Food is fab and loads of it. There are obviously stacks of shops and really pretty seating areas. All the travelators work and go where you want to, and there is this cool area full of black leather head to toe massage chairs that don't leave a muscle knotted and all for about £7 for 15 minutes. Well worth doing.
Anyway, enough of the airport. We didn't realise we should go to the Stopover desk, so just collected our stuff and went out to the taxi rank. They realised we wouldn't fit in one taxi with all our luggage so had two. I went with Abs and Kevan and Heather sped off in front. As we were landing at Changi, Abs had decided to empty her stomach and was feeling a little ill, but managed to chat to the taxi driver who was brill. Pointed out every landmark on the way (Kevan and Heather's guy didn't speak a word). Our guy kept calling Abs a "Princess" - went down well. Anyway as we were pulling into the Hotel forecourt, Abs decided she was going to heave again, I mentioned this relatively calmly to the taxi chap, who said "ok, don't worry, here's a plastic bag" and passed me an old shopping bag. As Abs chucked, he was so sympathetic. Like that's going to happen with a London Cabbie - possibly not!!!
Hotel was fab. Grand Copthorne Waterfront. They had all their christmas decorations up and it was very impressive. Had two rooms about six doors away from each other - that was nice!
Lovely bathrooms, very comfortable beds, great view of the city and the river.
Being on the stopover package meant that we should have had loads of vouchers to visit stuff free or half price but we didn't have anything. Went down to reception and they handed us a note that was in our box saying "come and see me" - Who the hell "me" was we didn't know, but asked and were sent to a small office on the other side of the foyer. There a lady was sitting and asked why we hadn't been to the proper desk at the airport. Looked blank and said "what desk?" Apparently if we had gone to the right desk they would have given us a mini bus transfer and a load of vouchers. Anyway, she got on the phone to the desk at the airport and asked that the vouchers be taxied over immediately. Told us they would be with us within the hour - yeah right! Lo and behold one hour later she had our vouchers with our name on - very impressed, but you know me - easily pleased!
Booked up to do a city tour, night safari and Sentosa Island Experience.The city tour was very good, really entertaining and interesting guide. Normally you start drifting off when they start talking but she was quite funny and pointed out where she lived and stuff like that. We went round Little India, Chinatown, Orchid Gardens, visited the Merlion.
The night safari is cool. You go on a little open train after dark (obviously) and they have that night time light that the animals can't see but you can see the animals so they get on with their lives instead of hiding from people.
You could spend days on Sentosa. There is a fancy hotel etc but just loads of stuff to do. Great cable car ride over the sea to the island. There is a bird sanctuary, underwater tunnel thing, great walks around the island, diving, blah blah blah. At about 7.30 there is a 4D show. Fireworks and lazer show with a real person doing stuff interactively with hologram people. Really impressive. Only problem was Abs had a bit of jet lag and we struggled to keep her awake. Think she saw most of the show though. www.sentosa.com.sg
The whole place is just unbelievable clean and tidy. If taxis aren't spotless inside and out the drivers get a fine! so they wash and vacuum them every time they go off duty. No rubbish in the streets.
The people are very kind and friendly. Always wanting to help you find places and smiling. We decided to walk from the hotel to a shopping centre. On the way it started raining quite heavily. As it's so warm and humid we knew we would dry off once inside so carried on. A lady was walking along and stopped and waited for us so she could walk with us holding her umbrella over Abs' head! When we got to her turning, she tried to give us her umbrella but we wouldn't take it. I think she might have been a bit put out!!
Raffles Hotel has to be seen to be believed. Would love to have stayed there but unfortunately not quite in our budget! The Long Bar is very famous and anyone is allowed to have a drink there or eat in the restaurant.
The bar has little windows high up the walls with no glass so the birds can fly in. Because the City is so spotless and you get fined if you drop anything, Raffles have always had the rule that they give you courtesy peanuts in shells and you "have" to drop the shells on the floor. It's quite wierd to begin with because you don't want to, but there is nowhere else to put them so you drop them and the tiny birds hop down and eat them.
This is just a photo of a recently renovated old building. They went through a stage of knocking the old buildings down and rebuilding with modern blocks but in the last 10-15 years they have realised that the old ones have far more character and so are turning old factories and the like into flats and offices.
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