How much time in Singapore before cruise?

Our port of departure will be Singapore on a cruise spring of 2016. How many days would be needed to tour the city and visit the highlights of the city? What are the highlights of the city? We will be setting aside a half day for shopping although I don't think there will be anything there that we couldn't get at home in Toronto.

Depends on your interests, of course.

We just got back last week from a cruise which started and ended in Singapore. We had 3 nights pre cruise and 1 night (2 full days) post cruise in Singapore. Could have easily filled another 3 days, at least.

We like to walk - a lot - some days we did 20kms on foot on this trip! Wandered various interesting areas of Singapore - Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam, Civic District, Fort Canning, Merlion Park and along the river, checking out the temples, mosques and all the other interesting buildings that around every corner. So many different things to see in such a small area.

We did the Singapore Flyer on a previous visit to Singapore, so didn't do it again, but it gives you some great views of the city.

We loved the Gardens By the Bay, even though we didn't get in the domes this trip. The Skyway through the Supertrees was great.

The Zoo, Night safari and Botanical Gardens are highly recommended. These we also saved for next visit!

If you like theme parks, there is Sentosa Island - not our cup of tea, we gave it a miss.

There is of course plenty of shopping! We found a completely different array of clothing available, compared to what we can get in NZ. We preferred malls like Raffles City to Orchard Road - again preference. The 24 hour Mustafa Centre was a mind boggling experience! If you do go up Orchard Road and you are into history make sure you walk up Emerald Hill Road, which is a lovely pocket of old houses.

http://www.yoursingapore.com/en.html is the official Singapore tourism website, with lots of ideas for you. I also recommend a good guide book, such as an Eye Witness guide. I did heaps of research via books and internet before we went.

Just back from a cruise on RCI Mariner Singapore-Shanghai. Our cruise sailed on a Saturday and we arrived very early morning of Tuesday for our 3 full days pre-cruise. We used the HOHO two day pass and saw almost everything we wanted to. Used the MRT also very easy that got us to Lau Pa Sat for the evening street Satay and also to the Mustafa Center. So glad we had the extra time in Singapore.

Ashkand - we are wondering whether to do the 2 day hoho or use the MRT

The advantage of MRT is it is fast and frequent compared to the bus which could be slow due to traffic and also not frequent.

advantage of bus is it is air con and I don't know how we will cope in the heat anyway.

arrive on rhapsody early one day and fly out 9pm the following night.

We will only go to orchard road to say we have been, not into shopping but keen to see some temples, marina bay, gardens in the bay and botanic gardens and raffles to say we have been.

your opinion on hoho vs mrt would be appreciated. we are staying at Novotel Clarke quay.

Ashkand - we are wondering whether to do the 2 day hoho or use the MRT

The advantage of MRT is it is fast and frequent compared to the bus which could be slow due to traffic and also not frequent.

advantage of bus is it is air con and I don't know how we will cope in the heat anyway.

arrive on rhapsody early one day and fly out 9pm the following night.

We will only go to orchard road to say we have been, not into shopping but keen to see some temples, marina bay, gardens in the bay and botanic gardens and raffles to say we have been.

your opinion on hoho vs mrt would be appreciated. we are staying at Novotel Clarke quay.

HOHO is not as frequent as MRT. Its about 1 hr per bus (frequency) and 5mins per MRT (frequency). I would advise to take MRT if you know where you want to visit. HOHO is for people to get a general idea of the places. If you have limited time, MRT or taxi is a better way to go.

If you are staying at Novotel Clake quay, you can try the bump boat at the river walk area. Day and Night is different so try both and see the Singapore River to the Marina Bay.

Below are some apps for smartphone that may help you to navigate using public bus. However, you will need a lot of coins (they do not give change back).

http://www.expatliving.sg/Living_In_Singapore/settling_in/Top-Singapore-phone-apps-for-daily-life-5751.ece

thanks so much, think we will go with MRT . the apps .....mmmm I am old and don't even understand apps and my phone doesn't have data. yes I am behind the times but its all just too hard for this old girl. I assume I need to be connected to the internet to use them? working a computer is hard enough, but I am sure some other traveller will appreciate it.

thanks so much, think we will go with MRT . the apps .....mmmm I am old and don't even understand apps and my phone doesn't have data. yes I am behind the times but its all just too hard for this old girl. I assume I need to be connected to the internet to use them? working a computer is hard enough, but I am sure some other traveller will appreciate it.

