Wednesday 17 October 2012

Singapore Surviving Story

I went to Singapore last weekend with Yessika and Iin, just to spent some days escaping from work
It is my third times coming to Singapore, and the last time I came was on February 2012
My main destination is Universal Studio Singapore (USS)

And it was awesome here 

From my 3-days journey,  I'll give some guidance if you also planning to come to Singapore or playing at USS


1. I stayed at Five Stones Hostel on Clarke Quay. It is nice being here because it's so comfy and quite clean. It's a grey building, separated for two hostel, 2-3 for Five Stones Hostel. whereas  4-6 is for Capsule Hostel. On 2nd floor and 3rd floor, there are some rooms, with 6 mixed bunk beds. So your roommate could be a man or woman. My fave place is the shared living room, also at this floor.  It's so cozy, with options of playing Wii, watching movies through DVD or cable TV. The man shower room is 2nd floor, and the woman shower room is on the 3rd floor. The cleanness is depend on how you keep the cleanness itself. Some guest was leaving the dirt every time they used toilet or shower room.

How to get there : The easiest way is by taxi for sure). But if you were a budget traveler, you can use MRT, alight at Clarke Quay, find an exit heading to New Bridge Road, just cross the street to find Hongkong Street, it's just a little steps more so you can find the building. I tried bus number 80, and it stop right in front of the building. You can find the bus at HarbourFront or Vivo City.

The rate : just surf on this site www.fivestoneshostel.com

2. I took Air Asia flight in a promo price Rp650.000 for round trip. Quite cheap, but my friends found it with Rp400.000. So for the flight, it depends on how lucky you are. But just remember, price pays the services. Better price, better service *smile*. The Air Asia is at terminal 1, so if you want to get on an MRT, you have to go to terminal 2 by sky train. For short, just follow the sign. If get lost, just ask  *grin*. For MRT, you will need to buy ezlink. It's S$12 with S$5 as card price, and S$7 for the travel fare. Don't forget to take the map so you know where to depart and alight. 

3. USS. I bought USS ticket from my friend. She bought it through the official website at www.rwsentosa.com/Attractions/UniversalStudiosSingapore with a promo price for S$60. And also it came with a bundling ticket for Maritime Experiential Museum.

How to get there : The cheapest is boardwalking. You just have to pay S$1 at the Sentosa Gate. And if you got back with Sentosa Express, it would be free of charge *happy*. For further information, just check this site www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/HowToGetThere
From Sentosa Gate, you just need to follow the road sign that will guide you to USS Gate. Before entering USS, you will see a giant globe of Universal Studio, the same as you always saw in the movies. Most of the visitors will take photos here.

After entering USS, you have to take the map, so you know where to start first. There are 7 zones with its own specialities. Hollywood, Madagascar, Far-Far Away, The Lost World, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City and New York. It would be better if you take the clockwise-route, or counter-clockwise. I mean, a same direction route will be easier to handle, and will save your time. At each zones, you can play on some rides that will give you a new atmosphere. From Indonesia, I've tried Dunia Fantasi and Trans Studio Makassar. But, playing in USS will enrich your experiences.

Tips from the house :
a. Foods and drinks are quite expensive here, but don't worry because some rides provide tap water. So you just need to bring empty bottle with you and you can refill the water for free. Don't forget to drink as much as you can to keep you off from dehydration. For foods, you can bring breads that won't weight you bag. Or if breads are not enough, you can go out from USS (don't forget to ask for stamp on your hand). Near the USS Gate, you will find Malaysian Hawker Food. It's cheaper than inside USS and it's also available with Halal foods. I tried Biryani Rice with fish for S$6. Delicious (or I was just that starving)

b. On The Lost World Zones, you can ride Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. But remember, it will make you wet, even soaked. You have two options. First, if you bring another clothes, just keep your bag and other precious at the locker for S$4 / hour. Or, you can buy a poncho for S$3 and it will keep you wet-free, which means worry-free *smile*. I suggest you to buy the poncho. The best is you bring that poncho from home

c. If you are Moslem, don't worry, you can find a prayer room in Ancient Egypt. It just a little bit hidden behind Revenge Of The Mummy. It's a small building, but quite clean and cold.

d. Toilet is available everywhere in most of every zones *smile*

e. Every afternoon, many street shows or stage performance will be held. Don't forget to see the schedule. Stores in every zones will provide the schedule copy.

f. Save your money so you can comeback again to USS ... hehehe .. I am not being paid by saying this. But I love how they built the ambience of every movies from Universal Studio. By the way, at the end of this year, a new studio for Sesame Street will be built. So if you were a fans, start saving your money!!! *smile*

4. Singapore itself
souvenirs : come to Chinatown, or Bugis, or Orchard. Those places sell many kinds of souvenir from Singapore. Keychains, T-shirts, Mugs, Pens, or others you name it! The price is depend how good you are on bargaining. Some says, Chinatown is the cheapest one for souvenirs.

sight-seeing :
a. Orchard : Where famous mall took place. Nge-Ann City, Wisma Atria, Ion Orchard,  Isetan, or even Lucky Plaza. Many tourists come to Ion Orchard to take a picture in front of the famous colorful statue. You can also try eating Singapore Ice Cream just as cheap as S$1. Walk to Lucky Plaza you can find souvenir shops too. If you are craving for Indonesian food, you can find it here at Lucky Plaza

b. Sentosa Island : actually USS is in the area of Sentosa, called Resort World Sentosa. But, if you were not that fancy of amusement parks, you still can choose other attractions in other areas of Sentosa Island. There are a lot of choices of shows you can enjoy. For more info, just visit www.sentosa.com.sg/en/

c. Marina Bay Sands : It's a hotel. But there's sky park on the top of it. You can buy ticket to enter, if you're not a guest

d. Garden By The Bay : Never been there. But from the look itself, it's so beautiful.

e. Merlion : This one is Merlion that can shoot out water from the mouth. The other is in Sentosa. If you want to go here, you can take MRT and alight at City Hall or Raffles Place.


Well for conclusion, Singapore is a tourist-friendly country. It's safe and comfortable. And you can get a lot of informations from the internet. My 3-days is an excited new experience for me. Hope you enjoy yourself in Singapore too 

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