Singapore Expats

I am coming to Singapore for 3 weeks in October and would like advice on where to stay. I have a budget of $100 SD a night.

I am single and travelling alone and would like to stay somewhere thats going to enable me get a real taste of what life in Singapore will be like. I am considering moving there next year.

I have stayed on Orchard rd before but this was only for a couple of nights.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

VALUE hotels has room rates for $69.90 per night.

Alexander16 wrote:I am coming to Singapore for 3 weeks in October and would like advice on where to stay. I have a budget of $100 SD a night.

I am single and travelling alone and would like to stay somewhere thats going to enable me get a real taste of what life in Singapore will be like. I am considering moving there next year.

I have stayed on Orchard rd before but this was only for a couple of nights.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Dunlop Street backpackers. "Somewhere Inn" is $26 a night or so. Plenty of others around. It's a hopping spot. Have a drink at the "Prince of Wales" next door.

Alexander16 wrote: I am single and travelling alone and would like to stay somewhere thats going to enable me get a real taste of what life in Singapore will be like. I am considering moving there next year.

I've never used them, but you could try AirBnB to get a sense of how real Singaporeans live.

Thanks for all of your help its appreciated.

Stay anywhere you want, just eat and shop outside touristic areas. Take MRT and go to CCK, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, find local coffee-shops and have some chicken-rice over there. To get impression of living like ordinary Singaporeans you would probably need to stay in HDB what I don't think for two weeks would be legal.

Ultimately, what life in SG is going to be for you depends on yourself and your budget (pay). This will typically determine where you can and want to stay. Majority of foreigners on reasonable budget will stay in the condos but it does not mean this is the only and the only right way.

You can also look into places along Balestier or Serangoon roads.

Stay away from the malls and tourist spots and hangout in neighborhood hawker centres. Take a seat, order some drinks and watch people.

Hop on a bus and just ride the whole route (e.g. 32, 145).

Alexander16 wrote:.

I am single and travelling alone and would like to stay somewhere thats going to enable me get a real taste of what life in Singapore will be like. I am considering moving there next year.

Any Hotel 81 or Fragrance on a street with 'Geylang' or 'Joo Chiat' in the name. Should be under $50 a night, which will give you money to get a 'taste' of what Singapore is really like in those areas for those who are single or alone.

zzm9980 wrote:

Alexander16 wrote:.

I am single and travelling alone and would like to stay somewhere thats going to enable me get a real taste of what life in Singapore will be like. I am considering moving there next year.

Any Hotel 81 or Fragrance on a street with 'Geylang' or 'Joo Chiat' in the name. Should be under $50 a night, which will give you money to get a 'taste' of what Singapore is really like in those areas for those who are single or alone.

Geylang district looks interesting. I will have to have a look around here.

nakatago wrote:You can also look into places along Balestier or Serangoon roads.

Stay away from the malls and tourist spots and hangout in neighborhood hawker centres. Take a seat, order some drinks and watch people.

Hop on a bus and just ride the whole route (e.g. 32, 145).

I've up and down Balesteir and Serangoon road on google maps. They just seem like big busy roads to me.

Can you give me name's of the areas the hawker centres you mentioned are and I'll check them out.

Cheers

x9200 wrote:Stay anywhere you want, just eat and shop outside touristic areas. Take MRT and go to CCK, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, find local coffee-shops and have some chicken-rice over there. To get impression of living like ordinary Singaporeans you would probably need to stay in HDB what I don't think for two weeks would be legal.

Ultimately, what life in SG is going to be for you depends on yourself and your budget (pay). This will typically determine where you can and want to stay. Majority of foreigners on reasonable budget will stay in the condos but it does not mean this is the only and the only right way.

Thanks for your advise. What is HDB and what isn't legal for two weeks? Just curious.

Can you suggest some local expat pubs I could visit to get to meet locals and expats?

Cheers

Ha

Alexander some are pulling your leg but I suppose it depends on what 'Life' you are after. Geylang and Joo Chiat are fun but are red light districts. But still relatively safe in comparison to other such districts in Asian countries.
There are hundreds of hotels under $100/night not just the flea bags recommended here. Try the Amber Hotel in Katong in the East or the Peranakan Hotel on east coast road - they have rooms for under $100/night.

Katong is fun for relaxed local feel. It is an old area of Singapore. Stay away from orchard unless expensive shopping is what you are after

Every HDB (housing estate) has a few hawker centres and markets. Or you can try the big eating hawker centres like Maxwell Road Food Centre, Old Airport Road Hawker Centre, smaller ones like ones on Thomson Road or just go to your neighbourhood coffee shop. These are not western style coffee shops cause they sell local food, local coffee and tea and beer. They are often on the corner in the ground floor of a shop house.

Try shopping locally at a wet market - Tekka will really get your nose going but put you in at the deep end. Take a walk down Serangoon Road in Little India - Start at the Tekka Centre and walk down to Kitchener road. Have Biriyani rice at a stall. Do it on a Sunday evening for the real indian feel.

For more sterile (and probably how you are more likely to live) visit a mall - perhaps a more neighbourhood one. I am from the east so we do i12 Katong and Parkway (when absolutely necessary).
If you need good (non local and non starbucks coffee) try some of the smaller coffee shops like Tiong Bahru Bakery, Gastronomia.

But if you want local coffee (kopi) or Tea (the) these come with sweetened condensed milk and are fun. Or try the kids favourite Milo or Milo Peng.

Alexander16 wrote:

nakatago wrote:You can also look into places along Balestier or Serangoon roads.

Stay away from the malls and tourist spots and hangout in neighborhood hawker centres. Take a seat, order some drinks and watch people.

Hop on a bus and just ride the whole route (e.g. 32, 145).

I've up and down Balesteir and Serangoon road on google maps. They just seem like big busy roads to me.

Can you give me name's of the areas the hawker centres you mentioned are and I'll check them out.

Cheers

Most of them don't have names or aren't listed on the internet. Normally, just pick a direction and keep walking and you'll run into one, especially in HDB clusters.

Alexander16 wrote: I've up and down Balesteir and Serangoon road on google maps. They just seem like big busy roads to me.

Can you give me name's of the areas the hawker centres you mentioned are and I'll check them out.

Cheers

There is a local hawker centre in Balestier: Whampoa Food Centre. The stalls there cater mainly to the locals living around that area. There are two hawker centres. One is connected to the wet market and the other one is by itself. They are near to each other. Stalls at the one connecting to the wet market operate from morning to late afternoon while the other starts their business from later morning to the around 12-1am. Both the centres are open daily unless it is scheduled for cleanup. I think you can check NEA website which are the days they are closed.


I dun think bus service 32 ply that road but 145, 21,131,186 and 130 do. There are quite a number of condo establishments around the area but no all of them have swimming pools and gym.

First off, would you be averse to staying in a backpacker type hostel? Because if you aren't, you can find yourself in some pretty interesting, central areas, for well under $100. Even Hotel 81 or Fragrance Hotel or whatever will cost you $100 a night, or close to it.

If you don't mind a backpacker type concept, there are quite a few in town, Arab Street/Little India/Lavender.