Singapore Stopover

Singapore is an increasingly popular base for cruising, and makes a great stopover, either pre or post-cruise.  Widely regarded as one of the cleanest and safest cites on Earth, it can also be an expensive place to stay, unless you have the lowdown….

If you want to stay on Sentosa island, or near the financial centre, then you’ll pay a premium for your hotel, but you can easily make Chinatown, or ‘Little India’ your base, as these areas aren’t far from the centre, and offer better hotel prices, with good connections around the city by MRT (mass rapid transport).  The Orchard Road area is also still a favourite for shoppers too.

It’s safe and easy to walk around, with the well-paved streets and friendly locals, but beware if you like a drink or two (as most of us do!), as alcohol is taxed heavily here, and the level of taxation increases with the strength of the beverage, so beer is generally more affordable than wine or whisky!

Popular day trips include the night safari or a ferry trip to the nearby Indonesian island of Bintan, but if you care to book (and pay a small fee) in advance, you can also take advantage of a historical tour of the Tiger beer brewery, which evolved in the 1930s, when part of the British army was based in Singapore.  You travel to Tuas West Road MRT station, and it’s a short cab ride from there.  You enjoy a 1-hour guided tour of the production process and history, followed by a visit to the gift shop and the ‘Tiger Tavern’, where you can sample any of the brands they brew under licence, totally free…that’s one way to avoid the high taxes on alcohol!

Whatever you choose to do in Singapore, it’s well worthy of at least a 2-night stopover, maybe more, if you have the time 🙂