Singapore

West & Southwest

Singapore
(Chapter)
Edition 9th Edition, February 2012
Pages 19pp PDF
Page Range 109-115, 140-152

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Explore West & Southwest

Singapore, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife,
Entertainment and Shopping.

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West & Southwest

Singapore
Neighbourhood Top Five
1 Ride the spectacular 3 Stretch your legs for a 5 Step back in time and
cable car (p111) to the sum- park-to-park walk along the experience 1950s-style
mit of Mt Faber or across Southern Ridges (p112) to tourism at Singapore’s most
the harbour to Sentosa Mt Faber. old-fashioned theme park:
Island. 4 Pull levers and twiddle the wonderfully quirky Haw
2 Join true twitchers for knobs at kids’ favourite, the Par Villa (p111).
a spot of birdwatching on Singapore Science Centre
the mangrove swamps of (p113), before catching an
Sungei Buloh Wetland IMAX film at the enormous
Reserve (p113). Omni-Theatre (p113) next

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For more detail of this area, see Map p218 and p219A
1 10
Lonely Planet’s
Top Tip Explore West & Southwest Singapore
For a healthy way of taking This vast area is packed with sights that together would
in some of this area’s less- take a number of days to see. But you don’t need to see
visited attractions, don a them all. None is an absolute top-draw, must-see sight;
hat, pack plenty of water most are quirky or somewhat specialist, so pick and
and hike at least part of the choose what best suits you so you can plan your foray
9km-long Southern Ridges into western Singapore without wasting too much travel
walking trail (p112). It takes time.
you from park to park, right Bundling sights together into one trip makes sense.
across southwest Singa- The Science Centre, Omni-Theatre and Snow City stand
pore, and eventually brings side by side, while a number of sights in the northwest
you to Mt Faber. are accessed via Kranji MRT station.
Consider timing your visit to Mt Faber to coincide
with sunset, so as the sun goes down you can either be
Best Places on the cable car or at a restaurant or bar on the summit.
5 to Eat It’s then easy to get back to your hotel via HarbourFront
WEST & SOUTHWEST SINGAPORE

MRT station.
 Eng Lock Koo (p115)
 Emerald Lodge (p115)
 Sky Dining (p115) Local Life
For reviews, see p115 A
 Deals Don’t forget to look into the combined ticket
deals for the Science Centre, the Omni-Theatre and
Best Places Snow City. Likewise, Jurong Bird Park is part of a
2 for Walks possible three-in-one ticket deal with Singapore Zoo
and the Night Safari. You can also get various Sentosa
 Southern Ridges (p112) Island deals if you’re travelling there by cable car.
 Mt Faber (p111)  Bus it As with northern and central Singapore, the
 Sungei Buloh Wetland area covered in this chapter is vast so the temptation is
Reserve (p113) to visit the sights by taxi. No need. Every place we cover
 Labrador Nature Reserve here can be reached by MRT, or by MRT followed by a
(p112) short bus ride. The exception is Mt Faber, but there’s a
 Chinese Garden (p114) cable car for that!
For reviews, see p111 A
 Sun-kissed The west and southwest is full of parks,
hills and natures reserves. They’re wonderful places for
strolling around, but don’t underestimate the strength
Best Places of the Singapore sunshine. Come prepared.
1 for Wildlife
 Sungei Buloh Wetland Getting There & Away
Reserve (p113)
 Jurong Bird Park (p113)  MRT This vast area is actually served pretty well
 Labrador Nature Reserve by the MRT. Some attractions have their namesake
(p112) stations. Otherwise, HarbourFront, Jurong East, Boon
Lay and Kranji are all useful stations, which are either
For reviews, see p111 A
walking distance to sights or have bus connections to
them.
 Bus For the more out-of-the-way sights you’ll need
to combine MRT trips with a bus ride. We list all the
options with each review. The Kranji Express (p114) is a
handy minibus service you can use to visit the farms in
the northwest.
 111

1 SIGHTS The result is a visual barrage of folklore

and fable, with scenes from the Romance of
the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West,
Confucianism, and – everybody’s favourite –
1 Southwest Singapore the Ten Courts of Hell, a walk-through
MT FABER & THE CABLE CAR PARK exhibit depicting the myriad gruesome tor-
Map p218 (mHarbourFront) Standing proud ments that await sinners in the underworld.
(if not tall) at 116m on the southern fringe Also within the grounds is the Hua Song
of the city and overlooking Sentosa Island, Museum (adult/child $4/2.50; h9am-5pm), a
Mt Faber forms the centrepiece of Mt Faber well laid out and engaging museum offer-
Park, one of the oldest parks in Singapore. ing a glimpse into the lives, enterprises and
From the summit the strange splendour adventures of Chinese migrants around the
of Singapore rolls away to the horizon in all world.
directions. To the south are scenes of Kep-
REFLECTIONS AT BUKIT CHANDU MUSEUM
pel Wharves and industrial Pasir Panjang.
Map p218 (www.s1942.org.sg; 31K Pepys Rd;
Turn your gaze north and Singapore’s high-
admission $2; h9am-5.30pm Tue-Sun; mPasir
rise buildings are set in a perfect panorama.
Panjang) Atop Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill)

WEST & SOUTHWEST SINGAPORE S I G H T S

To get to the top, ride the spectacular
and housed in a renovated colonial-era
cable car (www.mountfaber.com.sg; adult one-
villa, this absorbing WWII interpretive
way/return $24/26, child one-way/return $14/15;
centre, telling the tale of the fall of Singa-
h8.30am-9.30pm) from the HarbourFront
pore, makes a worthwhile stop en route to
Centre, take bus 409 (weekends only, mid-
Kent Ridge Park. The focus is on the 1st and
day to 9pm) or walk. It’s a short but steep
2nd Battalions of the Malay Regiment who
climb through secondary rainforest, dotted
bravely but unsuccessfully attempted to de-
with strategically placed benches, pavilions
fend the hill in the Battle of Pasir Panjang
and lookout posts as well as some splendid
when the Japanese invaded in 1942.
colonial-era black-and-white bungalows.
High-tech displays, using films from the
The summit is also the climax to the
period and audio effects to transport you to
bracing, 4km-long walk along the Southern
the scene of the battle, are all quite evocative.
Ridges (p112).
To get to the museum, go to Pasir Pan-
There are plenty of eating options at the
jang MRT Station then cross the main road
summit, but you’d still be wise to bring your
and walk uphill along Pepys Rd for about
own water if you’re hiking up here.
15 minutes.
Note, the cable car stretches from Mt
Faber down to the HarbourFront Centre
and on to Sentosa Island. The tickets prices FNUS MUSEUMS MUSEUMS

are the same wherever you get off. off Map p218 (www.nus.edu.sg/museum; Univer-
sity Cultural Centre; 50 Kent Ridge Cres; h9am-
FHAW PAR VILLA MUSEUM
5pm Mon-Sat; mBuona Vista, then g95) On the
campus of the National University of Singa-
Map p218 (262 Pasir Panjang Rd; h9am-7pm;
pore (NUS), these three small but interest-
mHaw Par Villa) Originally known as the
ing art museums all hold fine collections.
Tiger Balm Gardens, this wonderfully
On the ground floor is the Lee Kong Chian
weird, unquestionably tacky and very old-
Art Museum, with an excellent collection of
fashioned theme park was the brainchild of
ancient Chinese ceramics and bronzes, plus
Aw Boon Haw, the creator of the medicinal
broken porcelain and other artefacts recov-
salve Tiger Balm. He built a villa here, now
ered from shipwrecks.
demolished, in 1937 for his beloved brother
One floor down is the South & South-
and business partner Aw Boon Par and to-
east Asian Gallery, showing a mixture of
gether they gradually built a Chinese myth-
art from across the region, including tex-
ology theme park within the grounds as a
tiles and sculptures.
way of reminding the local Chinese popu-
On the top floor is the Ng Eng Teng Gal-
lation of their roots and to show visitors
lery, displaying paintings, drawings and
the merits of Chinese values. Thousands
sculptures by Ng Eng Teng (1934–2001), one
of statues and dioramas were constructed
of Singapore’s foremost artists specialising
over the years, and are still being added to
in imaginative, sometimes surreal, depic-
today, to create one of Singapore’s quirkiest
tions of the body.
attractions.
112

WALKING THE SOUTHERN RIDGES

Mt Faber is connected to West Coast Park via a series of parks and hills known as the
Southern Ridges. It’s a wonderfully accessible area to walk in, and much less testing
than the hikes around Bukit Timah or MacRitchie Reservoir. The whole route stretch-
es for 9km, but we recommend the shorter 4km-stretch from Kent Ridge Park to Mt
Faber. Although the walking itself isn’t tough, Singapore’s hot, humid weather makes
it important to still pack plenty of water.
Start at Kent Ridge Park (Map p218), which is located a short walk beyond the
excellent museum known as Reflections at Bukit Chandu. Once you reach the lovely
shaded park follow signs for the lookout point, for views over the port and the
southern islands, and for canopy walk, a short treetop boardwalk, before strolling
downhill to HortPark, also signposted.
HortPark (Map p218) is more exposed but has more for the kids to do, with a small
children’s playground in Fantasy Garden and cute herb and flower gardens with
winding pathways and stepping stones crossing trickling streams. The prototype
glasshouses filled with all manner of flora are unfortunately not open to the public.
From HortPark cross Alexandra Rd over the leaf-like bridge and gently ascending
WEST & SOUTHWEST SINGAPORE S I G H T S

walkways known as Alexandra Link. These walkways eventually lead you to Telok
Blangah Hill Park (Map p218) with its flower-filled Terrace Garden, great city views
and the cool, curvy bridge known as Henderson Waves, an undulating sculptural
pedestrian walkway, suspended 36m above the ground.
The final 500m to the summit of Mt Faber is a short but reasonably steep climb
that’s rewarded with more fine views, a choice of restaurants and the option of a
cable car ride back down the hill. It is also easy to walk down to HarbourFront MRT
Station from here, on a pathway that descends the forested hillside and which passes
some attractive colonial-era black-and-white bungalows.
To get to Kent Ridge Park, either take the MRT to Kent Ridge, where you can pick
up the far western end of the park by walking along Science Park Drive, or take the
MRT to Pasir Panjang, cross the main road then walk about 15 minutes up Pepys Rd
to Reflections at Bukit Chandu. The park is just behind this museum. If you go this
way, you can grab a bite to eat at Eng Lock Koo on the corner of Pepys Rd.