Please note that the Fort Canning MRT (next to Novatel) is still under construction. The closest MRT is the Clarke Quay MRT station about 20mins walk (opposite the river).

So it is better to take the bump boat first (you can buy the whole day/night pass or a 1 way river boat also for S$6) to the MRT at Raffles or Marina Bay. For any point of interest like Botanical Garden that cannot be reach by MRT, go with taxi. Taxi are reasonable cheap in Singapore.

You can reach most of the places from MRT by walking but advise you to return to hotel via taxi after a hard day of walking.

When you get to the MRT vending machine, you can look at the location you want to go and press that station, it will ask you how many tickets. If you are travelling alone, enter One. The ticket cost will be shown, put it the money in the Note or Coin slot. The ticket and change will drop down into the collection bin below. Ticket can be reused by topping up to 6 times if you need to go to the next place.

You can also approach the staff at the MRT train station. If it is a main station, they can sell you the whole day pass (it cost more but you don't have to think about vending machines).

If you have 4 people in a group, better to go with taxi. Save time and money. HO/HO bus cost S$22 to S$30 per person depending on the company.

Ashkand - we are wondering whether to do the 2 day hoho or use the MRT

The advantage of MRT is it is fast and frequent compared to the bus which could be slow due to traffic and also not frequent.

advantage of bus is it is air con and I don't know how we will cope in the heat anyway.

arrive on rhapsody early one day and fly out 9pm the following night.

We will only go to orchard road to say we have been, not into shopping but keen to see some temples, marina bay, gardens in the bay and botanic gardens and raffles to say we have been.

your opinion on hoho vs mrt would be appreciated. we are staying at Novotel Clarke quay.

Hey Tara Jane,

I'm a huge fan of Singapores MRT, it easy to use, clean and cheap. But if it's your first visit to Singapore, the HO/HO bus is a great way to get the feel of the city. Each circuit (there are 2 included in the price) takes approx 1 - 1.5hr. It takes you to all the major landmarks you want to see. It's up to you whether you hop off to visit, or come back at another time. Traveling on the top deck of the bus is a great way to see what little is left of the original buildings (shophouses) and be away from the crowds of the underground. There is a running commentary which compliments the tour and gives you an insight to how the city state works. It really good value (IMHO)

I suppose it depends on how much time you have in Singapore, and what you are really wanting to see. One things for sure it's a very visitor friendly city ;)

Cheers

We are due to dock at 7am I think, but don't plan to get off til 9am ish. There are 4 of us so we plan to get a taxi to the hotel. Being a Sunday I hope there wont be a lot of traffic. I have been to Singapore and did the hoho but that was 14 years ago and just for a day on a stopover to Europe. It was my first overseas trip and I think I was in a state of total shock, travelling alone as well so I really just went on the hoho and saw what I could see.

I did think about buying the tourist pass plus which included a hoho bus, boat, and MRT and public bus. trouble is it isn't available to buy at MRT and we would have to get ourselves to orchard road before we can even buy it, and from my interpretation there aren't many places we can board the boat.

I did email the company but didn't get a clear answer so it all just seemed a bit hard. I initially thought we could use the bus one day and the boat the other and use the MRT and public bus in between. Seemed a good price but maybe if we use taxi and MRT it will be easier. We are there on a sunday and Monday, flying out at 9pm Monday night so I guess we would be heading to the airport at 6pm ish.

We just got back from Singapore a few weeks ago. We did the HOHO but one thing to note is the last buses are between 6 and 7pm so you will need another mode of transportation at night. Also a couple of the routes didn't start until after 9am. Our favorite thing we did there was Gardens by the Bay. We only got to explore one of the domes because the other is closed for renovation but it was magnificent.

We used the MRT in the evenings to get to Lau Pa Sat...for the Satay at night...YUMMY :p

Some food videos from Singapore. This is from Newton Food Center.

