I have a free Emirates flight which I have to redeem in the next month, which gives me a good excuse to escape from India for a weekend 8)

Looking at various interesting places I can visit, which will also correspond with using up some SPG points for a hotel, I have narrowed down my options to Singapore or Kulala Lumpur.

Given the option, which should I go to, and why 🙂

Also any other suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers, Rich

I like both places. My (weird) way of thinking is that one of the things that’s nice about Singapore is that it’s so fantastically orderly, clean and polite. Kuala Lumpur is fun, interesting, moderately lively/chaotic, great for women’s clothes shopping.

If I were you, I’d go to the place that’s more of a change from India – i.e. Singapore.

BTW, isn’t it Chinese New Year soonish? I was in Singapore for it a couple of years ago and it was pretty fun.

Off to KL for a couple of weeks to visit my sis very soon, followed by a long weekend in Singapore, so I’ll let you know when I get back 🙂

Can’t wait!

Chinese New Year is 23rd Jan apparently this year, I’ll be looking at either ast or 2nd weekend in Feb I think.

Escaping chaos is probably a good idea, not a shortage of it around here 😆 😯

Cheers, Rich

Singapore is a lot more modern and cosmopolitan. Good shopping for electronics and food, if you’re in to that sort of thing.

I wasn’t that fussed by KL, so I’ll say Singapore.
(The Grand Prix is on in KL at the end of March – if you’re at all interested it’ll be a very cheap GP to go to, tickets about £20)

I lived in Singapore for 2 years, there is lots to do there. Some people unfavourably describe it as “Asia light”, ie a flavour of Asia without the less palatable parts.

Of the two choices you give I’d say 100% Singapore. KL is one of my least favourite Asian cities, the fact that most tourists regard the Petronus towers as one of the key things to do tells you a lot. If you can go for the F1 that would make it worth a visit.

Drop me an email (in profile) and I’ll give you a suggested list of places.

What you didn’t say is where else you might go, Hong Kong ?

What you didn’t say is where else you might go, Hong Kong ?

I’d pick HK over either Singapore or KL. But Singapore’s ace, nonetheless.

Just spent a long weekend in Singapore and I can honestly say I’ve never been more underwhelmed by somewhere, and I’ve been to Luton. If you like shops and overpriced food, then you’re in for a treat. Alternatively, I’d maybe consider Jakarta (if you can stomach the horrendous traffic) or somewhere like Chiang Mai, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

SP or KL? Hmmmmm………

Bali

jambalaya, I might drop you a mail shortly with your top tips of where to visit in Singapore.

HK was another option although my hotel points won’t go quite as far, so I might need to put my hand into my pocket to cover some of the hotel 😆

Cheers, Rich

If you do end up in SIN, do a search on here, there have been a number of really good threads with tips and pointers.

Between the two Singapore, good food, lots of shops but a little underwhelming, but KL for Grand Prix would be cool. Few other cities to consider if you can, HK and Bangkok both better food, imo, than SP and I like the more mixed up/mess up feel of both.

Bangkok was a thought, but the connections to get back to Hyderabad in central India are terrible. Hong Kong still an option, albeit a bit more expensive due to hotels I can’t cover completely from my points 🙂

Cheers, Rich

Bangkok or Manila would be my choice but they are not as organised as Singapore. I lived in Sing for a bit as well and it’s a great place to be an expat. I think it’s probably quite an expensive place to be a tourist and it does feel a bit contrived (i.e. theme parky).

Out of all listed, I’d pay the extra and go to Honkers. I lived there for a few years and had a FANTASTIC time. Pay the extra young man. 🙂

If you like shops and overpriced food, then you’re in for a treat.

Overpriced food in Singapore? You, sir, are a cad and a bounder to spread such lies (or, perhaps, you were eating in the worst possible places).

http://orderinny.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-yorker-food-issue.html
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/09/03/070903fa_fact_trillin

(I agree that the shopping is no big deal and not particularly cheap in any case).

Overpriced food in Singapore? You, sir, are a cad and a bounder to spread such lies (or, perhaps, you were eating in the worst possible places).