On the same campus, but in a different the main reason to come here is to visit the
block, is the Raffles Museum of Biodiver- war relics that scatter the park and which,
sity Research (http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg; Block astonishingly, were only rediscovered in the
S6, Level 3, NUS Faculty of Science, Science Dr 2, 1980s when now-abandoned plans to turn
Lower Kent Ridge Rd; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri), an the area into a theme park were begun.
old-fashioned museum with exhibits on You’ll find a few old gun emplacements
flora and fauna, including stuffed and pre- mounted on moss-covered concrete case-
served examples of some rare and locally ments as well as the remains of the entrance
extinct creatures. to the old fort that stood guard on this hill.
Once Bus 95 enters the university cam- The undoubted highlight always used to be
pus wait until the stop after the sports the Labrador Secret Tunnels (adult/child
fields then keep walking straight and the $8.60/5.35; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun), a fascinat-
Cultural Centre housing the museums will ing series of storage and armament bun-
be on your right. You can then take the free kers that could be explored, but they were
campus bus to get back to the Faculty of Sci- closed at the time of research and there was
ence for the biodiversity research museum. no word on when, or if, they might reopen.
Check the website before you come if you
LABRADOR NATURE RESERVE PARK specifically want to see the tunnels.
Map p218 (www.nparks.gov.sg/labrador; Labrador The small coastal section of the park, at
Villa Rd; mLabrador Park) This thickly forested the bottom of the hill, has been cleared, but
park overlooking Keppel Harbour and the the rest is lush, overgrown forest, so come
northwest tip of Sentosa Island is home to armed with mosquito repellent if you plan
a variety of plants, flowers and birdlife, but spending some time here exploring.
 113
JURONG BIRD PARK ZOO
1 West Singapore Map p219 (www.birdpark.com.sg; 2 Jurong Hill;
adult/child $18/12; h8.30am-6pm; mBoon Lay,
SUNGEI BULOH WETLAND then g194 or 251) Run by the same company
RESERVE NATURE RESERVE that runs the excellent Singapore Zoo and
Map p219 (www.sbwr.org.sg; 301 Neo Tiew Cres; Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park is a bit more
admission free Mon-Fri, adult/child $1/0.50 neglected than its higher profile siblings.
Sat & Sun; h7.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 7am-7pm True twitchers will flock to Sungei Buloh
Sun; mKranji, then g925) One of the few re- Wetland Reserve, but this place is set up
maining mangrove areas in Singapore, better for young kids and is an easy way
this 87-hectare wetland nature reserve of to see a selection of around 600 species of
mudflats, ponds and secondary forest is a birds. Be aware, though, that many of the
twitcher’s paradise, with migratory birds enclosures are caged, and ageing somewhat.
such as egrets, sandpipers and plovers join- A monorail (adult/child $5/3) can trans-
ing resident favourites like herons, bitterns, port you around it all if you’re feeling lazy.
sunbirds, coucals and kingfishers. This is
also the best place to see monitor lizards. TIGER BREWERY BREWERY
There are three main walking trails (one Map p219 (%6860 3005; www.apb.com.sg; 459

WEST & SOUTHWEST SINGAPORE S I G H T S

to five hours return), each dotted with bird- Jln Ahmad Ibrahim; admission $16; h10am, 11am,
viewing huts and lookouts. The landscape 1pm, 2pm, 4pm & 5pm Mon-Fri; mBoon Lay, then
is raw, muddy swamp, but if you’re into g182) Well, you’ve been drinking their
bird-spotting this is just the place. But if beers all holiday, so you might as well see
you really can’t bear being bitten by mos- how they make them.
quitoes, maybe give this reserve a miss. Tours of the Tiger Brewery last for about
A free guided tour runs every Saturday 90 minutes, including 45 minutes of free-
at 9.30am. The 10-minute video about flow beer drinking. You’ll be taken through
the reserve (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm the brew house and the packaging hall and
Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm hourly be shown some back-in-the-day Tiger-beer
Sunday) is free too. There’s a pleasant cafe- paraphernalia and old beer-making equip-
restaurant in the visitors centre, overlook- ment before being led to the highlight of the
ing the monitor-lizard-filled ponds. On tour: the Tiger Tavern, a very smart pub with
Sundays bus 925 drops you at the reserve. pool table, sports screens and free beer!
Otherwise it’s a 15 minute walk away. Tours must be booked in advance, either
through the website or by phone.
SINGAPORE SCIENCE CENTRE MUSEUM
Map p219 (www.sci-ctr.edu.sg; 15 Science Centre SINGAPORE TURF CLUB HORSE RACING
Rd; adult/child $9/5; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; mJu- Map p219 (www.turfclub.com.sg; 1 Turf Club Ave;
rong East) Endearingly geeky, this science mKranji) Not quite as manic as a day at the
museum is packed with the type of push- races in Hong Kong, a trip to Singapore
pull-twist-and-turn gadgets that kids can Turf Club is nevertheless a hugely popular
spend hours playing with. Covering sub- day out. There is a four-level grandstand
jects like the human body, aviation, optical with a seating capacity of up to 35,000.
illusions, ecosystems, the universe and ro- Seating options range from bargain non-
botics, it’s educational as well as absorbing. air-conditioned seats to the exclusive Hibis-
Come out of Jurong East MRT station, cus lounge. Dress code is enforced – smart
turn left along the covered walkway, cross casual in one section and suits and ties in
the road and continue past a covered row of another – and foreigners should bring their
stalls before crossing Jurong Town Hall Rd. passports to get in.
Races take place mostly on Fridays (6.20–
OMNI-THEATRE CINEMA 10.50pm) and Sundays (12.50pm–6.30pm),
Map p219 (www.omnitheatre.com.sg; h10am- but check the website before you go.
6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat & Sun; adult/child Come out of Kranji MRT, turn left and
$10/7; 21 Jurong Town Hall Rd; mJurong East) the Woodlands Rd entrance is on your left.
This IMAX cinema next door to the Science
Centre and Snow City contains Asia’s larg- FKRANJI WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY
est seamless dome screen and shows stun- Map p219 (9 Woodlands Rd; h8am-6.30pm;
ning 45-minute documentary films – on the mKranji) The austere white structures and
hour every hour. rolling hillside of the Kranji War Memorial
1 14

VISITING SINGAPORE’S FARMS

Few visitors to Singapore realise that there’s a small but thriving farming industry
alive and well in northwest Singapore. We’re not talking rolling fields of grazing cows
here; in Singapore, limited space calls for the type of farm that specialises in organic
vegetables, goat’s milk, or plants, flowers and herbs. But they can be fun places to
visit – a pleasant escape from the city centre.
The Kranji Countryside Association (www.kranjicountryside.com) is a farm collec-
tive helping to promote the industry. It runs a daily minibus service, the Kranji Express
(adult/child $3/1; duration 90mins; h9am, 10.30am, midday, 1.30pm, 3pm & 4.30pm) that
does a loop from the Kranji MRT Station, visiting many of the best farms en route.
Farms you’ll visit include ones where you can buy goat’s milk, sample frog meat,
see fish, grab a coffee, have lunch or even spend the night.
You can hop off the bus whenever you see a farm you like the look of, then hop back
on again when the bus next comes around, about 90 minutes later. The scheduled
stops change from time to time, but usually include the following:
 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (p113)
WEST & SOUTHWEST SINGAPORE S I G H T S

 GardenAsia (www.gardenasia.com) A large, well-stocked garden centre with a

lovely cafe called Petals & Leaves.
 Max Koi Farm Fish farm with a cafe.
 D’Kranji Farm Resort (www.dkranji.com.sg) Smart villa-style accommodation,
plus restaurant and beer garden.
 Bollywood (admission $2; www.bollywoodveggies.com) A very popular place to
stop; has a bistro, large herb gardens and garden stalls.
 Hay Dairies A goat farm where you can buy fresh goat’s milk and other snacks.
 Jurong Frog Farm A bit run down, but visitors can sample frog meat here.
 FireFlies Health Farm (www.fireflies.sg) Organic farm selling fruit, veg and herbs.

