Planning a trip to Singapore & Malaysia, help!

[XIII]

Hello hello.

I'm looking for some advice, I'm looking at taking a trip to Singapore and Malaysia during the first 3 weeks of July, or maybe the whole month. We've (this is me + girlfriend) found flights (indirect but doesn't matter) to Singapore from London for around £400 which seems pretty good, and I gather you can get a coach/train from Singapore to Malaysia.

I was hoping someone would be able to offer some advice on:

Where to stay - is there anywhere good in Singapore, relatively cheap? Where is a good place to be close to? Are hotels best, or should we look at renting out an apartment for 1-2 weeks? Same for Malaysia - good places to visit, both by the beach or in a city? And are there any tips for finding nice, cheap places to stay - I'm sure they exist somewhere like Malaysia, but the internet only seems to have the big touristy places from small searches.

This is still a fairly rough plan for a trip, as I'm sure is evident. But all and any advice is greatly appreciated. Help me, I'm out of my depth!

Thanks a lot.

 

[okatidubi]

Well, aren't you glad you have a Singaporean here. To be honest, if you want to visit Singapore and enjoy it, you've gotta spend a bit more than you expect because it's not cheap.

...and I gather you can get a coach/train from Singapore to Malaysia.

Yes, there are train and bus services to/from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. If you want to visit Johor, it's better if you take the bus services. However, trust me, it's better if you visit KL. And if you do visit KL, make sure you go to Genting!

For train services: http://www.ktmb.com.my/main.aspx
For coach: http://www.transtar.com.sg/index.php (it's one of the better coaches I've sat to KL)
More info on Genting: http://www.genting.com.my/

Where to stay - is there anywhere good in Singapore, relatively cheap? Where is a good place to be close to? Are hotels best, or should we look at renting out an apartment for 1-2 weeks?

Stay in a hotel, period. I'd recommend the hotels around town. That is where most of the excitement is. From town, you can visit almost any part of Singapore within 1/2 hour. It only takes 45 minutes by car in normal traffic conditions from one end of Singapore to the other (and I'm talking about latitude, not longitude). There are also train services to the popular shopping centers in Singapore (eg. Suntec City, Vivo City, Wisma Atria, Takashimaya etc). The metro is well organised and you should be able to find your way.

List of hotels around town: Click here
Singapore metro (NE line): http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/
Singapore metro (all other lines): http://http://www.smrt.com.sg/


I hope this gives you an idea of how to plan your trip. Hope to welcome you soon! If you want more information... www.visitsingapore.com

 

[és:]

I can't help you but I wanted to say have a great time, Jack!

 

[Randman]

I lived in Singapore for 8 years.

It's not cheap but there are bargains. If you're not into 5-star, look on the Web for some hostels or backpacker's places. Lots of Aussies and Brits holiday there so you can save some scratch.

Get a map (I think the iPhone has one) of the subways, the MRT. Get a pass for that rather than cabs.

Eat at hawker centres. Good, clean, cheap food. By law, anything not used that day must be thrown away.

Some cheap places for beer. Again, search the web.

Look for a trip to Thailand or Vietnam as well. Cheaper and more things to see.