Tag Archives: Travel

Budget Accommodation, Hostels stays, Transport, Mobile plan, Mobile data, Laundromats in Singapore

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Merlionsg

Coming to Singapore for events . Here  are notes on transport, accommodation and connectivity.

Budget Accommodation

These are some budget places that we have recommended friends to
1. Superb Hub Hostel, no website, email them at superbhub@yahoo.com.sg
2. ABC Backpackers Hostel (Around 18$ for dorms and upwards and close to the Hackerspace.sg)
4. Mitraa Hostel has received good reviews from our friends. Mitraa hostel near the Little India/Balestier road area. (Around 25$ for dorms and upwards

Mobile voice and data 

Starhub Maxmobile Prepaid Card – Buy at 7/11 stores and mobie phone shops. Singtel also has a prepaid mobile data and voice SIM, you can buy them at Singtel kiosks. M1 – You can buy M1′s pre-paid data sim from M1 shop at Bugis Junction. $18 for 3 days unlimited mobile internet usage. They also sell these cards at the airport. Check the arrival area.All three providers have a voice pre-paid SIM cards too. You need your passport for identification. Most mobile shops and kiosks will also sell you these cards.

Singapore also has a free island-wide wireless network – wireless.sg but you will need a mobile phone with Singapore number to receive the passwords once you register for this network. Register at http://www.icellnetwork.com/reg2.php You can get a temporary login and password for wireless.sg at the airport information counters too.

Public Transport

You can buy a Singapore Tourist Pass for use in Bus and the MRT service. The card is available in 1,2 and 3 days options. It costs 8$ per day. The pass is available at the Changi airport MRT station (terminal 2).

International Transport

Air Asia (From Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia)
Tiger Airways (From the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, China and India)
JetStar (From the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong)
Cebu Airways (From the Philippines)
South East Asia Airlines (From the Philippines)
Firefly (From Malaysia)
Lion Air (From Indonesia and Vietnam)
From the airport you can get a taxi (around SGD 20$ to city), the subway (or MRT as it is known in SG) or bus. If you are going to be staying in the city and arrive between 6AM and 11PM, the MRT is the best option.

Visas Check the Singapore Immigration page for Singapore visa requirements. 

Costs

In addition to your accommodation, budget for about 20 to 30 S$ per day.

Food

Local, regional and international food is easy to find in SIngapore. You can eat at hawker centers and food courts from 3$ onwards. Many food places remain open 24 hours. Halal food in Singapore , Vegetarian and Vegan food in Singapore

Self-Service Laundromats

Wonderwash (24 hour coin operated laundromat) at Geylang, Yishun and Kembangan http://www.wonderwash.com.sg/outlets.html
Laundrymart (24 hour  coin operated laundromat) at 22 Boon Keng Road, 01-37Singapore 330022 Phone : +65 6294 2256 http://www.laundrymart.com.sg/about.html

Useful Mobile Apps

Gothere.sg $1.99, It is a paid app but it will save you a lot of time and really worth it. Get gothere.sg if you are planning on spending couple of days in Singapore. It eases transport planning and you will end up saving so much money on taxis by looking up alternative public transport routes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gothere-sg/id348131804?mt=8
Kopi $0.99, Order coffee like a local in Singapore coffeeshops and food centres. http://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/kopi/id365253266?mt=8

Power 

Singapore uses 230 Volts /50 HZ the power plug and the socket looks like this (Type G)

Singaporepowerplugsocket

Resources

 

The Singapore Wikitravel page has comprehensive information on the city. http://wikitravel.org/en/Singapore

Prepaid Mobile internet for Travelers to South East Asia

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I am often traveling in South East Asia so I keep a few SIM cards handy. Here is a list of prepaid Mobile internet services offered by mobile telcos in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malayasia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam

Cambodia

Cellcard offers a tourist 2.5 G SIM for short stay use. It costs 10$ and comes with 10$ worth of data usage. (The data rate is 1USD for 5 MB)

Indonesia (thanks Rezwan)

Indosat:

A new IM3 brand SIM costs between 10000Rp-20000Rps (Apx 1-2 USDs) including 5000Rp balance.

There is a Internet voucher which is sold in many outlets

Internet charges – toll based or volume based:

* Toll INTERNET = Rp 5000 voucher. Customers duration settings based & internet access for 45 seconds. So will be charged Rp 20, Toll INTERNET balance = Rp 4980.

* The volume of customers change settings based & Internet Access 1 Mb. So will be charged Rp 1100 (1100 Kb x Rp 1.1), SHG balance of voucher Toll INTERNET = Rp 3880.

http://www.indosat.com/Mentari/Mentari_Update/Voucher_Internet_Indosat

Tariff of XL:

http://www.xl.co.id/XLPascabayar/XLInternet/Tarifdanlayanan/PaketXLInternetIn…

Malaysia

Celcom Broadband Prepaid™

Pack at just RM25 with preloaded credit of RM20 and be among the 1st to enjoy:

The widest and fastest Mobile Internet Service in Malaysia so you can get more done wherever you are.? Hassle free access, with no registration needed.? Affordability from only RM20 per week with no fixed monthly charges.

