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We always drink in one of the many small bars, I can't remember exactly what a bottle of beer was but it was what we thought of as cheap. Raffles is a different matter though.

Agreed - alcohol at hawker markets is very cheap. Raffles is a high end hotel aimed at rich visitors. Never been there but I can believe it would be very expensive.

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Food is inexpensive, especially in the hawker markets (e.g. the Tekka Centre). They are clean and safe, so don't worry about food poisoning - go for the stalls with long queues as they will be the best. Singapore is very friendly so if you are bewildered, people will help you.

 

Agreed, food is great, cheap and plentiful.

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Im glad they are friendly because no doubt I'll be saying "help me in lost" :laugh: im hoping that I meet someone in the hostel to go around with but if not then I'll still manage. I don't like beer and thats really the only cheap drink I've read about so I doubt I'll touch any. I'll be sick of drinking after my first week in australia anyway.

 

is there anywhere in singapore that does cheapish hot stone massages?

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Im glad they are friendly because no doubt I'll be saying "help me in lost" :laugh: im hoping that I meet someone in the hostel to go around with but if not then I'll still manage. I don't like beer and thats really the only cheap drink I've read about so I doubt I'll touch any. I'll be sick of drinking after my first week in australia anyway.

 

is there anywhere in singapore that does cheapish hot stone massages?

 

Singaporeans are very friendly people. The must do's in Singapore are the Zoo, the cable car, Raffles, Little India.

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Chinatown is a must too Stacey. There is a cultural centre right in the middle that is worth a visit, and there are some cheapy eating places there. Most of the stalls sell the same old tatt stuff anyway, but it is the atmosphere that is a must do... especially at night. You can get to it on the underground train easily enough. The boat trip up/down the Singapore River is worth it too. And if you are into gardens, then the Gardens by the Bay are amazing.

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Someone started going on about needles for thailand and then I thought oh crap I better check for singapore. One website had mentioned a few but it didn't say if they were compulsory. It did say about Mosquitos though but im hoping it'll be ok since I've never heard any bad stories. Im only staying in the city

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Someone started going on about needles for thailand and then I thought oh crap I better check for singapore. One website had mentioned a few but it didn't say if they were compulsory. It did say about Mosquitos though but im hoping it'll be ok since I've never heard any bad stories. Im only staying in the city

 

I never had needles for Thailand and I travelled through many of the provinces. Never had a problem. Stayed in B&B's run by locals and ate food from vendors and a lot of street food (vegetarian) and never had any kind of tummy upset.

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Someone started going on about needles for thailand and then I thought oh crap I better check for singapore. One website had mentioned a few but it didn't say if they were compulsory. It did say about Mosquitos though but im hoping it'll be ok since I've never heard any bad stories. Im only staying in the city

 

We have never had any needles for Singapore.

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We lived in Singapore for 5 years and the best advise I can give you is to eat at the hawker centers/stalls. Pay no attention to dirty floors, tables or chairs, if the locals are queuing for the food, then you can guarantee that it's good and fresh (no time for it to sit around). I'd avoid the Western type places to eat, the food from them is generally disappointing and expensive!

 

Try to pick up some tourist info leaflets from the airport before you leave it, preferably one that has a map of the Island too! Use the map to figure out where you are going, then you'll have a better idea for if/when you take a taxi. A small minority of drivers will take you on a detour route instead of the quickest direct route, unfortunately they think that most Ang Moh (white person) can afford it.

 

If you get an Ez-link card from the Orchard Road MRT (train station) you'll be able to tap on and off the local buses as well as the trains, it works out cheaper per ride. Little India, Chinatown, Bugis Village, are all worth a visit. Jump on some buses and trains and go for an adventure, it's a small island so you won't get lost ;)

 

I wouldnt worry too much about the humidity, there is plenty malls (260+) to pop in to for some air con ;)

 

Edited to add... Singapore does have a Dengue problem so I'd advise you to buy and use a mosquito repellant!

