Information fishing trip to Singapore

[flowersinlondon]

Hi,

We are coming to Singapore for some information gathering and to look into job opportunities. And we will be in Singapore for 2 weeks along with our 10 month baby.

As we are travelling with our little one, we were wondering if we could find a cheap self-catering accommodation for the period. Are there any sites / realtor / any other method of finding this?

We were thinking of spending about £50 a night ($100 a night), is this an OK budget?

Thanks
Marie

[taxico]

i don't think a realtor can legally set you up with accommodation for less than 6 months in singapore.

you'd need some type of Serviced Apartment...

[JR8]

^
I concur, this is my understanding too.

[flowersinlondon]

Thanks for the clarification.

Are there any good sites for Serviced Apartments or self-catering apartments? The ones that come up on Google are all international / UK based sites and I am not sure that has the majority of the listings.

And will I be able to find anything within my budget?

[JR8]

From the 'Our services' tab* above, 3rd in from the right...


http://www.singaporeexpats.com/singapor ... tments.htm

A budget of $5k a month to find a decent 1-bed place should be fine. Say about $150 a night. This often includes breakfast. Other meals you can easily get out and from say $5 a head/per meal (and up).

The room is $50/n over your budget, i.e. c£350 in total over a two week stay. In my opinion the comfort of your stay, and the facilities available will more than be worth that cost.


* This forum is hosted gratis courtesy of a Singapore realtor.

[x9200]

If you have no specific reason for self-catering (you mentioned your 10mo?) then your budget is good for many lower-end hotels and people generally like local food. Also eating out in Singapore is often cheaper then cooking at home.

[ComingSoon]

Hi,

As we are travelling with our little one, we were wondering if we could find a cheap self-catering accommodation for the period. Are there any sites / realtor / any other method of finding this?

If it were just the two of you (no baby) then I would suggest using a business hotel (3 stars / 4 stars) with a breakfast option. If you book early enough you can usually find something in the $100 to $125 range that includes a large breakfast. Agoda.com is good for this kind of thing. You'll probably end up in the Bugis / Little India area though...

Another option to look at is AirBNB.com. I've never used them so I can't recommend it. but it might be a good fit for your needs. You'll have more space for your baby, and there are LOTS of apartments to choose from in Singapore.

Good luck - can't imagine what you hope to achieve with your "fishing trip" that you can't do online, but I hope it bears fruit for you.

[earthfriendly]

Good luck - can't imagine what you hope to achieve with your "fishing trip" that you can't do online, but I hope it bears fruit for you.

You can't get the feel (and smell ) of the place from internet.

OP, not sure if hostels will work for you. I recently saw article about some nicely spruced up hostels in Singapore. And they are cheaper than hotels.

[flowersinlondon]

OP, not sure if hostels will work for you. I recently saw article about some nicely spruced up hostels in Singapore. And they are cheaper than hotels.

Hostels - do they have en-suite bathrooms? And any good sites to check this? I am still not sure if hostels will work with a 10 month baby!

[earthfriendly]

Some have rooms for family. Contact the hostel directly to inquire about suitability for a 10 month old. I find that hostels have a more intimate feel to it.

http://www.hostelworld.com/findabed.php ... .Singapore

http://www.hostels.com/singapore

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetail ... &sc_pos=14

[JR8]

Yah last time I shared a dorm-room was in Hong Kong.

6-10 of us in bunk-beds, 5+ Nigerians, one bathroom with crap all over the floor. ['Chungking Mansions'].

Nice. You've never done what you're advocating have you; or maybe you've just forgotten.

Really, that kind of accommodation is not going to be fun. I've done it, in HK, Seoul, India (esp. Calcutta/Bombay), and so on...

How low will ya' go?

[earthfriendly]

Hello JRB, I think it is really up to OP to decide. I am not advocating she goes that route. Just opening up another option for her. I have only done hostel twice last year. I really liked the one in Korea as I got to meet a bunch of friendly travellers over breakfest, some from SE Asia, and we shared shopping tips. Not all hostels are alike and one can read the reviews on how friendly the hostel is set up, does it encourage socialization and such. Hong Kong one is actually located in apartment buildings (no choice lah due to ultra density there). Split levels between registration and your actual room. A bit weird but I did OK. Both times I have my own room. Korea I share bathroom and the HK i get my own bathroom. They both have good hygiene standard. I like hostels as it is less sterile than hotels and open up a whole new world of traveling for me.

There is a whole range of accomodations that fit different levels of budgets, hardiness and comfort level lah.

[x9200]

Maybe I am wrong but I would rather expect the hostels to be less suitable (as per average) for an infant than 2-3 stars hotels. Why to look for a place that is potentially more crappy while budget $100 gives a good chance for something reasonable?

My approach would be:
1. Go to one of the popular find-hotel sites (i.e. http://www.asiarooms.com/en/singapore/singapore.html) and identify some places
2. Verify your choice with independent reviews. I use www.tripadvisor.com and you can also find some deals via them so starting from p.2 is also ok.
3. Contact the hotel directly to see if you can get even better deal - with 2 weeks stay you can try to negotiate further discounts.

[earthfriendly]

You are not wrong lah. True, most people will not consider hostels for very young kids. It really depends on the parents comfort level and the disposition of their babies.

[zzm9980]

Hello JRB, I think it is really up to OP to decide. I am not advocating she goes that route. Just opening up another option for her.

You are not wrong lah. True, most people will not consider hostels for very young kids. It really depends on the parents comfort level and the disposition of their babies.

We can give her the option of sleeping in a 24 hour Starbucks or in a tent at East Coast Park too and leave it up to the OP to decide. A family looking to move here with their family (and infant) will not be interested in a hostel or a tent on the beach. People looking to move with their family to Singapore are obviously professionals (WP holders wouldn't be bringing their family), not hippies wearing hemp named moonshine and sunbeam.


More realistically than a hostel, but not something I would seriously recommend to anyone I liked:

OP can get a hotel in Batam also and take the ferry every day. Harris Hotel (Indonesian 4 star, rest of the world, 2-3 star) right next to the ferry is ~$45/night, and the ferry round trip will still keep that under $100/day.