Getting to Koh Samui

If you’re at all familiar with the geography of Thailand you may already know that often times it’s not as simple as simply booking a flight, landing, getting to the hotel and lounging on the beach.  Some of Thailand’s islands have only a few thousand if any inhabitants while others are almost completely developed.

Koh Samui happens to be one of the 3 largest islands along with the Phuket and Koh Chang.  While Koh Chang doesn’t have an airport and requires a ferry from the mainland’s Trat airport Phuket and Koh Samui both have an airport but with the airport at Koh Samui there is a catch.

The airport on Koh Samui was built by Bangkok Airways which for a long time was the sole airline occupying the airport.  Times have changed and now Thai Airways has a couple flights in and out of Samui along with a couple tiny airlines but if you plan to head to Samui you’re probably going to be flying Bangkok Airways.

This is not to say Bangkok Airways, “Asia’s Boutique Airline” is not good but it does limit your options especially if you pay attention to airfare.  Due to the obvious lack of competition Bangkok Airways can charge a few extra baht for each flight.  I was flying from Singapore so I paid what I thought was a lot more than a typical domestic flight in Thailand.

Bangkok Airways Plane Flying over Big Buddha Pier on Koh Samui

Getting Situated on Koh Samui

I picked a bungalow which was the very cheapest accommodations for Koh Samui on Hotels.com which was located in Mae Nam Beach which was supposed to be one of the quieter areas on Koh Samui.  Upon arrival I went to the one and only counter for taxi and was quoted 600 baht ($18 USD) for a ride to my bungalow.

I pretty much knew I was paying way too much for a cab or one of those pickup truck style cabs with 2 rows of seats in the back but I wasn’t in the mood for inconveniencing myself so I just plunked down the 600 baht and in 15 minutes I was at my hotel.  If you arrive to Samui Airport and don’t want to spend 600 baht to get to your bungalow make sure you plan your transport in advance.

Places to Stay on Koh Samui Thailand, Bungalow – Coming Soon

Koh Samui Island

My Koh Samui experience was quite different than what I expected.  I was under the impression that Koh Samui was a quiet and peaceful island which wasn’t overdeveloped like Phuket, Hawaii or other popular tourist islands but Samui was just that.  I specifically avoided Koh Phangan because I thought it was going to be covered with drunk teenagers attending full moon parties and overcrowded roads but that is exactly what Koh Samui was like.

I rented a Honda Scooter (moped?) from the Bungalow for 250 baht ($7.50 USD) which was overpaying and began to drive around Koh Samui.  When I say drive around It’s not a figure of speech.  The main road of Koh Samui is a 2-way 2-4 lane road that goes in a circle around the entire island.  My hotel manager said it takes from 45-60 minutes to go around the whole island.

There are many interior roads, the ones I drove on were all paved and in very good condition (note the exception pictured below) as opposed to what I read which said they were all bad.  The huge problem with getting around via scooter on Koh Samui is the absolutely ridiculous sign overload.  I’m not exaggerating when I say after you see the sign of the place you are trying to get to, you will see 20-50 signs before your turn.

In addition to being really annoying this showed some serious overdevelopment of Koh Samui’s coast and beaches.  Most of the beaches were either crowded tourist beaches like the two most popular Chaweng and Lamai or smaller beaches lined with resorts.

Typical Beach Scene Surrounding Koh Samui

Things to do on Koh Samui

If you don’t plan on driving around in circles like I did you should probably plan your things-to-do itinerary before you set out.  Even if you plan it out, make sure you have a general idea of how far you need to go so you don’t get confused by the sign overload.  At the very least, if you are driving yourself, drive very slowly on the far side of the road to be able to see where you want to go.

Beach Bum it

If being on the beach and in the water is your thing there is no shortage of it on Koh Samui.  You will no doubt be sharing it with hundreds of Western tourists but there is an abundance of water activities from surfing to snorkeling to jet skiing.  While 90% of anyone visiting a tropical island wants to take advantage of this, alternative activities are important for if you get bored or get that likely bad sunburn.

Grandmother and Grandfather Rock

Tourist attraction rock formations which resemble human genitalia are not entirely unusual (See Halong Bay, Vietnam) but Koh Samui has its own version.  I didn’t get a chance to see Grandmother and Grandfather rock mostly because I was caught up in the turbulent traffic swirl and missed the sign.  I didn’t get a chance to take my own photos but I got the idea from other people’s photos.  If you want to see Grandmother and Grandfather rock you’re in luck because it’s very close to Lamai Beach one of Koh Samui’s 2 most popular beach and areas.

Grandfather & Grandmother Rocks

“Templing”

Not that Koh Samui is the best place in Thailand to visit Buddhist temples and shrines but there are a fair share.  The most popular temple to visit in Koh Samui is the Big Buddha, located very close to Big Buddha Pier which is the primary embarkation point for Koh Phangan and other nearby islands.  There are various small shrines and temples on the island which I didn’t get a chance to visit.  Another rather large temple which I happened to visit was Wat Nuan Naram which you can more on the following link.

Thai Island Temple Photos on tourismPICS.com.

Hiking & Trekking

I had this 1000+ meter peak behind the Bungalow that was beckoning me.  My plan was to hike it so I went to 7-Eleven and bought some Man Vs. Wild survival gear like a cigarette lighter, flashlight, small pocket knife as well as a fresh phone card for in case I got lost.

Little did I know the hills in Koh Samui are no joke.  My Man vs Wild survivor kit was sorely lacking mosquito repellent and in the first 30 seconds I had to stop after getting my leg sliced up by some cactus like plants, I had about 500 mosquitoes buzzing around the fresh meat.  Needless to say I wimped out and saved the hiking for another day.

