Singapore and Kuala Lumpur Advice

Fevrier

We are 2 older travellers .Once backpackers we now like to have a bit more comfort on our holidays .We will be in KL and Singapore next year and welcome advice on Hotels that have some character not being these bland places you can find anywhere around the world , but also offer some comforts at a reasonable price .We are interested in Little India and China town or would these be too hectic .Also which bearing in mind our age which is the better destination .We are not interested in shopping particularly but culture and nature .All responses gratefully received :rotfl:

gedebage

Have a look at www.asiarooms.com. I use them all the time when I am in South East Asia. They have a great range of hotels to choose from. How are you travelling from KL to Singapore? If you have a few days why not take a coach to Malacca and spend a couple of days there before resuming your journey to Singapore.

The coaches are very comfortable with huge lounge style seats, fares are cheap also.

Malacca is a very interesting city. There are remnants of the Portuguese settlement and many other historical attractions.

ljbnotts

Try the scarlet hotel in Singapore, its on the edge of china town and is lovely! its a small boutique hotel and really nice, the rooms are quite small as it is original houses that have been converted but lots of history nearby! And i don't think it would be too hectic. I personally found little India a bit too hectic and in KL i didn't feel safe!

Hope that helps.

Moonchild

Scarlet Hotel is OK as long as you get a room with a window!! (Many do not).

I like the Naumi (next to Raffles), and although I havn't seen it for a few years (so check it out first) the Berjaya Duxton (in Chinatown) had oodles of charm.

In KL it's slightly harder - hotels with charm (i/e/ Carcosa Seri Negara) are quite far out of town. I like the Maya for being a modern boutiquey hotel. Traders is also good value and has a great sky bar.

Janie2008

I agree China town would be a better choice than Little India. I would say Singapore has much more to do than KL and out of the two I much prefer Singapore. Infact I probably wouldn't bother visiting both. One advantage of KL is the hotels are much cheaper.

nico26

Agree have a look at asia rooms for hotels in Singapore. I love Singapore but it can be quite costly. It is safe and clean.
KL I live here at present .The one thing I would say that is better than Singapore is there is a better choice of bars and eating places etc but cant touch Sg for cleanliness

A lot really depends on how long you are wanting to stay as well.

xfive71

Hello! Greetings from a Singaporean based in UK. Have you backpacked to KL and Singapore in the past? Very much had changed and I think you'll find both still good to go.

For Singapore, I would recommend Hotel Majestic. It is by Outram MRT train station and from there, it is one stop to Chinatown and a few more stops to Little India.

Chinatown, right by the exit, is sadly covered with stalls selling made in China touristic tat but right at the end of the road where the station exit is is the Sri Mariamman temple which is lovely. A short 5-10 min wander away there is the Buddha's relic temple which you may like as well.

You may like to go the Kampong Glam area where the Sultan Mosque is. The nearby roads, noticeably Haji Lane, have a lot of vibe, with pedestrianised streets and little cafes you can chill out in between bouts of sightseeing.

Personally I would recommend the Children Little Museum, a tiny toy museum set in an old shophouse at 42 Kandahar Street. It's chocka of all toys past (1950s-70s) with old black and white photographs of Singapore past. It's not on the map or even on the Singapore tourist website! It's run by three collectors and only open during their lunch times and weekends.

http://www.travbuddy.com/Children-Little-Museum-v257924

The Asian Heritage Museum and as well as the National Museum are all given an overhaul. You can't miss the huge 25 ft statue of David covered in pink batik at the entrance of the National Museum. Of similar interest is the Peranakan Musuem, which is newly opened.

http://www.peranakanmuseum.sg/home/home.asp

Another you may want to look into is going to a fish foot spa. It's basically a place where you have tiny fishes nibbling at the dead skin on your feet. Freaky as it sounds and not strictly cultural but a little different all the same. They have similar spas in KL as well.

I would echo the previous poster about making a trip to Melaka/Malacca. You could literally fly in to Singapore - take a very comfy coach to Melaka - take another coach to KL and fly back to UK from KL. Melaka itself is really charming. If you are thinking of doing so, I would recommend coach services such as Transtar.

Have a lovely holiday

Fevrier

Hallo Everyone ,Many thanks for your many replies re KL/Singapore.We are not doing both but will stop in one or the other on our way to Perth in Australia.I shall follow up all leads and see where they take me .It is our first visit to the East so I think that we are leaning towards Singapore .My partner very interested in Birds and Butterflies is there any where to see them.Any more advice gratefully received.Tripadvisors reviews are so mixed regarding the more resonable priced hotels .

Tojo_Ralph

Fevrier wrote: »

It is our first visit to the East so I think that we are leaning towards Singapore.

If you want to at least get a taste of the East, I would suggest that whilst KL and Singapore are heavily influenced by the West, KL at least retains an Eastern flavour whereas Singapore IMHO is more Western than parts of the West and with the Sing dollar as strong as it is against the GBP, Singapore is damn expensive right now.

For Birds and Butterflies, you have both a bird park and a butterfly park in KL.

Janie2008

Both Singapore and KL have very good bird parks, they are pretty similar.

Tojo_Ralph

....
Hows about a top 5 things to do face off, Singapore V Kuala Lumpur?