It can be difficult to arrange any sightseeing if both city and airport are unfamiliar, so JY may be planning to organise an airport-to-airport city tour for those interested.

If not, then the free "City Lights" tour arranged by Changi may be of interest. This takes place from 18:00 to 20:30 for those on flights leaving after 23:00 and merely requires registration before 17:00

http://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-experience/attractions-and-services/free-singapore-tour.html 

Jim

PS - This tour could, of course, also be enjoyed by those of us who are staying on, assuming early check-in at the airport on the last day.

As you know I am doing the add-on but my reading of the itinerary is that there should be an afternoon/evening sightseeing tour of Singapore for all of us before those on the main tour only catch their flight - but I could have read that wrong! I see that we have a full day tour of the city included the next day, which leaves us one full day to do the things we want to do and it looks like we will have pretty much a full day the day we fly home to do more sightseeing too!

It is hard to express how excited I am about doing this tour - after all the amazing sights we will be seeing in Borneo to finish up with time in Singapore will be the icing on the cake!

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Jim,

As you know I am doing the add-on but my reading of the itinerary is that there should be an afternoon/evening sightseeing tour of Singapore for all of us before those on the main tour only catch their flight - but I could have read that wrong! I see that we have a full day tour of the city included the next day, which leaves us one full day to do the things we want to do and it looks like we will have pretty much a full day the day we fly home to do more sightseeing too!

It is hard to express how excited I am about doing this tour - after all the amazing sights we will be seeing in Borneo to finish up with time in Singapore will be the icing on the cake!

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Bob,

The idea of a joint afternoon/evening tour on Day 11 Borneo/Day 1 Singapore, with us being dropped off at the hotel afterwards and the others being taken back to the airport is certainly an interesting and logical one (although care would have to be taken to avoid overlap with our full day tour on Singapore Day 2) - but I can't find any hint of that in the documentation available to me - perhaps you have received something which I haven't?

All I have is the statement in the "New 2016" brochure and the website re Day 11: "you will have the afternoon to explore this modern city state . . ." and the reference in the "Add-on" section solely to the full-day tour, with nothing in the "included holiday highlights" or the "included excursions". This led me to believe, rightly or wrongly, that those not taking the add-on would be left to their own devices while we would (I hope:-) be transported directly to our hotel.

But who knows what JY is planning?! It's "early days" yet!

It is interesting that so many people here have already been to Singapore (if only to pass through) - whereas absolutely no-one appears to have been to Borneo: this make the Borneo trip all the more exciting for me, and gives the term "explore" some real meaning! It all looks fascinating, from meeting the orang utans, the sun bears and the proboscis monkeys, to travelling on the old colonial steam railway, every day is going to yield something new and interesting. And, as you rightly say, the SIngapore add-on is the icing on the cake!

http://1drv.ms/1Wrltwj 

(I hope this link works, my use of One Drive for video streaming is experimental at the moment)

Although I was there nearly a full week, I still didn't manage to see everything I wanted, so I still have the botanical garden, with its orchid collection, and several other areas of interest to visit - and I need to go back and complete my walk along the trails of the night safari well before the last train or bus . . .

I am looking forward to meeting you and the other Community members next May on what should be the holiday of a lifetime.

Jim

Many thanks for your reply and I agree with everything you have said! I just presumed that JY wouldn't be leaving the group to their own devices in Singapore especially when the main tour party have to get back in time for their flight - I could be wrong! Monty if you're reading this would you like to comment?? I agree that hopefully if there is an included orientation tour that it wouldn't overlap with our full day tour.

I'd love to see the orchid garden and do the night safari - we have almost two full free days so hopefully plenty of time to do the "must see" experiences! I love taking photos but I am very much a beginner! This whole itinerary sounds so wonderful from start to finish; it should be a most memorable holiday. As you've probably gathered I've never been to Singapore (one of the few, it appears, on this tour!) so it will all be new and exciting for me.

