Last day abroad

Tiled footpath in Little India

The Quincy

C & D left us early for the next leg of their holiday in the sunny Philippines. We had planned to go back to sleep but instead, after breakfast, set off on foot to Little India. We enjoyed the walk under the hot, blue, morning sky; seeing parts of Singapore that we'd not seen up close before.

Little India was still waking up, but it was good to see the old shop houses and smell the spicy aroma of the eating houses.

We ambled on to Arab Street for more fabric and then to Suntec City where was sat for a while at a coffee house with the locals, drinking kopi, strong coffee made with sweetened condensed milk and long poured to make it frothy.

Mosque at Arab Street

Suntec City is where we regularly buy running shoes - they're a third of the price they are at home. There were a couple of other shops to check out then it was time for lunch at a great burger place in the underground arcade, called 'Handburger'.

Our energy levels were running low by now so we trained it uptown for a last look at the shops.

Kopi

We bought some electronics from Sam at Lucky Plaza. I haven't been tempted in many years, but the prices for what I was after were very good this time.

Packing and a rest - we paid for a half day extra to allow us to check out at 7pm. So worth it when we're on a late flight, to be able to shower and change and then pack everything up at leisure.

I'm not ready to go home this time, but work is calling.

Another fabulous day with friends

This morning we started out to breakfast a little earlier, and then caught a taxi to Fort Canning Park for a wander through the greenery. The park is right in the city, between Orchard Road and the CBD, and is built around the remains of WWII bunkers.

Taxis: quite cheap in Singapore, and much more convenient than the MRT for direct access to places, especially with four people. There are certain times of the day - shift change, dinner time, when hailing a taxi is a difficult sport, however.

We left the park behind and after a few blocks' walk in the mid morning heat, gratefully took a seat in the air conditioning of a coffee house.

Beers at Peranakan Place

We introduced C & D to the warren of underground shops between Raffles and the Marina, but between us all, bought nothing. Another taxi back up town to the Peranaken Place, a preserved traditional style street of shop houses with bars right on the middle of the bustle of Orchard Road.

After a beer and some tasty satays, C & D walked back through the breaking thunderstorm to the hotel whilst we investigated our favourite shops uptown.

Singapore rain

At six we availed ourselves of the free cocktails in the hotel bar/restaurant and the light entertainment provided by the bar staff. Then it was back in to another cab and across town the Bar Opiume at the Asian Civilizations Museum which is on the riverfront at Boat Quay.

The setting was beautiful, with tables outside under bright red chandeliers, with large candles and vases lining the tables and lounges. It was billed as having happy hour (which it didn't) and in being renowned for its wine bar (no wines on the list). Things didn't get any better from there with the cocktails all poorly made, so we high tailed it through the evening to Lau Par Sat, our favourite local eatery, located close to Raffles Place MRT in the CBD.

We ordered Tiger beer by the jug, stingray flap in tamarind sauce, satays, char kway teow, black pepper crab and maturbak (thin pancake cooked with fillings of chicken or vegetables) and shared, whilst sitting in the open air enjoying the bustle of the eatery.

We decided that it was appropriate to celebrate the end of our short holiday at The Long Bar at Raffles. We sat out on the verandah in the warm night, sharing fabulous champagne in frosted glasses, and travel stories.

Fort Canning Park

Boat Quay

View from the rooftop

On our May visit to Singapore we discovered La Terrazza, a cool rooftop bar in Ann Siang Hill, in the Chinatown district. We caught a taxi across town and found the bar pleasantly less populated than last time.

Long Island Iced Teas were in order, some tapas, and sundown over the great city whilst listening to lounge beats.

We walked the crooked pavements, checking out the myriad restaurants, all quirky and well attended. We couldn't get in to a few places, but came across 'Platters', a fabulous restaurant serving share food on wooden platters. The wine list was inspiring and the food, truly delicious. One of the platters was called 'The Boner' and held pork, lamb and the softest and tastiest beef, all still on the bone. It was excellent.

It took some time to flag down a taxi, but finally back at the hotel we shared a bottle of fabulous champagne by the pool, with a view of the city skyline.

The platters hanging above the bar

Sampling the wine list

Happy in Singapore

Haji Lane

We struggled to a late start, both parties a little discombobulated from travel and the time difference (and the celebrating) and enjoyed the included breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

Haul from Arab Street

A taxi dropped us at Arab Street, where I like to shop for fabric. I bought some batik by the meter for making a quilt cover, as well as some regular cut pieces for making clothes. There's only so much batik that I can use at any one time but I always enjoy searching through the piles of beautiful colours and designs in the darkened shops that smell of incense.

C & I also bought some lovely cotton by the meter - very good quality for only SGD8.

From there we headed off to the Gardens by the Bay. This is a newly built botanic gardens on 400 acres of reclaimed land, next to the impressive Marina Bay Sands hotel.

