A Very Quick Guide To Singapore
Singapore To Koh Lanta
It’s very easy to get from Singapore to Koh Lanta thanks to direct flights from Singapore to Krabi Airport on Tiger Airways. Check Skyscanner to compare prices between different dates to find the absolute cheapest price.
To get from Krabi airport to Koh Lanta, you can then book a Fast Speedboat Transfer from Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta or a Minivan Transfer to Koh Lanta.
If you are arriving in Singapore before or after you visit Koh Lanta, we’ve put together a quick Singapore guide to give you some pointers on what we enjoy most about this amazing city.
Singapore – A Very Quick Guide
As it’s only a two hour flight, Thailand is a popular place for Singaporeans and Singapore expats to visit, and Koh Lanta provides an excellent place to relax on the beach, enjoy tasty Thai food and go scuba diving at some of Thailand’s best dive sites. Unlike Phuket, Koh Lanta is rarely crowded and also has no annoying touts on the beach trying to sell you stuff.
For travellers heading to or from Singapore when visiting Koh Lanta, it’s a fascinating city that provides a great crossover point between East and West. Given it’s so easy to jump from Koh Lanta to Singapore (or vice versa) it’s easy to just spend a few days in the city using budget flights. It’s also an easy place for Westerners to explore because while its definitely very different to Western sensibilities due to its mixed Chinese, Indian and Malaysian heritage it is also reassuringly familiar – everyone speaks English, everything’s very clean and there’s lots of Western brands alongside Asian ones.
Given it’s such a cosmopolitan city, there’s a wealth of things to do in Singapore. And given that it’s such a tiny country – essentially a city state – with first world infrastructure, it’s extremely easy to get around on public transport, especially the super-efficient MRT (subway) Food is a national obsession, and the hawker markets dotted around the city (Maxwell Road is a good place to start, or the more posh version at Esplanade) are a superb introduction to Singapore’s varied cuisine, and also remarkably cheap, as the locals would it be in uproar otherwise.
History is well served by Singapore’s spectacular new National Museum which tells the history of the city through state-of-the-art exhibits and displays; and the newest building in Singapore cannot be missed – literally. The three towers and crossbar of the Marina Bay Sands casino complex, already an icon of the city, towers over Singapore’s centre and the views from its panoramic Skywalk are a mustsee. (For a quick guide to the Marina Bay Sands complex and photos of the Marina Bay Sands Skywalk, follow the links). The best map of Singapore by far, by the way, is the Groovy Map of Singapore, super-clear and a travel guide in itself, although you can pick up plenty of free maps and Singapore travel info in Changi airport when you arrive.
Nearby is Clarke Quay which is the bustling nightlife area on the river with a cavalcade of restaurants and bars from which to people-watch outside in the evening – Brewerkz, the long-established microbrewery at Riverside Point, shouldn’t be missed by beer lovers and just next door is Wine Garage, providing fine dining and great wines in laidback surroundings by the water. Little India a few stops away on the MRT lets you taste plenty of different Indian treats at bargain prices – this area is also backpacker central. You can even head to the beach in Singapore, at Sentosa, although it feels a little artificial.
Culture vultures should also check out local free listings newspaper I-S (find it in any coffeeshop or read online) for current productions being staged at the Esplanade, the giant durian shaped building just down the river from Clarke Quay. The other major Singapore pastime besides food is shopping, and there are plenty of bargains to be had if you hunt around. Gadget lovers in particular can geek out at the low prices in Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall – tourists get 7 per cent tax refunded at the airport in a straightforward process, provided you make sure the shop gives you the necessary paperwork. Want more things to do? See Agoda’s handy list of places to go and things to see.
| Singapore Budget Hotels, Hostels and Backpackers | |||
Where To Stay In Singapore – Hostels, Hotels And Casinos
Singapore, like Hong Kong, also has a distinctly Western feel in that it’s not a cheap place to live. Hotels are generally expensive, although there are some good hostels for budget travellers. Be aware that space is at an absolute premium in Singapore so room sizes will always be on the small size. Check out the positive reviews for Checkers Inn in Little India, Five Stones and City Backpackers (both with unbeatable location in Clarke Quay) and Prince Of Wales (in Boat Quay, also super-central) as well as Pillow Talk and The Little Red Dot.
| Singapore Hotels - Mid Range | |||
For a proper hotel room all to yourself, The Hotel 81 hotel chain has numerous budget hotels pretty much all of which are tired and rundown – they’re not particularly great value and spending a little more on a budget international chain hotel like Ibis Singapore might be more worthwhile. If you want something more local feeling, Saff boutique hotel gets rave reviews for its vintage feel and attentive staff. Victoria Hotel also gets positive reviews as a good budget choice and V Hotel Lavender is a well-regarded, modestly-priced modern hotel.
| Singapore Hotels - Luxury | |||
If you’ve got cash to splash, the hotel to stay at in Singapore is Raffles, named after the founder of the city. A great cheaper alternative is the Fairmont, located in the Raffles mall (so right next to the original Raffles) that has some great prices for a five star hotel probably because it’s older. Across the bay, Marina Bay Sands casino offers palatial rooms with price tags to match – sadly low room pricing as practised in Vegas doesn’t apply to casinos in Singapore it seems although its worth checking for special offers.
If you want to stay near the airport, the Crown Plaza Changi hotel located within Terminal 1 of Singapore’s Changi airport couldn’t be any more convenient for an airport stopover and it’s very elegant – but also pricey. There is a transit hotel within the airport too to rent by the hour – see this handy Singapore Airport Hotel Guide for more info. Given central Singapore is only a 45 minute taxi ride away unless you have to get up incredibly early it’s probably worth the extra effort of staying in the city so you can enjoy at least one evening on the riverfront before flying out the next morning.
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