Stopover city break from Australia

[ddoubleep]

Looks like I will be going to a wedding in Sydney and seeing if can nip into a mini city break on the way back....

Singapore, San Francisco, Dubai, Vancouver and Kuala Lumpur are all possible.

Anyone done something similar on long haul like that.

What is the best for 2.5 / 3 days stop over to see the main sites and try local food scene?

 

[Raymond Lin]

Singapore for 3 days is pretty perfect.

Clean, safe, lots of eat, food is fantastic, small, easy to get around. Due to it's size you are not overwhelmed with where to go, it almost decided for you for 3 days.

If you go with Singapore Airlines they too are one of the best if not the best in the world. I know the airport itself is ranked No.1 in the world.

People also speak English if that matters to you.

 

[RobHu]

Singapore or KL would be my choice. If budget is an issue then KL over Singapore.

 

[Scam]

Singapore definitely.

 

[ddoubleep]

Singapore for 3 days is pretty perfect.

Clean, safe, lots of eat, food is fantastic, small, easy to get around. Due to it's size you are not overwhelmed with where to go, it almost decided for you for 3 days.

If you go with Singapore Airlines they too are one of the best if not the best in the world. I know the airport itself is ranked No.1 in the world.

People also speak English if that matters to you.

This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking to hear. It more to enjoy something that is manageable on the way home and relaxing whilst grabbing some great food and sites.

I will hunt some itineraries and see what flights work. I believe the flights will be operated by Singapore Airlines.

The flight times seem to work better for Singapore than KL but haven't discounted it just yet as need to factor in costs.

I may not venture that way again so was just seeing what is possible on the way home.

 

[Azza]

Singapore

/thread

 

[Raymond Lin]

This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking to hear. It more to enjoy something that is manageable on the way home and relaxing whilst grabbing some great food and sites.

I will hunt some itineraries and see what flights work. I believe the flights will be operated by Singapore Airlines.

The flight times seem to work better for Singapore than KL but haven't discounted it just yet as need to factor in costs.

I may not venture that way again so was just seeing what is possible on the way home.

The Mermaid Lion thing by the harbour, Marina Bay Sands hotel roof top and Gardens by the Way. Perhaps Orchard Road for shopping. Little India if you want I guess? Oh, and the Jewel at the airport.

Other than that, just eat for 3 days lol Hawker Center, Satay, Chilli Crab, and more Hawker Center. It's a place where I would look at what to eat rather than what to do.

 

[ddoubleep]

The Mermaid Lion thing by the harbour, Marina Bay Sands hotel roof top and Gardens by the Way. Perhaps Orchard Road for shopping. Little India if you want I guess? Oh, and the Jewel at the airport.

Other than that, just eat for 3 days lol Hawker Center, Satay, Chilli Crab, and more Hawker Center. It's a place where I would look at what to eat rather than what to do.

Thanks. Will look these places over but that is a great starting point.

 

[Scam]

Thanks. Will look these places over but that is a great starting point.

Agree with what @Raymond Lin has said. Just make sure you eat in the hawker centres for lunch and dinner. We went for a 3 day stopover coming back from a family visit in Brisbane and it was perfect. We ate in a restaurant once and it was the worst meal we had whilst there Try and go on a Tuesday I think it is, there's a whole road which shuts down for the hawker centre to spill out. It's called satay street or something, I forget.

The botanic gardens is nice for something different. MBS view is ok, you can book for drinks in the bar and have slightly less of a good view compared to the viewing platform... But you pay £20 for two G&Ts rather than £20 for the viewing platform only. I thought it was a better way of doing it personally.

 

[adam cool dude]

We always used to stop off in Japan when visiting relatives in Australia.

 

[Raymond Lin]

If you are feeling flushed...but still quite reasonable. I recommend the buffet at the Ritz.

Marina Bay Restaurants, Singapore | The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia

Located in Marina Bay, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is home to award-winning restaurants. With one of the best Sunday brunches in Singapore, a one Michelin star Cantonese restaurant, and one of Asia's 50 best bars.

www.ritzcarlton.com

About £50 per person.

 

[wez130]

I've done Dubai, and i've done Bangkok on the times i've flown to New Zealand, i love Bangkok, it's an awesome city!

 

[tom_nieto]

If you are feeling flushed...but still quite reasonable. I recommend the buffet at the Ritz.

Marina Bay Restaurants, Singapore | The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia

Located in Marina Bay, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is home to award-winning restaurants. With one of the best Sunday brunches in Singapore, a one Michelin star Cantonese restaurant, and one of Asia's 50 best bars.

www.ritzcarlton.com

About £50 per person.

We’ve been lucky enough to stay in the Ritz Carlton the last two times we’ve been to Singapore. It’s absolutely brilliant. Expensive, but the advantage of Singapore airlines is that they do stop over deals with hotels and that’s on there. Makes the price a bit more manageable.

It’s very sad regarding the situation in Hong Kong as prior to the protests and government unrest I would have gone there every time. I just feel that it offers so much more. Also Ocean Park is amazing.

Anyway, enjoy Singapore. Eat loads. Don’t waste your time with Sentosa Island.

 

[CapitalOne]

Singapore every time. Lots of great hotels, my favourite is Park Royal on Pickering if you can get it.