There are many mountains on Koh Samui and many opportunities to hike them on foot, mountain bikes, ATVs and of course elephant back.  None of these activities are going to be something you will do on your own so if you are interested by hiking and trekking make sure you call one of the many groups and make plans.

Eat, Drink & Party

It is Koh Samui’s close neighbor island Koh Phangan is world renowned for its Full Moon Parties but there is no shortage of partying on Koh Samui.  Aside from the huge night club Green Mango in Chaweng which could be in any urban city center to there is a ton of night life venues mainly concentrated in Chaweng and Lamai beach areas but there are also smaller, low key spots throughout the island.

Party at Green Mango Night Club in Koh Samui

Leaving Koh Samui

I had a 6pm flight from Koh Samui back to Bangkok.  With check-out time being at 12pm it meant I had a few hours to kill.  I planned to write for this blog so I wanted an internet connection and most importantly air conditioning.  I was worried about getting stuck at the small Samui Airport for 6 hours but rather than lugging my big bag around I decided to bite the bullet and wait at the airport.

What I didn’t know was Samui’s airport had a very nice boutique-like row of shops and restaurants.  There was everything from a sports bar, to a professional massage studio to ice cream shops, coffee shops and eateries.

All were air conditioned and the coffee shop even had a free wireless internet connection with any purchase.  Needless to say I got some work done and consumed some delicious extra calories before I boarded my Bangkok Airways flight back to Bangkok.  If you have some extra time on Koh Samui I would recommend going to the airport early what you’re going to find there is likely better than anything else on the island!

Bangkok Airways Koh Samui Airport Shops & Restaurants

Overall Impression

I still have nightmares of all the signs in Koh Samui.  It bugged me to the end and it made getting around way more difficult than it should have been.  While I thought there were many beautiful sights on Koh Samui it wasn’t what I envision when I think of a tropical Island.  Of course it still is Thailand so it is still covered in nice, laid back people.

I had just came from Singapore so it was really easy for me to appreciate the Thailand cost of living as well although some things were priced for the tourist.  While I liked some parts about Koh Samui and would consider going back before I left, I probably would bypass Koh Samui next time and use it for Bangkok Airway’s “boutique” airport after visiting its less developed neighbor, Koh Phangan.

View the Complete Koh Samui Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Places to Visit from Bangkok, Thailand – Koh Phangan

Singapore’s East Coast Park

One of the first things anyone who goes to Singapore will notice is East Coast Park simply because every form of transport leaving the airport drives by it on the way to the city.  It seemed very peaceful as you could see the aqua blue water and white sand beaches with a nearby canopy of tall trees.

East Coast Park was on my to do list as soon as I saw it but I purposely decided to wait until early the next week because I had a premonition of big weekend crowds.  I went on a Monday afternoon and the crowds were pretty tame.  My plans were to check out the beaches and go for a bicycle ride.

My primary objective was to get a good physical workout with a nice bike ride but I took some time to take some pictures and check out Singapore’s coast.  I inspected some of the many beaches in East Coast park and they ranged from small to medium sized white sand beaches to artificial jetty-like structures which showed that all the beaches were probably man made.

Cement on the Left - Beach on the Right - Singapore City in Background

Bicycle  Rental

I stupidly went to the first bike rental shop I saw which was right next to the eatery complex complete with McDonalds, Burger King a couple Chinese restaurants and more.  Without thinking I plucked down 10 Singapore dollars ($7 USD) and my ID (I used my California’s driver’s license) to get my bike.

Their “best bike” was a hybrid of some kind.  In the first 10 seconds I tried to ride it became evident that there was not a chance in hell I would make it more than a mile in this bike.  I’m used to nice bikes, not Lance Armstrong quality road bikes, but bikes that can ‘get on it.’  As I was riding down the bike path around 100 meters towards Changi Airport I saw another bike shop.

I went to the other bike shop and asked them what their best bike was.  They showed me a few nice hybrid bikes, road bikes and mountain bikes.  The higher end bikes cost a bit more, I chose a Cannondale hybrid which cost 20 Singapore dollars ($14.30 USD) but it was well worth it.  I immediately returned the crap bike to the first bike shop, without asking for a refund and was on my way.

Beachfront Bicycle Shop with Crappy Bikes

Bicycle Ride

Bike Path with Marked Pedestiran Crossing

The bike path was very nice and wide, free from potholes with more than enough signs to tell you everything you want to know.  There were red and white pedestrian crossings throughout as well.

This was my first time at East Coast park so I had no idea how far the bicycle path went but the plan was to go all the way to the airport.  I started riding and stopped a few times but ride as far as the path went.   East Coast Park actually ends in a few kilometers from the bike shop but there are numerous “connector” parks and other parks connected.  Yet again, a Singapore dot gov website details all the parks and connections.

I ended up riding all the way past Changi (Singapore International) airport to land’s end where there was a culdesac (pictured below).  Luckily for me or anyone who decides to go on this bike ride there are 3 or 4 little areas with shops and/or restaurants for refreshments and most importantly bottles of cold drinking water.

Interestingly, I noticed quite a few people which looked to be Malay from their head scars camping throughout the parks towards the end of the bike path.  I got some refreshments at the end of the path found an empty park bench and drank some fruit juice before I readied myself for the ride back.

End of the Road Land's End: Pasir Ris park

Overall Impression

On the way back the time was nearing 4pm and I could tell as the park was getting more crowded.  More bicyclists, rollerbladers and joggers were crowding the park which gave me the impression that it would be pretty crowded on the weekends.  Bicycling as far as I could figure out you could go from East Coast Park I could see dozens of empty small beaches.

