Flyscoot Review

Singaporean budget airline FlyScoot offers cheap alternatives to Australians travelling to neighbouring Asian countries so when it came time to book flights to Singapore for myself, it was a no brainer. At hundreds of dollars cheaper than other airlines at the time, I booked my tickets and started the countdown to my holiday away. But was the flight worth it?

Well, the flight between Sydney and Changi Airport, Singapore is only seven hours long. So it’s very possibly to sacrifice some comfort for affordability on the flight. Meals, seat selection and anything else you might have included with other airlines is an added fee on Scoot flights.

Not only that, but you’re limited to 7kg carryon luggage. This is fine as long as you aren’t planning on doing excessive shopping or packing for a month-long trip. Lucky for me I was only planning on visiting Singapore and Malaysia for a week so the limit was very easy to abide by.

Cabin crew on Scoot flights were very polite and accommodating and snacks, food and drinks can all be purchased on the flight using cash or card in the currency of the departure or arrival country. However, the prices are as expensive as you’d expect they would be on a flight.

No entertainment is provided either so you’ll have to bring your own. This wasn’t a problem for me, I simply brought along my iPad and watched Scream Queens the whole time. But for families with young children, this means extra baggage. For some, it might be worth booking with one of the other major airlines where entertainment and meals are catered for.

If you’re looking to save some money and you don’t mind being a little uncomfortable for a couple of hours, Scoot is great! However, I can’t say I would happily book flights with them again, certainly not for any long-haul flights, which from Sydney is almost every flight we take.

You really do get what you pay for with Fly Scoot. I give the airline two stars.

Which airline is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Ash
xx

Singapore City Guide

Singapore may be a small country but there’s no shortage of things to do! From theme parks and resort islands to the zoo and so much shopping you’d think you had died and gone to retail heaven. Come with me to Singapore…

Getting Around

Public transport in Singapore is voted among the best in the world and it is easy to find train and bus stations. However, our Singaporean friends provided us with some of their spare travel passes. The lines to purchase train tickets were always really long so you may want to leave earlier if you’re planning on being anywhere at a certain time. Many buses accept cash so you can just hop on and ride along providing you have Singaporean change.

Best of all though are the taxis. Taxis are absolutely everywhere in Singapore and they’re more affordable than here in Australia. Everything in Singapore is relatively close together so you won’t have to travel too far, keeping fares low. The average price I paid for a taxi fare was $10. Keep in mind that not all cabs are fitted with an EFTPOS machine so cash may still be required.

TIP: If you are planning on catching a taxi, Google the fastest route to your destination. You’ll be able to avoid having any taxi drivers take you for a ride.

Attractions

With so much to see and do in Singapore you may think it an impossible task to get everything done. But here’s how we spent our week exploring the country.

We spent our first two days in Singapore on Sentosa Island. This is where we visited Singapore’s main theme parks and attractions including Adventure Cove Waterpark, Universal Studios, Imbiah Lookout, Tiger Sky Tower and the Trick Eye Museum.

After spending two days on Sentosa we left our hotel to stay with two of our friends in their apartment in Bukit Panjang. On day three of our Singaporean holiday we visited Singapore Zoo and stayed for theNight Safari. Our fourth day was spent travelling to Malaysia where we spent the entire day atLegoland. We returned to Singapore that afternoon to ride the Singapore Flyer and have dinner at a Hawker Centre.

On day five we fed turtles at the live turtle and tortoise museum inside the Chinese Gardens before meeting our friends for lunch on Orchard Road where we spent the rest of the day shopping and of course, eating. We also explored China Town for more affordable shopping and delicious food.

On sixth and final day in Singapore we visited Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands before making our way to Changi Airport. But the fun didn’t stop there! Changi airport is full of plenty of shopping and fun attractions. We even caught part of a movie and sat in free massage chairs!

Shopping

It’s hard to resist shopping in Singapore. For cheap and affordable shopping, head to China Town. If you’re after big named brands head to Marina Bay and visit the shopping centres nearby. Orchard Road is the beacon of shopping located in the heart of Singapore so head there for all of your favourites like H&M and Cotton On.

TIP: If you’re not after anything specific, start at the Orchard Road where you’ll find a collection of retailers, ice cream carts and plenty of restaurants.
What’s your favourite thing about Singapore? Let me know in the comments below.

Ash
xx

 

HOW TO PACK FOR A WEEK (CARRY ON)

To celebrate the beginning of 2016, my boyfriend and I travelled to Singapore. It was our first trip to a destination in the summer time and the first trip we were limited to just carryon luggage. So, how do you pack a week’s worth of stuff into carry on baggage?

Star with a small suitcase or duffle bag. I use an Isaac Mizarhi suitcase which measures 58cm x 36cm x 23cm and meets the requirements for most international and domestic flights. Be sure to check baggage limits with your airline beforehand to avoid any nasty fees!

