Probably waiting for nxt visit...most probably waeekdays and applying Sands premier card that entitle 30% discount haha Not willing to pay S$20X3 just to go up there..

Today is my shopping day visited Tempinis Ikea & Giant - free parking there which is rare in Singapore haha. Walloped lotsa Nissin noodles there trill custom asked me wanna make biz kah.. ..Well at S$1.95, no longer as cheap as 3 yrs ago but still cheaper than M'sia.. Also got few items from IKEA which is cheaper than KL...Let me check & compare the price 1st..

Thereafter managed to try the famous Katong Laksa at Bedok blk 128 Food court. Nice .exactly the thick santan similar to M'cca style but using Penang Laksa noodle.

~ 3PM round & round Bugis St for parking darm..all full..No choice to park inside the newly opened Iluma Mall opposite Bugis Junction or beside Bugis St...OK not so expensive..Only S$1.07/hr...so ~ 3hrs S3.21. just S$021 more than parking at the Public HDB neighboring carpark..not bad.. look see-only...Nothing worth buying..

Now In M'cca liao ..

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Added on December 26, 2010, 12:23 amBTW, Most of the money changers in JB is quoting 2.36 buy & 2.395 sell.

Meaning Changing from Wawasan & other cheaper one in BB Plaza & PJ better..Wawas is quoting 2.377 buy & 2.388 sell

This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 26 2010, 12:23 AM

You can ride cheaper & similar duck ride in M'cca

BTW, Updating 1st pg for those driving in. Got this VEP brochure after I AGAIN kena S$10 penalty for not declaring my expired roadtax since my last entry during Dec 2007.. I suppose to park right after SG imigration to get my roadtax verufied & update to their autopass system. but due to bad jam & bad signage informing ppl on the VEP/Autopass office (it's located right after immigration) & b4 custom check-point). I moved abit and no way to turn back to autopass office. When I checked wth the custom officer, they told me cannot reverse dy..Nop choice and I got S410 penalty on my way back to M'sia Well atleast the Autopass counter on the way back is not so crowded.. haha..paying S$10 to bypass the jam

Famous Singapore food that I tried on 24-25/12:

1) The Original katong Laksa. Well the spoon laksa at Katong was reviewed by vkeong as not so good so I purposely went to the original of the original..located at a small Bedok kopitiam instead of Katong.. It's yummy and much better than any KL & northern M'sia curry mee which is too oily and lack of santan! Highly recommended




2) hainanese boneless chicken rice. Well suppose to eat Tian-Tian chicken rice as this one wth Anthony Bourdein signature.. Too bad closed on Christmas so we tried 2nd best liao at Maxwell FC right opposite Chinatown Buddha Tooth relic temple. It's yummy & as good as M'cca chicken rice ball ..Too bad although price stated as S$2.50 just like other chicken rice avg price in SG, we kena S$3:50!! Holiday marked up??




3) Around maxweel FC, we found this famous Anthony Bourdein Qyster cake.. Haven't seen this in M'sia...not bad but for S$2/pc..abit pricey

The Original Katong laksa (Not the 328 Katong Laksa) located at Block 128 opposite Bedok sport complex & beside the SPC petrol station here:

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=1.3276926&lon=10...79&z=17&l=0&m=b

The Chicken rice stall is inside Maxwell Food court in chinatown. But the one I went is not the one Anthony Bourdein visited. He visited Tian-Tian Boneless chicken rice but it was closed on Christmas. Anyway, they are all located inside Maxwell FC.. The Hun Chi Peng selling 6pc for S$1 also very yummy..just opposite the chicken rice stall I ate..

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=1.2804658&lon=10...66&z=17&l=0&m=b


This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 28 2010, 09:59 AM

Oh, This trip to SG, I also check abit on the SG items pricing compare to KL.. Well, nowadays, their PC components pricing no longer competitive as KL..Mostly more than LYP. Also their handphone, smartphones, Iphones & IPAd all more expensive than KL..