East Coast Park is about as natural as you’re going to get on Singapore and anyone who wants to cool off in the calm aqua waters, relax on the beach, get physically active with bicycling, rollerblading, jogging, snorkeling East Park is worth a trip.  There is even a golf course and yes, Singapore’s First Cable Ski Park, and surely some surprises for a first time visitor.  I would recommend anyone who finds themselves in Singapore for an extended period of time, get a tube of sunblock, your favorite book and head to East Coast Park for a peaceful ocean breeze and a variety of physical activity if you choose to be active.

Getting to Singapore Botanic Gardens

I saw Singapore Botanic Gardens in one of the Singapore tourist maps so I decided to check it out.  It is open every day from 5am until midnight and the admission is free with the exception of the National Orchid Garden within the park that charges 5 Singapore dollars ($3.57 USD).

I took a taxi to Singapore Botanic Gardens as there is currently no nearby MRT station.  There is an MRT station being built nearby which should be done some time in 2010.  You can get specific directions and information about Singapore Botanic Gardens on the official dot sg website like most of Singapore’s attractions have.

There are two main entrances to Singapore Botanic Gardens.  You can see the view from one of the entrances below (I apologize for not knowing the name).  Upon arrival and through the gate there was a square with some waterfalls, plants and of course a little cafe/restaurant.  I was very hungry at the time so I ordered some pasta and a salad which were both very good although overpriced a bit.  I remember the salad being especially delicious.  After I satisfied my hunger it was time to explore.

Entrance to Singapore Botanic Gardens, Restaurant & Food

Singapore Botanic Gardens

I thought I was going to a rose garden but it turned out Singapore Botanic Gardens is simply a large park.  Symphony Lake (photo at top of post) was one of the first things to see after eating at the cafe.  There was a small amphitheater on the lake as well as grassy hills with school classes on field trips.

Throughout Singapore Botanic Gardens there are little placards with information next to all the various plants, flowers and trees.  There was a large section under construction when I was there but I still had a chance to check out the National Orchid Garden.  After paying the 5 Singapore dollar admission there are numerous paths with various plants, waterfalls and art.

I spent a little over an hour in Singapore Botanic Gardens so I can hardly do it justice.  It would take a few hours to thoroughly explore the whole park so if you find yourself in Singapore and want to explore and/or relax, Singapore Botanic Gardens is a place than can occupy quite a bit of your time.

There are a few bathrooms throughout were really nice along with vending machines with cold refreshments.  PLEASE NOTE:  Always carry 1 Singapore dollar coins with you because very few vending machines in Singapore had working paper money slots and believe me, cold refreshments are a must have when you’re walking around directly on the equator.

Moss covered Planter in the National Orchid Garden

The Cool House

The Cool House was one of many things to see in Singapore Botanic Gardens but I single it out because it was so ‘cool’ at the time.  Not unlike the rest of my trip to Singapore as I was walking around packing 10 pounds of camera equipment I got extremely hot and sweaty.  I don’t know if it was me, all the plants, the hills or being directly on the equator, but it felt like I was deep in the Amazon rain forest jungle.

Out of nowhere I saw a sign for the Cool House.  I didn’t know if it was a cafe or some sort of exhibit and I soon found it was the latter.  The Cool House was a small, climate controlled greenhouse with a cool weather ecosystem.  It was only about 20 meters long but the cool misty controlled environment felt so nice that I just stayed in there for about 16 minutes.  Inside the Cool House was an assortment of plants as well as a running stream and waterfall.

Entrance to the Refreshing 'Cool House'

Overall Impression

Singapore Botanic Gardens is much more than what it sounds like.  Similar to Central Park in New York or Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Singapore Botanic Gardens is a rather large city park with a multitude of things to do whether it is sitting down and relaxing, looking at flowers and plant life or playing a game of Frisbee with friends.

Singapore Botanic Gardens also has a lot of things to take pictures of for you photography lovers out there.  If you’re in Singapore on a rushed business trip and don’t have time to relax Singapore Botanic Gardens can probably wait until your next visit.  I would recommend a trip to Singapore Botanic Gardens for anyone who happens to find themselves in Singapore with a few spare hours.

View the Complete Singapore Photo Set at tourismPICS.com

Perfect way to See Singapore

Upon arriving in Singapore I took the SMRT directly from my hotel off Geylang Road 4 stops to City Hall station from a friend’s recommendations.  From the City Hall MRT station I walked to Marina  Bay which is what I would consider THE spot in Singapore for any visitors to visit.

Marina Bay has many sights and things to do including everything from cheap food hawkers to a newly built high-end hotel and casino to Singapore’s spiky looking performing arts venue the Esplanade and of course its mascot, the Merlion.  Marina Bay goes on up Singapore River past Singapore’s classy night life and dining areas Boat Quay (pronounced “key”) and Clarke Quay.

The “30 minute tour” ticket was only $15 Singapore ($10.70USD) but I wanted to do the boat tour at dusk so I could get photos of Singapore in the light as well city light photos in the dark.  I didn’t take the Singapore river boat tour on my first day because I wanted to get the Singapore Zoo and night safari out of the way so I left.  In hindsight I wish I went on the boat tour on the first day.

River Boat and Ticket Office at Merlion

Boat from the Merlion

I came back 2 days later and bought a “30 minute tour” ticket from the ticket stand right next to the Merlion (pictured above).  The river boat was not very crowded on a weekday in between 6 and 7.  It took off and I sat in the very back to take some photos.  There was a pre-recorded voice which tells a brief history about everything passed during the boat tour.

The boat tour is actually a taxi which stops at 4-5 places along Singapore River.  The nightlife/dining areas Boat Quay and Clarke Quay were very close to the central business district.  Towards the end of the river boat tour I was able to see the Novotel Hotel which I was going to splurge to stay at and I realized that the location was very prime which also probably justified the price.

