So my impulse purchase of a bargain return flight to Singapore is imminent, I'll be newbie in Asia and need advice/suggestions.

tonka on 18/11/2015 - 04:46

Duration is 2 weeks.
My sister is tagging along and never been on a holiday in her life (let alone overseas).
I'm not huge on crowds and city stuff, more diving and exploring, authentic type experiences.

2 weeks in Singapore seems too long.

So far I'm thinking of a
4 day cruise to Malaysia that works out $100 night food and accommodation.
The Zoo, the natural habitat sounds interesting.
Universal Studios, love movies.
One of the gardens, cause it's recommended.

Should I try and get a flight to Bangkok for $200 for a few days, somewhere else maybe, mainly cause the relatives have been globetrotting this year and 3 countries is better than 1 or 2 :-)?

What sort of accommodation, Backpackers / Hotel / AirBNB , any recommendations

Any other tours I can do? Is there any dive type trips I should go for. I had a Malaysian friend once who told me there are spectacular coastal holiday places in Malaysia.
Anything 2 Aussie chicks should steer well clear of at the moment, especially my blond bimbo little sister?

Appreciate the help

Travel

Comments

  • Banana on 18/11/2015 - 06:44
    +1

    Universal Studio is a pain during the holiday season, avoid if you are flying during that period.

    Malaysia has beautiful beaches, I have been to Langkawi and Penang when I was younger so I don't really remember much apart from the food. My friends who went there a few years ago went back again last year. I don't know what you should steer clear of apart from the obvious ones, like don't get robbed and dress down as much as you can. Maybe learn some phrases too?

    You could be very adventurous and fly in the Borneo, that's where I originally from. Not sure if Sabah is safe now? You could tour around Sarawak!

    • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 06:53

      Sarawak looks nice. Will see whats avail.

      • geek001 on 18/11/2015 - 11:50
        +1

        I am not so sure about coastal holidays in Malaysia. Malaysia/Singapore is generally more polluted than Australia. Every time I go to a beach resort in Malaysia, I am left disappointed. Doesn't compare well to the beaches here in Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast.

        One theme seems to be always true in Malaysia, go there for the food. I have heard Sabah is good for diving/snorkelling.

        When in Malaysia, try not to show too much skin, t-shirts with short sleeves and shorts are ok, since it is pretty warm there. No point inviting trouble. Most people there are nice, generally speaks English in urban areas as they teach English in schools.

        Breakfast buffet at a 5-star hotel in Malaysia is a highlight, if you look around some 5-star hotels may only cost around AUD100 a night.

        Most South East Asian countries carries the death penalty for drugs, so steer clear.

        Also, you will find it depressing to go shopping in Singapore/Malaysia because you will need to go one size up. ie. Asian size L is smaller than OZ size L. :)

        • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 16:31

          I do really want to go to Sabah. Thanks for the tips.

        • Laurenlauren on 18/11/2015 - 23:21

          I'm curious to know which beaches you're going to. I haven't done Singapore but Malaysia had some of the best snorkelling/diving I've seen.

        • geek001 on 19/11/2015 - 09:39

          @Laurenlauren: Only counting the beaches that I have been to: Penang, Kuching, Redang Island and Langkawi. Snorkelling/diving might be alright. I am not saying they are terrible, I am just saying the beaches are not as nice and the water is not as clear compared to beaches here in general.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/11/2015 - 08:10
    +1

    How much is the bargain flight?

    • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 10:42

      About $300 return I think, earlier in the year.

  • bluedufflecoat on 18/11/2015 - 09:00
    +1

    Lots of diving options around Malaysia., particularly in the East Coast.

    Lots of retreats in a couple of pockets around KL. Probably other states too.

    Also, I think Legoland is across the border from Singapore, in Johor. And maybe a factory outlet store as well, but I don't know what it's like. YMMV.

    • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 16:33

      I like Lego, will look into.

  • Choc83 on 18/11/2015 - 10:56
    +3

    Singapore is very safe, you can walk anywhere on your own at 3am and you'll be fine. You and your sister would probably want to be wary of crowded transport over in Malaysia however. People can get grabby.

    Langkawi and Penang are excellent, both a short hop away on Airasia. The food in Penang is a highlight.

