Singapore Travel Diary (Part 2) : Impressions & Highlights

Singapore Travel Blog: Part 1

Next Day: A Busy Day Sightseeing

Next day I had a tour arranged from 9 to 1. The tour operator picked me up at the hotel and it was very busy day for the next few hours. I visited popular places like:

Little India
China Town and the ancient Thian Hock Keng Temple
Marina Bay and Singapore's iconic Merlion
National Orchid Garden (part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens)
And much more

Singapore is very neat and clean city. Its downtown has lots of skyscrapers and has the look and feel of a downtown in a western country. I noticed that the skyscrapers and tall buildings have different styles and poses different from the architectural beauty of skyscrapers in New York or Toronto. I liked it because it looked different than what I was used to seeing in North America.

I will not detail each place I visited because I captured most of it in my video and pictures and you can see them on my YouTube and Instagram.

Maxwell Hawker Centre Singapore - Famous Street Food

Maxwell Hawker Centre is a famous street food court in Chinatown, Singapore. This is the best place to try Singaporean dishes served by various street food stalls in one place. There are tables and chairs to sit down and enjoy all the food under the same roof.

You will find street food stall like Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken that was endorsed by celebrities like Anthony Bourdain and the Michelin Guide. But there is always a lineup, so I decided to try the next one without a lineup. I was told that any stalls in Hawker’s Market would taste as good as Tian Tian.

Any items here are extremely cheap and the taste and quality are mind blowing. I tried the famous Hainanese chicken rice and it cost me only $3.50. Another time I was planning to try the hotel buffet, but it was way expensive at $70. So I walked about 15 minutes to another street food complex and had 7 items only for $5.80. It was so much that I couldn’t eat it all and tipped the server, which made her day.

Singapore: Time to Leave

My 2 days in Singapore are almost over and I am heading to the airport for Melbourne, Australia. I found Singapore to be a very clean and beautiful city. You will not see any homeless people on the street and everywhere is very neat and clean.

I heard laws are very strict in Singapore. For example, you cannot eat on the street while walking or even chew gum. If you are eating at a street food vendor, you will have to finish eating there.

I will be taking a low-cost airline, Scoot, owned by Singapore Airlines and I will write my experience in the next blog.

Singapore Travel Blog: Impressions & Highlights

Singapore Travel Diary (Part 1)

+30 C from -30 C

My transition from -30 C (Canada) to +30 C was felt right away once I entered the airport from the plane. Although there was air conditioning, when I was walking along the glass wall it was clear I had arrived in Singapore.

Immigration was a breeze. The immigration officer only asked one question: How many days would I stay in Singapore? After clearing customs, it was time to look for transportation to reach my hotel.

City Shuttle to Four Points Sheraton

I researched reaching the city hotel taking public transportation before and taking a city shuttle seemed to be the best option for only $9. Once I reached the help desk close to the exit gate, the rep pointed me to the self-service kiosks located next to the help desk. However, she was nice enough to show me how to obtain a ticket from the machine.

I was told to stay close by the help desk, as the City Shuttle driver comes to the help desk to pick up for the next ride. After waiting about 10-15 minutes, the driver came and took me to the shuttle waiting just outside the exit door. To my surprise, I was the only passenger. So for only $9, I had something like a taxi ride.

I had the same thing when I was returning from the hotel to the airport. I booked my return trip with the driver and he picked me up at my hotel. This time I was the only one in the shuttle as well.

Singapore River in Robertson Quay

My hotel was located on the Singapore River in Robertson Quay and I had spectacular views from my room of the river and city skyscrapers. There was a cute white bridge at the river and there were a nice walkway and restaurants there as well. The river stretches a long way and all along you can see stores and eateries. The night scenes were even better due to the reflections of lights on the water.

First Evening in Chinatown

After checking in and showering, I wanted to explore Singapore a little bit because it was only 4:00 PM. Hotel employees mentioned that Chinatown was within walking distance and I decided to walk to to Chinatown after taking some pictures of the white bridge and river surroundings.