Looking forward to meeting you and discussing photo tips and your insider knowledge of Singapore! I will have a look at your photo montage later when I have the time to do it justice.

Best wishes,

Bob

Cindy

I think we were all pretty disgusted by the fact that JY do not make provision for getting to the airport at the end of the stay. Yes we were aware that was the case and we were quite capable of ordering a taxi. However, it is still not very good service on JY's part particularly as that add-on which comprised 2 nights B&B in an average hotel and nothing else cost £549.

Sorry JY, I normally have nothing but praise for you but I think your standards slip on this one!

Regards

Sue

I have seen the botanical gardens in Singapore, but this was years ago - early 1990s so I am sure a lot would have changed. They did have lovely orchids and I love orchids so would not mind going back if there is enough time to do so. I think we all will have to decide exactly what we all want to do and utilise our time wisely. Looking forward to this trip so much .

Jaya

As I understand it, due to a change in flights, those who are not doing the add-on will not have time to venture into Singapore on the May departure.  I do not think this affects those on the June departure (Monty can correct me if I got that wrong!) so unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to give you any advice following on from our tour.  Jim's suggestion above about doing the Changi organized tour sounds like a very good option.

All the best,

Bob

Hi Jim,

As you know I am doing the add-on but my reading of the itinerary is that there should be an afternoon/evening sightseeing tour of Singapore for all of us before those on the main tour only catch their flight - but I could have read that wrong!  I see that we have a full day tour of the city included the next day, which leaves us one full day to do the things we want to do and it looks like we will have pretty much a full day the day we fly home to do more sightseeing too!

It is hard to express how excited I am about doing this tour - after all the amazing sights we will be seeing in Borneo to finish up with time in Singapore will be the icing on the cake!

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Bob,

The idea of a joint afternoon/evening tour on Day 11 Borneo/Day 1 Singapore, with us being dropped off at the hotel afterwards and the others being taken back to the airport is certainly an interesting  and logical one (although care would have to be taken to avoid overlap with our full day tour on Singapore Day 2) - but I can't find any hint of that in the documentation available to me - perhaps you have received something which I haven't?

All I have is the statement in the "New 2016" brochure and the website re Day 11: "you will have the afternoon to explore this modern city state . . ." and the reference in the "Add-on" section solely to the full-day tour, with nothing in the "included holiday highlights" or the "included excursions". This led me to believe, rightly or wrongly, that those not taking the add-on would be left to their own devices while we would (I hope:-) be transported directly to our hotel.

But who knows what JY is planning?! It's "early days" yet!

It is interesting that so many people here have already been to Singapore (if only to pass through) - whereas absolutely no-one appears to have been to Borneo: this make the Borneo trip all the more exciting for me, and gives the term "explore" some real meaning! It all looks fascinating, from meeting the orang utans, the sun bears and the proboscis monkeys, to travelling on the old colonial steam railway, every day is going to yield something new and interesting. And, as you rightly say, the SIngapore add-on is the icing on the cake!

http://1drv.ms/1Wrltwj 

(I hope this link works, my use of One Drive for video streaming is experimental at the moment)

Although I was there nearly a full week, I still didn't manage to see everything I wanted, so I still have the botanical garden, with its orchid  collection, and several other areas of interest to visit - and I need to go back and complete my walk along the trails of the night safari well before the last train or bus . . .

I am looking forward to meeting you and the other Community members next May on what should be the holiday of a lifetime.

Jim

Jim

what amazing pictures, love the river/night safaris,  what a photographer, thanks for sharing,  am really looking forward to both Borneo and Singapore now as it fast approaches, just need to get a little list of what I want to see or do in Singapore or our time there can run away from you so quickly

all the best

Dave

Loved the photos and now wish we had a bit more time in Singapore as I doubt we will be able to do everything. My priority would be the Gardens by the Bay, Zoo by day and night and I would also love to visit the Jurong Bird Park. Not sure how we will fit everything in as one day will be taken by the tour of Singapore. I would love to go on the river as well. Will just have to see what is possible and how much we can fit in the time we have. See you soon.

