Familieferie Sydøstasien Post 3 af 4 – Singapore dag 16-20
(English below – Pics here)
Bystaten Singapore kan virke som et ret uoverskueligt sted. Hvordan kommer man rundt? Hvilke af de utrolig mange underholdningstilbud skal man vælge? Og er det ikke bare svinedyrt?
Fortvivl ej – for i virkeligheden er det hele snydelet. Grab (Singapores svar på Uber) fører dig let omkring og koster ikke ret meget. Og hyrevognene er til alt held typisk opereret af pensionerede lokale mænd, der (ifølge flere af dem) ’har brug for at komme lidt væk fra konen’, og som næsten alle sammen taler godt engelsk og hjertens gerne vil fortælle om deres liv. Derved kommer du hurtigt tæt på de lokale.
Derudover fører den ultramoderne Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) metro dig bekymringsfrit (og airconditioneret, hvilket er temmelig rart når det er 35 grader varmt) rundt på ingen tid. Og du behøver ikke engang købe en billet. I stedet tapper du bare dit kreditkort ved ind- og udgang for at betale de typisk 1,28S$ (6 kroner) pr tur. Cash behøver man stort set ikke have på sig, for stort set overalt (undtagen lokale markeder) tager man visakort.
Der er restauranter, food courts og hawker centres på snart sagt hvert gadehjørne og prisen for en hovedret ligger typisk på blot 15-50 kroner pr person. Listen over madmuligheder er alenlang: vælg mellem thai, kinesisk, malaysisk, koreansk, japansk, vestligt eller lokal mad fra Singapore. Ofte som sagt serveret i food courts hvor hvert familiemedlem kan vælge sin helt egen favorit, samtidig med at man spiser sammen.
På disse spisesteder kan du få alt lige fra nuddelsupper, satay-spyd, sushi, ramen, alskens variationer af stegte ris og stegte nudler, fiskeboller, laksha (rød karry), Tom Yam, grøn karry, kylling med cashew nødder, dumplings/momo, bao (dampede kinesiske booller), hot pots til haninanese kylling.
Eller hvad med en omgang: ”Noodles cut with a kitchen knife”, ”Pigs intestines”, eller ”Bean Sauce Bitter Gourd Fish Head”?
I den fine food court beliggende i “The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands” (og sikkert også andre steder) kan du sågar få adskillige billige ’Michelin-retter’. Mange af disse små shopping mall-outlet-spisesteder er nemlig knyttet til en hovedrestaurant, der har fået en Michelin-stjerne. Og signaturretterne på stjernerestauranten har man så på snedig vis kopieret til outletsene. På den måde kan du lidt populært sagt få ”michelin-mad til take away pris” (se billede, typisk 50 kroner pr ret).
Gammelfatter og rejsejournalist Østerboy var desuden så heldig (via lidt forudgående mailkorrespondance) at skaffe sig lidt adgang til et par af Singapores attraktioner – mere herom følger i kommende avisartikler.
Priseksempler Singapore
- Overnatning: Oxford Hotel (250 kroner pr mand i delt dobbeltværelse)
- Flybillet til Medan, Sumatra: 400 kroner.
- Busbillet til Melaka, Malaysia: 170 kroner
- Grab fra Changi Airport til centrum (20 kilometer): 150 kroner
- Metro-billet kort tur: 6 kroner
- Aftensmåltid 4 personer: 250 kroner i alt.
- Indgang Zoologisk Have: 250 kroner pr person
PS Du kan selvfølgelig også sagtens bruge mange penge i Singapore. For eksempel er mange museer/attraktioner ret dyre. Universal Studios koster f.eks. i højsæsonen hampre 450 kroner (plus at der lige skal 700 kroner yderligere op af lommen, såfremt man ønsker fast track). En Singapore Sling koster på Raffles Hotel samfulde 52 S$ inkl skat og service (270 kroner!). Og en overnatning på Raffles koster fra 6.500 kroner pr nat og på Marina Bay Sands fra cirka 4.000 kroner pr nat (i lavsæsonen).
Pics include:
- Singapore Zoo (verdens måske bedste Zoo – især berømt for sine frodige åbne regnskovsmiljøer.)