Here's few smartphone & IPAD pricing:



However, certain things still remained cheap esp those items heavily taxed in M'sia & also Singapore own products/ item mfg in SG usch as IKEA imported furnitures & homke accesories (Not all), the IKEA coffe at only S$0.50 only haha..M'sia RM1.50 (Not the food hor only the coffee). & The nissin mee - only S$2 (A MUST items for me evertime I'm in SG!! ) and thh new Moon abalone & etc..still cheaper in SG:

That wan kenot kira. got contract wan

Haha..Do check for me the Chicken rice pricing in SG when you visit them again..Charged me S$3.50 although from the pic, you can see clearly S$2.50 nia...I suspect Christmas marked up ?

Of The Katong laksa is also exp compare to avg pricing probably due their reputation. S$3 for small & S$4 for medium

Haha..That's why nowadays, I prefer driving around in Singapore rather than taking MRT/buses like my past trips.. More places can go & can park easily either using the ancient HDB parking tickets that can be re-used (opss..abit ahem) or using autopass for the Malls parking tickets..BTW at marina Bay, I also parked illegally beside the Mall/casino buiding...well I saw Singaporean also parked there, so I followed..haha

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Added on January 3, 2011, 12:20 pmI drove there for the laksa..If you ask me to take MRT, I dun think I want to do that bcos need atleast 1KM walking from Tanah merah MRT or 1.5 KM from Bedok MRT station. Nothing much in Bedok. Just another boring normal Singapore HDB flats & small township..worst than Ang Mo kio & even Tempinis.. Atleast Tempinis having Ikea, Courts & Giant Hyper in one complex
This post has been edited by stimix: Jan 3 2011, 12:21 PM

Can park ileggaly sometime. Sim Lim is expensive but suprisingly, I parked inside Iluma opposite Bugis Junction/beside Bugis street mall...Almost same price as HDB parkings that was fulled on 25/12. Only S$3.21 for 3 hrs. Vivo city probably the cheapest..3 yrs ago I parked there for ~ 3 hrs for only ~S$2

Avg HDB open parking rate at all residential flats is ~ S$0.50/30min (I think).

I hate waiting for those buses lor..More convenient driving and parking near HDB flats or finding those malls wth cheap parking..On Iluma wth S$1.07/hr parking.Lucky only as all HDB parkings surrounding bugis area all full and now those HDB flats surroundinmg bugis converted to auto parking liao..no more HDB booklet style. .The booklet is only S$10. expire within 5 yrs if I'm not mistaken..and can get from any Petrol stations. Nite parking, I dunno wor bcos, I use the same S$0.50 ticket to park day & nite haha

Just read earlier post and the VEP detail on pg1.

VEP is vehichle entry permit i.e something similar to their Road Tax imposed on foreign cars entering SG.

To reduce the angers from M'sian, They gave 10 days free VEP every year. excluding Weekend.

VEP is not parking and you still need to pay parking as just been discussed few post above & earlier page. Parking rate start from S$0.50 for 1/2hr but certain private hypermarkets such as Giant & IKEA & also Mustafa given FOC parking.

That's is not VEP. VEP is seperate from ERP which is Toll for entering their CBD (central business district). ERP are wireless gantries and automatic deducting toll even on Singapore cars. Singaporean no need to pay VEP bcos they already paid road tax but M'sian still need to pay for using Singapore road and that what VEP about.

ERP is charged per day and one thing good for M'sian is ERP only cost $S5 per day irregardless how many times you enter CBD. Certain ERP is free after certain hours on weekend.

ERP, VEP & Causway toll of S$1.20 all must be pay upon exit & upon you clear Singapore immigration

Updated the front page again on onfo on where is the location of Autopass & importance of parking right after immigration to get the autopass. BTW, don't get your autopass during peak hours or peak Holiday season..the que can be >1hr!! I saw the que all the way to outside the Autopass gate during Christmas eve & Christmas day..

Scary & wth the limited parking there...I can feel the frustration.. Well, thinking of the que, atleast it consoled me to pay S$10 penalty for failure to que up updating my roadtax & insurance expiry info..haha

If wth family, I suggest you drive-inlah..Big family & old parent abit difficult esp using Public transport like MRT & bus.

1 day is sufficient if you only cover Orchard road & Sentosa (1/2 day each but provided you reach there early..~ 8-9am Sentosa 1st.

By express buses? There are lotsa buses going to Singapore via the temporary bus terminal at bkt Jalil or the new Terminal at Bdr Tasik Selatan.. Otherwise, those VIP buses from 1U, Sunway Pyramid & probably as u said Tune..but it will not be cheap. ~ RM80/pax..almost similar to AA promo air ticket

If from JB, just goto Larkin bus station and take either SBS bus no 170 to Kranji MRT station & thereafter to Singapore.

Otherwise, there are few more M'sian buses going to SG. I tried causewaybay bus b4 (The yellow wan), and it goes all the way to M'sian/SG bus/taxi open terminal at Rochor square..near Sim Lim Plaza.

B4 they built the new immigration complex, I normally take those buses from the old immigration complex..Too bad now wth the complex abit out of the way & I think no way you can walk in..Larkin station is the best location dy..

That's why I'm not sure about it..bcos I can't see any walkway linking from the old city except the road leading to the complex..Since the completion of the complex, I hv not step to the old city part. Only drive in & thus I'm nit sure whether any such facility to link from the old city. Furthermore, nowadays you can't walk across using causeway..I still remembered the time I walked into Singapore instead of taking the bus

Who say kenot enter those Malls parking..can-lah.

just swipe using your autopass (Singapore verison of Touch & go or pay by normal ticket-lor..

Recently I entered & parked at the new mall "Iluma" opposite Bugis Junction. Well, abit of teething problem as you said most Singaporean using the smart tag to go through the barier..I tried to swipe using the autopass but failed..Intercommed & that guy came out after 15min of waiting..& I paid manually.

According to that man..Only that day they are facing problem wth autopass & lotsa M'sian cars having probloems..Otherwise should be OK.

If you like Southern M'sia laksa wth more santan than chilli/curry, Singapore is famous for Katong Laksa. Just search here for the term.. I posted few pages b4 this wth location.

Also they are famous wth hainanese chicken rice..superb & much better than lotsa KL chicken rice.. also check for my earlier post on Maxwell food court.

Otherwise, I heard their Satay even better than Kajang Satay. Well I hv not try yet but those Singaporean visiting Kajang Satay gave them very poor rating compare to their own satay.

Singapore also famous for Kueh chap. Too bad I hv not try yet

Are you sure you can even get a Hotel at S$20 in Singapore? I'm no9t sure what is MBS & RWS..but the cheapest budget hotel at low season already S$50/nite dy. (Hotel 81 /Fragrant)

However if you mean S$20/nite/pax on hostel...You probably can try those opposite Sim Lim Plaza..those B&B can get ~ S$25/pax

Opss..din read properly Anyway those budhet hotels in Centre of Singapore will cost a bomb too.. Unless you willing to stay at those in Geylang.. The S$50 budget hotel (After bargaining/online discount) mostky there. Downtown Singapore budget hotel will doubled that.

Anyway

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Added on February 10, 2011, 9:25 pmHaha so many jshort form jargon nowadays..BTW, some of those malls parking rates is reasonable and almost equal or cheaper than HDB! I rember I parked at Vivio city years ago for ~ 3 hrs only ~ S$1.50, But there atre few very expensive one too such at Sim lim..Cost me almost ~S$6 for mere 2-3 hrs there. HDB parking far from city ~ S$0.50/half hour and those near city ~ S$1/half hr.
(Well the above just what i can recalled..I probably wrong too)

This post has been edited by stimix: Feb 10 2011, 09:25 PM