Don’t like reading? Watch my video here:

Check list:

• 3x shirts
• 2x pairs of shorts
• 2x dresses – a nice one for a night out at dinner with our friends and a more casual one for when we go shopping
• 1x playsuit because they’re practical, comfortable and very cute
• 2x pairs of shoes (a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a pair of thongs/ sandals for beach days and afternoons spent lazing by the pool)
• Bathroom essentials (hairbrush, toothbrush, deodorant, toothpaste, makeup, etc) packed in smaller containers and stored in a clear travel bag. You can find affordable travel sized bottles of your bathroom essentials at supermarkets, chemists and some retail stores.
• A hat
• A beach towel and swimmers
• A pair of jeans in case the weather takes a turn for the worst
• A jumper/ jacket for the same reason
• A camera
• A book to keep busy on the plane
• My iPad – I take my iPad for entertainment on the plane and to access free WiFi at hotels to contact my family back home.
• Chargers and an adapter – you’ll need to check what adapter the country you’re visiting requires before you leave Australia. Buying adaptors at airports can be very expensive so I recommend purchasing one when they’re on sale from stores like Kathmandu.

My quick travel tips:

1. Always wear your heavier clothes and shoes on the plane to save weight in your luggage, especially when you’re returning home with lots of shopping. Some airlines have strict weight restrictions that can be as low as 7kg so weigh your bags beforehand to avoid paying extra fees.
2. Bring a copy of your check list with you for travel insurance purposes. If you happen to lose your luggage, you’ll know exactly what’s missing! (If you’re packing for a longer trip you might want to take a photo of your luggage just in case).
3. Bring a photocopy of your important documents like your passport just in case they go missing or get stolen. You can never be too careful!
4. Some airports including Sydney international charge to weigh suitcases and baggage so weigh your luggage before you leave home just to be safe.
5. Plastic bags can mean the difference between wet and dry clothes in your suitcase so bring a couple in your luggage. You never know when a plastic bag can come in handy.

What are your travel essentials? Are you planning a summer time holiday? Let me know in the comments below!

Don’t forget to check out mycarry on essentials and my guide to packing a suitcase for longer holidays! 

Ash
xx

Day Trip to Malaysia

While Singapore is a great country that should definitely be explored completely, it’s also conveniently located right near Malaysia. A lot of Singaporeans will cross the border for cheaper shopping or a holiday of their own. But most tourists will cross the border with one thing in mind: a trip to Legoland.

We booked our Malaysian trip with WTS which made it much easier for us. The coach will pick you up from one of two locations in Singapore (Singapore Flyer or Big Box) before taking you to the border crossing and through to one of three Malaysian theme parks. You’ll get to pick from Legoland, Legoland Waterpark, Hello Kitty World or a combination of them all.

Depending on how many people are crossing the border, how many people you need to wait for to get back on your coach and how long security takes, the trip could take you anywhere from an hour to a couple of hours. It took us an hour and 40 minutes to get out of Singapore and another 40 minutes to cross the Malaysian border and make our way to Legoland.

You’re able to choose the pick-up time to suit you. Remember to give yourself a lot of time if you’re visiting more than one and to allow for longer border crossing times. We arrived at Legoland at 12pm and had chosen to be picked up at 4pm which gave us plenty of time.

Alternatively you can choose to stay overnight in one of the theme parks hotels so you can take your time at each theme park.

Legoland is much like any other theme park with rides, special exhibitions such as the Star Wars Lego exhibition as well as miniature Asian cities built out of Lego. There aren’t very many rides and the lines are average so you can expect to wait around for a while. Luckily the rides are pretty short so the lines will move quite quickly. You can read my review of Legoland here.

We chose to have the coach drop us off at Singapore Flyer so that we could see a bit more of Singapore during the night. Singapore Flyer made the perfect ride to end a day full of theme park fun.

TIP: If you are dropped off at the Flyer note that there’s a hawker centre below which serves traditional Singaporean street food. It is a little more expensive than a normal centre because of its location and proximity to tourist activity. The walk from the Flyer to Marina Bay shopping mall is beautiful by night. If you have the time, stop to check out the Supertree Grove at night.

Have any questions? Ask me in the comments below!

Ash
xx

Singapore: Movenpick Heritage Hotel Review

Spacious and comfortable rooms in the heart of Sentosa

Sentosa Island has long been considered Asia’s favourite playground and is a definite must-see when visiting the country.

There are a total of 14 hotels on Sentosa, ranging from family accommodation to five-star resorts. Most of Singapore’s major attractions and theme parks are located on the island and can be accessed very easily when staying in any of the island’s hotels.

We chose to stay in Mövenpick Heritage Resort because it was one of the more luxurious and affordable hotels on the island. Located close to monorail, bus and cable car transport services, it’s always very easy to walk to theme parks and attractions from the hotel.

The staff at Mövenpick are extremely helpful, kind and polite and are happy to help with any questions you have related to travelling Singapore and Sentosa. There’s a fee to enter Sentosa Island but you’ll be given a free pass upon check-in to avoid paying that fee just once. I recommend staying on the island and exploring it before you venture out to mainland Singapore to avoid paying the entry fee. We spent a couple of nights on Sentosa and a couple in Singapore to make it easier and cheaper to visit attractions.

We stayed in the deluxe room which was very spacious and comfortable. The king sized bed and easily controlled air conditioning made for a very good night’s sleep. The room included all general amenities; a shower, toilet and bath tub, a mini bar fridge, free tea and coffee facilities and a large window with a view of beautiful Sentosa. Room service is also available for a small fee.

For me the winning feature of the hotel was without a doubt its location. I would recommend Mövenpick for anyone looking for five-star comfort in a great location at a more affordable price.

I give Mövenpick Heritage Resort five stars.

Where have you stayed in Singapore? Let me know in the comments below.

Ash
xx

Mövenpick Heritage Resorts
23 Beach View
Sentosa, Singapore 098679