View from Boat

Overall Impression

Singapore River Boat tour, isn’t really a ‘tour’ it’s more like a taxi which give you a nice breezy lift from Marina Bay to anywhere along Singapore River. I consider the river boat tour is an immediate essential “thing to do” for anyone who visiting Singapore.  Just feeling the vibe of Singapore is worth the price of admission.  I was able to get some good photos with my Nikon D700 digital SLR and Nikkor 14-24mm F/2.8 which you can see below.

View More Photos from Singapore River Boat Tour on tourismPICS.com

I did NOT go on Singapore Flyer

I usually wouldn’t blog about something I didn’t do but since the Singapore Flyer is a very prominent landmark in Singapore I thought I’d give a quick blog rundown.  Singapore Flyer is the world’s tallest Ferris wheel (Described by its operators as an observation wheel).  It reaches 42 stories high, with a total height of 541 ft (165 m).

The Singapore Flyer is located near the shore of Singapore’s Marina Bay at an area of Marina Centre known as Marina Promenade.  The Singapore Flyer also offers a great view of the Marina Bay Street Circuit of the Singapore Grand Prix as it is located just beside the straight between turns 21 and 22 of the circuit and near the pit stops.  Although I didn’t go on it, I got some great photos of it.

Singapore Flyer from a Nearby Bridge

Admission Information

From talking to taxi drivers I got the impression that every capsule was set up like the sample capsules (below) which were nearby.  Since I was traveling alone I didn’t really feel like sitting in a capsule for 37 minutes as I remember being bored in the giant Ferris wheel in Yokohama, Japan.  In hindsight I now wish I did for the sake of photography and to be able to say I did.  I got the following from another website.

“There are 4 options for going on the Singapore Flyer First, a basic Singapore Flight at one rotation of about 30 minutes cost 29.50 SGD ($21 USD) for adults, 20.65 SGD for children (3-12 years old; 0-3 years old are free) and 23.60 SGD for Seniors (60 years old onwards).

Second, the Express Boarding contains the basic Singapore Flight and bypasses the ticket boarding queue for and exclusive check-in and in-flight guide. It costs 52 SGD for adults, 36.40 SGD for children and 41.60 SGD for Seniors.

Third option is the Singapore Cocktail Flight which includes the express boarding plus a glass of specially concocted cocktail drink to sip while taking in spectacular foods. (Note that no food and beverage aside from this are allowed inside the capsule.)  It costs 69 SGD ($49 USD)  for adults, 48.30 SGD for children and 55.20 SGD for Seniors.”

Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel Capsule

Preview Inside the Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel Capsule

Experience Singapore Flyer

If I was with a group of friends or had a date I would have probably went on the Singapore Flyer but I was alone so I just photographed it from various locations around Marina Bay.  I would recommend anyone in Singapore who wants to see the city from multiple vantage points and possibly grab a drink or bite to eat to check out the Singapore Flyer.  Like I said before in hindsight I should have went on the somewhat overpriced “observation wheel” but I didn’t so the memories I have now are pretty much what’s in the following photos.

View the Full Singapore Flyer Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Mount Faber is Definitely No Everest

Mount Faber Park Map (click to enlarge)

For some reason Mount Faber sounds like a grand peak somewhere in the European Alps when in fact it is more of a hill in Singapore.  To put the size of Mount Faber in perspective consider the highest natural point in San Francisco, Mount Davidson.  Mount Davidson is 928 feet (283 m) above sea level while Mount Faber in Singapore is about a thrid of that at 344 feet (105m) .

I was told by my friend who happens to be from Singapore that Mount Faber was a great place to visit for anyone who likes to take pictures as there are some of the best views of Singapore.  Mount Faber is actually a entire park which you can view the map to the right.

I wanted to get some good day, dusk and night photographs of Singapore so I decided to head to Mount Faber around 4pm on a Monday.  It was on the other side of Singapore from Geylang where I was staying.

Mount Faber Park (in between groups of tourist busses)

Getting to Mount Faber

Mount Faber is accessible from the HarborFront MRT station but I took the taxi from my hotel.  My taxi driver gave me a heart stopping moment as he floored the beater taxi up the steep and curvy road to Mount Faber causing the car to lose control.  The taxi fistailed in 3 big curves before he gained control about 10 meters from hitting an oncoming tourist bus.

The taxi driver dropped me off at the Jewel Box which is a Singapore Cable Car Station / restaurant / bar.  I went in and talked to a couple of the ladies working there and took a couple of photos.  I was offered a drink at the outdoor restaurant/bar but I was ready to explore Mount Faber park while it was still light.

I found a good viewpoint to shoot some shots at the time and later then I carried on upwards.  Amidst several tourist buses with Japanese and Chinese tourists I found some relaxing areas.  The path pictured above is next to a very steep drop off looked like it was set up for a view of the harbor bay but the only view was the dense vegetation.  The sun was going down fast so I decided to climb up to the peak.

Steps going up to Mount Faber's Peak

Mount Faber Peak

I was profusely sweating in the very humid weather as I hiked further up Mount Faber to get to the peak.  It was around 5pm and the tourist groups were filtering out so I was almost by myself which was nice just to hear the birds and sounds of what’s left of the rain forest.  Up the steps pictured above was the peak of Mount Faber which had a surprise for me.

There was a outdoor hall area with a couple dozen plaques showing Singapore’s past in pictures as well as words.  I thought it was pretty interesting as you could walk around and go through the history of Singapore.

Just when I thought I had learned some knowledge I got to the very top where there was a cool illuminated, compass-like display on the ground.  You can see in the photo on the top of this post.  The arrows are actually pointing to other countries and cities.  On the ground close to each arrow is a name of the city or country the arrow is pointing to.  The views on the top are great although there are a few obstructions from getting perfect shots.

