Your top 5 travel destinations from Singapore

TandD · Post by **TandD** » Tue, 07 Oct 2014 10:11 am

[quote="Michael X"]Bali, Bali, Bali, Bali, and Bali[/quote]

Is Bali great for a relaxing do nothing holiday or interesting things to see and experience holiday?

Akimbo · Post by **Akimbo** » Tue, 07 Oct 2014 10:32 am

TandD wrote:
Michael X wrote:Bali, Bali, Bali, Bali, and Bali
Is Bali great for a relaxing do nothing holiday or interesting things to see and experience holiday?

Go to Lombok Islands/Gili Islands for the former, Bali for the latter. They're all right beside each other though

TandD · Post by **TandD** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 7:24 pm

Is it best to just book a fight through skyscanner or use a travel agent?

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 7:31 pm

TandD wrote:Is it best to just book a fight through skyscanner or use a travel agent?

Out here we just book through the airlines, as any agent seems no cheaper.

AND... if you're sitting in some faraway destination, flight cancelled, 9pm, have to overnight and rebook etc... who would you rather call, the airline, sitting right in front of you, or 'A-Z Discounters'?

Post by **PNGMK** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 7:56 pm

nakatago wrote:
freshmeat wrote:Is it easy to get to Boracay from SG?
Quite complicated. You need to fly into Manila. Then fly to Caticlan. Then take a boat. Then take a land vehicle to your resort. We Filipinos pride ourselves with having the best public transport system in the region (that was sarcasm).

Transferring terminals in Manila is a nightmare and the safest bet would be to take Cebu Pacific as all their flights to/from Manila is on the same terminal.

You can also fly in at Clarke (the former USAF base) via Air Asia but the timing's not good.

That said, very, very few people do not enjoy Boracay. It's rough around the edges with some aspects but doing your research will reward you handsomely. Use wikitravel as a jumping point then scour blogs--especially by Filipinos--to get some valuable information.

You can also consider Palawan (El Nido, Coron). It's also a bit rough around the edges but it's still worth it.

there are direct flights to Kalibo now with Tiger. Then a 3 hours bus/ferry ride.

Post by **PNGMK** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 8:14 pm

If you have access to a car I would add the Cameron highlands to your list of places to go.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 8:20 pm

PNGMK wrote:If you have access to a car I would add the Cameron highlands to your list of places to go.

One of the most miserable, price-gouging places I have ever been. Horrible, ghastly. Everything about it.

Pray tell, where did you stay, what did you enjoy there?

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 8:22 pm

Witness: In the 90/00s that was on 'The overland Trail' between TH and MY/SG. Who goes there nowadays?

I can't say I've met anyone in 25+ years who has suggested going there... it's ghastly

Post by **PNGMK** » Sun, 12 Oct 2014 9:13 pm

JR8 wrote:
PNGMK wrote:If you have access to a car I would add the Cameron highlands to your list of places to go.
One of the most miserable, price-gouging places I have ever been. Horrible, ghastly. Everything about it.

Pray tell, where did you stay, what did you enjoy there?

Ye Old Smokehouse Inn.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restauran ... ahang.html

Actually it could be the other one (there are two with similar names).

http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Hotel_Rev ... ahang.html

I get them confused. Either way they are both ok. Yes - a lot of crap up there but these places were special.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 13 Oct 2014 9:10 am

PNGMK wrote: Ye Old Smokehouse Inn.
Actually it could be the other one ...
The Smokehouse Hotel
I get them confused. Either way they are both ok. Yes - a lot of crap up there but these places were special.

Hmmm, I've been twice, once on the 'overland route', and once when my parents visited and they wanted to see it. I consider it a curiosity, and an awkward one to get to given all the hair-pin bends up the mountain. The mental image I have of the place being being draped within low cloud, and of it perpetually raining or drizzling. Oh, and it being cold. So everything is wet, mouldy, muddy, overcast. Oh and since 95% of all provisions have to be driven up that mountain it's expensive too. Couple that with a 'perma-transient' [hehe] captive market and no one needs to provide visitors with anything of any notable quality at all, the next coach-load arrive tomorrow.

On the flip-side. If you've never been to a hill-station it is worth experiencing. The highlight for me, both then and in retrospect, was visiting the Boh tea plantation and having a guide take me and my parents around to see the process, from growing to 'fermenting'/roasting/milling, to sampling. Very interesting, and a lovely bit of land!

Looking at those links OSOD, yes, I've done cream-teas in one of those establishments too. The interiors are so like English seaside hotels from the 60/s. If you half close your eyes you might imagine Basil Fawlty lurking somewhere yonder in the mist...

rajagainstthemachine · Post by **rajagainstthemachine** » Mon, 13 Oct 2014 9:45 am

Is Genting, Cameron Highlands anything like Shimla, Manali or Darjeeling?

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 13 Oct 2014 9:50 am

rajagainstthemachine wrote:Is Genting, Cameron Highlands anything like Shimla, Manali or Darjeeling?

The Cameron Highlands remind me very much of Ooty!

Post by **PNGMK** » Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:00 am

JR8 wrote:
PNGMK wrote: Ye Old Smokehouse Inn.
Actually it could be the other one ...
The Smokehouse Hotel
I get them confused. Either way they are both ok. Yes - a lot of crap up there but these places were special.
Hmmm, I've been twice, once on the 'overland route', and once when my parents visited and they wanted to see it. I consider it a curiosity, and an awkward one to get to given all the hair-pin bends up the mountain. The mental image I have of the place being being draped within low cloud, and of it perpetually raining or drizzling. Oh, and it being cold. So everything is wet, mouldy, muddy, overcast. Oh and since 95% of all provisions have to be driven up that mountain it's expensive too. Couple that with a 'perma-transient' [hehe] captive market and no one needs to provide visitors with anything of any notable quality at all, the next coach-load arrive tomorrow.

On the flip-side. If you've never been to a hill-station it is worth experiencing. The highlight for me, both then and in retrospect, was visiting the Boh tea plantation and having a guide take me and my parents around to see the process, from growing to 'fermenting'/roasting/milling, to sampling. Very interesting, and a lovely bit of land!

Looking at those links OSOD, yes, I've done cream-teas in one of those establishments too. The interiors are so like English seaside hotels from the 60/s. If you half close your eyes you might imagine Basil Fawlty lurking somewhere yonder in the mist...

I still like them.

rajagainstthemachine · Post by **rajagainstthemachine** » Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:26 am

JR8 wrote: If you half close your eyes you might imagine Basil Fawlty lurking somewhere yonder in the mist...

LOL! and Ooty!! man you just jangled some tired nerves there and now I really miss India.

bgd · Post by **bgd** » Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:05 pm

JR8 wrote:
...I consider it a curiosity, and an awkward one to get to given all the hair-pin bends up the mountain. ...

It really is a brilliant motorcycle route, less comfortable in a car. But don't go Chinese NY, I think I shared that road with all of KL.

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