There are giant tree like structures, covered with orchids and vines, with a suspended walkway 60 meters in the air.

The cost of going up onto the walkway was only SGD 5pp, and well worth it for the view and experience.

We had a tasty Singaporean lunch at the Hill Street Cafe, right next to the lift entrance to the elevated walkway.

C & D headed back for a nap, and we carried on through the park to the Heritage area of orchids, limestone monoliths and restful spaces, to the MRT and Orchard Road shops.

We enjoyed a very cool, refreshing swim back at the hotel and then set off for an evening out.

Newton's Circus

After settling in we headed out to eat with the locals at a hawker centre. Newton's Circus is a few blocks' walk from The Quincy. It was refurbished from its original food cart and makeshift tables origin to a permanent, semi covered structure a few years ago.

We shared three plates of our favourite dishes; char kuey teow,roast duck noodles and stingray flap in tamarind sauce. Dinner was SGD13 all up, and a bottle if Heineken to share was $7.50.

We walked through the shops for a little and then opted for a nap whilst waiting for C & D to arrive from Dubai.

They got in at about 10pm, and we celebrated for quite some time!

The Quincy

For the first time in my travels, there was a gentleman waiting for us as we exited the arrival hall with a gorgeous black Mercedes E350.

This was thanks to the accommodation package at the Quincy, and I liked it.

The hotel is a small boutique hotel, located in the elbow between Scotts Road and Orchard Road. It won the Trip Advisor People's Choice award for 2012.

Check-in was a breeze and the room is comfortable.

The photos are of the lovely art in the public areas, and the view from our room.

The journey over

So we've arrived safe and sound in Singapore, albeit an hour late due to departing late.

We had seats up the front of the aircraft with extra legroom, which was nice. The plane was almost full, with only a few spare seats. Eight hours is a long time without entertainment, but we read and napped. The meals were tasty (SGD10) and the flight smooth until we entered the more turbulent air of the wet tropics.

I saw lots of islands in the midst of the beautiful blue of the Timor Sea and even a small, solitary volcano, quietly expelling ash into the atmosphere.

I'm not sure that I'm a fan of Scoot. The seats were uncomfortable and the service a little less than expected, even for a cheap airline. Air Asia seem to have it all down to a fine art, but perhaps Scoot is still settling in to their trade.

Departure

Parking, check-in and a tasty breakfast (now with metal cutlery!) all without hassle at Gold Coast airport.

Parking cost is $88 for the first four days, then $17 per day thereafter in long term parking, which is an easy walk from the terminal.

Check-in opened three hours prior to departure, but before that there was no indication of where to line up. The staff were friendly and efficient.

There are two security checks on departure as the entry to domestic gates is the same main entry to the international gates. There is a second bag screening for international departures prior to immigration. After this, there is a cafe, a newsagent and a small duty free. Not terribly exciting, but sufficient.

Our Scoot B777, named Barry, arrived 30 minutes behind schedule.

A quick trip back to the Orient

Tomorrow we set off for Singapore!

It will, admittedly, be the third time that we'll step off a plane there this year. Having visited many times since my first trip in 1980, I still have not had my fill of this fabulous country.

This visit is purely to meet up with our friends, C & D, who now live in Dubai. They were planning to be there for a holiday and invited us to join them.

We're flying with Scoot this time http://www.flyscoot.com/index.php/en/. They are Singapore's newest airline, flying B777's direct to the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. Like Air Asia, they are a no-frills airline, and having travelled often on the former, I am keen to see what Scoot is like. They often have return airfares to Singapore for $300!

We didn't manage to get the cheapest seats as we were locked into the dates we could travel, but it was still quite a bit cheaper any other option. It is already school holidays here for some, and many school leavers now choose to head overseas for their end of year celebrations, rather than attend 'Schoolies' at the Gold Coast. Last year at this time I went to Bali, and the aircraft was full of 17-18 year olds.

Flying out of the Gold Coast is definitely more hassle than flying out of Brisbane for us, but the cost of parking is fair. The asian internationals all depart at around 9am and arrive back in country at 8am. Driving back to Brisbane in peak hour traffic after a long night on a plane can be a challenge. I've booked extra leg room seats this time, in the hope of getting some quality rest.

We are staying at The Quincy http://www.stayfareast.com/en/hotels/the-quincy-hotel.aspx, which is high up Orchard Road, close to Scotts Road. We haven't stayed here before, but if C & D decided to rebook there after a previous visit, that was more than good enough for me.

The room rate includes laundry (very handy in Asia, if only for cleaning the travel clothes), breakfast and dinner, cocktails, minibar, wi-fi (which can be extremely expensive!) and limousine pick up from the airport - impressive!

Roll on tomorrow.