Things to do / avoid in..... Singpore and Bali

So my suggestion for a travel section was of course so I could ask some questions.

I am only in Singpore for 4 days (one wedding party evening) and then Bali for 3 days (one is a wedding day).

So what are the things I really should see?

Kuta obviously, the main road and a couple of temples and you are laughing. I am no Judith Chalmers oh and watch out for the people who change the money in the little huts on the roads, conning bastards.

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Staying jnorth of Kuta in Seminyak. Told I could get to Ubud easily for a day.

Noted on exchanging in huts. Reminds me of exchanging money on the Colombia/Venezuela border on the bus, with the bus driver.

Ubud is worth a visit. Kuta not so much imho. Eat yourself silly too. Great food for ridiculous prices. Steer clear of the Arak (local booze). It may get you pissed but could also make you blind. I think I drank all the good stuff.

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Hire a motor bike and drive down the coast road to the bottom. You can see turtles for the cliffs and there are loads of monkeys to steal stuff from you at the temples, ps also get a message from a cheap place in kuta, not some hotel.

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Don’t do anything vaguely offensive in Singapore. They’ll burn your bottoms off for it*.

*My Far East skills are not great, but Barry is teaching me**

**We love you Barry

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Don’t accept lifts from strangers and make sure someone else knows where you are.

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Take the groom to the four floors for his stag night in Singapore.

singapore

Go to the Ku De Ta bar for a drink. It’s on top of the marina bay sands hotel - great views across the city at night.

Eat at the Newton Circus hawker centre - grab a table and get ordering - take cash

Singapore slings at the raffles hotel

China town and little India are worth a wander - muthu’s curry house on old race course road is worth a try. Just be careful - when they say it’s spicy, have a fire extinguisher to hand and Imodium for the next day.

Shopping is not the bargain it used to be since the sing dollar fell to 2 to the pound - prices are comparable to the UK and in some cases more expensive. However if shopping is your thing then Orchard Road is the place to be.

Get taxis - they are cheap as chips.

Clarke quay is lively at night - the jumbo restaurant does great chilli and black pepper crab

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Thanks all. I am actually going on my own but meeting people there but will make sure I let them know where I am. We are heading to Ku De Ta (now Deja Vu I think) for the re-wedding do. I cannot wait though worried about dress code as I am not really the smartest person in the world.

Looking forward to Monkeys and Turtles too in Bali.

So I’ve pretty much not done any of your suggestions. Apart from trying to not get arrested.

Singapore is a bit weird isn’t it? Some stunning hotels and fun roof tops bars but seems so clean and clinical.

Loving Bali and wish I was staying to see more. But the wedding ensured I was way too hungover to actually do anything today and I fly out tomorrow. So looks like a repeat trip is on the cards

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I was thinking that I went all the way to Bali and Singapore but haven’t provided any suggestions myself for any lucky future visitors to those faraway lands.

Singapore:

I stayed at the Park Royal on Kitchener Road which was just shy of ÂŁ100 a night. It had a pool, gym and spa that I did not use. I had a reasonable meal in one of their resturants. It was good to sleep in although I kept waking up thinking people were coming into my room.

Struggling with jetlag for most of the time I didn’t do much. I did the Gardens in th Bay in Marina Sands one lunchtime.

But didn’t go in this building at all.

I had a walk around little India

Had a few drinks in Fullerton Hotel and had a lovely meal on the top floor whilst watching the light show over at the Marina Bay Sands

Had several drinks at the roof bar Lantern of the Fullerton Bay hotel. Looking at this

Went to 1 -Altitude - highest bar with 360 view of Singapore. And looked down on things

I had a somewhat tense few moments at Raffles Hotel having agreed to meet a friend there. We hadn’t realised how bloody big the hotel was. No free wifi so had to actually use texts to make sure we met up.

But then we had a Singapore Sling and all was good.

Went to Wine Connection in Unity Street. It was ok but not great.

Then on to Bali - Seminyak to be precise

This was largely taken up with the wedding.

I stayed at the very reasonable (about £30 a night) Maison at C Boutique hotel and spa. I loved this little hotel. I was only there 3 nights sadly. Not on the beach but the surroundings were so nice. I’d go back again. I used the spa for a massage and that was pretty nice.

Had one lazy evening at Potatoe Head beach club. Nice food and drinks and quite chilled out.

Had a quick drink in Ku De Ta beach club as well. Again it was pretty chiled out that night.

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I’ve been to Singapore three times in the last two years, 2 weeks at a time, with work. If I’m honest, there is really very little interesting stuff to do in the place. It is all rather anodyne, neat tidy and clean and, well… boring. Yes, you can go to Clarke Quay and drink and eat. Yes, you can visit the odd buildings covered in vegetation. You can go to the botanic gardens and zoo. But, really, it all pales into insignifcance when compared to the the rest of Southeast Asia.

One thing I will say for the place; it seems to a model of harmony among different cultrues and ethnicities.

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I agree Bathsaint. It’s not really a place for me. I would say there are probably undertones of not being so harmonous but things are not reported in the papers from what my friends say. She has heard some not so nice stories.

Have not been to either but my advice would be…keep clear of the ladyboys.

Originally posted by @Sadoldgit

Have not been to either but my adivice would be…keep clear of the ladyboys.

You can have a good old laugh with the ladyboys as they are always up for a giggle.

Play Golf in Bali. There’s this course at the Sheraton which runs along the coastlline and is just astonishingly pretty.

Or if you don’t like Golf then the temple above is right next to the course :wink:

On way to Ubud there are tons of “Art Galleries” painitings, statues etc. Buy from them and haggle maybe keep their cards as it can be a nice business importing stuff from them into Europe;) And MUCH cheaper than the souvenir shops. I ended up sending a 40ft container to Dubai on my trip there.

(But then it was a work trip sticking a Furniture store)

And of course drink and buy the local coffee in Bali - Weasel Coffee. Eaten by Weasels then pooed out then you drink it…

Sounds horrid but some of the best coffee in the world

And even if you stay out of Kutu, get to that West facing strip of Beach and have a sundowner.

(And a proper Balinese Massage - none of the nudge nudge Thailand stuff)

A second thumbs up for the massage :lou_wink_2:

I was pummelled by a 70 year old for over an hour for a few quid.

Up early tomorrow to hopefully get to Bali.
Seminyak, Permuteran and Ubud. So may get to do some of the above this time (defo not the golf)

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Deffo that temple
Deffo art galleries around Ibid
And buy tons of coffee. Obviously Weasel coffee is the best but
Sunset sundowners seafood on Seminyak beach.
Then Kuta for clubbing and surfer dudes - meh not for me but
Volcano trip? Actually the north side if you can.
Everything is so slow so enjoy and chill

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