We ate in the hawker places as well as in the centre of Singapore. None of it was particularly special. You got me on overpriced though. Overpriced compared to other places in SE Asia.
On the plus side, Singapore Zoo is the best zoo I’ve ever seen.

I fear we can never agree on this. 😐

1. Bangkok – safe, good food, exciting etc.

2. HK – Food etc …

3. Bali – might be expensive due to tourists.

4. KL – The food is much better than Singapore.

5. Singapore – dull but safe I guess.

6. Manila … not sure about this as the last time I was there I always ended up in a strip joint.

7. Ho Chi Minh City – not sure.

Hi Rich,

Between KL and Singapore I’d choose Singapore every time, but I do live here so a little biased!

If you think the food isn’t good in Singapore, you’ve been eating in the wrong places! Chewkw: I reckon you can easily get Malay food that’s as good, if not better, than KL.

There is more to Singapore than endless air conditioned malls (though there are plenty of them, granted).

There are a couple of posts on Singapore here that have some good info:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/singapore

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-to-do-in-singapore

Feel free to ask on here or send me an email if you have any specific questions!

If your budget allows I would also suggest visiting Hong Kong. There is more to see and do there compared to Singapore, but Singapore will easily keep you amused for a weekend.

I’ve been to both in the last few weeks, for me Singapore. Ok its a bit mire expensive, but it’s older (so more to see) clean (KL is not) and a generally good city. If you can get up to malacca which is geographically near the two: lively place. I can recommend a good hostel too

I fear we can never agree on this.

A compromise, then. The food is amazing in Singapore if:
a) you haven’t eaten elsewhere in SE Asia, and/or
b) you prefer Western food/Westernised Asian food to proper Asian food.

Flying Ox, I really don’t know where you were eating, but it wasn’t in the same places as I was eating clearly! I have traveled and eaten in a lot of SEA and Singapore has plenty of awesome places. As for being westernized Asian, were you just in Macdonalds?!

Sammy’s, Tippling Club, Equinox, Newton, Spzie etc. plus all the hawker centers.

Sambal stingray and Laksa, omg I’m hungry now!

Yes. I went to Singapore to sample the cuisine and spent the entire weekend in MacDonalds. My bad.

A compromise, then. The food is amazing in Singapore if:
a) you haven’t eaten elsewhere in SE Asia, and/or
b) you prefer Western food/Westernised Asian food to proper Asian food.

I went to Singapore to sample the cuisine and spent the entire weekend in MacDonalds. My bad

Come on now, Ox, you started with the patronising comments…

We’re doing a Phuket trip at Easter, visiting friends in Sing again for 2 nights and have to say I’m looking forward to Singapore almost as much as the beach in Thailand.

Food is great, ask Ben where to go…..me I’d go light on Chinese, try all the Malay you can handle. Damn spicy but they are tremendous cooks. Sing is a great place to be an expat, maybe isnt obvious what to do as a tourist. Me I just love the zoos and mooching around Chinatown and Little India. Sing has changed a lot over the last 10yrs or so, isnt the dull, sterile place of legend. Many many great little shops and bars and restaraunts…….place has a lot of style and Singapore nightlife is fantastic.

And the Botanic Gardens is one of favourite places on the planet.

Yeah, that did come across a bit arsey 😳

Just my opinion, that’s all. Singapore’s great for food if you want to masses of options all in the one place, but the Tom Yam Goong I got over there, for instance, was categorically shite everywhere I went. Like a warm bloody mary with prawns in. I’m pretty sure I could have paid S$25 for a bowl in some high-class eatery and got a good one, but that kinda defeats the object to me. You can do that in any city in the world. Similarly, the curries I had from the hawker places were fine, but no better than my local takeaway.

Nice ramen in that Funan Mall place though, I have to admit.

ask Ben where to go…..

Nah. He’d only reccomend somewhere and then go to completely the wrong bar. What sort of an idiot would do that?

Oh. Erm. Ah, yes. 😳

I would recommend Bangkok and Phnom Penh in preference to KL and Singapore. Maybe worth the flights hassle?

Singapore was pretty expensive, but we had an enjoyable couple of days looking at the museums, going on the ferris wheel etc, plus the inevitable Singapore sling at Raffles.We found that Chinatown was the best place to eat. KL was pleasant enough – good street food, a trip up the telecoms tower (great views of the city), looking round the colonial arhitecture. But if you’re going to Malaysia, can you get to Penang (Georgetown)? The food is sensational, and there’s plenty to see.

plus the inevitable Singapore sling at Raffles

This is not recommended. Fat tourists in a chintzy bar drinking a horrible pink sickly sweet “cocktail”.

Go here instead

Edit: Indochine Waterfront, right in the middle of town on the river, amazing view of the CBD skyscrapers.

Probably a bit more helpful if you give the name of the place, McBoo. I know Singapore isn’t that big but you’ll have to give him/her a bit more to go on than a white building with some chairs in front of it! 😉

or here. 57 floors up.

This is not recommended. Fat tourists in a chintzy bar drinking a horrible pink sickly sweet “cocktail”.

If you’ve had a sickly sweet Singapore Sling then it wasn’t made to the correct recipe, and Raffles is an example of colonial architecture that only a philistine would fail to appreciate.

Apart from that though, you’re spot on.

mmmmmm…..Raffles is lovely, but on the Long Bar I’m sticking with “Avoid”. Just remembered the Tiffin Lunch they do there. Maybe best Indian food I’ve ever had.

turboferret – not sure if you have chosen yet but here is a review about riding in KL

it looks ace. I have a friend out there who rides almost daily, again the photos and reports he sends back are very tempting indeed

Guys,

Thanks for all the input, much appreciated. Got a bit of reading to do on the linked threads.

Booked my tickets yesterday, a day of quad biking in Dubai with a friend, then on to Singapore 8)

Arriving Friday afternoon, heading back to India on Monday morning, so should be enough time to get a feel for the place and see a few sights. Decision was swayed by remembering that I have an old uni friend in Singapore, and she’s happy to show me around. After lots of travelling alone, I find that who you’re with has as much an influence on how much fun you have as where you are.

Cheers, Rich

This is not recommended. Fat tourists in a chintzy bar drinking a horrible pink sickly sweet “cocktail”

Each to their own. It was an extremely refreshing drink from its historical home, which also happens to be a very fine example of colonial architecture, and seeing as most contributors on a UK MTB forum would be classed as tourists in SIN anyway, I’m not sure what the problem is.

Ah, yes, this is STW – where anything remotely stereotypical is frowned upon.

Well, as promised above ^^^ Not long back from Singers, KL and Penang. Singers is very civilised, Penang is exciting and KL feels like a small city drenched in sweat. But not in a bad way.

Given the choice, I’d hit Penang every time. I’m very aware that this destination doesn’t feature in your shortlist and that your free flight won’t go anywhere near the place, but there it is. There just seems to be so much scope for exploration there which isn’t present in your shortlisted choices.

If I had to choose from the two though, KL every time.

Hey Rich,

Sounds like you’ll be sorted for a guide as your friend lives here but if you have any questions post away or drop me a mail.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

Cheers, Ben

Ben,

I’ve actually just arrived back to India last night after a fantastic weekend 😀

Quad biking in Dubai on Thursday, then flew to Singapore early Friday morning. Great seafood including chilli crab at a place in the Marina followed by drinks in various bars around the quays before ending up in a club called Filter, which is apparently the normal hang-out for Mark Zuckerberg 8)

Saturday joined a group of cyclists cruising down from East Coast Parkway back to the Marina Bay and around, followed by more fantastic food. Sunday explored the giant theme-park which is Sentosa and chilled out on the beaches before more fantastic food in the evening.

Discovered that Durian is a bit of an acquired taste, but glad I tried it 😆

Was great to be somewhere civilised for a change, it’s amazing how you appreciate something simple like a pavement. Was sad to leave yesterday morning to return to the chaos of India 🙁

Cheers, Rich