Do you remember dream sequences shown in movies? An open field filled with flowers…A woman in a flowing dress walking among them with her features shadowed by the bright sun….a profile running through the flowers with joy and sheer abandon. That feeling of freedom and utter happiness….Some dreams are like that. Hold that kind of image in your head. You have this feeling of want and un-fulfillment till you realize them. Some have this air of un-reachability to them. But hey as the saying goes….you should always dream big. Travel has been my biggest dream especially travelling the world.
Changi airport |
Huge curtains in our room minus windows. And on the right the bathroom “window” just next to the bed |
Our first meal there 🙂 Veg. biryani and pineapple juice. Quite tasty and very generous proportions which the two of shared. |
My sister created an itenary for the trip. She did her research and found out every minute detail – from the entry rates of the different places, to the best mode of transportation to reach the place, to the expected amount we will be paying for the trip to even the bus nos. 😀 Moral of the story – Google is your friend! When you are travelling alone then information is the best weapon you can arm yourself with. Here are some points that I felt you might find useful:
- For some reason Visa is not widely accepted there. Cabs and 7eleven don’t accept them at all. And places like Universal studio stores give you additional discount if you use a Mastercard. So plan accordingly. Either arm yourself with enough cash in hand or opt for a Mastercard forex/credit card.
- You can find good deals and discounts on Groupon. Whether it is entry for some place or for your meal.
- You can get a card called ETZ from the MTR (metro) stations. These are used for travelling in the metro but give you entry into Sentosa through the broadwalk and even can be used in buses/cabs. There is a passenger service counter on the station and the stations are huge in size so you will need to search for one.
- There are maps for everywhere….even the airport 😀 Yes it is that big! So arm yourself with a city map and a MTR map for sure. And if you are going to shop at the airport (highly recommended) then get yourself one of that too.
- Whenever you run a bill of over 100 SGD ask for the GTR receipt. This is a tax refund receipt. You can get the refund from the airport and there are special areas for it. So don’t forget to ask for them. Coz you wont get the refund without them. You can get yourself cash this way to splurge on the airport 😀 win-win!
- Eat your meal as and when you get them! Sounds silly but it is very true. Don’t wait to reach a particular area or go back to your hotel. Our hotel didn’t have a restaurant. We were located in Little India where all the places shut down by 10:30 pm. The few places who say that they remain open till late run out of food and you might not find anything. So if you are roaming somewhere then plan to take your meal there. Vegetarian food is no problem at all.
- Take good walking shoes with you. Don’t go all fancy with slippers or ballets. Good shoes which will keep your feet comfortable walking for hours. Trust me your feet will thank you for it!
Quaint buildings all over Little India. But what beautiful designs and attention to detail some of them had |
Wow that was a huge post! I wanted to keep it light and fluffy in the beginning for you but as I kept on writing it struck me that there are no guides especially for women travelers that give out one’s experience in such detail. Well I hope my post will help you out in some manner and thereby giving you some confidence and info for travelling by yourself to Singapore. Honestly it is the best place. You don’t have to be worried or looking over your shoulder. I will add in more posts as I’m making it series and will tell you in detail about the places we visited. Do let me know what you think and if you find this format useful or if you would like me to keep things brief and lighter. See ya soon!