Outside of .SG
Singapore, while quite the clean and lush garden city, offers and additional attractions of being a natural hub for visiting the surrounding countries. While the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) would be happiest if you spent all your tourist dollars in town, there are certainly many destinations of interest that are reachable by a short flight, or bus or boat trips.
We’ve seen many visitors, whom having come from so far away, decide to splurge out and jet out to the palaces at Angkor Wat (Siem Riep is your closest city) and to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi being popular destinations). Certainly worth your while to go, but also consider some less popular (and more tranquil) places. Angkor Wat is mobbed during tourist high season (read: right before and after SIGIR), so if it’s historic palaces you want, you may fare better going to Cambodia but to palaces more off the beaten track. In Vietnam, Hoi An is quickly becoming a popular destination for its tranquil landscape and quaint, multicolored town. Thailand’s Bangkok may be a shopping haven, but consider Chiang Mai for its bastion of temples or Krabi for beautiful rock formations, sea and sun (I have a soft spot for rock climbing venues).
Chances are if you’re reading this post now, you’ve already planned something, or don’t have the time or money to plan an elaborate getaway. Relax, there are still plenty of ways to get a feel for the surrounding South East Asia countrysides. Here are some pointers for you:
- Bintan: If it’s a relaxing sand and sea resort that’s got your number, Indonesia’s Bintan island is just 45 minutes ferry ride away. Stay overnight on the white sand beach’s edge at either a comfy hotel or at a hostel. You’ll feel the post conference doldrums and the presentation stress melt away once you spot hermit crabs running around your feet and see the fishies wriggling in the clear waters at your feet.
- Snorkeling or diving? Try going to Pulua Tioman in Malaysia. This requires a bit more of planning, requiring a 2-day trip commitment. Lots of dive shops in Singapore take weekly runs to Tioman for visitors. More Nemos and sea cumcumbers than you can shake a stick at. For best results, I recommend a liveaboard adventure that can take you to less crowded areas. Do check the weather and sea forecasts before you book your stay.
- A nice city that’s relatively close by to go to is Malacca. A mix of the historic and colonial feeling and the great food, it is still a world of difference from modern Singapore, about 2 1/2 hrs each way by super comfy bus trips. Bus operators make daily trips from key locations (e.g., Golden Mile Complex) in Singapore.
Posted on June 2nd, 2008 by knmnyn
Filed under: beyond SG, what to do
If going to Malaysia by coach, then you can consider at least buying the return ticket in Malaysia, possibly at your destination. Because if the coach ticket costs X Singapore dollars in Singapore, the same ticket costs around X Malaysian ringgits in Malaysia. (SGD 1 = MYR 2.38, source: xe.com)