Myanmar

Prepaid SIM card is available for 20 USD from mobile shops in bigger cities but there is no data.

The Phillipines

Thans Mike Aquino for .Ph info
The Philippines has two main prepaid line providers – Smart Buddy and Globe Prepaid. Both of them have data services, too. SIM data dongles like Smart Bro and Globe Tattoo are pretty cheap, and getting cheaper.

Singapore

Starhub Maxmobile Prepaid Card – Buy at 7/11 stores and mobie phone shops

Singtel has a pre-paid mobile but their Flash laden site, makes it difficult to search

M1 – You can buy M1′s pre-paid data sim from M1 shop at Bugis Junction. $18 for 3 days unlimited mobile internet usage.

All three providers have a voice only SIM pre-paid SIM cards too. You need your passport for identification. Most mobile shops and kiosks will sell you these cards. 

Singapore also has a free island-wide wireless network – wireless.sg but you will need a mobile phone with singapore number to receive the passwords once you register for this network.

Thailand

I usually buy the one-2-call sim card from the 7/11 stores. http://www.12call.ais.co.th/en/Content/Simcard/simNetsim210.html

Vietnam

Most of the cafes and budget hotels offer wi-fi.

Thanks to Dave A who posted the following in comments

VIET NAM Vinaphone has 100mb for 50000vnd (about $3us)per 30 days
you have to enable gprs by texting GPRS ON to 888
after recieving confirmation text M50 ON to 888 and the data plan is activated and will deduct this amount every month. there are other plans with other activation codes, including an unlimited plan for i think 300000vnd but i dont know those codes.
i have been completely satisfied with the service, have had coverage everywhere in the mekong delta, even way out in the countryside, and quite often full 3G in cdecent sized towns.
hope this helps!

Notes from Japan Travel Culture Bookclub Meet

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We had a great Japan Travel and Culture meetup last Saturday at Woodlands Regional Library in Singapore.

Fashion, traditions and street style in Japan

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Popular fashion blogger Stephie, talked about traditions, Japanese labels & Vintage stores, Street Style Hunting and Shoes.

Japanese food: Preparing Natto

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Masahiro showed us how to eat Natto with rice, spring onions and other garnishing.


Participants enjoying preparing Natto.

High Tech toilets in Japan

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Chishiho introduced us to the world of high-tech Japanese toilets. She talked about the evolution of these gizmos over time, the features they offer, how to use them and what are the future developments.

Inexpensive travel in Japan

My presentation was about inexpensive travel in Japan.
Need more ideas here, Please post on the comments if you have questions and ideas and I will add it to this post with attribution.

Accommodation

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A traditional guesthouse or Ryokan

Temple stays tend to be the most inexpensive. Check out Templelodging.com for more on Temple stays in Japan.

Ryokans are a good way of experiencing traditional Japanese house. Though they might not be that inexpensive. Mishuku (bed and breakfast type places) are more affordable.

Online booking for traditional guesthouses and inns(Ryokans), Bed and Breakfast places in Japan.

Onmark Productions has another excellent page that aggregates low cost accommodations in Japan.

Wikipedia Page on Ryokans and Minshuju(Cheaper version of Ryokan)

Travel Guides

Wikitravel has excellent and up to date travel guide to Japan

Tokyo City Travel Guide (Detailed information on each districts)

Amateur Traveler Podcast – Tokyo Episode

Tokyotopia, A website with lots of travel information about Tokyo

Transport

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Trains are such a wonderful way of traveling in Japan, one of the idea to save money is to take a train to a smaller town and stay there. If you are going to be in Japan for a week and more and want to see more than Tokyo, get a Japan Rail Pass .

You can travel for free on JR group railways, buses, and ferry boats(except Tokyo Metro and high end Bullet trains). See this page for validity conditions of Japan Rail Pass

Food

You can affordable food at the street-side restaurants.

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Nice, dane. lets eat it.

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If you are really on a budget, buy onigiri (riceball wrapped in seaweed) and tea from a convenience store or vending machine.

There are many ticket restaurants that serve affordable snacks.

Learning Japanese Language

Practical Japanese Phrases for Traveling : Learn Practical Japanese Phrases for Traveling

Book Recommendation: Urawaza, Secret everyday Tricks and Tips from Japan

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We also talked about Lisa Katayama’s book Urawaza that compiles Japanese household tricks and techniques that are passed around by word of mouth. One of the ideas is to make scratched CD work by scrubbing the surface with toothpaste and rinsing with water.

Singapore National Library has this book. Check the database for where you can find it.

Here is a video demonstrating one of the Urawaza trick – getting pen marks off your hand.