Jaya

We should have three full days in Singapore - two free days apart from the included full day city tour, as our flight home isn't until 23.30.  Your suggestions for things to do sounds spot-on, I'd love to do them too!  I'm sure we will wander around as a group although perhaps one or two people (like Jim who's been there numerous times) may do their own thing for part of the time.  I'd like to visit Raffles and buy a Singapore Sling - even if I have to take out a mortgage to pay for it!!

Cheers,

Bob

my Singapore wishes are Gardens by the Bay, the River Safari and the Night Safari, these are my top three choices, naturally Raffles as well though im taking it that will be included on the tour, would have thought half a day enough for tour, I bet half of the day will be wasted taking us to places we don't need to visit but we'll see, we all seem keen on seeing pretty much the same things, I think we must do away with time consuming meals and live on grab and go's in Singapore, also a ride on the SMRT is a must but no doubt that'll be our transport method to get around anyway

really looking forward to it all and meeting everyone

all the best

Dave

Someone earlier mentioned leech socks - they are an absolute must.  The friend I last holidayed in Borneo with took some and also a hat that had netting on to tuck into her shirt to stop the mozzies - she has never forgiven me for thinking she was going over the top as they were both turned out to be essentials.  The leech socks they sell to you locally are not great and I would certainly recommend in investing in some to take (I think Nomad Travel stock them).

Deet and malaria tablets are a must and I had the rabies jab. An ex-colleague of mine got bitten by a monkey on a  Borneo trip (I think he was rather unlucky though) and hadn't had the jab so he had to be rushed to get preventative treatment just in case. And certainly as someone else has stated - long sleeves and long trousers are a must for the jungle walks, both for mozzie bite and leech prevention, although both seem to get past everything.

You will be hot and sweaty, there is no getting away from it, but it is one of those amazing experiences that you will forget all the negatives once you get home.

Hi Jim

Loved the  photos and now wish we had a bit more time in Singapore as I doubt we will be able to do everything.  My priority would be the Gardens by the Bay, Zoo by day and night and I would also love to visit the Jurong Bird Park.  Not sure how we will fit everything in as one day will be taken by the tour of Singapore.  I would love to go on the river as well.  Will just have to see what is possible and how much we can fit in the time we have.   See you soon.

Jaya

Hello Dave and Jaya,

Glad you liked the pictures - Singapore is a photographer's paradise - and I am hoping that Borneo will be, too.

FWIW my provisional schedule, weather permitting, is:

Day 1 (evening arrival) - if I still have enough energy after the travelling, and if we are not too late, I plan to take the MRT to Marina Bay Sands, perhaps go up to the Sky Park to admire the (night) view, then into Gardens by the Bay to stroll through the illuminated Supertree Grove - there is an inexpensive open air restaurant at the far end where I'll probably eat. Otherwise, head up to Clarke Quay.

Day 2 - this will presumably be the day of the guided tour, which I'll probably skip. although it depends on the itinerary, which I'm sure will include Raffles just for Bob 🙂. There are plenty of places which I haven't yet seen, eg the MacRitchie Reservoir,  the Wetland Reserve and the Southern Ridges - or perhaps a I'll make a return visit to the Jurong Bird Park.

Day 3 - definitely the Zoo, River Safari and the Night Safari!  A full day there, evening meal at one of the restaurants outside the Night Safari before it opens.

Day 4 - departure day: I think one can check in early at Changi with Singapore airlines, so I am thinking of getting a taxi to the airport and depositing my luggage, then taking the MRT to the Botanical Gardens to see the orchids etc. If time permits, I should like to see the interior of the Sultan Mosque in Little India, which was closed for renovation when I was there last October (you will see this on the guided tour, so you can tell me if it has reopened:-), and perhaps have a ride on the Singapore Flyer if visibility is good. I would envisage returning to Changi in time to join their organised evening tour, as this sounds quite enjoyable. Shopaholics could of course spend the day in Orchard Road, and some of the other shopping centres such as the one below Marina Bay Sands.

