Pixie Dusted in SE Asia TR

[zanzibar138]

Looks like an impressive place. I like many gave been to Singapore a few times but never left the airport !

How did you rate Universal ?

Next time you should venture out

I'll be doing a full run-down of Universal Studios next. I have mixed feelings about it, as what's there is really well done. If you're into theming like I am it's pretty cool. However, there's not that much to it. Only takes a couple of hours to do pretty much everything.

hi zanzibar! It seems every time I decide to swing by the Other Lands section of the board I'm treated to a zanzibar TR! I'm currently living in SG so your trips there always interest me, but I was hoping to catch the Cambodia portion as I'm headed there in a few days myself. oh well, I'll enjoy catching that section with fresh memories on my mind.

As for prices in SG, they have definitely gone up. Singapore was just named Most Expensive City to Live in on the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey from Economist Intelligence Unit. Here is a link of you're interested. Melbourne is in the top ten, as is Sydney.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/s-pore-ranked-world-s/1019698.html

@PIO- a drink at Max Brenners is 9.90 last I was there, about a month ago.

Welcome back CaliBear

Sorry I haven't gotten to the Cambodia section yet. I'm afraid I was a bit slack in starting this TR. I'll give you a brief rundown.

Siem Reap was our only destination in Cambodia - it was hard fitting all this into 2 weeks We had 4 nights there, and spent 2 full days exploring the temples of Angkor. We hired a private car, not really knowing what to expect, but a tuk-tuk would have been cheaper and better. The guide was good for the first couple of temples, but after that, I would have preferred to explore at my own pace.

We were there between seasons, and it was definitely starting to warm up. I imagine it would be pretty hot by now. I guess that won't bother you as much being used to Singapore weather

We had great experiences with the people, they're really friendly and proud to show you their country. Unfortunately our guide was the odd one out, clearly didn't really want to be there, and just dished out a memorised spiel at each point of interest.

Hope that's been some help, it's probably nothing new for you. Have a great time

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm pleased you went into Universal. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.

 

[Tashinwdw]

Enjoying your TR, night photos looked amazing

 

[CaliBear]

Yes that is helpful as I'd been going back and forth on the guide a little. Thanks! We're also only doing Siem Reap this time. First trip to Cambodia! And yes, we are going in the hot season. blech but that's when my husband could get the time off. We'll survive.

I look forward to reading more!

 

[PrincessInOz]

hi zanzibar! It seems every time I decide to swing by the Other Lands section of the board I'm treated to a zanzibar TR! I'm currently living in SG so your trips there always interest me, but I was hoping to catch the Cambodia portion as I'm headed there in a few days myself. oh well, I'll enjoy catching that section with fresh memories on my mind.

As for prices in SG, they have definitely gone up. Singapore was just named Most Expensive City to Live in on the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey from Economist Intelligence Unit. Here is a link of you're interested. Melbourne is in the top ten, as is Sydney.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/s-pore-ranked-world-s/1019698.html

@PIO- a drink at Max Brenners is 9.90 last I was there, about a month ago.

Hi CaliBear! Nice to see you here.


$9.90??? WOW! I thought it was pricey here at around $7. Looks like some things in Sing is more expensive!!

Enjoy Siam Reap. Hope you'll post some pictures......somewhere.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Zanzibar - I've been seriously giving some thought towards spending some time on Sentosa island. The last time I was there was in 1991 and it's certainly changed a heap since then.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures of the rides.....or not.

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm pleased you went into Universal. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.

Yeah it turned out to be a fun afternoon

Enjoying your TR, night photos looked amazing

Thanks

Yes that is helpful as I'd been going back and forth on the guide a little. Thanks! We're also only doing Siem Reap this time. First trip to Cambodia! And yes, we are going in the hot season. blech but that's when my husband could get the time off. We'll survive.

I look forward to reading more!

Glad I could be some help You'll have to let me know where I can read about your trip.