I took a bunch of photos of Singapore and the surround Harbor Bay before I left to find some air conditioning and some cold water.  There were no cabs on the peak as it was pretty much dark after I was done shooting photos so I decided to walk down.  On the way down I saw numerous joggers and couples going on relaxing walks.  There was a mixture of paths and steps going down towards a residential looking area of Singapore which had the Central Business District in the background.

View the Full Mount Faber Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Singapore History Plaques towards the Peak of Mount Faber

Overall Impression

Mount Faber is what it is.  The human made as well as natural highest point of any city is always going to be a place I want to check out.  There are a lot of relaxing areas with tables and chairs throughout the parts of Mount Faber Park that I saw.  I enjoyed the mini-history and geography lessons that the peak offered.  In addition to the large “Jewel Box” restaurant there was a smaller outdoor restaurant which would be a nice, quiet place for a meal with a great view.  Anyone visiting Singapore will find Mount Faber a good place to spend a couple hours whether it be sight seeing, dining or exercising.

View the Full Mount Faber Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Fleeing Bangkok

I had just got back to Bangkok from San Francisco where I had visited Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon to extend my student Visa and re-start my Thai Language classes when I heard that the “red shirts” were at it again.  Without getting into details, tens of thousands and possibly millions of (mostly rural) Thai people unhappy with the current government were planning on converging on Bangkok for a huge protest.

Mass gatherings are not my cup of tea especially ones that could bring bombings or violent military responses.  I’d probably feel most comfortable in a large crowd of Thai people than any other but that’s not saying much.  My dislike for being in large crowds culminated as I was getting squashed and pickpocket during New Years on Copacabana Beach in Brazil and I have no desire to experience that again.

I felt that I needed stability in the midst of the political instability of Bangkok so why not head to one of the purported safest and most stable countries in the world?  I booked a one way Jetstar Asia flight to Singapore for Thursday the day before I heard there was to be a big red shirt rally in Bangkok on March 12, 2010.

Seeing Red on the Streets of Bangkok

Finding a Hotel in Singapore

I booked my flight to Singapore with a relatively short notice so as usual I had to scramble to find a hotel.  I used sites such as Hotels.com and AsiaRooms.com to get the general range of places to stay in Singapore and I discovered that there is not much as far as mid-range hotels go.

The cheap prices that came up in searches were usually hostels and budget hotels without basic amenities while the expensive hotels cost an arm and a leg.  I was debating a night at Novotel which is located directly on the scenic, vibrant Clarke Quay dining and night life area but the cost came up to around $200 a night which was too much for the 6 hours I’d be spending there sleeping.  I ended up staying at the same hotel for my entire stay which was located in the Geylang area.

Places to Stay in Singapore:  Fragrance Hotel Pearl

Colorful Singapore Police Station

Getting Around in Singapore

Often times the subway is the best way to get around in large cities.  When a subway is convenient I will always take the subway as the first method of getting around when traveling to new cities.  My hotel was located a 10 minute walk from the nearest MRT station.

About 10 minutes after getting the hotel room I strapped on my camera bag and began walking toward the MRT station.  It was Thursday afternoon around 1 or 2pm so as I arrived to the MRT station profusely sweating.  There were multiple lines at this station so I asked the MRT workers for help.

Upon arriving to the ticket machine you will see a rather large LCD display with the entire Singapore MRT system on it.  There are 6 options on the left one which is “buy single trip ticket.”  After choosing single trip ticket you are asked to select your destination by touching the map on the LCD display.  I believe the maximum cost was $2 Singapore which is around $1.40 USD which I found to be quite a bargain as some trips were well over a dozen stops.

My first trip on SMRT was only 4 stops and I was expecting a light load on the subways being it was mid-day on a normal week day.  Upon entering the train I was rather shocked to see how crowded the subway was.  I asked a student in the subway if it was always this crowded and he told me it was.  I was only going 4 stops to the City Hall MRT to see the harbor so it didn’t bother me too much.

Singapore City Hall MRT Station - 3:20pm Thursday

Things to Do in Singapore

I had an open ended itinerary in Singapore so my plan was to play it by ear.  Other than the few ideas for things to do in Singapore I got from my old client and friend Alvin which I wrote on a note card and put in my wallet upon arriving I really had no idea what I’d be doing.

Along with my friend’s recommendations I picked up 2 or 3 Singapore tourist maps at the airport.  I didn’t notice it until the end of my trip but each map was for something different.  There was a ‘medical’ map which listed all the hospitals and spas, a ‘night life’ map as well as a general tourism map.  I used the tourism map as a basic guide as I did some of the following:

Singapore River Boat Tour

Singapore Zoo / Night Safari

Jurong Bird Park

Singapore Botanic Gardens

East Coast Park Bicycle Ride

Singapore Flyer

Mount Faber Hike – Sight Seeing

Singapore Cable Car

The cable car was out of service when I was in Singapore.  It is actually a “bi-cable gondola lift” which is a cable suspended air trolley with glass bottoms for sight seeing.  Singapore cable car has 3 stations originating from 300m above sea level at the top of Mount Faber to the Harbour front station located on the edge of as well as Singapore’s resort island, Sentosa.  The fair cost of the cable car ride is 19 Singapore dollars ($13.40 USD) which would make worth doing, especially if you like taking photos and/or want to get to Sentosa in style.

Sentosa

Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay, is Singapore’s mega popular island resort, visited by some five million people a year. Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses and two five-star hotels, and the Resorts World Sentosa, featuring the new theme park Universal Studios Singapore.  Since I was traveling alone and was heading to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, Thailand after Singapore so I decided to skip my trip to Sentosa as I would rather spend less in Thailand and experience natural beauty than what I perceive as an artificial paradise.