Getting there is easy, next to Newton MRT station.

[YOUTUBE]myKLZf8LwVM[/YOUTUBE]

Some stuff I ate, including satay.

[YOUTUBE]qlxP5P3JiY4[/YOUTUBE]

Depends on your interests, of course.

 

We just got back last week from a cruise which started and ended in Singapore. We had 3 nights pre cruise and 1 night (2 full days) post cruise in Singapore. Could have easily filled another 3 days, at least.

 

We like to walk - a lot - some days we did 20kms on foot on this trip! Wandered various interesting areas of Singapore - Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam, Civic District, Fort Canning, Merlion Park and along the river, checking out the temples, mosques and all the other interesting buildings that around every corner. So many different things to see in such a small area.

 

We did the Singapore Flyer on a previous visit to Singapore, so didn't do it again, but it gives you some great views of the city.

 

We loved the Gardens By the Bay, even though we didn't get in the domes this trip. The Skyway through the Supertrees was great.

 

The Zoo, Night safari and Botanical Gardens are highly recommended. These we also saved for next visit!

 

If you like theme parks, there is Sentosa Island - not our cup of tea, we gave it a miss.

 

There is of course plenty of shopping! We found a completely different array of clothing available, compared to what we can get in NZ. We preferred malls like Raffles City to Orchard Road - again preference. The 24 hour Mustafa Centre was a mind boggling experience! If you do go up Orchard Road and you are into history make sure you walk up Emerald Hill Road, which is a lovely pocket of old houses.

 

http://www.yoursingapore.com/en.html is the official Singapore tourism website, with lots of ideas for you. I also recommend a good guide book, such as an Eye Witness guide. I did heaps of research via books and internet before we went.

Where did you stay? Our cruise included one night at a hotel at the airport, but it doesn't look convenient for all the walking or touring. What do you suggest

We stayed at the Ibis on Bencoolen, which we were very happy with. Nothing flash and rooms are quite small, but clean and the hotel is conveniently placed for what we wanted to do - as I said we walked just about everywhere. Also used the trains a few times. Helpful and friendly hotel staff, free unlimited wifi. We got a good nightly rate via the Accor website.

No, you would not be handy to anything if you stay at an airport hotel, as the airport is quite a way out from the central city. This Ibis is easy to get to by train from the airport. Bugis metro is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. The trains are cheap and easy to use. There are also plenty of shuttle and taxi options, if you are happy to pay more. There are eating and shopping options nearby the Ibis on Bencoolen. Note there is another Ibis in Singapore (Novena) which is much further out.

We flew into Singapore 8 days prior to our cruise and spend 5 days there as well as 3 days in Malaysia.

Here is my review of our cruise. There is plenty to do in Singapore. We loved the city.

Don't miss the Botanical Gardens, Jurong Bird Park and more.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?

Here us the correct link to my review.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=501167

Where did you stay? Our cruise included one night at a hotel at the airport, but it doesn't look convenient for all the walking or touring. What do you suggest

G'day Galveston gal,

If possible I would stay at a hotel like the Rendevous. It is close to Dhobi Ghaut MRT which has 3 different lines run through it, which will help you get to so many tourist areas of the city. Located on the cnr of Bras Bashah Rd and Bencoolen St, It is a 10 minute walk to the Raffles hotel, 10 minute walk to Orchard Rd shopping, 10 minute walk (if that) to Bugis St and from there to the Arab Quarter. Dhobi Ghaut has the north- east line that can take you straight to Chinatown and little India and the circle line that gets you to Marina Bay. It really is a great location to stay in, clean and comfortable, if very busy. Some great western style restaurants, malls in the area, but you are never too far away from the best of Singapore.

The airport is a 20/30 minute $25 taxi ride away.

With a little planning you can pack heaps into one day of sight seeing!! If it's possible to get a map of Singapore pre holiday, do so, just to help you get the most out of your stay.

For $175 US per night we very much liked the Royal Plaza on Scotts. It is near the Orchard MRT and many restaurants. In the basement of 1 Scotts are several Asian food court restaurants where you can have very good food for less than $7 S.