The bus loop usually includes a second stop at Sungei Buloh, GardenAsia and Max
Koi Farm before heading back to the MRT station.

contain the WWII graves of thousands of down the slope on a black inner tube. Ski
Allied troops. Headstones, many of which and snowboarding lessons also available.
are inscribed simply with the words: ‘a sol- All visitors must be wearing long trou-
dier of the 1939–1945 war’, are lined in neat sers (which can be rented) and socks (which
rows across manicured lawns. Walls are in- can be bought). Visitors are provided with a
scribed with the names of 24,346 men and ski jacket and warm boots.
women who lost their lives in Southeast
Asia, and registers, stored inside unlocked CHINESE GARDEN PARK
weatherproof stands, are available for Map p219 (1 Chinese Garden Rd; h6am-11pm Chi-
inspection. nese Garden; mChinese Garden) This spacious
It’s about 10 minutes’ walk from Kranji garden, which occupies 13.5 hectares in the
MRT station. Turn left (west) along Wood- vicinity of Jurong Lake, is pleasant place for
lands Rd, cross straight over the main junc- an afternoon stroll, though by itself is not
tion then take the first left. worth the trek from the city.
The garden is actually an island contain-
SNOW CITY SKI CENTRE ing a number of Chinese-style pavilions and
Map p219 (www.snowcity.com.sg; 21 Jurong Town a seven-storey pagoda providing a great
Hall Rd; adult/child per hr $14/11.50; h9.45am- view. Apart from the pavilions, there is an
5.15pm Tue-Sun; mJurong East) A hangar-sized extensive and impressive display of penjing
deep freeze chilled to a numbing –5°C, (Chinese bonsai; open 9am to 5pm), and an
Snow City features a slope three-storeys extremely rundown turtle and tortoise mu-
high and 70m long, accessed via a silvery seum, which is worth avoiding.
Star Trek–style airlock. Each session gives The garden is a five-minute walk from
you an hour to throw yourself at high speed Chinese Garden MRT station.
 115

5 EATING management that runs Emerald Lodge, is

where the Mt Faber cable car terminates
As well as the restaurants listed here, and has a collection of high-end restaur-
remember that some of the bigger ants, all with fabulous harbour views.
attractions in this part of Singapore Sleek and trendy Black Opal (h9am-11pm)
have their own dining facilities. The big does mostly European food; Sapphire
transport-hub MRT stations, such as (h11am-11pm Sun-Thu, 11am-1am Fri & Sat) has
Jurong East, have large food courts. an international menu and open-air seat-
Kranji station also has some restaurants. ing, while Empress Jade (hmidday-3pm &
6-11pm) serves Chinese cuisine. Moonstone
ENG LOCK KOO HAWKER CENTRE $
(h4pm-12.30am Sun-Thu, 4pm-2am Fri & Sat) is
Map p218 (114 Pasir Panjang Rd, cnr Pepys Rd; the rooftop bar.
mains from $3; h5am-3pm; mPasir Panjang) Per-
fect for breakfast or lunch if you’re on your SKY DINING INTERNATIONAL $$$
way to either Reflections at Bukit Chandu (h6377 9688; www.mountfaber.com.sg; per
or Kent Ridge Park for the Southern Ridges couple $115-198; h6.30-8.30pm) Impress the
walk, this small collection of stalls inside a pants off the object of your desires with Sky
corner-shop premises does tea and coffee, all Dining in the Mt Faber cable car – a roman-

WEST & SOUTHWEST SINGAPORE E AT I N G

the usual of the hawker-centre favourites – tic three-course dinner with plummeting
chicken rice, nasi goreng (fried rice) – 60m-high views. Must book online.
and has an airy open-sided seating area. A
real locals’ favourite.

EMERALD LODGE INTERNATIONAL $$

Map p218 (www.mountfaber.com.sg; Upper Ter- 7 SHOPPING
race, Mt Faber Rd; mains $13-15; h9am-1am;
mHarbourFront) The most affordable option VIVOCITY MALL
at the summit of Mt Faber, Emerald Lodge Map p218 (www.vivocity.com.sg; mHarbour-
has a friendly, informal atmosphere, shad- Front) Singapore’s largest shopping mall was
ed terrace seating and reasonable pastas unveiled in 2006 in an attempt to lure shop-
and salads as well as beer and coffee. On pers away from the madness of Orchard Rd.
weekends bus 409 runs up here from Har- Orchard Rd is still retail king, but there’s
bourFront MRT Station (midday–9pm). At no denying Vivocity is a pleasant place to
other times you’ll have to take a taxi, ride shop, with lots of open space, an outdoor
the cable car or climb up yourself. It’s about kids’ playground on level 2, a rooftop ‘sky-
100m up the hill from the Jewel Box. park’ where the little ones can splash about
in free-to-use paddling pools and a large
JEWEL BOX INTERNATIONAL $$$
Golden Village cineplex. Once you’re done
Map p218 (%6377 9688; www.mountfaber.com. shopping there’s a range of restaurants and
sg; 109 Mt Faber Rd; mains from $25; mHarbour- bars with outdoor seating where you can sit
Front) This dining complex, run by the same and soak up the sea breeze.

PARTY AT THE ST JAMES POWER STATION

The posterboy of Singapore’s night scene, St James Power Station (Map p218;
www.stjamespowerstation.com; 3 Sentosa Gateway) is a 1920s coal-fired power station
ingeniously converted into an entertainment complex. All the bars and clubs are
interconnected, so one cover charge (men $12, women $10, Wednesdays men $30)
gets access to all of them. Some bars – Gallery Bar, Lobby Bar and Peppermint
Park – have no cover charge at all. Minimum age is 18 for women and 23 for men at
all except Powerhouse, where the age is 18 for both.
There’s Dragonfly (h6pm-6am), a Mandopop and Cantopop club; Movida (h6pm-
3am), a Latin live-band dance club; Powerhouse (h8pm-4am Wed, Fri & Sat), a large
dance club aimed at the younger crowd; and the Boiler Room (h8.45pm-3am Mon-
Sat), a mainstream rock club featuring live bands. There’s also French bordello–
inspired Mono (h6pm-6am), a karaoke bar for those inclined towards belting out
their own tunes. Stumble outside into Street Bar (h6pm-5am) for a post-party feed.
140

Sleeping
Staying in Singapore is expensive. Period. Budget travellers have it best,
as hostel rooms can be had for $20 a night. Most midrange hotels are more
about location than quality. However, if you’re willing to spend, luxury digs
will make you never want to leave.

Hostels Expats (www.singaporeexpats.com), which has

While there may be a slew of hostels in Sin- detailed information on the different dis-
gapore, most of them aren’t anything more tricts, outlines the whole rental procedure
than small rooms jam-packed with double- and carries an apartment search engine. The
decker beds. Private rooms all have shared Singapore section of www.craigslist.org is
bathrooms. Note that hostels tend to get also a good place to look for long-term stays.
booked up on weekends, especially the (limit-
ed) private rooms, so book in advance. Little Note: Actual Prices May Vary
India is the place with the most budget beds. In Singapore’s midrange and top-end hotels,
Service quality also varies dramatically, from room rates are about supply and demand,
‘can’t be bothered’ to ‘friendly and helpful’. fluctuating daily. Travellers planning a trip
Free wi-fi at most hostels. to Singapore need to keep this in mind, es-
pecially if you’re planning to come here dur-
Hotels ing a major event. For example, room prices
From top-notch places like the Raffles Hotel TRIPLE during the Formula One night race.
and the Capella in Sentosa to cool boutique Be aware that top hotels usually add a ‘plus
options like Naumi, Wanderlust and the New plus’ (++) after the rate they quote you. Ignore
Majestic, good hotels are plentiful in Singa- this at your peril. The two plusses are service
pore. Standards are high, but then so are the charge and GST, which together amounts to
prices – check web offers for the occasional a breezy 17% on top of your bill. All prices
bargain. Most of the midrange and high-end quoted in our listings are from the day of our
options are expensive identikit international visit inclusive of the ++ tax; your own price
chain hotels. Midrange cheapie chains (Ho- may vary.
tel 81, Fragrance) that sometimes rent by the
hour offer alternative no-frills accommoda- Accommodation Websites
tion in decent locations. Apart from booking directly on the hotel’s
website listed in our reviews, you can also
Serviced Apartments book rooms on these websites.
For medium- to long-term stays, Singapore Lonely Planet (hotels.lonelyplanet.com)
has a number of serviced apartments. It is Stay in Singapore (www.stayinsingapore.
also possible to rent rooms in private flats com)
(check the classified pages of the Straits
Wotif (www.wotif.com)
Times for listings). Rents are high, regardless
of how near or far from the city centre you are. Tripadvisor (www.tripadvisor.com)
Probably the best place to start looking for Agoda (www.agoda.com)
long-term rental in Singapore is Singapore
Asiarooms (www.asiarooms.com)
 141
Lonely Planet’s Best for a Splurge
Top Choices NEED TO KNOW
Goodwood Park Hotel (p149)
Capella (p151) Luxe gorgeous St Regis (p149) Price Ranges
rooms and villas set in Sentosa. Four Seasons Hotel (p149) $$$ over $250 a night
Raffles Hotel (p143) This co- $$ $100–250 a night
lonial legend offers a top-notch, $ under $100 a night