Edited by ScotsQuine
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Would £50 a day be enough in singapore for me? Someone said I might end up sleeping most of the 2 days lol

 

$50 per day depends on where you eat. Going to the likes of Starbucks, Nandos, Chilis etc will use up a huge chunk of it for one meal! If you stick to hawker food, then it's doable. Avoid taxis and use the MRT and bus to save money, plus jumping on a bus will let you see more of the real Singapore heartlands and not just the touristy areas.

 

You mentioned that you're fussy with food. Try Hainanese Chicken Rice, it's quite plain but very tasty, and cheap :) there is always Pastamania too

Edited by ScotsQuine
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Hardly a back packer choice though. Or has that scene changed so much? But for a brief stop over as OP is desiring I guess hardly of importance as more a break in journey. Yes is expensive compared to neighbouring countries by a considerable amount. Of course not have to Australian levels yet

 

It is definitely cheaper to live in Perth than it is to live in Singapore. Having a holiday is different, but day to day living from experience is definitely more expensive. You would be amazed at the amount of people who live in Malaysia and commute to Singapore daily for work to save on rent and living expenses. Then there are the Singaporeans who drive over the Causeway to Malaysia to buy their (cheaper) groceries and fuel ;)

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Someone had said that it's the australian government that require certain injections. Il have a proper look on the laptop when I finish work. I wondered if it was worth just getting a few things since I might go to thailand when im finished in aus. The injections are quite expensive though from what people have told me :(

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It is definitely cheaper to live in Perth than it is to live in Singapore. Having a holiday is different, but day to day living from experience is definitely more expensive. You would be amazed at the amount of people who live in Malaysia and commute to Singapore daily for work to save on rent and living expenses. Then there are the Singaporeans who drive over the Causeway to Malaysia to buy their (cheaper) groceries and fuel ;)

 

Well no actually I wouldn't having lived in Malaysia. I can only imagine it has multiplied many times from my time there. Not unlike many I know that live in Germany and work in Switzerland.

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Well no actually I wouldn't having lived in Malaysia. I can only imagine it has multiplied many times from my time there. Not unlike many I know that live in Germany and work in Switzerland.

 

Malaysia is still cheaper to live in compared to Singapore. We had lived in Singapore twice, the second time we returned I couldn't believe how much groceries had increased in that 2 years! A friends rent in Singapore was $8,500 per month (cheaper than ours was), they moved over the Causeway to Putrajaya to rent a 4 bed house for $2,500 per month. My daughter had 3 expat kids in her class who were taxied over from Malaysia daily by their chauffeur to their International school in Singapore. Although being stuck on the causeway with thousands of others every morning and night would drive me crazy, it was bad enough trying to cross over during the weekend lol

 

Off topic I know but, I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that it was cheaper to live in Spain and commute daily to London than to actually live there?

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Malaysia is still cheaper to live in compared to Singapore. We had lived in Singapore twice, the second time we returned I couldn't believe how much groceries had increased in that 2 years! A friends rent in Singapore was $8,500 per month (cheaper than ours was), they moved over the Causeway to Putrajaya to rent a 4 bed house for $2,500 per month. My daughter had 3 expat kids in her class who were taxied over from Malaysia daily by their chauffeur to their International school in Singapore. Although being stuck on the causeway with thousands of others every morning and night would drive me crazy, it was bad enough trying to cross over during the weekend lol

 

Off topic I know but, I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that it was cheaper to live in Spain and commute daily to London than to actually live there?

 

I have no doubt about what you say about Singapore being true. Never lived, nor wanted to live there as always found it a little sterile after Malaysia, but used to do visa runs there years ago.

 

Yes I read that about the fellow that commutes from Spain to London. What a world we've created.

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I have no doubt about what you say about Singapore being true. Never lived, nor wanted to live there as always found it a little sterile after Malaysia, but used to do visa runs there years ago.

 

Yes I read that about the fellow that commutes from Spain to London. What a world we've created.

 

A friend of mine commutes from Spain to Glasgow - she spends less time a week travelling than a lot of friends who live in the home counties and commute to London.

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