I've posted a Travelogue and Tips but Geina's done this intro.
Geina was born in S'pore & her family lives there, she loves the food, especially the fruit, and she thought you may find the following useful:
Excellent food can be found in hawker centres all over Singapore. Great selection of food, the price from as little as S$5 - cheap but excellent quality - you wait while the food is freshly prepared & cooked for you. Best of all, it's clean and hygenic. The government is spending millions of dollars renovating and upgrading the hawker centres. One I recommend you try in particular is Newton Circus Hawker Centre. It's one stop from Orchard Road on the MRT (underground rail system). It's a bit more 'touristy' than the others and prices are a bit higher, but many Singaporeans eat there too. It's in a more attractive setting than most of the hawker centres being surrounded, and shaded, by huge old trees, so it's quite a park-like setting and it's just had a multi-million dollar upgrade. (More in the Travelogue).You can also find food halls in most of the shopping malls, usually top or basement floor, and they're great for choice, low price and freshly cooked food.
As for shopping, if you are looking for electronic goods, Singapore is good. We've compared prices of various electronic goods in different countries and we have found that Singapore offers the best deal (even cheaper than Thailand!). Check out Far East Plaza and Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road in particular and remember to bargain with the shop keepers.
Another bargain would be computer software. Not only is it cheaper than anywhere else we've found, there is also a good selection - but beware of pirate software. Safer to buy from department stores.
Forget about branded watches - these are very expensive in Singapore, even if they are duty free.
For a quick snack or a coffee, there are plenty of well-known names such as Starbucks, Delifrance, Coffee Bean and so on.
If you are interested in tasting exotic Asian fruit, I suggest that you take the MRT to Bugis Street. There's an interesting mixture of flea market & fresh fruit stalls.
Jackfruit Very aromatic. Huge, can weigh up to 20 kilos. When cut open, there are clusters of sweet yellow fruit.
Rambutan Red and hairy. Peel the skin for the sweet white flesh. Subtle flavour.
Chiku Brown, size of a kiwi fruit, sweet as honey. When ripe, the fruit is slightly soft to the touch.
Mangosteen Squeeze gently to break the hard skin. Be careful not to get the purple juice on your clothes, it stains! Segments of white fuit, beautiful flavour.
Longans (Dragon's eye) Greenish brown, smooth skin. Very sweet. Peel the skin and eat the firm white flesh. Subtle flavour.
Lychees Very sweet, subtle flavour. Peel the skin and eat the white flesh.
Durian "King of fruit". My favourite. You either love the taste or you hate it. Has an unforgettable smell, so strong that it is not allowed on public transport or in hotels! Texture similar to custard. Taste can vary from bitter to sweet.
Colin's favourite mango which you all know.
On another subject,if you are sick & have health insurance you'll be better off going to the outpatient clinic of a private hospital, they are efficient and excellent. Forget about the local clinics.
There's a Travelogue if you'd like to have a quick look at Singapore. Just click the link to go to it. |
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