SLEEPING
posh experience.
Best for
Contemporary Cool Reservations
Wanderlust (p147) Brand-new Book way in advance
boutique digs in the heart of Naumi (p143) during peak periods (ie
Little India. Formula One race). Even
Fort Canning Hotel (p143)
New Majestic Hotel (p145) average hostels tend to
Quincy (p149)
Long-standing boutique hotel be booked up over the
with unique, kitschy rooms. weekends.
Best for Kids
Tipping
Best by Budget Costa Sands Resort (p151) Tipping isn’t expected in
Marina Bay Sands (p143) hostels. It’s good form
$ to tip hotel porters and
InnCrowd (p147) Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa cleaning staff a dollar or
Resort (p152) two.
Fernloft (p145)
Hive (p147) Checking In & Out
Best Views Check-in time is usually
Marina Bay Sands (p143) 2pm and check out at
$$
11am. If the hotel isn’t
Gallery Hotel (p143) Fullerton Hotel (p143)
at full occupancy, you
YMCA International Swissôtel the Stamford (p143) can usually extend these
House (p144) hours out by an hour or
Perak Hotel (p147) two if you ask politely.

Breakfast
$$$ Hostels usually include a
simple breakfast (toast
Naumi (p143)
with spreads and coffee/
Fullerton Hotel (p143) tea). Midrange and top-
Marina Bay Sands Hotel (p143) end hotels don’t usually
include breakfast unless
it’s a special deal. It never
hurts to ask when
booking.

Air-conditioning
All listings have air-
conditioning, unless
otherwise stated.
142
Where to Stay

Neighbourhood For Against

Colonial Located in the heart of Cheap

District, Marina Singapore, with good accommodation in
Bay & the transport options. Variety of the area is generally
SLEEPING

Quays accommodation, from the of poor to average

cheapest of the cheap no-frills quality, usually
hostels to the priciest luxury located where it’s
hotels. noisy.

Chinatown & A stone’s throw from some of Too touristy for

the CBD the best places to eat. Great some. Budget
nightlife, bags of culture, good accommodation
transport links and an excellent prices are higher here
range of accommodation, many than in Singapore’s
in restored shophouses. main backpacker
haunt, Little India.

Little India & Backpacker Central, with Too grotty for some.
Kampong Glam the largest choice of cheap Streets can get
accommodation in Singapore. very noisy in the
Has some lovely higher-end evenings, especially
boutique hotels. Also has a at weekends. Not
unique atmosphere that is unlike much in the way of
any other district of Singapore. quality, international-
Fabulous food and good standard hotels.
transport links.

Orchard Road On the doorstep of shopping Slim pickings for

heaven! Fine choice of quality budget travellers.
hotels, including a number of
top-name international chains.

Eastern Quiet (a relative concept in The MRT service

Singapore Singapore), close to the cooling doesn’t run to this
breeze of East Coast Park, close area; sights in the
to the airport. east are quite spread
out so there’s no real
central location to
stay in.

Sentosa & Hotels on Sentosa are all either Sentosa is largely

Other Islands on or close to the beach, and synthetic so lacks
located in an area with sporting character. From
activities galore. Ideal for Sentosa, it’s a slight
families. Quieter options can be hassle to get into the
found on St John’s Island and centre of Singapore;
Pulau Ubin. this becomes more
of an issue from the
other islands.
 143
to river- or marina-view rooms, all of which
4 Colonial District, Marina are stunning. The Fullerton Bay Hotel
Bay & the Quays (%6333 8388; www.fullertonbayhotel.com; 80
Collyer Quay) is the modern sister property
oRAFFLES HOTEL HOTEL $$$
up the road with flashy, bay-facing rooms
at similar rates.
Map p208 (%6337 1886; www.raffleshotel.com; 1
Beach Rd; ste from $750; is; mCity Hall) The SWISSÔTEL THE STAMFORD HOTEL $$$

SLEEPING C O LO N I A L D I S T R I C T, M A R I N A B AY & T H E Q UAY S

grand old dame of Singapore’s Colonial Dis- Map p208 (%6338 8585; www.swissotelthe
trict has had many facelifts in her 121 years stamford.com; 2 Stamford Rd; d from $450;
and is looking as spritely as ever. She’s seen is) Everyone raves about IM Pei’s iconic
many a famous visitor in her time, from Swissôtel, the tallest hotel in Southeast
Somerset Maugham to Michael Jackson, Asia. It boasts one of Singapore’s hippest
and it’s easy to see what the fuss is about dining complexes (Equinox), the views are
(cost be damned). Rooms are all class – sublime, and service standards are as el-
expect a spacious parlour, rattan furniture, evated as the building. Rooms are predict-
verandahs, lazily swirling ceiling fans and ably decked out in corporate-friendly hues
a Singapore sling from the Long Bar. Be and patterns. Yep, lots of cream and brown.
advised: dress code is in effect, and Raffles’
turbaned doorman will not allow those in RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL $$$
sleeveless shirts, sandals or grubby back- Map p208 (%6337 8888; www.ritzcarlton.com; 7
packer attire to enter. Raffles Ave; r from $550; is) No expense was
spared, no feng shui geomancer went un-
oNAUMI BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ consulted and no animals were harmed in
Map p208 (%6403 6000; www.naumihotel. the building of this ‘six star’ establishment.
com; 41 Seah St; r from $400; iWs) Lying in Guests will be torn between taking a ro-
the shadow of the Raffles Hotel, Naumi is mantic soak in the bath (oh, the unimpaired
dressed so sharply in glass and steel you views!) or taking a self-guided audio tour
could get cut just by looking. It balances to view the in-house art collection (oh, the
cool looks with lots of silk and leather and Hockney, Warhol, Stella and Chihuly pieces!).
fluff y pillows. The small rooftop infinity
pool offers jaw-dropping views across to GALLERY HOTEL HOTEL $$
Raffles Hotel and the Swissôtel. (%6849 8686; www.galleryhotel.com.sg; 1 Nan-
son Rd; d incl breakfast from $320; is; mClarke
FORT CANNING HOTEL BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ Quay) With its grey fascia studded with pri-
Map p208 (%6559 6770; www.hfcsingapore.com; mary-coloured window boxes, the Gallery
11 Canning Walk; r $400-500; mDhoby Ghaut; remains one of Singapore’s truly boutique
is) Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous refit hotels. Sure, guests have to switch eleva-
of a colonial complex at the top of Fort Can- tors on the 4th floor to get to the rooms but
ning Park. Rooms here are the epitome of knock-down online deals bring you top-end
modern chic, though the open bathroom rooms at midrange prices. Rooms feature
in some means you’ll need to be more than retro furnishings, steel beams and frosted-
‘just friends’ when sharing a room. Deluxe glass bathroom walls. The glass rooftop
garden rooms have a small but cosy outdoor pool and free internet access are bonuses.
deck for lounging, cigar in hand.
MARINA BAY SANDS HOTEL $$$
FULLERTON HOTEL HOTEL $$$ Map p210 (%6688 8897; www.marinabaysands.
Map p210 (%6733 8388; www.fullertonhotel.com; com; 10 Bayfront Ave; r from $400; is; mProm-
1 Fullerton Sq; r from $400; mRaffles Place; is) enade) Located in the slightly inaccessible
The Fullerton has the distinction of being Marina Bay area (the closest train station
both one of Singapore’s most magnificent is a 10-minute walk away), the Sands hotel
pieces of colonial architecture and the only is famed for its amazing rooftop pool. The
hotel we’ve ever heard of that’s also a re- infinity pool straddles across the roofs of
stored post office. The heritage principles the three hotel buildings – which is prob-
involved in the restoration mean some of ably where you’ll spend the most time seeing
the Armani-beige rooms overlook the inner as the rest of the hotel is a cavernous, busy,
atrium. Spend a bit extra to gain access to cold and decidedly average ‘painted in hues
the hotel’s private Straits Club and upgrade of cream’ type place. Deals available online.
144
YMCA INTERNATIONAL little midrange hotel, Park View is centrally
HOUSE HOSTEL, HOTEL $$ located to the Bugis shopping area (though
Map p208 (%6336 6000; www.ymcaih.com.sg; 1 where the park is we can’t say). Though all
Orchard Rd; dm/d/f incl breakfast $47/210/250; rooms have bathtubs, some of the cheaper
iWs; mDhoby Ghaut) Has a fantastic lo- rooms are windowless. Don’t expect any-
cation at the start of Orchard Rd. Rooms thing beyond dull shades of white and
have been upgraded with LCD TVs, birch- brown in the rooms here, but you get a lot
SLEEPING C O LO N I A L D I S T R I C T, M A R I N A B AY & T H E Q UAY S

