MB data and has S$18 credits for S$15.
I’ll be doing a part 2 of 24 hours in Singapore. Have I missed out any must see sights? Tweet me or leave a comment below.
You know how the west (and Americans) have one night of Halloween to play dress up, ask for candy and honor the dead?
Guess what, we Chinese have a whole month of that but minus the dressing up, candy or playful spirits.
What we have instead is the opening of Hell Mouth and a bunch of Hungry Ghosts.
Welcome to the Ghost Month
Offerings
The Ghost Month begins on the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. In 2012, the first day of the 7th month falls on Aug. 17, Friday.
On the first day of the 7th month, it is said that the gates of hell open and the spirits leave the underworld and come back to visit their families. Unfortunately for homeless ghosts, they would have no where to go and would roam the earth.
To appease these homeless (and most likely hungry) ghosts, the Chinese would burn “hell money” and incense as well as put out food to feed the hungry ghosts. Paper money burning place
Getai
Besides all the money burning, there’s an interesting event happening in Ghost Month.
In neighborhoods in Singapore, outdoor stages are set up. At special days, these stages transform into “getai” or “song stage”. From an old Hong Kong movie I watched, the shows are performed for the benefit of the wandering spirits.
I’ve only been to one getai performance because we don’t have this sort of stuff back home in KK. The getai that I went to had a small stage, which disappointed me. Mini getai
There was a host who told jokes and young sexy singers who sang and danced. The usual female singers for getai are known for their skimpy outfits and high heels.
If you are interested in seeing a getai, the performance schedules for 2012 is available at STOMP.
I suppose the sexy ladies are there for the benefit of the sex-hungry ghosts as well. Unfortunately, I have yet to hear an equivalent Chippendale performances for the lady ghosts. I assume hell does not support equal rights. If I were a ghost, I will petition for a male stripper show.
My experience with Ghost Month
I cannot describe the fear I have of Ghost Month as a child. To the little me, ghosts lurked everywhere in the 7th month and were out to get me.
There are superstitions such as: Never turn back when walking alone at night if you hear someone call your name. Also, try not to go swimming because the spirits of those who drowned will want to put you down to replace their place.
Today, I don’t fear Ghost Month. I have a wish to see a real ghost and get proof of it so everybody else can rest in peace that our spirits do stay back after death.
Do you have a similar festival as Ghost Month back home? Or do you have ghost stories to share? (I love ghost stories.)
It’s very rare that I praise local food in Singapore. By local food, I mean Chinese, Malay, Indian or Peranakan dishes. (I would rather put American food to represent Singapore.)
Why? Because the Malaysian-made version is usually better.
But, I admit that the beef murtabak at Zam Zam Restaurant is up to standard. The dough was fried crispy and they were not stingy with their corned beef.
However, at the price of S$6, it’s really a lot more expensive than what we could get in Malaysia.
Zam Zam is located at the Arab Street area. Address: 697 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198675
#FoodFri is a post up on each Friday featuring a dish or meals I’ve had when travelling (or staying put). Happy eating!
My parents bunked at Value Hotel Balestier when they came to visit in Singapore early this month.
I was looking for a place that fits three persons in a room because I wanted to overnight with them during the weekend to make it easier for sightseeing.
The room was S$129 on regular nights, and S$139 on Saturday nights. After the 10 percent service charge and 7 percent Goods & Service Tax (GST), the price comes to about S$150. Quite reasonable for three people.
Superior plus at Value Hotel Balestier
The room that we got, Superior Plus, has a queen-sized bed and a sofa bed. I didn’t pick the room with windows because who actually need a window? (Please tell me why you need one if you do.)
The room is small, as expected in Singapore, but I think there will be enough space for two large luggage.
the extra sofa bed
The sofa bed was surprisingly comfortable. It was firm, unlike some foam beds which crush under any weight.
Amenities
At the dressing table, there is a plastic kettle, three glasses and three bottles of water which are replenished everyday. Hairdryer hidden in the drawer.
There was a DVD player, TV with cable TV programs (which weren’t half as scandalous as the stuff I watched on HBO in San Jose) but no mini-fridge (a pity!).
the loo
The bathroom is equipped with toothbrush sets, shampoo, soap and toilet paper which are all replenished daily.
I had to ask for a Wi-Fi password slip from the receptionist. It said it’s chargeable by S$10 but it wasn’t billed. Not sure if that’s the usual case.
