on the Go with Bo!

Singapore the garden city

Lush, green and clean :-)

Qunicy ... the new modern boutique hotel close to Orchard Road

I remember the Mt Elizabeth area behind Orchard Road quite well from my early days in Singapore.  After having had stayed several weeks at the Park Hyatt, we moved into a 'company flat' in Mt. Elizabeth.  Well let me tell you ... I hated it there.  Reason?  There was construction (read noise!!) on either side of the building and it drove us nuts.  Needless to say, we didn't last there for long!

Anyhow ... wouldn't you know it that one of the building sites that was creating so much noise ... has turned into the splendid new boutique hotel called Quincy Hotel.

I had read about it in the newspaper and today I thought I'd pay it a visit.  Somehow I was excited about a new boutique hotel in Singapore!  Reason being is that there are several wonderful boutique hotels in the CBD area, but none in the shopping district of Orchard Road.

I walked to Mt. Elizabeth and as I walk into the front door of Quincy I meet Kristine, the Front Office Manager.  We started chatting, I told her I would love to see the rooms, she takes me upstairs on a grand tour.  Simple as that.

The concept of the hotel is that it's all inclusive.  With the price of your room you get a transfer from the airport, your room (obviously!), free wi-fi, restaurant serving 3 free meals a day, free daily-replenished mini-bar and two pieces of laundry per night.  Given that everything is 'free', that is why the front doors are closed to visitors.

I hope I didn't get this wrong and am creating some false advertising here!

The rooms have a modern spacious feel, just the right size with all the 5-star amenities that you would need.  And they have huge windows with great views of the Orchard area.

And the cantilevered pool on the 12th floor?  what a stunning view while swimming in a glass walled pool.

Kristine was super nice to show me around ... and if this is the service level they promise at the Quincy ... I may just end up moving in there :-)

So the next time friends ask me to recommend a great new hotel in Singapore ... Quincy it shall be!

They say we're in a recession ...

But the construction in singapore doesn't stop. This is ION
orchard ... One of 3 massive shopping malls opening on orchard road in
the next several months.

Planning on a workout while in Singapore?

While there are many smaller gyms around the island, there are two main chains of fitness centres:  California Fitness and Fitness First.

I go to California Fitness.  Why?  It's as the name would allude to ... lots of eye-candy, intense energy, showy, flesh on display, flashy outfits ... after all one does need motivation while working out!  Fitness First has smaller clubs, cozier and the crowd is less obsessed with image.

You make the choice as to which one you want to go to!

Thought I would try something new today ... A blog entry via my iPhone!!! Damn gadgets! 

Photo of the inside of first Thai food restaurant on purvis street.

Dining on Purvis Street

Purvis Street is not a long street, but a colourful one at that.  Located right behind the Raffles Hotel, this is the street for some fun dining experiences.

The street is one long row of old and quaint shophouses, flanked by the very modern and stunning Singapore National Library on one side ... and ... can't remember what's on the other side :-)

Anyhow, Purvis street offers the whole range ... from very fine Italian dining at Garibaldi's to some fantastic chicken rice at the very local Chin Chin Eating House.  There is also a wonderful Thai restaurant here called First Thai Food, which has now become my favourite Thai place in Singapore.

FYI ... there are also some funky furniture stores to be found here!

So if in the vicinity ... and needing a quick lunch or tasty dinner ... Purvis Street is the place to be.

Talking about the National Library, if you go to the top floor and look out the window, you will have a great view of Purvis Street and the surrounding area.  Brilliant view!

 

Jumbo Seafood by the sea

I love coming here for I feel like a child all over again.  When you see the mess I make with the chili crab ... it's playtime at the kitchen table all over again!  No wonder they give you the Jumbo bibs!

Jumbo Seafood has several restaurants around Singapore, however, the one at the East Coast Seafood Centre is the original one and my favourite.  It's authentic!  You sit outside, right by the water, in the warm and humid evening air ... and eat till your heart is content ... while making a complete mess!

Of course you've got to try the wonderfully messy and delicious chili crab, but there are also deep fried tiger prawns coated in cereal and bamboo clams with minced garlic that are not to be missed.  Combine that with a Tiger beer and you've got a perfect evening.

If you're looking for a more refined version of Jumbo Seafood ... try the Dempsey Hill outlet.  More upscale ... same mess at the table!

Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

When a country has two main cities, one never knows which one to visit first.  Vietnam, due to historical reasons (prior to unification in 1976 there were two countries with two capitals) has the long named Ho Chi Minh City in the south, and the current capital Hanoi in the north.  We decided to start with the former!

Discover the beauty of magical Saigon ...

The Hippo sight-seeing bus

I've had my guests call it everything:  hip-hop bus, hop-on hop-off bus, hippo bus, etc.  Little do they know that the company which runs the busses is called Duck tours!!!!

We've all had guests who've dropped by for a few days and have asked 'what should I see in the next 24 hours?'  And then you're left looking stunned for you can't decide.

The answer is the Hippo sightseeing bus.  It's the best way to see any city if you don't have much time.  Basically, it's a hop-on hop-off bus that tours through Singapore going through all the major sites.  There are two routes: the City tour that covers the shopping malls, major shopping streets, botanic gardens or the Heritage tour that takes you to Chinatown, Little India, Arab town and the Civic District amongst other places.

Where do you buy the tickets?  Go to the Hippo website and open the map with the tour route.  Find a stop that's close to your place and then simply hop-on the double-decker bus when it arrives ... you buy the ticket onboard.  The great thing is that with your pass, which is valid for 24 hours, you can change busses from one tour to the other at any point.

If interested, Duck Tours also does river cruises ... and that's where the company name comes from ... given that you go into the river on a amphibian duck.

Be warned though ... my cousin and his girlfriend were sitting on the open top-deck all day long, touring around Singapore and enjoying the sites ... till they got home and realized they were totally sunburnt!

And now my secret ... I've never been on one of these busses.  I learnt all of this from my guests :-)