Clarke quay, green beers, party bus, I believe “ladies night” is back on on Wednesday's and a cocktail atop the Marina Bay Sands. If adventurous ”local restaurants” especially crab ones near the sea out of town. There are a few pizza vending machines around for lols. Chinese “soup” with bone marrow or animal sphincter is also available if that’s your thing.

Top tip, when arriving at the airport, walk past the first immigration site where every other sod goes and keep going to the second one that few know is there. Saves about an hour.

eta forgot, rooftop bar at the Fullerton hotel to watch the Marina Bay light show.

To others, yeah apologies “white man’s singapore”

 

[Quartz]

Looks like I will be going to a wedding in Sydney and seeing if can nip into a mini city break on the way back....

Why not make a round-the-world trip out of it? Have a break in Singapore on the way there then stop off in NZ, Japan, and Canada on the way back?

 

[Raymond Lin]

We’ve been lucky enough to stay in the Ritz Carlton the last two times we’ve been to Singapore. It’s absolutely brilliant. Expensive, but the advantage of Singapore airlines is that they do stop over deals with hotels and that’s on there. Makes the price a bit more manageable.

It’s very sad regarding the situation in Hong Kong as prior to the protests and government unrest I would have gone there every time. I just feel that it offers so much more. Also Ocean Park is amazing.

Anyway, enjoy Singapore. Eat loads. Don’t waste your time with Sentosa Island.

Ditto.

Sentosa Island is a waste of time. Especially when i went during covid…the theme park was shut and i walked along the sea front, looked out on the man made beach to see dozens of enormous container ships lol. Not really the tropical island sandy beach scene one imagine.

I stayed at YOTEL on Orchard Road, opposite Tiffany’s so in the heart of the shopping district and really close to a MRT (or MTR…one is Hong Kong, i get them mix up).

Agree on HK being more interesting too, has more character vs Singapore, and more to do but what can you do. At least Tim Ho Wan is also in Singapore, there is also Daiso and Donki from Japan. I was very happy to go to all of them!

 

[CapitalOne]

Ditto.

Sentosa Island is a waste of time. Especially when i went during covid…the theme park was shut and i walked along the sea front, looked out on the man made beach to see dozens of enormous container ships lol. Not really the tropical island sandy beach scene one imagine.

I stayed at YOTEL on Orchard Road, opposite Tiffany’s so in the heart of the shopping district and really close to a MRT (or MTR…one is Hong Kong, i get them mix up).

Agree on HK being more interesting too, has more character vs Singapore, and more to do but what can you do. At least Tim Ho Wan is also in Singapore, there is also Daiso and Donki from Japan. I was very happy to go to all of them!

SG beaches are rubbish, always give a view of a hundred container ships

 

[tom_nieto]

Ditto.

Sentosa Island is a waste of time. Especially when i went during covid…the theme park was shut and i walked along the sea front, looked out on the man made beach to see dozens of enormous container ships lol. Not really the tropical island sandy beach scene one imagine.

I stayed at YOTEL on Orchard Road, opposite Tiffany’s so in the heart of the shopping district and really close to a MRT (or MTR…one is Hong Kong, i get them mix up).

Agree on HK being more interesting too, has more character vs Singapore, and more to do but what can you do. At least Tim Ho Wan is also in Singapore, there is also Daiso and Donki from Japan. I was very happy to go to all of them!

HAD to eat in Tim Ho Wan when we were in HK. Bloody good, the blueprint for dim sum classics you could say, but not the best that we ate there. Had some incredible food in the top of a dodgy shopping centre. It looked like the whole place could be hosed down afterwards and there were beer ladies who poured Tsing Tao into our tea cups. The owner was basically putting on a crazy show for the punters. We had no idea what was going on. Ate like kings. Was total madness and it was a Monday night.

Yardbird was a complete contrast and was great with an effortlessly cool westernised atmosphere and brilliant food.

Anyway, can’t go back for a while, so in Singapore… The night market in Singapore sticks in my mind for food and that was approaching 15 years ago. A real treat! Another good one was the intercontinental buffet for dinner. Great food, great ambience.

I’m basically yearning to go and live in the far east, but sadly this isn’t going to happen!

 

[Raymond Lin]

SG beaches are rubbish, always give a view of a hundred container ships

HAD to eat in Tim Ho Wan when we were in HK. Bloody good, the blueprint for dim sum classics you could say, but not the best that we ate there. Had some incredible food in the top of a dodgy shopping centre. It looked like the whole place could be hosed down afterwards and there were beer ladies who poured Tsing Tao into our tea cups. The owner was basically putting on a crazy show for the punters. We had no idea what was going on. Ate like kings. Was total madness and it was a Monday night.

Yardbird was a complete contrast and was great with an effortlessly cool westernised atmosphere and brilliant food.

Anyway, can’t go back for a while, so in Singapore… The night market in Singapore sticks in my mind for food and that was approaching 15 years ago. A real treat! Another good one was the intercontinental buffet for dinner. Great food, great ambience.

I’m basically yearning to go and live in the far east, but sadly this isn’t going to happen!

If one can only go to 1 place in terms of tourist thing, then Garden by the Bay would be it, it's also free to enter. It is as cool as it looks, they also do this light dance which changes colour.

You can pay a small fee to go up too.

But the food is why one goes to Singapore.

 

[Vandle]

Great photos.