Chinatown was bustling and open-air and street food restaurants were full of people. I saw lots of senior citizens hanging out and having good times in Chinatown. At my hotel the dinner buffet was $70, but in Chinatown I picked 7 items (that was a lot of food) and paid only $5.80. The server was surprised when I gave her a tip. I was looking for napkins or tissue, but no one seemed to understand. Finally, one person got me and gave me a tissue pack.

Singapore Travel Blog - Part 2

Lessons From a 3rd World Country

Bangladesh Travel Lessons

My recent trip to a 3rd world country was quiet fascinating. It gave me a chance to compare some socio-economic issues between two worlds (1st world and 3rd world). A 3rd world country is obviously not in the same situation to be compared with a 1st world country. But from time to time, I analyze the similarities and differences between countries just to reenergize my thinking capability. That’s exactly what I was doing when I was visiting Bangladesh last month. It did not take me long to discover two stunning improvements this small country was able to achieve. Many developed countries have not yet been able to match these accomplishments.

Telecommunications
Bangladesh entered the era of modern telecommunications at the speed of light. I have not seen this many people using cell phones in America and Canada. SIMcards, phone sets and service plans have become unbelievably affordable. I did not meet a single person without a cell phone. I find it expensive to have a cell phone in North America due to phone company regulations and the high price ceiling. In Bangladesh the picture is different. Subscribers in Bangladesh reached 10.8 million at the end of January, up by 180% from 3.8 million at the end of 2004. It is expected that this number will double to over 20 million by 2007. In Bangladesh, cell phones have added $650 million to gross domestic product (GDP) and created 240,000 jobs. When I drove more than an hour from cities in America or Canada, I often lost the signals. This did not happen in Bangladesh. I traveled North to South on trains and always had strong signal. The whole country is covered and subscribers are able to make and receive calls without being charged roaming and long distance fees. There are malls in Bangladesh which sell only cell phones. When I mentioned this to my Canadian friend, he looked at me in disbelief.

Environment friendly and biodegradable shopping bags
I was in a shopping centre and was expecting my items would be put in a nice looking plastic bag as I am used to it in Canada. Instead, I was given a shopping bag made of some kind of fibre. Later I found out that it was made of jute (cotton like natural fibre).  Jute grows abundantly in Bangladesh and is totally environment friendly and biodegradable. The reason I was never given plastic bags is  Bangladesh has banned the manufacture and use of plastic bags, which many industrialized countries have not been able to do. Department of the Environment  has taken the plastic bag situation seriously, due to billions of bags being dumped into rivers, canals, drains  and other water bodies, over the years, creating a serious environmental threat.

Lessons we take
Theses are just two observations I came across. I am sure a lot more like these can be found in other 3rd world countries. Industrialized countries are hundreds or even thousands of years ahead of poor 3rd world countries. But sometimes it is hard or even impossible for rich countries to take steps to protect their environment and provide technological benefits to their populations. Whenever I notice steps taken by poor countries – which are miles away from ordinary and beyond expectations, it makes me pause to think. Rather than teach the developing world, perhaps it is time for developed countries to take lessons from them.

November 16, 2008. Originally published on www.adawn.net. I will be transferring all my articles from Canada’s Personal Finance Website to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com. Thanks.

Vietnam - The Land Of Hidden Charm

Where To Travel In Vietnam

Vietnam is a country that offers uniquely breathtaking scenery, with mountains, rice fields, and islands surrounded by clear waters. Vietnam also has a deep history and significant cultural wealth, as well. Here, you will find that agriculture is a mainstay, and that traditional methods still exist.

When you travel to Vietnam, you will want to notice which region you are planning on visiting so that you can pack accordingly. Southern Vietnam is warm and dry during the months from March to June, then rainy from June to November. The winter months are typically cool and dry. If you are visiting during the rainy season, remember to pack both warmer and cooler clothing, since the temperature may change quickly.