coloured walls, and carpets the colour of of value for its central location.
streaky bacon. Roomy four-bed dorms have
an attached bathroom. It has a restaurant, BEACH HOTEL HOTEL $$
a fitness centre, a rooftop pool, squash and Map p208 (%6336 7712; www.beachhotel.com.
badminton courts and a billiard room. Staff sg; 95 Beach Rd, s/d $130/150, deluxe r $170; i;
attitudes have markedly improved since we mBugis) Just down the block from the Park
last visited. Deals available online. View (which views no park) is the Beach
Hotel (which has no beach). Rooms, prices
VICTORIA HOTEL HOTEL $$ and amenities are much the same here as
Map p208 (%6622 0909; www.victoriahotelsinga there, though rack-rate at the Beach is a few
pore.com.sg; 87 Victoria St; s/d $140/160, deluxe dollars less.
r $210; iW; mBugis) Thanks to its central
location and midrange price, the Victoria BACKPACKER COZY CORNER
is popular with businesspeople and casual GUESTHOUSE HOSTEL $
travellers alike. The hotel offers comfort- Map p208 (%6339 6128; www.cozycornerguest.
able rooms furnished with bed, TV, desk com; 490 North Bridge Rd; dm incl breakfast $15-
and chair. Single rooms are a bit on the 20, d incl breakfast $50-55; i; mBugis) Yes,
cramped side, but the deluxe rooms fea- we’ll say it – this place can get a little too
ture queen-sized beds and bathrooms with cosy when it’s busy (and it usually is). The
bathtubs. Free wi-fi in the cafe downstairs. location is a huge plus, though rooms are
dark and a little cramped. Ask for a dorm
HOTEL BENCOOLEN HOTEL $$ facing away from North Bridge Rd un-
Map p208 (%6336 0822; www.hotelbencoolen. less you like the noise of heavy traffic and
com; 47 Bencoolen St; s/d incl breakfast $148/178; merrymakers from the street. Expect to
is; mDhoby Ghaut) Rooms at the ‘Uncoolen’ wait for internet access.
are far from stylish, but they’ve been reno-
vated and decked out in uninspired shades AH CHEW HOTEL HOSTEL $
of green and cream. The single rooms are Map p208 (%6837 0356; 496 North Bridge Rd; dm
tiny, with a shower to match. Larger double from $15, r from $30; mBugis) Above the Tong
rooms will get you an LCD TV and a bath- Seng Coffee Shop, with its frontage facing
tub. The outdoor spa pool is almost big the restaurant-bar strip on Liang Seah St,
enough for a soak. this dusty old flophouse has a certain dingy
charm (think 1970s Southeast Asia on a
PARK VIEW HOTEL HOTEL $$ Shoestring) and the cheapest, noisiest beds
Map p208 (%6338 8558; www.parkview.com.sg; in Singapore.
81 Beach Rd; r $140-200; i; mBugis) Not a bad

BOOKING ON THE FLY

If you arrive in Singapore without a hotel booking, don’t despair. The efficient Singa-
pore Hotel Association (www.stayinsingapore.com.sg) has desks at Changi airport,
one at each of the terminal’s arrival halls.
There are dozens of hotels on its lists, ranging from $37 a night right up to Raffles
Hotel. There’s no charge for the service, and promotional or discounted rates, when
available, are passed on to you. You can also book the hotels over the internet on the
association’s website.
If you’ve made it as far as Orchard Rd and still don’t have a hotel room (and don’t
fancy sleeping in the park), Singapore Visitors Centre@Orchard (%1800 736 2000;
cnr Cairnhill & Orchard Rds; h9.30am-9.30pm) works with hotels in the local area and
can help visitors get the best available rates.
 145

HISTORIC HOTELS
It’s not just the Raffles that has an illustrious past. Goodwood Park Hotel (p149), dat-
ing from 1900 and designed to resemble a Rhine castle, served as the base for the
Teutonia Club, a social club for Singapore’s German community, until 1914 when it
was seized by the government as part of ‘enemy property’. In 1918 the building was
auctioned off and renamed Club Goodwood Hall, before it morphed again into the

SLEEPING C H I N ATO W N & T H E C B D

Goodwood Park Hotel in 1929, fast becoming one of the finest hotels in Asia.
During WWII it accommodated the Japanese high command, some of whom re-
turned here at the war’s end to be tried for war crimes in a tent erected in the hotel
grounds. By 1947 the hotel was back in business with a $2.5 million renovation pro-
gram bringing it back to its former glory by the early 1960s. Further improvements in
the 1970s have left the hotel as it is today.
The Fullerton Hotel (p143) occupies the magnificent colonnaded Fullerton Build-
ing, named after Robert Fullerton, the first governor of the Straits Settlements. When
the hotel opened in 1928, the $4 million building was the largest in Singapore. The
General Post Office, which occupied three floors, was said to have the longest coun-
ter (100m) in the world at the time. Above the GPO was the exclusive Singapore Club,
in which Governor Sir Shenton Thomas and General Percival discussed surrendering
Singapore to the Japanese.
In 1958 a revolving lighthouse beacon was added to the roof; its beams could be
seen up to 29km away. By 1996 the GPO had moved out and the entire building un-
derwent a multimillion-dollar renovation and reopened in 2001 to general acclaim,
receiving the prestigious Urban Redevelopment Authority Architectural Award the
same year.

SOMERSET hotel market, but still arguably the best of

BENCOOLEN SERVICED APARTMENT $$$ the lot, offering occupants 30 unique rooms
Map p208 (%6730 1811; www.somerset.com; done up in a mix of vintage and designer
51 Bencoolen St; 1-bedroom apt per week from furniture. Among the highlights are the
$2590; is; mDhoby Ghaut) If you’re going to private garden suite, attic rooms with loft
live large in Singapore, the Somerset Ben- beds and 6m-high ceilings, and the fabu-
coolen might be the place to do it. The fully lous aquarium room with a glass-encased
furnished serviced apartments are big and bathtub as its central feature. Rooms are
beautiful, with floor-to-ceiling windows of- also fitted with high-end gadgetry and cof-
fering spectacular views. The rooftop pool fee makers, and discounts can bring rates
is an especially nice touch, as are the guid- down to less than $300.
ed floorlights in the lobby, presumably to
get you to your room when you come home oFERNLOFT HOSTEL $
drunk. Book in advance or get waitlisted. Map p201 (%6323 3221; www.fernloft.com; 2nd fl,
5 Banda St 02-92; dm $22 r from $65; iW; mChi-
natown) Located in a housing block over-
4 Chinatown & the CBD looking the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple,
this compact branch of the excellent Fern-
Riding the shophouse restoration wave, loft chain of hostels is run by the wonder-
Chinatown has some particularly fine ful Auntie Aini. There are only two private
mid- to top-range boutique hotels. rooms, but they are large and decked out
There’s also a growing band of good- in decent furniture for a hostel. The dorm
value, centrally located hostels. room has comfortable wooden-framed
beds, rather than the cheapo metal-tube va-
oNEW MAJESTIC riety found elsewhere in Singapore. As with
HOTEL BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ so many hostels in Singapore none of the
Map p201 (%6347 1927; www.newmajestichotel. rooms has a window, but everything is kept
com; 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd; r from $400; iWs; clean and tidy and the corner-terrace seat-
mOutram Park) Has some stiff competition ing overlooking the green is a lovely spot to
from Chinatown’s burgeoning boutique hang out.
146
PILLOWS & TOAST HOSTEL $ SERVICE WORLD
Map p201 (%6220 4653; www.pillowsntoast.com; BACKPACKERS HOSTEL HOSTEL $
40 Mosque St; dm $26-33; iW; mChinatown) Map p201 (%6226 3886; www.serviceworld.com.
It’s dorm beds only in this super friendly, sg; 2nd fl, 5 Banda St 02-82; dm from $20, r from
centrally located hostel, but the rooms are $60; iW; mChinatown) If Fernloft is full,
bright and clean and come with comfort- walk along the 2nd-floor of this housing
able wood-framed bunk beds. Common ar- block to No 82 where you’ll find this small
SLEEPING C H I N ATO W N & T H E C B D