Also, we never used the MRT, since taxis are very cheap. We walked to the Botanical Gardens from the hotel.

For $175 US per night we very much liked the Royal Plaza on Scotts. It is near the Orchard MRT and many restaurants. In the basement of 1 Scotts are several Asian food court restaurants where you can have very good food for less than $7 S.

 

Also, we never used the MRT, since taxis are very cheap. We walked to the Botanical Gardens from the hotel.

We recently stayed at the Royal Plaza on Scotts Road too...and I believe it was at your suggestion and some research.....

We loved it, a great hotel and amazing location. We used a 2 day HOHO (2nd day just for transportation) and the MRT to get to many other locations including in the evening to get to Lau Pa Sat then a taxi to get to the cruise terminal.

Thanks so much, a new favorite hotel in Singapore !!!!!

We stayed only for 2 nights, but we wish we would stay a couple of nights more! Singapore is one of the greatest cities in Asia. We used MRT most of the time. didn't use HOHO, but we did the river cruise, which was fantastic as you can see many highlights and also learn the history of the city. unfortunately i have no suggestions for hotels as we stayed with a friend. Do visit the Gardens By the Bay, but do not eat at the restaurant there. very touristic food, really bad service (although they had good prices). unfortunately we didnt have time for the night safari, but we will definately do it next time! try chicken rice, as it is their scepiality.

Was able to change our hotel to the Fairmont Singapore so it is more centrally located. Thanks for the confirmation of my thoughts the airport hotel wasn't going to work. We will be there for 3 nights prior to our departure.

I am currently researching a foodie tour for one of our days and then will probably just use MRT to get to other locations.

I saw the Night Zoo online prior to reading these posts and we had it on a list to consider for our visit.

Thanks,

Here us the correct link to my review.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=501167

Thanks for providing the link to your review! I read the Singapore piece and made note of some of your ideas.

Was able to change our hotel to the Fairmont Singapore so it is more centrally located. Thanks for the confirmation of my thoughts the airport hotel wasn't going to work. We will be there for 3 nights prior to our departure.

 

I am currently researching a foodie tour for one of our days and then will probably just use MRT to get to other locations.

 

I saw the Night Zoo online prior to reading these posts and we had it on a list to consider for our visit.

 

Thanks,

Let me know what you have in mind for Foodie Tour. There are cheap ones which are in Hawker Centres and Food Courts. And slightly more expensive one which are restaurants and coffee shops.

For Hawker Centres, Tiong Bahru (day time only) and Maxwell Rd (both) are the cheaper ones compare to Lau Pa Sat (evening) and Newton Circle (evening). Beware seafood seller at Newton, you need to get them to price the food before ordering.

And you have specialty food like chilli crabs that you can only get from restaurants. Recommended Jumbo Seafood restaurant, however they are pricey.

Let me know what you have in mind for Foodie Tour. There are cheap ones which are in Hawker Centres and Food Courts. And slightly more expensive one which are restaurants and coffee shops.

 

For Hawker Centres, Tiong Bahru (day time only) and Maxwell Rd (both) are the cheaper ones compare to Lau Pa Sat (evening) and Newton Circle (evening). Beware seafood seller at Newton, you need to get them to price the food before ordering.

 

And you have specialty food like chilli crabs that you can only get from restaurants. Recommended Jumbo Seafood restaurant, however they are pricey.

G'day Galveston gal,

The Fairmont looks like a very nice hotel and is in a great position. Will be easy to explore from there.

I have been lucky enough to visit 3 out of the 4 hawkers centres aSing1cruse mentioned. My favourite is Tiong Bahru, it had a fabulous atmosphere, very authentic, in a really nice area and a fasintanting wet market underneath. And the food was absolutely delicious and cheap. There weren't many westerners there mainly locals, but it is getting more popular.

lau Pa Sat is a spectacular building, very popular, with great Satay, and Maxwells is a more humble centre, but with a great variety of good food. We were put off Newton by reviews saying it was expensive.

That said we ate at one of the restaurants at Boat Quay, and it was delicious, but boy oh boy was it pricey. But the ambience and parade if life going by was great.

Western style restaurants seem to be more expensive.

Enjoy your planning