The Northern section of Vietnam has traditional four seasons, with the coolest months running from December to March and the warmest months running from May until September. Monsoon season in Central Vietnam is the country’s most harsh, with cold, windy weather from September until February.

If you want to travel to Vietnam during its busiest season, then the holiday of Tet is the most important one to choose. Tet is the Vietnamese New Year, which occurs on a date that can be anytime from late January until March, with dates ranging from year to year. If you are visiting an urban area of Vietnam during Tet, you may find that there is a large amount of traffic.

For those looking for a relaxing spot on the beach, Nha Trang is the spot to visit. This small resort village is home to dozens of tourist attractions, although the beautiful clear waters of the beach are definitely the most popular. You will find that there are hotels and dining establishments for any budget, as well.

When traveling in Vietnam, you may be able to use a wide variety of international currencies, such as the US dollar, but the national currency is the Dong. The exchange rate between the dollar and is the dong is about one dollar US to eighteen thousand Vietnamese dong. You may want to consider carrying along both your own currency and the Vietnamese currency, even though both may be accepted locally.

The language in Vietnam is diverse, with Vietnamese being the official language. There are also large populations of people who speak English and Cantonese, as well. Visitors may find that signs are in both English and Vietnamese, making it simpler for English speaking tourists to find their way in large urban areas.

When traveling in Vietnam, you will inevitably want to enjoy traditional Vietnamese food. There are plenty of street vendors selling everything from spring rolls to pho, traditional dish of noodles, spices, and lime. This delicious dish is available everywhere in Vietnam. If you are lucky enough to be in a seaside town in Vietnam, then you will want to try the local seafood, which is freshly caught and prepared daily.

Vietnam is a scenic country, so take the time to enjoy the sights on a motorbike tour is the weather permits. There is plenty to see and do in any region of the country.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on Dec 20, 2009.

Taipei to Singapore - Eva Air Business Class | Flight Review

Toronto to Singapore via Taipei Nov 23, 2018

I talked about my Toronto to Taipei journey before. Today, I will write about the rest of my trip from Taipei to Singapore. Because I am flying the same EVA AIR business class, I will skip some of my experiences to avoid redundancies. 

Transfer Experience at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

I already had my boarding pass from Taipei to Singapore, but I still needed to go through airport security. The overall experience was pleasant. It felt like it was an expedited security procedure for transfer customers and was completed very fast.

The Star Lounge

EVA Air has 4 business class lounges at Taipei’s airport. I had the option to take either the Star Lounge or the Infinity Lounge. I chose Star this time. It has a shower facility and a variety of food.

I found some exotic Asian dishes, which I videoed. The lounge was nicely designed with a bright blue sky ceiling mural.

Inside the Business Class Cabin

This trip (TPE - SIN) was only 4 hours and 30 minutes, which was much shorter than YYZ to TPE (15H 40M). I saw lots of empty seats in business class on this segment. It was the same Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and the same configuration of my previous trip.

The Amenity Kit

There was no amenity kit or pajama set provided this time. The flight attendant offered a blanket and I took it, as it will get colder once the ship is in the air.

Food & Drinks

Food and drink selections were not as great as my previous flight. I guess this was due to the short flight. I didn’t write down the food and drink names, but you will be able to see the menus I tried in the video.

The Washroom

The washrooms were extremely clean and well-maintained like last time. However, the amenities were lacking. I didn’t find one-time toothbrush & toothpaste, mouthwash, and other female necessities like last time. But there was lotion, handwash, cologne, and face spray in containers.

Entertainment System

There were fairly recent movies and TV shows; I watched Mission Impossible Fallout. Eva Air does not provide free WiFi in business class like Turkish Airlines.

Final Thoughts

 My flight had a night mode feature on the ceiling, creating stars in the night sky. It looked really good when all the lights were out and I liked it a lot.

My overall business class flight experience with Eva Air was pleasant and satisfactory. This is my second time flying EVA AIR and I am looking forward to my future trips returning to Toronto on EVA AIR.