eas are small but well looked after. family-owned hostel offering little in the
way of frills but much in the way of friendli-
CLUB BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ ness. Andrew Yip, who runs the place with
Map p201 (%6808 2188; www.theclub.com.sg; 28 his wife, is an author and photographer who
Ann Siang Rd; r $400-450; mOutram Park; iW) is passionate about Singapore’s traditional
Black and white everything – as seems to be culture and art. Like Fernloft, rooms here
the trend in many of Singapore’s boutique are windowless, but they are much smaller
hotels – but much more spacious than most, than Fernloft’s and come with cheaper fur-
and right in the heart of Chinatown’s most niture. No matter; there’s plenty of space on
chic drinking area. Rooms are bright and the shared terrace to sit and chat with Mr
airy with lots of glass, mirrors and natural Yip so you probably won’t spend much time
light. Rack rates are obscene, so it’s a good in your room.
job the discounts are so good (often 40%).
The rooftop bar, Ying Yang, is cool as cats, HOTEL 1929 BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$
but most punters seem to prefer nearby Map p201 (%6347 1929; www.hotel1929.com; 50
Screening Room (p63). Keong Saik Rd; s/d from $210/250; i; mOutram
Park) Owned by the same people behind
BEARY GOOD HOSTEL HOSTEL $ nearby New Majestic, 1929 is also pretty
Map p201 (%6222 4955; www.abearygoodhostel. slick, although not in the same class as its
com; 66 Pagoda St; dm $26; iW; mChinatown) big brother. Rooms are tight, but good use
Like Pillows & Toast, Beary Good Hostel is made of limited space, and interiors are
only has dorms, but that doesn’t put the cheerily festooned with vintage designer
punters off. In fact, this place is so popu- furniture (look out for reproduction Eames
lar it’s opened another branch, called Beary and Jacobson) and technicolour mosaics.
Nice Hostel, a stone’s throw away in Smith Rooftop suites have private terraces, and
St. Both are fun, brightly painted affairs discounts mean you can snag some rooms
and have separate bathrooms for boys and for less than $200.
girls – a beary nice touch.
SCARLET BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$
BERJAYA HOTEL SINGAPORE HOTEL $$$ Map p201 (%6511 333; www.thescarlethotel.com;
Map p201 (%6227 7678; www.berjayahotel. 33 Erskine Rd; r from $320; iW; mOutram Park)
com; 83 Duxton Rd; r from $250, ste $450; iW; Markets itself as Singapore’s sexy boutique
mTanjong Pagar) More class than its trendier hotel, but the rooms are actually pretty
boutique-hotel neighbours, Berjaya has ele- homely – think cottage chic – decorated
gantly furnished, spacious rooms and tip- with lovely wooden furniture, thick drapes
top service. Plenty of old-world charm, but and tasteful artwork. Many of them are
loses points for charging $25 per day for in- windowless, but the interiors are far from
ternet use! Discounts bring standard rooms gloomy thanks to the cheerful decor. The
down to less than $200. wi-fi in the lobby only reaches some rooms.
Discounts of 30% are common.
SAFF BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$
Map p201 (%6221 8388; www.thesaffhotel.com; G HOTEL HOTEL $$
55 Keong Saik Rd; s/d from $230/250; iW; Map p201 (%6225 6696; www.ghotel.com.sg; 22
mOutram Park) Three old shophouses, beauti- Teck Lim Rd; s/d from $100/160; iW; mOutram
fully renovated, combine to create one of the Park) Small but tidy no-nonsense rooms,
more affordable boutique hotels in this area. some with cute wooden shutters on the
Rooms share the brightly coloured paint- windows, come with friendly service but no
work of the hotel’s facade and come in vari- internet (there’s internet access and wi-fi in
ous themes – southeast Asian, Moroccan, the lobby, though). You can normally shave
Indian – although some lack natural light. $20 or $30 off the rack rates if you smile
Discounts see rooms drop to less than $150. sweetly.
 1 47
CHINATOWN HOTEL HOTEL $$ a slightly inconvenient location. Dorms are
Map p201 (%6225 5166; www.chinatownhotel. fairly standard, lacking in natural light, but
com; 12-16 Teck Lim Rd; s/d from $155/175; iW; otherwise fine. The bright, colourful pri-
mOutram Park) Very friendly old-school vate rooms, though, are excellent value, and
Asian hotel with lots of beige upholstery there’s a comfortable lounge/dining area
and light-brown furniture. Rooms are where guests can take their free breakfast.
simple, and haven’t been refurbished for a Five minutes' walk south from Boon Keng

SLEEPING L I T T L E I N D I A & K A M P O N G G L A M
while (cigarette burns on carpets hark back MRT Station.
to a smokier age in Singapore) and some
have no windows, but there’s absolutely no PERAK HOTEL HOTEL $$
pretentiousness here. Wi-fi is chargeable Map p204 (%6299 7733; www.peraklodge.net;
($5 per hour). You should be able to grab 12 Perak Rd; r from $180; mLittle India; iW) A
a single for $100 if it’s quiet; a double for long-time favourite, the Perak Hotel (for-
about $130. merly called Perak Lodge), located on a
quiet side street in the heart of Little In-
dia, mixes a classy colonial exterior with
4 Little India & Kampong an oriental interior complete with Buddha
statues and quaint sitting and meditation
Glam spaces. Rooms are comfortable and well
Unless stated, all rates in Little India & furnished, staff members are welcoming
Kampong Glam include free breakfast, and very helpful and the rates include free
although it’s usually just tea and toast. wi-fi.

ALBERT COURT VILLAGE HOTEL HOTEL $$

oINNCROWD HOSTEL $
Map p204 (%6339 3939; www.stayvillage.com;
Map p204 (%6296 9169; www.the-inncrowd. 180 Albert St; r from $200; iW; mLittle India)
com; 73 Dunlop St; dm/d/tr $20/48/68; iW; A short walk south of Little India, this is a
mLittle India) Wildly popular, the InnCrowd splendid, colonial-era hotel in a shophouse
is ground zero for Singapore’s backpack- redevelopment that now shoots up eight
ers. Located right in the heart of Little In- storeys. All rooms have the usual mod cons,
dia, this funkily painted hostel has helpful and include a choice of fan or air-con. Ser-
staff and all the facilities you’d expect of a vice is top-notch and there’s wi-fi through-
decent hostel (travel advice, free internet, out, although it’s chargeable (per day $15).
wi-fi, DVDs, laundry), plus a few you might The promotional rates go as low as $150,
not expect (a Wii console and pushalong- with the best deals to be had online.
scooter tours!). Bookings are pretty much
essential. SLEEPY SAM’S HOSTEL $
Map p204 (%9277 4988; www.sleepysams.com;
oWANDERLUST BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ 55 Bussorah St; dm/s/d/tr $28/59/89/99; iW;
Map p204 (%6396 3322; www.wanderlustho- mBugis) Let down only by its unfriendly
tel.com; 2 Dickson Rd; r $300-650; W; mLittle staff, Sleepy Sam’s – located in the heart of
India, Bugis) A true boutique hotel, rooms Kampong Glam – continues to hover near
at wonderful Wanderlust are all designed the top of Singapore’s best-hostel rankings
individually with a number of unusual thanks to its laidback ambience, pier-and-
themes – the ‘mono’ rooms are like sleeping beam ceilings, beautiful book-filled com-
in a comic book, while one of the ‘whimsi- mon-area cafe and well-furnished dorm
cal’ rooms will leave spaceship-loving kids rooms. It's usually fully booked so call
starry-eyed. Service is excellent, as are the ahead.
discounts (normally around 40%), and the
lobby houses a slick, urban bar and a fine PRINCE OF WALES HOSTEL $

French restaurant. Map p204 (%6299 0130; www.pow.com.sg; 101

Dunlop St; dm/d $20/60; iW; mLittle India)
HIVE HOSTEL $ Australian-style pub and hostel, featuring
(%6341 5041; www.thehivebackpackers.com; a spit-and-sawdust live-music pub down-
269A Lavender St, at junction with Serangoon Rd; stairs and clean, brightly painted dorms
dm/s/d/tr from $20/35/50/85; iW; mBoon and private rooms upstairs. The noise won’t
Keng) The Hive’s friendliness and cleanli- suit everyone, but it’s a fun place to stay, is
ness go a long way towards making up for very well run and is deservedly popular.
148

LITTLE INDIA’S BEST DORM-ONLY HOSTELS

Footprints (Map p204; % 6295 5134; www.footprintshostel.com.sg; 25A Perak Rd; dm from
$21-28; iW; mLittle India) Well run, with comfortable communal areas for lounging,
eating and laptopping. Shared bathrooms are huge. Female-only dorms available.
Checkers Inn (Map p204; % 6392 0693; www.checkersinn.com.sg; 46-50 Campbell Lane;
SLEEPING L I T T L E I N D I A & K A M P O N G G L A M

dm $30; iW; mLittle India) Bright, spacious and fabulously funky. Female-only dorms
also available.
28Dunlop (Map p204; % 6291 0332; www.singaporebackpacker.com.sg; 28 Dunlop St; dm
$28; iW; mLittle India) Clean, good-sized dorms come with attached private
bathrooms.

The free breakfast includes fresh coffee and without a window, but all have private
fruit as well as the usual buttered toast. bathrooms, TV and kettle. No breakfast.

