Bangkok Phuket Singapore and Dubai - Easter 2015

slinga

I never use Sim Lim Square myself.
The Challenger chain of shops for computer camera stuff is better and you don't have to get involved in haggling which to my mind is a pain.

This following para is copied from a Singapore forum site and is about par for the course of Singaporean feelings towards SLS.

'Avoid first and second levels shops at sim lim. Even the higher level shop owners told me that. When I was there yesterday, a woman stormed out of a first level shop shouting loudly. Was something like she got conned into paying $2700 for something and unable to get it back. The men in the "black shop" were openly taunting her and smirking at her like they were so proud of their successful con job.@

paddyrg

Oh yes, I don't suggest buying anything, especially cameras, without doing your homework in depth first - SLS is an experience for what it is!

totallybored

pleasedelete wrote: »

Did you have breakfast in the club lounge? That was ok but they don't let children in (unless it has changed) and so you have to eat in the main room which is enormous- very big choice but quite overwhelming when the hotel is busy.

I was really looking forward to the MO as it has great reviews- sadly it didn't match up. Our room was ok- it was our children's that had the issues. I also cut my leg on a dining room chair- I still have a scar - and their response wasn't great. With hindsight it should have been stitched and I struggled to even get a plaster.

It does have fab reviews so we may have been unlucky. I have been to a fair few other MO and always like them.

Thats a great thing about Singapore- so many good hotels to chose from. I have lost the count of how many times I have been there and still enjoy every stay.

Yep, breakfast in the club lounge. We don't have kids so didn't realise they weren't allowed in. I liked the pool too, we were shown to big pod basket lounger things each time which were much better than the regular sun loungers.

Regarding shopping in Bangkok for the OP, I love MBK. I stock up on iPhone cases there and there is a great bag shop called Pharoahs on the 2nd floor. I'm not a fan of fakes but they have some excellent quality bags.

I quite like the food court in MBK but I prefer the one downstairs in Siam Paragon. Terminal 21 is also good. My favourite place to eat is Coco Ichibanya though. There are quite a few branches and it only serves katsu curry but I love katsu curry and you can have it very hot.

PompeyPete

Al fresco in the Khao San area for me.

MasterPoo

Flights paid and booked on Emirates. Count down officially begins.

2 x nights - BANYAN TREE BANGKOK (still to be booked)

7 x nights - PIMALAI RESORT AND SPA

2 x nights - ST. REGIS HOTEL SINGAPORE (still to be booked)

4 x nights - Atlantis Dubai (I got a great deal in a sale)

I need to find a countdown clock! Excited. Still need to book my internal flights, will do so now.

SW17

Couple of other places in BKK to consider for eating (Siam Square area, not too far from Banyan Tree if you stay there). Ban Khun Mae restaurant, opposite Novotel Siam Square, does pretty good and reliable Thai food, with some Northern specialities as well. If you like seafood, Laem Charoen in Siam Paragon is good and not wildly expensive.


If you want to push the boat out in BKK, you could also consider eating at Sra Bua in the Siam Kempinski hotel. Thai food cooked with Michelin-style fine dining techniques (and prices to match). Expensive but amazing, of course I guess it will also depend on how your children will find that type of place. If you are in the Banyan Tree, you could also experience the Vertigo Restaurant, outside on the roof, 61 floors up. Cuisine is western though, and you need the weather to be dry...a drink in the Moon Bar, also on the roof, might be enough as you don´t have many nights in BKK.


See you´re going for the St Regis in SIN, a fine hotel though I prefer the City Hall/Esplanade/Marina area to Orchard Road (but I´m not a big shopper). Definitely a matter of personal taste, and Singapore is hardly huge. Just be aware it´s only a few hundred metres from the infamous Orchard Towers, but am sure you can avoid that.


Some great destinations there, enjoy.

MasterPoo

SW17 wrote: »

Couple of other places in BKK to consider for eating (Siam Square area, not too far from Banyan Tree if you stay there). Ban Khun Mae restaurant, opposite Novotel Siam Square, does pretty good and reliable Thai food, with some Northern specialities as well. If you like seafood, Laem Charoen in Siam Paragon is good and not wildly expensive.


If you want to push the boat out in BKK, you could also consider eating at Sra Bua in the Siam Kempinski hotel. Thai food cooked with Michelin-style fine dining techniques (and prices to match). Expensive but amazing, of course I guess it will also depend on how your children will find that type of place. If you are in the Banyan Tree, you could also experience the Vertigo Restaurant, outside on the roof, 61 floors up. Cuisine is western though, and you need the weather to be dry...a drink in the Moon Bar, also on the roof, might be enough as you don´t have many nights in BKK.


See you´re going for the St Regis in SIN, a fine hotel though I prefer the City Hall/Esplanade/Marina area to Orchard Road (but I´m not a big shopper). Definitely a matter of personal taste, and Singapore is hardly huge. Just be aware it´s only a few hundred metres from the infamous Orchard Towers, but am sure you can avoid that.


Some great destinations there, enjoy.

Thanks SW. Emirates is allowing 30kg pp + 7kgpp = 111KGs :T:beer::j:) going out we will pack VERY light, so as to maximise allowances.

SW17

MasterPoo wrote: »

Thanks SW. Emirates is allowing 30kg pp + 7kgpp = 111KGs :T:beer::j:) going out we will pack VERY light, so as to maximise allowances.

Sounds like you are ready to shop (with a Halifax Clarity Card, of course...). Regarding baggage allowances, don´t forget that the allowances on your non-EK flights between destinations may be different, especially if you use low cost airlines and/or you´re not at the front of the bus. 30KG in economy is not common on those short haul flights.

Doshwaster

MasterPoo wrote: »

Thanks SW. Emirates is allowing 30kg pp + 7kgpp = 111KGs :T:beer::j:) going out we will pack VERY light, so as to maximise allowances.

One of the advantages of SE Asia is that is is possible (and recommended) to travel very light. All you need is 3-4 days worth of clothing as laundry services are on every corner and are so cheap (less than a pound for a carrier bag's worth) or you can buy clothes there for next to nothing.

I recently did 2 weeks in Vietnam with 15 kg of luggage and at a stretch I could have done it with 10 kg.

MasterPoo

I've now booked internal flights. I will confirm the outstanding hotels in a couple of weeks.