Singapore

Gotta love a country where before you enter they tell you that they will put you to death for this and that (mainly drugs but still).
Brokedown Palace anyone?

Anyway, I love a city that is humble. An entire population that hasn’t gotten an ego yet. Singapore is like this. Everywhere you go, people will ask, why did you come here…as if to say why on earth would you be here if you could be anywhere else! Well, I think they just haven’t realized yet how appealing a place like Singapore is to the rest of the world. It’s affluent (actually expensive as shit), it’s super clean, the girls are hot, and they keep building cooler and cooler new shit. Plenty of good reasons to hit up Singapore.

It’s not a walking city (like Dubai they insanely built major roads and highways all through the inner city so you can hardly walk anywhere). Cabs are plentiful and not outrageous…the cabs might be the least outrageous cost in this entire area.

Having been all over, I’m pretty sure I can call this the most expensive city I’ve ever been to. Let’s not judge by real estate…let’s judge by beers, and here they cost over 10 bucks everywhere. Even in NYC you find specials…but I found none in this world. Like a 10 dollar domestic beer, at the type of place that in the US would sell it for 3.

I think Singapore is sweet. I would go back. Maybe stay at the W next time…

Notes to self:

-The Marina Bay Sands pool is a must do…so buy a pass if you don’t stay at the hotel. Likewise, they have 2 restaurants and 1 bar/club on the top deck which should be looked at (the club has ladies nights on Wednesdays…and those girls were smokin’)
-Sentosa is not so fun. Universal Studios is a joke (those crazy fuckers hooted and hollered like the roller coaster was just invented)…there are almost no rides. Resorts World is not a bad visit just to walk around and maybe get some food. The aquarium was pretty sweet…educational (which is honestly way more interesting) and huge. The rest of the stuff is pretty boring but there are some outdoor adventure type things…zip wires, etc that I could see doing.
-The cable car to and from Sentosa is awesome…and if it’s slow you get your own shit. Just ask for your own car.
-Little India is pretty boring, exactly what you’d expect (Mustafa center is the same as every other “we sell everything, for supposedly discounted prices, and pack shit in like we were moving” kind of department store)
-Chinatown, same thing you’ve seen countless times but not as grand
-Didn’t go to Orchard street because it was supposed to be all shopping (but many people did recommend the Orchard Towers to get a girl…4 floors of women they say…and they do say it without shame). Geylang is supposedly another huge red light district where they have fishbowl style brothels…but I didn’t go.
-28 Hong Kong street gets all the buzz as an internationally renowned speakeasy. It’s not so hard to find if you’re looking for it but it definitely does not have any signage. It’s small, maybe 8 booths and a bar with 10 or so seats. I was not asked for a password. The people were all super nice and the bartenders had some pretty sick skills honestly… plus!! the food menu was like a miracle of mod American but I wasn’t hungry. I had a great time here, but the decor was meh.
-The library is close to perfect as far as speakeasys go. The door, disappointingly so, does say the library on it, but this door only goes to a single chair barbershop. You must say the password to the door girl in the shop if you want to enter. I got a haircut as well, it was worth every penny. Not for the cut, but for the experience you get sitting there. Makes you wish for more please!
-Try some laksa but ask for the hot version. Get some chili crab.
-They probably have the best zoo in the world here. It’s almost as if there are no actual “cages”…animals hang out kind of everywhere. I didn’t do the night safari, but it’s supposed to be sick.

Marina Bay Sands - Nov 2013

Easily one of the best hotels in the world. The lobby is humongous with 3 separate towers for rooms. Obviously you want a high floor and the city view is far far better than the water view. I was upgraded to a premium from a deluxe but I think that mainly gets you more space…which isn’t always wanted. The room is big though, with a nice sitting area. I wouldn’t normally mention a sitting area but the views are so sweet that it comes into play. PLUS, the floor to ceiling windows are angled down which creates a really cool “hanging over the edge” effect. The bathrooms are pretty sweet with giant modern tubs, huge shower rooms, and mirrors everywhere, which I love. They have electronic switches for most things (sadly no tablet control panel though which you really need nowadays if you want to be bad ass). I think the adult section of the pay per view is the same one they had in the US during the 80’s…but the hotel isn’t that old so what gives! I’ve never seen it before…so now I have to rent one to see what on earth is happening.

I have never seen the pools equal, but I imagine there are a couple out there…and a couple more that will catch up. But it’s hard to not be impressed. They also have a club like bar on the skydeck, a restaurant on each side…one with a really cool outdoor and much more casual bar (fewer techno beats than the other bar). One thing to love is they built nooks and crannies everywhere. Places to sit and stand somewhat privately and just enjoy. It’s pretty perfect.

There are bars, restaurants, and shops everywhere on the ground level. The casino is pretty big, but they do require a passport to get in…crazy. The mall connected to the hotel is pretty sweet honestly. Upscale with lots of great restaurants and they put in a freaking gondola ride through the center…for reasons passing understanding other than they could.

Location is not very good to be honest because being across the bay, you can’t really walk to anything…but who cares, this hotel is sick.