HANGOUT@MT.EMILY BOUTIQUE HOSTEL $$ MAYO INN HOTEL $$

Map p204 (%6438 5588; www.hangouthotels. Map p204 (%6295 6631; www.mayoinn.com; 9
com; 10A Upper Wilkie Rd; dm/d $41/117; iW; Jln Besar; r $110-150; iW; mLittle India, Bugis)
mLittle India, Dhoby Ghaut) The poshest dorms New, spotlessly clean midrange hotel with
in Singapore are located slightly out of the good-sized, IKEA-fitted rooms and spark-
way atop leafy Mount Emily, making this a ling bathrooms. More expensive rooms
quiet retreat rather than a handy hangout. come with their own small roof terrace.
Done out in vibrant colours, with murals
by local art students, the unisex and mixed HOTEL 81 HOTEL $
dorms and private rooms are immaculate, Map p204 (%6392 8181; www.hotel81.com.sg;
as are the bathrooms. It also has a lovely 3 Dickson Rd; r from $89, weekends $99; iW;
rooftop terrace, a cafe, free internet and mLittle India, Bugis) A very well located
cosy lounging areas. Note that we’ve listed branch of the popular Hotel 81 chain, this
the website rates. Walk-in rates are much lower-end midrange hotel offers rooms
higher so be sure to book online. that lack character but which are smart,
spotless and come with decent-sized bath-
IBIS SINGAPORE ON BENCOOLEN HOTEL $$ rooms. Strangely, wi-fi is only free if you
Map p204 (%6593 2888; www.ibishotel.com; book online, but you’ll get the best room
170 Bencoolen St; r fr $200; iW; mBugis) With rates that way in any case.
clean rooms decked out in pine and orangey
hues, and with LCD TVs, comfy beds and SUPERB HOSTEL HOSTEL $
great city views, the Ibis group probably Map p204 (%8228 9869; superbhub@yahoo.
hopes visitors extend their stay to match com.sg; 2 Jln Pinang; s/d $50/70; W; mBugis)
the length of the hotel’s name. Weird to say the least, Superb Hostel in
Kampong Glam is a strange cross between
ZENOBIA HOTEL HOTEL $ a hostel dorm and an anonymous motel.
Map p204 (%6296 3882; www.zenobia.com.sg; Each floor contains a shared bathroom and
40-43 Upper Weld Rd; dm/s/d/tr $25/63/75/95; one huge room that is partitioned off to cre-
iW; mLittle India) Family-run no-frills hotel ate a number of tiny individual ‘rooms’, all
with small but clean and tidy rooms, all with their own small desk, air-con unit and
with private bathroom. Slightly smarter fan, but sharing the same ceiling. It’s well
than nearby Haising Hotel. Rates include run, though, and is in a nice quiet location
wi-fi. close to the heart of Kampong Glam so the
lack of communal chill-out space doesn’t
HAISING HOTEL HOTEL $ need to be an issue.
Map p204 (%6298 1223; www.haising.com.sg;
37 Jln Besar; s/d/$50/60, weekends $60/70;
i; mBugis) One of the best-value nonhos-
tel budget options in Little India, this ba-
sic Chinese-run hotel is friendly and clean
enough. Rooms are poky and some come
 149
five-star hotel scene, St Regis doesn’t dis-
4 Orchard Road appoint, from its funky facade to its classic
interior and impeccable service. Rooms are
oGOODWOOD PARK HOTEL HOTEL $$$ enormous, with soft sink-into carpets and
Map p212 (%6737 7411; www.goodwoodparkhotel. tasteful artwork. And each comes with 24-
com; 22 Scotts Rd; r from $385; iWs; mOr- hour butler service. Surprisingly, they’ve
chard) This historic hotel, dating from 1900, followed the rather dated policy of charging

SLEEPING O R C H A R D R OA D
has an old-fashioned feel but bags of class, for wi-fi; $20 a day for the privilege of using
from its two beautiful swimming pools to your own laptop!
the hotel’s pet cat roaming the lobby. Nice
SHANGRI-LA HOTEL HOTEL $$$
touches in the rooms include arty black-
and-white photos of Singapore, Persian Map p212 (%6737 3644; www.shangri-la.com/
rugs and neatly hidden TVs and minibars. singapore; 22 Orange Grove Rd; r from $360;
Loses points, though, for its $30 wi-fi fee. iWs; mOrchard) Announced by the grand-
est of grand lobbies, this vast, opulent hotel,
LLOYD’S INN HOTEL $ set in the leafy lanes surrounding the west
Map p212 (%6737 7309; www.lloydinn.com; 2 end of Orchard, boasts a luxurious interior
Lloyd Rd; r from $90; W; mSomerset) A quick featuring a 15-acre tropical garden and
walk south of the Orchard Rd hubbub large rooms done out in rich, butterscotch
is where you’ll find this spread-out, cool tones with the odd Asian touch. The Gar-
California-motel-style hotel on a quiet den Wing is slightly old-fashioned, almost
street surrounded by old villas. Rooms are like staying on a resort, but rooms in the
clean, tidy and fairly spacious, and some other two wings are as modern and luxuri-
have lovely views of the interior courtyard ous as you’d expect from a Shangri-La.
bamboo garden. Wireless internet and lo-
SINGAPORE MARRIOTT HOTEL $$$
cal calls are free. Bookings are essential.
This is pretty much the cheapest hotel in Map p212 (%6735 5800; www.marriott.com/
Orchard Rd, so it fills up fast. sindt; 320 Orchard Rd; r from $400; iWs; mOr-
chard) Smaller rooms than its rivals, but
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL HOTEL $$$ this is still a classy establishment, with a
Map p212 (%6734 1110; www.fourseasons.com/ fabulously central location. Service is first
singapore; 190 Orchard Blvd; s/d from $435/475; class, facilities are as you’d expect (free wi-
iWs; mOrchard) In a quiet, tree-lined fi, gym, pool, top restaurants), and there
street just off Orchard Rd, the Four Sea- are some poolside rooms, which offer more
sons has an elegance few top-end hotels space and a resort-type feel.
round here can match. Rooms are stylish
MANDARIN ORCHARD HOTEL $$$
with antique-looking furniture and taste-
ful decor throughout, and the service is ex- Map p212 (%6737 4411; www.meritushotels.com;
ceptionally good. Among its many five-star 333 Orchard Rd; r from $360; iWs; mSom-
facilities are two air-conditioned indoor erset) An elegant yet informal place. The
tennis courts! cheapest rooms are in the south tower,
while those in the main tower (capped by
QUINCY BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$ the revolving bar Top of the M), are deco-
Map p212 (%6738 5888; www.quincy.com.sg; rated in warm tones with oriental-themed
22 Mount Elizabeth; s/d from $295/355; iWs; furniture and fresh orchids in the bath-
mOrchard) Very swish, ultramodern rooms rooms. Discounts are decent, meaning you
come with large double beds and plenty of can sometimes stay here for less than $300.
space. Everything here is included in the
HOTEL SUPREME HOTEL $$
price – wi-fi, use of the gym and the glass-
enclosed balcony pool, happy-hour drinks Map p212 (%6737 8333; www.supremeh.com.
and even a slightly gimmicky three meals a sg; 15 Kramat Rd; r from $180; iWs; mDhoby
day. (In food-crazy Singapore, who wants to Ghaut) One of the few inexpensive options
eat three meals a day in a hotel?) available around Orchard Rd, you can usu-
ally grab a room for $150 here. Decor is old-
ST REGIS HOTEL $$$ fashioned – lots of browns and beiges – but
Map p212 (%6506 6888; www.stregis.com; 29 rooms are clean and large for this price. Try
Tanglin Rd; r from $440; iWs; mOrchard) One Lloyd’s Inn first, though, as it’s much bet-
of the newest additions to Orchard Rd’s ter value.
1 50
LION CITY HOTEL HOTEL $$
4 Eastern Singapore Map p214 (%6744 8111; www.lioncityhotel.com.
sg; 15 Tanjong Katong Rd; r from $200; mPaya
Far from the madding crowds, eastern Lebar) One of the better midrange hotels in
Singapore is a great place to stay for the Joo Chiat area, the Lion City is a sight
those seeking a different perspective for sore eyes in an area in which many other
of the Lion City. An exceptionally hotels have gone for the quick ‘by the hour’
pleasant part of town, one of the main
SLEEPING E A S T E R N S I N G A P O R E