One could visit both the Zoo and the Bird Park in one day - as I recall, there is an express bus connection around midday - but this would of course cut down the amount of time spent in the Zoo. I did see a notice that the Bird Park was moving to the same location as the Zoo & Safaris (which are already next to one another on the edge of one of the large reservoirs), but I don't know when this is or was supposed to take place.

All this presupposes that we shall have some dry days in Singapore. I chose October last year as this is in the inter-monsoon period - and it proved to be dry throughout, although the weather forecast showed rain storms every day . . . I think April/May and (I hope) at least the beginning of June is also in such a period, so we may be lucky.

BTW, I took two guide books with me to Singapore: the DK "Top 10 Singapore" and the Michelin "Singapore", as these both have well-described walking routes (the former more up-to-date, the latter more detailed) - there are, of course the usual DK , Insight and other guides, I think packaged with Malaysia, including Borneo.

The only guide devoted just to Borneo which I have found so far is the one in the Bradt travel guide series, which includes some information on what to take. A somewhat larger chapter on this topic is to be found in the Rough Guide to First-Time Asia. Has anyone found anything better?

Finally, I found it convenient to travel round using the MRT (equivalent to the London Underground, but more modern, and air-conditioned), using an MRT card (just like an Oyster card) purchased at a booth in the airport and topped up at any MRT station - but then, I was a Londoner, so this mode of transport came naturally to me.

Jim

Wow that's an impressive itinerary - would you be willing to have some of us tag along as well, at least some of the time??  I definitely want to do the zoo and safaris and the Gardens by the Bay so that sounds like it'd be a great day.  We'll have to check with the hotel to see what they say about late check out, airport check in etc - the Changi tour sounds like a good idea but would it be covering things we'd see already or would it be different?

Hi Jane,

Thanks for your tips - I'm still in two minds over the leech socks.  Some websites I've looked at said their only purpose is that they really just show up any leeches that may be on you and they don't act as a deterrent.  I've two pairs of socks that have mosquito repellent built in so I'm hoping they might do the job?!  Regarding malaria, as far as I can see the areas we go to are in the low risk zone but I'm waiting for my GP practice to get back to me and let me know if I need to take Malarone or not.

All the best,

Bob

In terms of suggested guide books - Lonely Planet Borneo, Bradt Borneo (the most up-to-date so far), and for Singapore - The Rough Guide to Singapore and the Eyewitness Top 10 Singapore. In terms of daily itinerary for the add-on - I spent part of my childhood being brought up in Singapore, so will probably be doing totally different things than some of you, but no doubt will have to go back to Raffles (even if it is a tourist-trap now, and not the elegant hotel it was years ago) and have either a Singapore Sling or a Tiger Beer or two!

Innoculations - I'm good to go anywhere in the world, but check with your local GP. As Bob says we will be in a low risk area as regards malaria. I'm still "swithering" (as we say in Scotland) with regards to purchasing the anti-leech socks before we go.

Not long to go now!

Cheers,

Hils

what a great itinerary, yes me too wouldn't mind tagging on to you on that first night, sounds wonderful, i too had Marina Bay sands on my list then Day 3 looks pretty similar to mine River/Night Safari and perhaps slip in Gardens by the Bay during the Day, im not so sure about checking in at Changi that early as can prob leave luggage at hotel then depending on our pick up time if wanting to do their free changi tour could get ourselves there perhaps for late afternoon

all the best

Dave

On a completely frivolous and silly note I do think it's funny that when this thread is at the top of the list, on the Forum index page it reads "Wild Borneo without sin...!!"  

Cheers,

Bob