Sentosa Island Montage (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Shopping

As with most large Asian cities, you can’t cram in 5 million people on a small area without having tremendous amounts of shopping centers and Singapore is no exception.  Places to shop range from small knock off clothes vendors to high-end luxury stores such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton. This paragraph blurb hardly does Singapore’s shopping scene justice.  If you are into shopping and find yourself in Singapore you will find everything you need and then some.

The prices seemed to be fair unlike Tokyo but probably more than places such as Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur where many Singaporeans go looking for deals.  As usual I didn’t spend much shopping for stuff but I did pick up a new Kata 123-Go 30 camera bag at Funan Digital Life mall, one of the 2 highly recommended electronic shopping areas by everyone along with Sim Lim Square which I didn’t have a chance to get to.

Ground Floor of Funan Digital Life Mall - Singapore

Places to Eat in Singapore:  Everywhere!

I was very impressed with the food in Singapore.  First off, I love Indian food and I had a chance to try numerous types of Indian food I had never eaten before in Singapore.  The convergence between Chinese, Indian, Malay and even Japanese people seemed to make Singapore a culinary paradise.

Geylang Road

I ate off hawker stands for almost every meal and was never dissatisfied.  Along with cheap food all over the city/country there is a large assortment of fine dining options as well.

Delicious Muslim Indian Food along Singapore's Geylang Road

Little India

To be honest I expected a lot more from Little India.  I expected it to be a huge section of Singapore when in fact it seemed to be more like a couple blocks.  The Indian food I had in Little India was definitely not a disappointment though.  For a very cheap price I got a huge square grass-like plate of some of the most delicious Indian Food I’ve ever had and Indian Food is my favorite!  I could have probably explored Little India in Singapore a little bit more but I’ll leave that up to you.

Typical Narrow Colorful Streets of Singapore's Little India

Chinatown

Chinatown was even less impressive than Little India.  Since the population of Singapore consists 70% ethnic Chinese I didn’t really expect too much from Chinatown and I was not surprised when it turned out to be a small shopping center with some small shops as well as food stalls.  I got a couple pork buns and was on my way as there is a Chinatown MRT station right in the center of Singapore’s Chinatown.

View from the Edge of Singapore's Chinatown

Overall Impression

After the initial “cool” factor of visiting a new place I always think about whether I’d ever live there and Singapore immediately received my seal of approval.  When thinking about it, it took me a while to come up with some reasons why I wouldn’t want to live in Singapore and one was the slight sterile feeling.

I would recommend anyone visiting Southeast Asia to check out Singapore for at least 3 days.  If anything it will give you a stark contrast from some of the less developed countries as although Singapore is still classified as a “developing country” it is just as developed as any city in the USA along with being safer, cleaner and friendlier.

View the full Singapore Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Marina Bay, Esplanade & Singapore's Central Business District

View the full Singapore Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Getting to Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park was not at all close to where I was staying off Geylang Road. The flyer I picked up my hotel, Fragrance Hotel Pearl gave rather simple 5 step directions via car which it said would take 30 minutes and MRT which would take 60 min.

I had basically given up the MRT by day 1 so I quickly hailed a cab outside of my hotel. I know it would probably cost at least 10x what the MRT would cost but my flight to Koh Samui was leaving later in the night so I didn’t want to waste any of my time. Little did I know that my taxi driver would do that for me.

Even though I gave my driver the bird park flyer with the map his driving was disastrous at best. He took the wrong turn at least 3 times, one almost to the Malaysian border checkpoint, stopped and asked for directions 4 separate occasions before getting me there. The fare on the meter was $36 Singapore but he only charged me $20 ($14 USD) because of his mishaps.

At Jurong Bird Park

As I expended, similar to the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari there was a little square with souvenirs and eateries right at the entrance to the bird park. There was a place selling Asian food and Ben & Jerry’s as well as a place called Bongo Burger. I had been eating Asian foods the entire time in Singapore to this point so I decided to eat at Bongo Burger.

Bongo burger was your typical cheesy theme fast food restaurant. The employees were wearing safari outfits and all the furniture and decorations were safari themed. The burger and fries were pretty good although cost around 15 Singapore dollars ($10 USD).  After 15 minutes in the fan cooled restaurant I was ready to explore Jurong Bird Park

Bongo Burger & Animal Chairs

Stained Glass Dome on way into Jurong Bird Park

Touring Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park was set up very similar to the Sinapore Zoo or all zoos for that matter.  There are wooden signs which tell which areas of the park have which kind of birds.  The different groups of birds ranged from penguins, to flightless birds to birds of prey. TAKE NOTE:  There are vending machines all over Jurong Bird Park but none of them take bills.  If you have a propensity to overheat, make sure you bring some $1 coins to get some chilling refreshments along the way or else you may be sweating buckets walking up the hills and steps throughout the park.

Just like the Singapore Zoo some of the bird exhibits were very camouflaged.  As you may imagine there was no shortage of birds in the park.
More than a couple exhibits had me wondering how the birds don’t escape as most of the park is open air.  This makes Jurong Bird Park a great place to take photos.

Everyone from professional photographers, to amateur photo enthusiasts, to kids with their cell phone cameras can enjoy taking photos of birds in Jurong Bird Park.  Consider that if you wanted to shoot photos of all the birds in the park you’d have to travel all over the world and get lucky in their natural habitat.  Below is a slide show with a small fraction of the birds at Jurong Bird Park.

Live Bird Show

Just as I was about to leave Jurong Bird Park to head straight to the Airport for my flight to Koh Samui, Thailand I heard a crowd of people buzzing.  I knew I had about an hour of leeway before my flight was to leave so I decided to check out and I’m glad I did.

