My Vacation -

Singapore Jul 2003

Year 2003 is a year of SARS.  Many countries were affected.  Hong Kong and Singapore are one of the worse ones.  Nobody wants to travel there until the WHO has lifted the warnings to these countries.  Just like Bali, the tourist industry was dead.  Everybody was desperate.  So after the WHO's warnings were lifted, there were many good deals around to attract tourists.  We took the cheap tickets for me and my son because my husband's company has already paid for his accommodation and ticket for his business trip. 

My son went to Singapore when he was 8 months old.  But of course he can't remember, and every time my husband goes to Singapore, my son will say that he has never been to Singapore before.  This is another reason why we go.

Singapore hasn't changed much, from a tourist's point of view.  Orchard road is still full of shopping arcades.  Little India, Malay village and China Town are still there and look very similar to 6 years ago.

Food is cheaper than Hong Kong.  We went to  Chijmes - an area for local yuppies to enjoy food and wine in trendy restaurants and pubs.  And the price is half of Lan Wai Fong (Hong Kong's trendy area) The area was refurbished from an old school and church.  The church is still there but is available for dinner and functions.

Chijmes, near the Raffles Hotel

Shopping:

Ladies, bring a big suitcase for shoes.  Interesting designed sandals from US$15 (HK$120) to US$25 (HK$200).  I pay boring ordinary ones in Hong Kong for HK$220+ or $400+ for slightly fancy ones in Japanese department stores in Hong Kong.

Orchard Road is full of shopping malls including computer shopping arcades and is easy to access by MRT, the underground.

Holland Road Shopping Centre is probably where the expatriate buy ethnic-looking furniture and home deco.

The underground MRT is easy to use.  If you don't want to buy a tourist ticket, get a one-day pass and you can top it up any time within that day.

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