Also checkout YouTube for more Urawaza videos

Thanks

Thanks to the participants for their active support. Woodlands Regional Library offered the excellent venue and thanks to Peter Chan (from NLB) for helping us put together the event. Thanks to the presenters Chishiho, Masahiro and Stephie. Amy and Mariko, thanks for helping out during the activities. 

We have a Thailand and South East Asia meet at Woodlands Regional Library on Sunday 4th April, 2010

Japan Culture and Travel Meet at Woodlands Library, Singapore

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Update: Check the notes from the meetup on a more recent post.

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We are holding a Japan culture, travel presentations and discussion at Woodlands Library. Our friends will do short presentations on food, culture and fashion. We will also talk about ideas on traveling inexpensively in Japan. Its an open session, so I would invite you all to share your Japan experiences.

Date: Saturday, 10 October, 2009
Time: 2 to 4 PM
Venue: Woodlands National Library, 900 South Woodlands Drive, Singapore
Map (Nearest MRT is Woodlands, once out of the MRT, walk through the shopping mall to Woodlands Civic Centre. The library is inside the Civic centre)

Topics (We have these lined up. You are welcome to share too)
1)Economical travel (or an attempt at figuring out economic travel) in Japan
2) A presentation on Japanese fashion by Stephie Tan @stephietan
3)Learning Japanese in a hurry
4)Demo of Furoshiki wrapping and about Urazawa (Japanese household tricks)
5)Dummies guide to Japanese high tech toilets

Some of us plan to go to JB for dinner, so bring your passport if you want to join us.

This way Geek: From Clogger Summit 07 to PP Barcamp 09

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As I wait here for the plane to Phnom Penh I recall back in 2007, when the Cambodian bloggers organized one of their early events.

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The Clogger Summit.

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What is happening at Phnom Penh this time round is probably the biggest user generated tech event in Asia. More than a thousand registered users from all over South East Asia.

Singapore Travel Meetup: Vietnam Meet Notes and Upcoming Japan Meet at Woodlands Library

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If you have any specific travel questions on Vietnam, please leave it in the comments and I will try to answer.

I would like to thank our Vietnamese friend Anh first for joining us at the Vietnam travel meetup and providing first hand insights into traveling in Vietnam. Thanks or Cam On as we say in Vietnam to all attendees for sharing their travels.

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Here are some links that might be helpful while planning your VN trip

Wikitravel Vietnam Page http://wikitravel.org/en/Vietnam
(Each city has its own page, do check them out. The info here is fresher than Lonely Planet or other guidebooks)

TravelFish Vietnam Page. Good birds eye view of traveling in Vietnam
http://www.travelfish.org/country/vietnam

Vietnam Expat Forum, good place to ask questions
http://www.alloexpat.com/vietnam_expat_forum/

Lion Air This Indonesia Airlines has probably the best fares from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
https://booking.lionair.co.id/lionair/booking.asp

SaigonNezumi blog – A good blog on Saigon.
http://www.saigonnezumi.com/
I always recommend following a few local blogs/twitters before you go to a city as it helps you know the local mood and trends. Plus usually you can ask questions on the blog and the bloggers/twitteres usually respond.

Learn Vietnamese in a Hurry, audio guide on basic Vietnamese phrases
http://journals.worldnomads.com/language-guides/post/1244.aspx Click on the orange button that says Podcast.

Our next meetup is on 10th of October. We will be getting some of our Japanese friends to do short presentations on Japanese food, culture and fashion. We will also talk about ideas on traveling inexpensively in Japan. Its an open session, so I would invite you all to share your Japan travel experiences too.

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Join Japan Travel and Culture Meetup on Saturday 10th October, 2009 at Woodlands National Library.

Barcamp Kuala Lumpur presentations on Travel, Twitter and Netbooks tweaks

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Last weekend I was in Malaysia for the Barcamp KL. It was good to meet friends from Malaysia as well as people from Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Singapore.  It was really a regional event.

My first presentation was on Travel, expanding on the previous presentation at the Singapore Blogout 09. This time I talked about the online resources I use while traveling.

Had to remove the images etc. for faster loading. Anyway, the gist is here. It was fun sharing travel stories and we had a fun little discussion.

Next up, for people interested in attending events in South East Asia, here is a list of Twitterer’s I follow to get updated on events.

I know there are more people twittering these. Leave a comment and I will add them to the list in the next update. 31o5 san recommends her twitter bot @BKK_Events for Bangkok events.

We had a discussion on tweaking Netbooks. Tips and tricks to make them work better. Bytebot has compiled the notes from the session, do look at the comments too. We talked about what OS, what anti-virus, how much ram, what browser etc.

Adventures of a Traveling Blogger Presentation at Blogout 09

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I was at Blogout09 on March 07, talking about my experience as a traveler and a blogger. The presentation has ideas on how to use your blog/social network to add value to your travels, save money, make friends, contribute to the place you are traveling to and have a good time generally.

Oh, yeah, pls excuse the typos in some of the slides.