The bird show featured some very, very trained birds.  To my surprise vultures were a main feature performing some pretty mind boggling feats of intelligence.  At one point I didn’t realize the handler was directly behind me and was buzzed by a giant vulture 6 inches above my head.  It caused me to miss the chance of some great shots with my Nikon D700 Digital SLR and monstrous Nikkor 70-200mm VR lens.  If you decide to visit Jurong Bird Park, make sure you check out the schedule so you won’t miss this fun and sometimes hair raising experience.

Everyone and their Mother Enjoying the Live Show at Jurong Bird Park in Singapore

Overall Impression

Balaniceps Rex aka Shoebill

Although the initial thoughts of visiting Jurong Bird Park didn’t really excite me and I essentially attended as a last minute time killer I had a great time.  I thought the presentation and content was excellent with a nice layout of the “bird zoo” along with a wide variety of birds from all over the world.

As well as the birds themselves there was a good amount of interesting information and exhibits all over the park which really interested me.  There were many locations that showed the close relationship which today’s birds have with the ancient dinosaurs and if you don’t believe me, check out the moment I caught the shoebill yawning (on the right).

I would highly recommend Jurong Bird park for anyone traveling with the family.  I saw numerous kids having a blast.  I was able to get much of the park in even though I had a flight all the way across Singapore in a couple hours.  I would guess at least 2, preferably 3-4 hours would be enough time to enjoy the park, have a bite to eat as well as check out the live show.

Again, I thought Jurong Bird Park was pretty cool and is included with the 3-for-1 pass you buy with admissions for the Singapore Zoo and night safari.  The $45 Singapore dollar ($32 USD) is good for up to 30 days so whether you love or hate birds, Jurong Bird Park should be on your Singapore:  Things to do list.

STRONGLY Suggests you Visit Jurong Bird Park in Singapore

Read about the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari

One of Singapore’s Most Popular Tourist Attractions

When I mentioned Singapore to family and friends one of the first things many of them said was, “I heard they have a great zoo” or something to that effect.  I’m not the biggest fan of zoos and wouldn’t usually go but I had to see what makes Singapore Zoo so special.  I was chatting with the cab driver on the way back from the airport and he told me that the zoo and night safari were literally next to each other so I thought it would be a good idea to go there on my first night in Singapore.

Getting to the Singapore Zoo

I saw that the zoo lied in what seemed to be the north central area of Singapore according to the Singapore tourist map I got at the airport.  I  just had explored the area around the Esplinade and was near the City Hall MRT stop so I thought the MRT would be the best and cheapest method of transport to the zoo.  I was right about cheap, but MRT was not the best way.

In addition to buses which as usual I was too lazy to try to figure out a taxi would have been a smarter way to get to the zoo.  I figured if I take the MRT for $2 to Marsling I could save money and time as opposed to the taxi especially if there was traffic.  It turned out that even after the 17 stop, 30+ minute MRT I still had to take a taxi from Marsiling to the zoo so I wasted valuable time.  If you are traveling in Singapore and have to budget your time more than money, taking a taxi is the by far the best way to go, especially if you are with a group.

Singapore City Hall MRT Station - 3:20pm Thursday

Arriving at Singapore Zoo

Upon arriving at Singapore Zoo you are greeted with a few food and souvenir options before the ticket counter.  I was very hungry so I grabbed a slice of pizza and a Tiger Beer.  The pizza was a very tasty tandoori chicken pizza which really hit the spot.  After the brief sit-down meal and relaxation I was ready to get a ticket for the zoo.

As advertised in the Singapore tourism map there was a 3-for-1 deal for the zoo, night safari, and Jurong Bird Park.  I thought it was a pretty sweet deal because it was valid for 30 days from the date of purchase and only cost $45 Singapore Dollars ($32.29 USD).  I also found out that the night safari was literally right next to the zoo and only required about a 2 minute walk.

Tandoori Chicken Pizza from Singapore Zoo

Exploring Singapore Zoo

I wondered how Singapore zoo set itself apart from other zoos and it was apparent in the first few minutes why.  Walking a walk in Singapore Zoo is like walking around in any other zoo as there are cement paths and signs with information about the animals.  What makes Singapore Zoo so special is the design of the animal habitats.

For most of the zoo, animal exhibits blend in with the surroundings.  You don’t see many pronounced cages and/or totally artificial looking things in and around the animal exhibits.   I have never been to the Bangkok zoo but I heard that some animals are basically in small cages with their arms hanging out one side.  The Singapore zoo had me wondering many times how the animals don’t escape as it seems you are in there with them.

I walked around for around an hour snapping some photos.  After I was there for an hour I knew it was close to closing time because I only saw maybe 1 or 2 people walking around.  Little did I know the zoo closed at 6pm which gave me only an hour to explore it.  Again, the ticket was good for 30 days but I really wanted to finish both zoo and night safari on the same day being so far from my hotel.

Momma and Baby Chimp at Singapore Zoo

Off to the Night Safari

I escaped the zoo around 6:30 ish and headed directly over the the night safari which was very close.  I had just went to the Chiang Mai, Thailand Night Safari a few months earlier so I expected more of the same.  People seemed very excited to be there as there was a sort of night club atmosphere complete with a couple restaurant/bars in addition to the standard souvenir shops.

I should have read the fine print because the tram ride was actually not included in the 3-for-1 ticket I purchased.  There were 2 walking exhibits as well as the fire show but what’s a safari without riding in a vehicle?  The tram ride ticket was another $15 Singapore ($10.70 USD) but I felt compelled to at least compare to the Chiang Mai night safari.