buck. Rooms, though not fancy, are clean

attractions of a stay out here would be and well furnished, and all bathrooms have
the chance to bookend every day among tubs. Two blocks south of the MRT and 20
the cooling breezes of East Coast Park. minutes from the airport, Lion City is sur-
The neighbourhood eastern Singapore rounded by excellent eating options, and
covers a large part of the island of is a good base from which to explore both
Singapore, everything east of the eastern and central Singapore. Occasional
Kallang MRT station. 30% discounts online.
GRAND MERCURE ROXY HOTEL $$ CHANGI VILLAGE HOTEL HOTEL $$
Map p214 (%6344 8000; www.mercure.com; 50 (%6379 7111; www.changivillage.com.sg; 1
East Coast Rd; s/d incl breakfast $200/250; is; Netheravon Rd; r $180-200; is) Formerly
g36) This popular hotel (the entrance is known as Le Meridian Changi, this plush
on Marine Parade Rd) has a great location and stylish hotel is a prime candidate for
close to both Katong and the East Coast ‘most remote’ hotel in Singapore. The hotel
Park and is a mere 9km from the airport. is nestled among some gorgeous gardens,
The contemporary Asian design of the offering superb views (especially at night)
rooms is appealing and it has plenty of fa- across to Malaysia and Pulau Ubin from its
cilities. Bonus! Free airport shuttle. rooftop wooden deck, just steps away from
its rooftop pool. Close to the Changi Golf
GATEWAY HOTEL BOUTIQUE HOTEL $
Course, the sailing club, beach park, airport
Map p214 (%6342 0988; www.gatewayhotel.com. and the gentle pace of Changi Village. Free
sg; 60 Joo Chiat Rd, Katong; r $88-208; mPaya Le- airport shuttle. To get to the hotel, take bus
bar) The Gateway is one of the few boutique 2 from Tanah Merah MRT.
hotels in the area. Housed in a vaguely fort-
like building with sloping tiled roofs, it of- GOLDKIST BEACH RESORT CHALET $$
fers modern rooms with louvred shutters, Map p214 (%6448 4747; www.goldkist.sg; 1110
though the TV bolted to the ceiling adds East Coast Parkway; chalets $228-288; s)
an unintended hospital-ward effect. Ask Smack on the beach at East Coast Park,
for a room with a window, even though Joo this is a popular spot for Singaporeans to
Chiat Rd can get a little noisy. ‘escape’ for the weekend, offering an attrac-
tive, peaceful (except at weekends!) alter-
BETEL BOX HOSTEL $
native to the usual city-centre accommo-
Map p214 (%6247 7340; www.betelbox.com; 200 dation, especially for travellers with kids.
Joo Chiat Rd; dm $20-23, d $60; iW; mPaya
Lebar) This somewhat cramped hostel is en-
cased by a riot of some of the best local eat- FANCY A CHEAP ROOM?
eries in Joo Chiat and is reasonably near to
East Coast Park. Betel Box boasts a cosy air- If you don’t mind living in the heart-
conditioned communal area with free wi-fi, lands of Singapore, you can find short-
cheap beer, TV, DVDs, video games, com- term rooms in local Housing Develop-
puters and even a pool table (all of which ment Board (HDB) flats for an average
are notorious for keeping guests in the of $35/night. Just search for rooms to
hostel for too long). It’s also equipped with rent on Gumtree Singapore (http://
tons of travel guides and a book-exchange singapore.gumtree.sg). These offer
corner. A traveller’s cafe at the ground floor great value as you get a room, some
is in the pipeline. Betel Box also hosts some with attached bathroom, for less than
fantastic cycling and eating tours. the cost of some dorm beds. Find one
walking distance to an MRT station
and you’ve saved money for shopping
and beer and other fun things.
 151

STUCK AT THE AIRPORT?

If you’re only in Singapore for a short time or have an endless wait between connec-
tions, try the Ambassador Transit Hotel (www.airport-hotel.com.sg; s/d $68/76; Termi-
nal 1 % 6542 5538; s; Terminal 2 % 6542 8122; Terminal 3 % 6507 9788). Rates quoted are
for the first six hours and each additional hour block thereafter is $15; rooms don’t
have windows and there are budget singles ($41) with shared bathrooms. The Termi-

SLEEPING S E N TO S A & O T H E R I S L A N D S
nal 1 branch has a sauna, gym and outdoor pool.
The only swish option at Changi Airport is Terminal 3’s Crowne Plaza Hotel
(% 6823 5300; www.cpchangiairport.com; r from $250; is). The business-oriented
focus shows through its sleek lines, geometric-patterned carpets and (over)use of
wood panels.

The chalets are comfortable and clean, and FRAGRANCE HOTEL HOTEL $$
there are plenty of facilities, from swim- Map p214 (%6344 9888; www.fragrancehotel.
ming to bike riding and fishing, plus the com; 219 Joo Chiat Rd, Katong; s/d $154/188;
popular East Coast restaurants and pubs. mPaya Lebar) Fragrance has sniffed out a
Transport hassles into the city are the only niche in the ‘quickie’ hourly hotel market
downside. Online discounts. and now has 20 (!) branches, many of them
in Geylang, with gaudy names like Pearl
COSTA SANDS RESORT (DOWNTOWN and Crystal. The hotels, including this
EAST) RESORT $$ original branch, are attractive and clean
(%6582 3322; www.costasands.com.sg; 1 Pasir enough, and worth a shot if you snag rooms
Ris Close; r $90-200; sW; mPasir Ris) A family- at promotional rates (we’ve seen rooms
friendly resort located on the end of the knocked down to $83).
eastern MRT line, with a host of amenities
in the attached Downtown East facility to HOTEL 81 JOO CHIAT HOTEL $$
keep one busy for days. The family suites Map p214 (%6348 8181; www.hotel81.com.sg; 305
are plush with a large-screen TV, living area Joo Chiat Rd, Katong; r $120-150; mPaya Lebar)
and separate bedroom. Check the website One of the burgeoning chain of no-nonsense
for details on the cheaper, larger but more business (and funny business) hotels sprout-
remote chalets in nearby Pasir Ris Park. ing up in central Singapore, this one, strung
out behind a row of restored Peranakan
LE PERANAKAN HOTEL BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$ shophouses, is among the best looking,
Map p214 (%6665 5511; www.leperanakan.com. though all branches are identikit inside. It
sg; 400 East Coast Rd; r $160-250; W; g10, 12, 14, offers specially fitted rooms for the disabled.
32) There’s absolutely nothing French about Check the website for 24 other locations.
‘Le’ Peranakan, but, hey, it’s a boutique ho- Online rates run from $79 to $119.
tel so anything goes. Rooms are on the poky
side, though the Peranakan-inspired motifs
on the carpet, curtains and furniture are a 4 Sentosa & Other Islands
nice touch. Slightly far from the best bits of
Katong, but the bus stop is right outside. As well as the places listed below,
it’s perhaps worth knowing that the
FERNLOFT HOSTEL $ garish Resorts World complex (www.
Map p214 (%6444 9066; www.fernloft.com; 693 rwsentosa.com) on Sentosa Island has
East Coast Rd; dm $20-25, d $65; iW; g36) It’d six hotels to choose from. Handy to
be nice if the rooms had loftier ceilings, but fall back on if the others we’ve listed
the in-house Balinese-inspired bar soon are full.
makes one forget about the ordinary if tidy
rooms at this hostel. Patrons are offered a oCAPELLA HOTEL $$$
free welcome drink and 30% off meals and Map p220 (%6591 5000; www.capellasingapore.
drinks at the bar. The cool bar, free wi-fi, com; 1 The Knolls; r from $700; iWs) The best
airport transfer and free breakfast help seal hotel on Sentosa, if not in Singapore, Capel-
the deal. la is pure class with outrageously luxurious
rooms and a magical location, perched high
1 52 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
above everything else around it. The lobby kid-friendly pool area, which has children’s
and the Chinese restaurant are housed water slides and leads down towards Siloso
in a beautifully renovated, whitewashed Beach, is extremely inviting. Dining options
colonial-era building, dating from the include Chinese, Italian and even Moroccan.
1880s. The rooms, other restaurants, bar,
fitness centre, long-stay apartments and se- CELESTIAL RESORT RESORT $$
rene three-level swimming pool are dotted Map p223 (%6542 6681; www.celestialresort.
around lush, landscaped gardens in arty com; Jln Endul Senin; r $118-268 weekdays, $138-
SLEEPING S E N TO S A & O T H E R I S L A N D S

rectangular blocks. And, as you’d expect 288 weekends; i) Clean, tidy and very pretty
from Sentosa’s star stay, service is stellar. rows of brightly painted rooms, all with en
suite, are accessed via palm-shaded board-
COSTA SANDS RESORT HOTEL $ walks that run the length of this small
Map p220 (%6275 1034; www.costasands.com. resort on Pulau Ubin. There’s an artificial
sg; 30 Imbiah Walk; huts peak/off-peak $119/79, r beach area beside a lake, where you can
peak/off-peak $259/199; iWs) Sentosa’s only swim, fish, kayak or just sunbathe. Also has
budget sleeping option, Costa Sands has a beachside restaurant and bar.
tidy (but nothing special) midrange rooms
in the main block surrounding the central MAMAM BEACH CAMPING $
pool area, as well as 15 cute but basic kam- Map p223 You can camp for free at two small
pong (village) huts off to one side. The hotel beaches on Pulau Ubin; Noordin Beach and
rooms have all the usual facilities, including Mamam Beach. Neither is particularly idyl-
wi-fi and en suite bathroom. The huts are lic (especially as your sea view includes the
air-conditioned, but much more basic; no national border fence, pile-driven into the
running water (there’s a separate shared seabed, just off the coast), but Mamam is
shower room), no TV and no internet access. the nicer of the two, and does at least have
And it’s bunk beds only, with each hut able toilets and washing facilities, although no
to sleep four people (making this a bargain showers. You should register at the police
if friends are happy to share). The huts are post (to your right as you step off the boat)
very popular, so bookings are highly rec- if you intend to camp on Ubin.
ommended. ‘Peak’ time at Costa Sands is
defined as every Friday and Saturday, plus ST JOHN’S HOLIDAY BUNGALOW CHALET $
public holidays and school holidays. (St John’s Island; bungalow $53.50 Tue-Fri, $107
Sat & Sun) This three-bedroom bungalow on
SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SENTOSA St John’s Island can easily sleep six people
RESORT RESORT $$$ (one double bed, four singles) and comes
Map p220 (%6275 0100; www.shangri-la.com; with a basic kitchen and cooking utensils.
101 Siloso Rd; r from $400; iWs) Singapore’s You can only book it by going in person to
only true beachfront resort is ideal for a the Sentosa Information Centre (h9am-
short family break. Rooms are very smart – 8pm) on the 3rd floor of VivoCity (p115) and
brightly decorated and extremely comfort- it’s often booked quite far in advance. Rates
able – service is top-notch, and the huge double during the school holidays.

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