Zanzibar - I've been seriously giving some thought towards spending some time on Sentosa island. The last time I was there was in 1991 and it's certainly changed a heap since then.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures of the rides.....or not.

As much time as I've spent on Sentosa in the last couple of trips (and probably will again on the next couple of trips if I'm honest with myself ), I actually have mixed feelings about it. It's so contrived and fake, it's almost like you're not really in Singapore. And everything on it is such a rip off!

Having said that, there is definitely novelty factor there, and it's a bit of fun if you go in with the right attitude. And the cable car was DEFINITELY worth doing

 

[PrincessInOz]

As much time as I've spent on Sentosa in the last couple of trips (and probably will again on the next couple of trips if I'm honest with myself ), I actually have mixed feelings about it. It's so contrived and fake, it's almost like you're not really in Singapore. And everything on it is such a rip off!

Having said that, there is definitely novelty factor there, and it's a bit of fun if you go in with the right attitude. And the cable car was DEFINITELY worth doing

Thanks. I have some 3D friends that just rave about the time they spent on Sentosa and how much they loved it. Nice to have the balanced viewpoint.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Love the pictures from Supertree Grove and the gardens. I think we enjoyed the show more than you did - it was what I figured music and lights, but we found the music so very beautiful-was it the live orchestra playing for your night?

 

[zanzibar138]

Love the pictures from Supertree Grove and the gardens. I think we enjoyed the show more than you did - it was what I figured music and lights, but we found the music so very beautiful-was it the live orchestra playing for your night?

Live orchestra? I don't think so, that would have made it a bit more special!

And don't get me wrong, we did enjoy it. I just think I've been far too spoilt now with Disney shows

 

[zanzibar138]

Continued...

Tickets in hand, we wandered towards the entrance.



The park was much less crowded today than the last time we were there. A big difference between Saturday and Monday.

This time when we entered we swung right and went around anti-clockwise, starting with the New York area. There was a Monster Rock show about to start as we passed by, so we thought we'd check it out. None of us knew what to expect at all. Turns out the show was underwhelming, too much silly dialogue and not enough singing. Also, DH was disappointed that the songs were mostly pop not rock. Still, it was a nice place to sit in the cool for a bit with some entertainment.

Next, we came to the Transformers ride. I'd already popped a kwell, and the wait time was only 10 minutes, so we decided to give this one a go. Mum checked out the shop.



I now understand what people mean about this ride. It's pretty amazing! It's kind of like a roving 3D simulator, and the actual movement between scenes is what really sets it apart. I always think simulators are kind of a cop-out when it comes to new rides, but because this one still has ride vehicles and track, it felt like an actual ride. Although I was VERY glad to have taken my kwell before hand and can say without a doubt that it worked brilliantly!

Coming out of Transformers, we were sad to note that the big fun looking rollercoaster was still out of action. In fact, I've just been to the website to look up the name of the rollercoaster, and it looks like it's been decommissioned altogether, as it no longer listed in the attractions, or recognised on the interactive map. I'm pretty disappointed that it seems I've missed out on this one, and wondering what they're planning to replace it with.

Next we headed towards Ancient Egypt and The Mummy.



The wait time here was only 10 minutes too, so the three of us went to ride while Mum checked out the theming in the area. This is definitely my favourite Mummy ride, and the queue is amazingly themed too.

After that, we decided to leave the park in search of lunch. For the record, you don't want to eat in the park, unless you need to lighten your wallet for the flight home.







We ended up at the food market just outside the entrance, all with the same yummy chicken claypot meal.



After lunch we re-entered the park, in search of something fairly tame to do while our lunches were digesting. We swung left at the end of Main Street and entered Madgascar. The crate ride seemed like it might be fun, and something that Mum would be happy to join us on too, so we all lined up (by that I mean, walked straight to the loading area and waited for the next boat).



After disembarking from the crate ride, we kept walking around the park in a clockwise direction through Far Far Away. No one was particularly keen on any of the attractions in the area, so besides stopping for photos, we just kept walking.





Next stop was Jurassic Park, for a good soaking!



