Any suggestions for Singo.
I've got 7hrs (both ways) between flights and want to get out of the airport at least once. We might be able to do a free 2hr tour but I am guessing it won't be very flexible and we might miss the cut off time..
Me, my wife and 6 kids!

Would like to see the lion.. I've seen it before but wife hasn't and want to hit up some good cheap food..

pends what time you're there.

I like sunset dinner on Boat Quay. Careful about the evenings, imposs to get a taxi unless you call them to book and then they charge a surcharge.

bugis street area would be good.

Maybe the electronics area. forget what it is called. They are massive.

try these: Lucky Plaza or Far East Plaza

When U going Indo?

My wifey is from Sing lah,

Food won't be an issue, tonnes of places open 24/7
If you are going @ christmas time, you gotta ride through Orchard road (if at night), it will be beautiful.

Lucky Plaza???, noooooooooooooooo Koko!
Go to Lucky if you are white and want to get ripped off. STAY CELAR OF THIS PLACE!

If you want some quick shopping, go to VivoCity.

Just across from Santosa Which is also great fun.

You are slightly time limited, but hopefully there will be tonnes of Taxis. If you are still reponding to this thread later Unless someone who lives there responds before, I can get distances and times for you.

6 kids??!

doh domo, i forgot the places i went to last.
so ignore my shopping suggestions.

i still reccomend bugis street.

At lest with 6 kids, you can feed em all for about $4 a head in Singapore. And thats sweet as food.

Think I remember Bugis street. Still reckon that VivoCity is quicker to get to, and more hings in the one place. PLKUS, there's an awesome eatery on the top level, cinmeas etc etc.

Hey Indo, Mrs Domo recommends:

leaving the luggage @ the airport.
Catch a train from changi to raffles place/city hall. From there, you can shop/eat around city hall. Around there, is funan (IT mall) and suntec and marina square. Or head to VivoCity, then U can eat, shop, watch movie etc. If you have time, you can go across by Taxi, walk, bus or ferry to Santosa, which the kids would love.

funan is the one that i went to.
I remember now. floors and floors of electronics and software...

*drools*

Cheers boys..
6 kids. 2 of my own, my niece (9) and 3 students (9,10,12).

I looked at taking the train to Raffles/city hall area (and good to see that your local lady has recemmended it too!)
Really just want to take the kids to Ma lion (sp?) and grab some nice street eats and hot foot it back to the airport! (No shopping!!! cheaper here and with 6 kids!!!)
From here to singo, then sing to adelaide heaps of time for movies on the plane!

Thanks again..

koko.. Singo used to be the great place for cheap electronics but not that cheap anymore.. I guess being here we are just used to skyscrapers full of the crap!

Merlion? It's actually really small and a kinda anti anything you thought it to be.

From the Fullerton walk along the side of the river and there you have it. Nice, clean, kinda bland.

I used to think 'wtf is 'Ma''? -Mer makes sense though. -'Mer' as in 'sea'. I still wouldn't spend a very limited amount of time in Singapore trekking out to see it though. Definitely not worth it. The airport-downtown tour is good but the kids might get a little stir crazy. I'd go to China town. Good for pedestrians, cheap patio food and cool atmosphere.

Can this thread be moved to overseas?

Like I said I have no interest at all in the god damn Merlion (I got the MA from the J pronunciation and was too lazy to check) Just a thing some of the kids said they might want to see if we head into town.
Singapore doesn't really appeal to me at all besides the food.

Ger - what's the deal with the free tour from the airport? Why might the kids go stir crazy? Is it worth it?

Ohh, and Ger, I must apologise for my ignorance of mistakingly putting this thread in the Japan forum. As it seems to be annoying you, I'll whip off an email to out good friends at SJ and see if they can move it for you!

Thanks SJ!

I did the free tour thing ten years ago and I recall giving them my passports and not technically going through immigration, so they kind of herded us along making sure none of us strayed. ....Good tour, especially since it's free. We got a little bus tour, then a boat tour, and maybe some sort of afternoon a tea thing or something. Don't know it it would be interesting for the kids tough. I'd pick an area like China town and hang out for a couple of hours.
Wasn't annoyed, Indo. I'll change the little smiley guy next to my name if I get annoyed.

Well the last time i was there, was '96 so i may be a bit out of date.

Taxi's are very cheap in Singapore so take a mini bus one and negociate with the driver to do a tour for you, head to the Singapore river area where all the food places are now near the Merchant Court Hotel ( I think it may have had a name change)

If you have kids and its day time spend a few hours on Sentosa island, You can taxi over there now as they built a bridge, on Sentosa they built a really big merlion, building works have made it almost imposible to see the original one now except from the water.

Closer to the airport is the Singapore zoo which is pretty spectacular

Our fave from Singa's was the Zoo.
The kids might prefer that, especially being closer to the airport where you might be pushed for time.

Thanks guys.
All ideas have been taken on board an will decide what to do if we can't get on the free city tour as Ger has done b4.
Train sounds good to the city area.. China town.. drooling already..

Cheers

Sorry, just saw this thread. I lived in Sing for 6 years, here's a few ideas.

Night Safari - this thing is a must see. Very well done, it's not your average zoo. All nocternal anmials that are equatorial in natural surroundings. make sure and get off the tram and go checkout the bat cave, but beware of peeing bats!

Boat Quay - can't go wrong there. I like an Indian place that is close to the tall buildings side.

Sim Lim Square - get your cheap electronic fix there

Kenko Massage - get the family chinese foot massages, they are the best and great after a long day of walking

Go Kart Track - This is a little bit out of the way, you'll need to catch a cab and you should call ahead for free race time. Depending on the kid's ages, they'll love this.

Sentosa - At dusk they have an awesome water fountain lazer light show.

Anywya, that should be enough for now - have fun!

Well... a ittle late but what the heck1
GOT INTO SINGO AND jumped on the Cultural tour at 5pm. Had to sit through a solid hour and a bit of a guy who thought he was funny taking on a sights , smells and sounds tour of singapore , where we weren't allowed to leave the bus.. well 2 hours killed.
Kids playground (yawn) and massage lounge made up for the rest of the time.. as well as the walkways. kids loved running on em, till the guys with the machine guns told them to chill out!

I did the free tour too about 5 years ago Indo. Exactly as Ger described. Good to get out of the airport, but nothing really amazing. On a different trip/stopover I took a wander through China town and the Indian area. Was interesting, but much less sterilized than where the tour takes you. I have also heard that the zoo is pretty amazing. We are definitely gonna be checking that out when we are there in 3 months! When is your parole Indo?

April 7th mate. Tix in hand..
last day in Jp will be hectic!
Am shink to Tokyo disneyland for the day and jump on the plane in the evening straight to SA via melb.
Countdown calendar tells me 77 days.. Not that I'm counting or anything!
You?

No tix booked yet, but aiming at April 18(ish) Then Sing/Malaysia/Maldives/ SW WA!!

I liked little India for the food, the smells of all the spices just make you salivate!!!

oh and do the night safari at the zoo, that was cool. (You prob won't be there at that time though)

If you want to take a "tour" but don't wanna use the official bus, you can take a regular bus. Can't remember the number though but its like a circular, takes you all round singapore city. You can pick it up almost anywhere in the city...sorry though, the number escapes me