Since I already had my beer and pizza I was not hungry but I didn’t really want to wait in line so I went over to the left where a worker was sitting at a booth with a couple of glass cases.  I started talking to a young lady named Cassandra who was overseeing the tarantula and scorpion cases.  I chatted with her about an hour inhaling fumes from the fire dancers (photo at top of post) as I was waiting for it to get dark because it’s a night safari, not a dusk safari although the tram line was packed even when it wasn’t dark out.

About to enter the Singapore Night Safari Tram

Night Safari

The tram ride part of the night safari was a bit of a disappointment.  I could tell they were rushing due to the pressure of having so many people and tram rides every 15 minutes or so as opposed  to the Chiang Mai night safari where there was only a single tram ride.

Even though I had better, top-of-the-line camera gear than the previous night safari I barely got any good shots.  Even with the Nikon D700 and the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR & Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D two great low light lenses, I couldn’t keep pace with the driver who never let the tram come to a complete stop.  In hindsight, if getting some good shots was a priority I should have probably went on the tram when there was more light.

The tram ride seemed like it was over before it began but I still had 2 walking exhibits to attend.  I ended up skipping the walking exhibits as I noticed the 9pm fire show was beginning.  They had dancers going crazy on the stage as well as a crazy Japanese tourist which they brought up.  The Japanese tourist became part of the show which was pretty interesting so I pushed my way past 100 or so onlookers so I could get some photo opportunities.

After the fire show I went to check the live animal show.  It was hosted by this talkative Indian woman and included a wolf, boa constrictor, serval, and some amazing recycling otters, YES, recycling otters.  Although the show was mildly entertaining and the animals were well trained, it was a bit disorganized and again, seemed rushed like the tram ride.

Fire Dancers (Find Crazy Japanese Tourist)

Overall Impression

I’m sure my experience at the Chiang Mai, Thailand Night Safari caused the Singapore Night Safari to lose some of its luster.  I’d be willing to bet that the people who created the night safari in Chiang Mai, used Singapore’s as a model.  The night safari was a good experience and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who hasn’t been to one before.  If you have been to a “canned” night safari before or have been on a real safari, you may want to skip the tram ride and just go to the zoo.

Below you can see a slide show with some of the animals I had a chance to photograph during my brief tour of Singapore Zoo and the photos that came out halfway decent during the very dark and camera flash prohibited night safari.  I went on another day to the third related Singapore wildlife place which was included in the 3-in-1 ticket which you can read about as well.

Places to Visit in Singapore:  Jurong Bird Park – Coming Soon

Getting to Liberty Square

In my time in Taipei I came across Liberty Square numerous times as it is an absolutely huge chunk of land.  I read in the Taipei Lonely Planet Guide that Liberty Square and Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall also go by other names as well due to politics which I have no idea of so I won’t mention it any further.  If you mention CHiang Kai-shek to most cab drivers or people I would be willing to bet they would take you to Liberty Square.

The area of Liberty square takes up 240,000 square meters (2,583,338.5 square feet) of space of the Zhongzheng District in what seemed to be central Taipei.  I passed by it a couple times in a taxi but I was either on the way somewhere or just didn’t have the guts to try to speak to the Chinese speaking driver.

My second morning in Taipei I decided to try the subway system to find Liberty Square and the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall.  There is a subway stop right next to Liberty Square which made it easy once I figured out the name of the stop.  I cannot remember the name as of now, but it will be on any tourist map so don’t fret.

When you arrive at Liberty Square you will see 3 giant temples.  It turns out that the 2 big red ones are the National Theater and Concert hall while the blue one is the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall.  I have read that everything from hip-hop concerts to band practice goes on in the square but there was some sort of school function going on the day I was there.  You can see the size of the National Theater and Concert hall by comparing the ant sized people in the photograph below.

Liberty Square from the Steps of the Chiang Kai-shek Temple: See the National Concert Hall & Theatre

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

It is my understanding that Chiang Kai-shek was a former president of China who fled to Taiwan after the communists took over.  Not all people in Taipei hold him in such high regard but that is beyond the scope of my research and this blog.  Regardless of his legacy Chiang Kai-shek has this memorial hall is the blue temple you see on the photo at the top of the screen.

It takes several sets of steps to get to the top of the temple where the statue of Chiang Kai-shek sits.  Two elaborately dressed armed guards on either side of the statue of the smiling Chiang Kai-shek.  At the entrance to the room you can look out and see (above photo) the entire liberty Square along with the National Concert Hall & Theatre.

Chiang Kai-shek

Changing of the Guard

The impressively dressed guards, complete with shiny helmet and bayoneted rifle on either side of the Chiang Kai-shek statue at all times.  The Taipei Lonely Planet mentioned the changing of the guard which happens maybe once a day.  Evidently the guards do a ceremony at the top of the temple and the march all the way down to the bottom.  At the bottom of the temple is various gift shops and other shops and the guard quarters.

I was both lucky and unlucky in this instance.  I got there at the right time as the guards were marching towards their quarters but as a new DSLR user I was fiddling around with the camera settings and missed the shot!  How embarrasing!  I try to get a good shot most of the time but I will post a near-miss this time.

Missed Shot of Marching Soldiers after Changing of the Guard

Overall Impression

Liberty Square and the Chiang Kai-shek memorial temple is worth a visit for anyone who finds themselves in Taipei.  Being centrally located, culturally significant and free there is no reason to miss this tourism opportunity in Taipei.   I can see most would be satisfied spending no more time than an hour or 2 at Liberty Square if there are no events going on in the square.

If you do go to Taipei, you definitely want to check an event calendar so you can see if there is anything special such as a concert going on in Liberty Square.  It may be obvious but if you are interested in theater and concerts going on in the National Theater and Concert Halls it is best you book in advance.

Leaving Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall