Fee and I are about to head home after an amazing but quick 5 day stay in Singapore for the 2017 F1 Grand prix. While it's still fresh in my mind I thought I'd write down a few tips/notes for anyone thinking of coming here.
F1 GP night race
If you're any sort of motor racing fan, consider going to this truly unique and awesome event. The only night race on the F1 calendar - it's absolutely impeccably organised and run.
We had tickets that put us in 3 different stands over the 3 days, and all of them had incredible views of the track, with the "podium stand" that we had for race day being the stand out. It's not all just cars either. One of my highlights was an intimate gig by Seal just an hour before the race start.
The City
The first thing we noticed about the city of Singapore, aside from the stifling humidity, was how clean it is. I mean ridiculously clean. Spotting even one piece of rubbish on the footpath is like finding a four leaf clover. You can use a public toilet in the dodgiest of places and it will probably put your own bathroom to shame.
The People
This place is full of some of the friendliest, most accommodating people I've ever met. Upon walking in anywhere we were always greeted with a big smile, and nothing ever seemed to be a problem at all. Want an ice cream at the 7-11 at 11pm even though the guy is almost done clearing the till? "Yes of course sir, no worries." Table for 2 at a bar in China town even though it's lunch time on race day and they're absolutely packed? "Come right this way please sir."
This isn't just limited to people you're buying stuff from either. All we did to earn a big smile and 'hello' from a lady in public the other day was get in the same train carriage as her (and look like obvious tourists). People always seem genuinely happy that you're there and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Basically the exact opposite feeling you get from most folks in Sydney ;-)
The Precincts
You would be absolutely remiss to visit Singapore and not make it to places like Chinatown, little India and Arab...town? (Not sure what they call this one). These extremely vibrant, colourful areas are brilliant to experience. It gives you a taste of the mix of cultures in Singapore, and a literal taste when you sample the amazing (and incredibly cheap) food on offer in each area. If you want to eat and drink and aren't keen on the fancy restaurants in the CBD and their even fancier price tags, this is where you want to be.
Little India was the standout for us. It's an area of several blocks, each one different from the next. It was busy with locals everywhere doing their shopping, and was completely genuine (unlike Chinatown which felt just slightly forced and touristy). We had a great lunch at a food court with all the locals. I paid $5 for the best chicken masala of my life.
The Arab district also had its highlights. There was a great little strip of boutique stores (although with prices aimed squarely at tourists), and more importantly a brilliant restaurant called "Singapore Zam Zam" (thanks to Mitch Hughes for the tip!). For about $25 here you got more than you could eat and drink between 2, and despite being so busy it was quick and all absolutely delicious. They had the operation completely down. It was like the McDonald's of halal food.
Shopping
Singapore is synonymous with enormous shopping centres. They are many and varied.
Your average one close to the CBD is like your local Westfield, just with a few more levels. It's when you get out a bit further and head into one of the big shopping centres that things get interesting.
We were walking past a place called the "Mustafa centre" in little India. I spotted Xbox games and some tech stuff in the window, so we had to go in. Once inside, we were faced with an absolutely packed, enormous shopping experience. The aisles are tiny, the roof low, and the amount of items on offer is absolutely mind boggling.
I quickly found a couple of tech things that I had to have and was heading for the exit when fee pointed out there were two whole other basement levels of to this place, one of which had a "tech zone"! I was hooked. I have never in my life seen so many tech gadgets, adaptors, cables, routers, mice, keyboards, everythings, all in one place. It was like being inside of eBay. Fiona almost had to physically drag me out of there (after I picked up a few more things of course;)).
Getting Around
We walked and used the train (MRT). This was super easy and had us coverered for everywhere we wanted to go.
We didn't have phone data (i.e. google maps) so I was initially concerned about getting lost, but it's actually pretty easy to navigate even for someone that isn't much of an orienteerer. We managed to get ourselves to the hotel after landing with nothing but a train ticket and a dodgy "bus routes" map that was mostly in Chinese.
The weather
It's hot and humid, then it rains in the afternoon and cools everything down. Dress appropriately, wear a hat and sunscreen, bring plenty of water and get used to having a sweaty crotch. The place is well worth the minor discomfort.