The three of us were pretty lucky this time around, and managed to avoid getting completely soaked. Our feet however, were not so lucky! Dad and I had some nice squelchy shoes for a while. However, in Singapore weather it's not such a big deal, and they dried out nice and quick.

We thought about doing the Canopy Flyer in the area (which is basically a fast figure 8 at tree level, hanging from a rollercoaster track), but decided against it when there was a 30 minute wait.

We were just about in Ancient Egypt again, and thought Mum might enjoy a ride on the put-put cars there, so we went to get in line. Unfortunately it was a bit of a wait at 20 minutes, but it had been up to 40 minutes that day, so we figured 20 minutes might be as good as it got. It was a boring line too! But Mum did enjoy the ride, so it was worth it!









After that, we'd pretty much all had enough, and decided to head to the next activity for the day. On the way out, we noticed the wait time for The Mummy was only 5 minutes, so we took advantage of that opportunity before we left.



Then we made our way out of the park, and up to the cable car station to go back across to the mainland.







We went straight through to the mountain on the other side.



There wasn't really much up there, just an overpriced cafe and gift shop. But there was a nice view over a section of jungle, which we admired while we enjoyed an overpriced drink.



Then it was time to start heading back to the hotel.

 

[Tashinwdw]

Transformers is a great ride, I do get bad motion sickness and had to close my eyes everytime we spun around - thats if its the exact ride as the LA one.

The view from the cable car is amazing.

 

[zanzibar138]

Transformers is a great ride, I do get bad motion sickness and had to close my eyes everytime we spun around - thats if its the exact ride as the LA one.

The view from the cable car is amazing.

I seriously would have had to close my eyes for the whole thing without the kwell! I would have needed a sick bag after the first scene

 

[PrincessInOz]

We really enjoy Transformers in the UO; so I'll assume it's the same at Singapore.

Looks like it was a lovely day.

 

[zanzibar138]

We really enjoy Transformers in the UO; so I'll assume it's the same at Singapore.

Looks like it was a lovely day.

From what I've heard of the UO one, it seems like it's the same.

 

[zanzibar138]

I thought our journey on this night could really use its own post. I'm afraid I don't have many photos, so it will be a bit of a wordy post.

Singapore - Kuala Lumpur

After our day at Sentosa we made our way back to the hotel. We thought it would be the best use of our time to just eat at the hotel that night, so that we didn't have to lug our suitcases too far, and we could enjoy Mum and Dad's company until the last minute.

The time came to say our goodbyes, and DH and I made our way to the train station. Unfortunately we were running slightly late by that stage, so it was a rather rushed walk to the station. We just missed a train, but hey, this is Singapore. The next one was only another 6 minutes away.

The train was super busy when it arrived, and we only just managed to squeeze on with our cases! We thought it would clear out a bit as we went and we'd probably be able to get seats a bit later on.

We got all the way to our transfer station without getting any extra room on board! We thought maybe the next train would be quieter. Nope, it was nearly as crowded as the first one. We only had about 15 minutes on each train, but it turned out to be quite a long ride.

We got off at the station before Woodlands, Marsiling. The way we had come, we would have been doubling back if we'd gone all the way to Woodlands. We thought the buses would be quite straightforward and we'd see the one we wanted fairly easily. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. It was confusing with all the buses that were going to Woodlands station (as opposed to Woodlands transfer point), with the same bus number leaving from both sides of the street. We weren't particularly sure of our direction at the time, so we didn't really know which way we needed to go.

We saw a bus coming which we thought could be a good one, and tried to explain to the driver that we wanted to go to the transfer point, not the station. He didn't seem to understand, and was getting a bit frustrated, so we just got on, and figured if we ended up at the station, at least we should be able to find our way from there.

Well, no surprises, we did end up at Woodlands station. May as well have just taken the train there We must have been looking lost, and a lovely lady asked us where we wanted to go, and told us which bus to catch, and where it left from.

The bus arrived just as we were arriving at the stop, and we got on feeling hopeful! Unfortunately we didn't have any more change by that point, and the bus drivers don't give change. So I ended up just putting a $10 note in the container.

Once we were on the bus, DH got google maps going on his ipad, so we could figure out where to get off! We were relieved that the bus seemed to be heading in the right direction, but we were starting to panic because we were REALLY running late by then

We arrived at the bus stop with about 20 minutes to get to our international sleeper train and we were both feeling a bit nervous! We rushed to the terminal. Of course passport control was right at the opposite end! We rushed through passport control and security. The staff there were all very friendly and seemed to be slightly amused by us. On the platform we managed to find the right carriage, then our room.

We stowed our cases and collapsed onto the bottom bunk with relief! About 2 minutes late the train started moving.

Pixie dust moment # 1: We caught our train!

When we had a chance to relax, I took some photos of our accommodation for the night.







Not long after leaving, we were served a simple dinner of fried rice or noodles. We enjoyed our meals as we left Singapore and crossed the bridge to Malaysia.



We were at Johor Bahru station for a long time, and I think it was then that I decided to hit the hay. I found and attached the ladder to my bunk, and climbed up to bed. The bunk was narrow and I was a little worried about falling out of bed As the night wore on, I realised that the main problem was the air-conditioning. There weren't any extra blankets, so I made do with the towels we'd been provided for the shower. It actually worked well enough that I was able to fall asleep. Eventually.

We were woken before 5am with breakfast, which was an egg sandwich. I didn't feel like an egg sandwich at that time of morning. We sat on the bottom bunk again, watching our surroundings light up. Suddenly we realised we weren't far from our station, and hurriedly got dressed.

Soon afterwards, we got off the train at KL Sentral, and found our way out of the station. I had specifically chosen a hotel within a short walk of the station, but was very disorganised and hadn't printed out a map. We unsuccessfully tried to find a map within the station, and eventually found a wifi hotspot so that DH could access his google maps again, and made our way to the hotel.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

LOL! Sounds like Asia to me.


Sorry that you were stressed out by the to-ing and fro-ing with buses and trains. But you got there in the end. The train room looks decent.

 

[zanzibar138]

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

LOL! Sounds like Asia to me.


Sorry that you were stressed out by the to-ing and fro-ing with buses and trains. But you got there in the end. The train room looks decent.

Yeah I was quite impressed with the room. It was really quite comfortable once I got used to the bed, but next time I'd take trackies and a jumper to sleep in!

DH on the other hand, was disappointed and didn't sleep well at all. He said next time he wouldn't bother with a sleeper, because he thinks he wouldn't have got any less sleep in a chair. I said I'll stick with the sleeper

 

[WanderlustNZ]

How cool. I always feel extra proud of myself when I manage to successfully navigate the transportation system of a new city. particularly a city when English isn't the main language. You may have been rushed, but you still made it on time. That's the main thing.

The overnight train looks kind of fun. Certainly memorable.

I'll be interested in your opinion of KL. I remember sitting in the back of a taxi in KL gripping DH's hand for dear life and fighting back tears. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was sure I was going to die. I've never encountered such scary, erratic driving in my whole life.

 

[zanzibar138]

How cool. I always feel extra proud of myself when I manage to successfully navigate the transportation system of a new city. particularly a city when English isn't the main language. You may have been rushed, but you still made it on time. That's the main thing.

The overnight train looks kind of fun. Certainly memorable.

I'll be interested in your opinion of KL. I remember sitting in the back of a taxi in KL gripping DH's hand for dear life and fighting back tears. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was sure I was going to die. I've never encountered such scary, erratic driving in my whole life.

Yes, it was kind of an adventure I'm definitely up for more train travel after that (although the private room with ensuite definitely helped with the comfort factor).

I had one of those driving moments in Africa. I really thought that was it for us. And it would have been if our driver had needed to stop in a hurry.

On this occasion we were lucky enough to be able to get everywhere we needed to in KL (including the airport) on the train So we didn't really experience the traffic.