    Alcohol (other than beer) is expensive in most of Malaysia

    Hotels aren't too bad. I use Agoda a bit (trustworthy reviews, velocity points) and I've found clean, safe, reasonably modern rooms for around 70 AUD per night in the past. Depends on your budget really, you can go private twin rooms for sub-50

    • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 16:34

      Cheers , I'll get AirAsia and see what's avail.

  • PissLUR on 18/11/2015 - 11:13

    Batam.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 18/11/2015 - 11:15

    I'm definitely with you on 2 weeks being too long in Singapore. It's cool to check out but it's definitely not an extended vacation type of place for me. It's the safest place in Asia for bimbo sisters though :)

    I've only been to the usual places Westerners go in Malaysia - Penang, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur, so I can't really advise on beautiful places to go in Malaysia. From Singapore it's typically cheap to fly to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. I don't know if it's worth spending a few days in a third country or just booking another holiday :) From Sydney it's now reached the point where it's often cheaper to fly directly to Bali than via Kuala Lumpur (was $305 return last week, without baggage).

    For social types I would definitely recommend hostels. In Singapore the hostels might be a bit quiet from my experience but it may be the cheapest way to stay in the touristy areas of Singapore (airbnbs are normally a little further out but I suppose it's irrelevant with the subway).

    In Malaysia hostels can be a little more interesting (I've had locals in my hostel that were just going to work!) but still not as much fun as in the poorer SE Asian countries. Since you have two people traveling you may as well mix it up between hostels and hotels and live the high life. You can get a 4 star hotel twin-room for under $40 AUD at times!

    The only everyday safety advice I can think of for travel in general and especially travelers to the poorer countries of SE Asia is that you don't go walking the streets drunk. Besides the obvious reasons, it appears that bad sht always happens to drunk people (fights, accidents, muggings, pick-pocketing, face tattoos, lady-boy "confusion" ( some may like), prostitutes robbing you, drugs being purchased from random locals who turn out to be cops, STDs etc etc). I've seen it all.

    • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 16:37

      I like the idea of mixing it up a bit.
      Thanks for the safety tips, I'm pretty good with that stuff but reminds me I need to go over with the sister.

  • Peck on 18/11/2015 - 11:20
    +1

    I just did a quick search AirAsia Singapore to Pattaya return in Feb. ~$A72. I am not really a Pattaya fan, but Ok for one visit. And very convenient flight times.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 18/11/2015 - 11:42
      +1

      That's cheap. I've never met a female who even remotely liked Pattaya though (or even many males, for that matter). Pattaya's only a couple of hours away from Ko Samet, which is nice enough (but I haven't been in many years).

      • Peck on 18/11/2015 - 14:24
        +1

        Yep I know what you mean. However there are boat day-trips that can be had from Pattaya. And it is very safe. If you can forget walking street (not easily forgotten, but if you can) then the rest of Pattaya is fine. The worst thing likely to happen is that you pay 300 baht for a tuktuk ride that should have been 150 baht. I prefer Pattaya to Phuket as Phuket is 'Scam Central'. Thai people (who are, by nature, conservative) do day trips from Bangkok to Jomtien Beach (10 minutes to Pattaya beach) and sit on the beach under umbrellas under palm trees and eat, eat, eat!

  • airzone on 18/11/2015 - 11:22
    +1

    A word of caution: The ladies in the Changi Village car park aren't always ladies.

  • werdnanostaw on 18/11/2015 - 11:57
    +7

    Transport

    If you want to travel from Changi Airport into city between 0600 and 2345 you can take the MRT = Mass Rapid Transit = train for about S$4 per person.

    If you:

    • arrive outside those hours

    • have a lot of luggage

    • have selected a hotel more than a few hundred metres from MRT station

    • are not confident about navigating in a new city (very likely from what you have said)

    when you exit from Arrivals go to Ground Transport Counter (immediately to the left in Terminal 2). Show them your hotel booking printout, so there can be no mistake about your destination, and they will organise a minibus to take you directly to your hotel for S$9 per person. They will give you a sticker for your clothes and they will tell you to grab a seat nearby. After a while someone who "looks like a minibus driver" will wander around mispronouncing your name so listen closely. He may be going to a different destination so make sure you confirm he is your driver.

    You can also use them for the return journey so make sure you get a brochure with the phone number. You have to book at least 2 hours before your departure time FROM HOTEL which should be at least 3 hours before aircraft departure time.

    Get a prepaid public transport tap card for travelling around Singapore and even to Jahor Bahru in Malaysia (just don't try and come back to S on a Sunday
    evening if you don't want to stand in queues for 2 hours). Quite a bit cheaper but more importantly, much more convenient when using "exact fare only, no
    change given" buses.

    BTW no forms need to be filled in to get into Malaysia but you do need to for S so get a form from the "hidden" counters along the wall. This will avoid you
    standing in the immigration queue for a long while and then being sent back to the end to get a form and fill it out. We saw this happen to a family last
    time.

    You can get the travel card at the airport to use to get into the city.

    Accommodation

    We always stay at hotels in the Fragrance and Hotel 81 chains.

    We always used to stay in Geylang because the hotels are close to the MRT line from the airport to the city but now that we use the minibuses we are trying
    out hotels all over S.

    http://www.fragrancehotel.com/

    http://www.hotel81.com.sg/

    Hotels are not the best if you want to meet people. If you stay at a backpackers' hostel make sure you get a private room, not a dormitory for security reasons - unless you really want to "meet" people, as in hear them snore.

    Private facilities, free wifi and breakfast are all good to have.

    A lot of hotel rooms in Asia don't have windows as they are buried in the body of the building. Make sure you ask for/book a room with a window or otherwise
    take an alarm clock.

    IT

    Read up about roaming costs for voice, texts and especially data. If you turn on data while you are away it can cost up to $2000/GB compared to a few
    dollars per GB in Oz.

    Install Maps.me and then the S and My maps on your phone. These can be accessed while mobile data is switched off (because the GPS signal is independent of
    the phone system). I think it's Maps.me that has bus stops shown which is useful when planning trips around S.

    Where to go

    We have been to S many times so we are always trying to find different things to do. Last time, a few weeks ago, we walked along the coastal park from the
    city out to the airport. A great walk if you like 13km walks.

    We also walked to the top of Mt Faber and then along the ridgetop walk via the botanical gardens to "the attraction formerly know as Tiger Balm Gardens"
    (Prince cultural reference) - pretty kitsch, tacky and rundown but somewhere to go to after you have seen all the mainstream sights.

    Money

    Get 28 Degrees credit cards (CC) for yourself and your sister if you/she have enough income to be eligible to get a CC. If not, get your parents to get one
    and make you/her secondary card holders.

    You need two of all cards in case one gets swallowed by ATM or compromised or if one of you is incapacitated.

    Ordinary CCs have foreign currency transaction, conversion and ATM charges of up to greater of 5%/$5. This means it could cost up to $15 to withdraw $100
    from ATM.

    28D CC doesn't have first two charges so use it for all purchases such as hotel or shopping but it does have ATM charge so you also need to get a Citibank
    Plus debit card (DC) which doesn't have any overseas fees.

    Preload CB DC and use it to withdraw cash from ATMs (at far left end of Terminal 2 as you exit Arrivals).

    The reason you want both cards is because if you use DC to pay for hotel (or on later trips car rental) they may put a hold on funds in card to cover damage
    that would lock up all of your money. If you don't have CC use your DC to pay for hotel and use sister's DC to pay for everything else.

    UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES get TOTAL RIPOFF prepaid travel cards. They have terrible exchange rates and extortionate fees.

    If you feel you need to get cash before you leave don't get it over the counter. Pre-order online for much better exchange rate. Ask or search on OB for best place to get it - possibly Travelex or UAE.

    Other things to watch out for:

    • Always pay in local currency. If ATM, shop or restaurant has "preselected AUD for your convenience" exchange rate will be terrible

    • Deselect 25% tip (common in USA)

    Travel Insurance

    If you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel.

    Ask on OzBargain for best deal but in past I have found World Nomads to be reasonable (I now use free Platinum CC travel insurance - ANZ is best). Make sure you search for 10% discount code available online and deselect all pre-selected charity donations.

    Go to Australian Frequent Flyer website for info on travel insurance deals and CCs (when they're not scheming to get into travel lounges and retain status).

    Blond Bimbo Sister

    In 1975 I took my very innocent for her age, just turned 17 BBS to Bangkok. I had been several times before so I knew how to walk out of the terminal and
    catch a local bus, adorned with chickens hanging from luggage racks and trussed piglets sharing the seats. We walked from the bus stop to the hotel dodging
    the holes in the footpath that lead to the stinking drains - still an "interesting" feature of even upmarket places like Kuala Lumpur - always keep looking down as you walk!

    When we got to the hotel my BBS was so traumatised that she refused to leave the hotel. "I'm not going out there again" she said.

    I pointed out that she would starve if she didn't. Also our return flight was leaving from S in 5 weeks so unless she wanted to stay there forever she had
    to leave.

    I eventually persauded her. I think that trip really toughened her up.

    Since then she has, to list just the highlights of her travels:

    • backpacked through the Middle East, Central America and up the Nile from Cairo to Nairobi

    • bicycled 15,000km alone for 18 months from Dakka in Senegal to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania (search for Esprit de Battuta if you're interested in finding out
      more).

    https://www.google.com.au/search?num=100&newwindow=1&q=espri…

    First Time Travel

    I envy you the thrill of setting out on the adventure of travelling overseas for the first time. Several years ago when we were travelling on the Underground from Heathrow Airport into London there was a young girl sitting opposite who was so excited to be there that she was glowing with joy.

    Good luck on your trip.

    • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 16:29

      Wow, thanks heaps for that, this will be really helpful.
      I really get what you mean about the excitement. I had to travel for work right to all NZ and Aust Cities and hated it because every time I stepped into a new airport for work I knew I couldn't get that holiday wonder there.

    • Spending2Much on 19/11/2015 - 05:42
      +1

      Good write up.

      Well done for sharing and your effort.

    • FindMeADeal on 19/11/2015 - 18:58

      wow.. Am gonna copy paste that to my email and keep it handy.. awesum… thanks!!!

  • tonka on 18/11/2015 - 16:53

    Thanks for the help all. I knew Oz bargainer's were savvy travelers but it's awesome for you go to the trouble of writing up this advice for me.
    Something I find interesting about helping people is you never know the real impact and whether one little bit of info may make a massive difference to something.

  • singlemalt72 on 27/11/2015 - 16:31
    +1

    Definitely do the Bangkok trip, but I would fly one way and catch the train the other direction - Get a sleeper and enjoy the trip - you can get all the details at http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm

    I would do 2 nights in Singapore, 3 or 4 nights in Bangkok then train back to Singapore with a few stops along the way (Surat Thani [pop over to Koh Samui for a couple of nights] then Penang, KL) then Back to Singapore.

    Use websites like Lonely Planet forums, travelfish and Wikitravel to work out how to get around, how to be safe, how to avoid scams, what to see and do.

    Don't be scared, and have a ball.

    • tonka on 27/11/2015 - 16:39

      Wow, that sounds interesting I'll definitely look into it.

    • altomic on 28/11/2015 - 22:58
      +1

      I did the train from KL to Sing 2 years ago. I thought it would be nice - see the country side, relax. Photos of the train interior looked good, etc. And only took 4 hours - according to the schedule.

      It was the opposite. Trip took 7 hours, train was tired and worn. Train stopped every 20 - 30 minutes at some little station. The trip dragged and dragged and dragged. The country side was interesting at first but then sort of became depressing as it was all farms or towns or palm oil plantations.Maybe if I hadn't of had the kids along then it may have been fine with a book. And if I'd brought beer along as well. Or if the train hadn't been stopping all the time and had got to a speed >50km/per hour.

      I did heaps of train travel in Europe 15 years ago and enjoyed it then. Or maybe I'm spoiled with long train trips as I used to live in Japan and used shinkansens a lot.

  • altomic on 28/11/2015 - 22:47

    It will he hot. Take minimal clothing and other stuff and shop in Malaysia.

  • Donaldhump on 29/11/2015 - 09:41
    +2

    leave singapore asap and goto thailand/cambodia…. singabore is imo boring and ultra hot, malaysia isnt one of my favourites, thailand and cambodia be awesome, more fun…

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