Location
If you are familiar with the Singapore public transport, Balestier Road isn’t a bad location. There are buses to the shopping strip Orchard Road.
But the location’s not fantastic because it’s not near an MRT station, it takes a bus ride to reach Novena station.
Taxi fare in Singapore is relatively cheap (compared to Tokyo) so if you have more than 2 people in a group, taking a cab is often cheaper and faster than the bus.
Finding the place
On Balestier Road, there are THREE Value Hotels, a Fragrance Hotel and some Hotel 81’s. To get to the right Value Hotel *Balestier*, here’s what was included in my receipt:
“By taxi, inform the taxi driver to bring you to Value Hotel Balestier located at 218 Balestier Road (opposite the temple where durians are being sold)”
Summary
Stayed: Value Hotel Balestier, Singapore, review
Good for family of three
Pro: Not too expensive, comfy beds
Cons: Not central
The Pair that Writes Together Wins Together
Restaurant review site OpenRice has a competition which you can win up a maximum of S$2,000 travel vouchers.
All you need to do is team up with someone and start writing restaurant reviews. Each review only needs to be over 300 characters (seriously) and has a photo. The team with most reviews win.
When you are writing your review, remember to tick that you want the review to be entered into the contest. It’s opt-in, sneaky!
Unfortunately, the leading team has 61 reviews now. Fortunately, the quality of their content is not very brilliant.
I’ve teamed up with my housemate because we both love to eat. Watch out for the Pointy Toed Hippo (yes, that’s our team name).
Even if you do not win the contest, they give you points for good reviews. Points can be used to redeem in real life stuff. I’m aiming for vouchers.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
[Update Jan 15, 2013: Hello readers from Hong Kong! What’s up?]
It’s lunch time here at my office and I am hungry.
Today’s #FoodFri feature is the multi-flavored xiao long bao (literally “mini dragon buns”, or “mini steam basket buns”) from Paradise Dynasty in Singapore.
I usually avoid restaurants to save money but I got this set using a Groupon voucher so it was a lot cheaper. According to my voucher, the eight different flavors are: Original, Ginseng, Foie Gras, Black Truffle, Cheese, Crab Roe, Garlic, Sze Chuan.
My sister and I each had a steam basket and tried to guess the different flavors. Most of the time we probably got the flavors wrong because some taste quite alike. Those that are really unique, eg Szechuan, are easily guessable.
I don’t think the buns are worth the fuss even though I’m a a big xiao long bao fan. I guess it’s more of a fun dish to treat guests to.
On Tuesday, reports about the Singapore police arresting a 25-year-old “vandal” trended on Twitter and my Facebook wall. I’m not sure what the exact cause of arrest was, I think she was taken in for spray painting “MY GRANDFATHER BUILDING” on a pristine white wall and “MY GRANDFATHER ROAD” on a pristine gray asphalt.
Besides spray painting, she was believed to have pasted stickers at on top of the button of pedestrian crossing lights. I find the stickers whimsical, something Zooey Deschanel would do after she checks the directions with Siri:
in Singapore
According to the Singapore Vandalism Act, enacted in 1966, those who are found guilty of vandalism “shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years, and shall also, subject to sections 325(1) and 330(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, be punished with caning with not less than 3 strokes and not more than 8 strokes”. (TL;DR version.)
It’s strange that we’re still using a law enacted in 1966 for the arrest. Back then, gloves were still a hit among the ladies.
Street art overseas
Discussing this with D, she said the point of argument should focus on “how art cannot be a crime?”
I remember being impressed by graffiti during my travels so I scoured my photo collection for some street art/acts of vandalism.
In Nantes, this caught my attention because of Darth Vader and Little Miss Vadar. in Nantes
Make love, not arrests. in Barcelona
The city of Yogyakarta is famous for its graffiti.
in Yogyakartain Yogyakarta
The Mission in San Francisco is famous for its murals. There’s even an app for that.
in San Franciscoin San Francisco
I suspect the graffiti in KL were city-sanctioned and even sponsored by a paint company.
in KL
I hope Sticker Lady would be given a lighter sentence instead of prison time.
Today’s #FoodFri is the giant profiterole found at The French Stall.
Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two croissant-like buns with liberal doze of chocolate syrup.
I first had French food at The French Stall in Singapore. It was supposed to be an outing for NUS Francophile but there only three people went–two from the committe.
The French Stall is located at 544 Serangoon Rd. It closes on Monday though.
YQtravelling 