- Gardens by the Bay
- Marina Bay Sands & SkyPark Observation Deck
- ArtScience Museum
- Raffles Hotel
- Chinatown
- Food courts
- Merlion fountain
(all pics with iPhone13Pro)
Hvis du missede mine tidligere tre posts/pics fra denne tur kan du finde dem her:
- Post 1 – Malaysia part 1
- Post 2 – Sumatra, Indonesien
- Post 3 – Singapore (this post)
- Post 4 – Malaysia part 2 and Oman stopover
ENGLISH VERSION
Family Holiday Southeast Asia – Post 3 of 4: Singapore Days 16–20
(Pics see HERE)
The city-state of Singapore can seem like a rather overwhelming place. How do you get around? Which of the countless entertainment options should you choose? And isn’t it incredibly expensive?
Fear not — once you get there you will find out everything is surprisingly easy. Grab (Singapore’s answer to Uber) gets you around effortlessly and doesn’t cost much. And the taxis are often driven by retired local men who (according to themselves) “need to get out of the house and away from their wives,” and almost all of them speak good English – and are more than happy to share stories about their lives. It’s a quick way to get close to the locals.
In addition, the ultra-modern Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) system takes you around the city in no time—comfortably and air-conditioned, which is a blessing when it’s 35 degrees outside. You don’t even need to buy a ticket. Just tap your credit card at entry and exit to pay the typical fare of around S$1.28 (about €0.85) per ride. Cash is barely necessary, as most places (except local markets) accept credit cards.
Restaurants, food courts, and hawker centers are found on nearly every street corner, and a main dish typically costs just €2–7 per person. The variety of food is extraordinary: choose between Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Korean, Japanese, Western, or local Singaporean cuisine. Often served in food courts where each family member can pick their own favorite while still eating together.
At these places, you can enjoy everything from noodle soups, satay skewers, sushi, ramen, and countless variations of fried rice and noodles, to fish balls, laksa (spicy red curry), tom yum, green curry, chicken with cashew nuts, dumplings/momo, bao (steamed buns), hot pots, and Hainanese chicken rice.
Or how about something a bit more adventurous: “Noodles cut with a kitchen knife,” “Pig’s intestines,” or “Bean Sauce Bitter Gourd Fish Head”?
In the upscale food court at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (and likely elsewhere), you can even find several affordable “Michelin dishes.” Many of these small food outlets are linked to Michelin-starred restaurants, and their signature dishes have cleverly been adapted for these locations. In other words, you can enjoy “Michelin food at takeaway prices” (see photo—typically around 7 Euro DKK per dish).
I was also fortunate (thanks to some advance email correspondence) to secure access to a couple of Singapore’s attractions—more on that in upcoming newspaper articles.
Price Examples in Singapore:
- Accommodation: Oxford Hotel (€34 per person in a shared double room)
- Flight to Medan, Sumatra: €54
- Bus to Melaka, Malaysia: €23
- Grab from Changi Airport to city centre (20 km): €20
- Metro ticket (short trip): €0.80
- Dinner for 4 people: €34 in total
- Zoo admission: €34 per person
PS: Of course, you can easily spend a lot of money in Singapore. Many museums and attractions are quite expensive. Universal Studios, for example, costs around 60 Euro in high season (plus another 95 Euro if you want fast track access). A Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel costs a full S$52 including tax and service (about 35 Euro!). And a night at Raffles starts from 870 Euro, while Marina Bay Sands is from around 535 Euro per night.
Pics include:
· Singapore Zoo (possibly the world’s best zoo—especially famous for its lush, open rainforest habitats)
· Gardens by the Bay
· Marina Bay Sands & SkyPark Observation Deck
· ArtScience Museum
· Raffles Hotel
· Chinatown
· Food courts
· Merlion Fountain
(all pics with iPhone13Pro)
if you missed my other posts from this trip you can find them here:
- Post 1 – Malaysia part 1
- Post 2 – Sumatra, Indonesien
- Post 3 – Singapore (this post)
- Post 4 – Malaysia part 2 and Oman stopover