the pursuit of duberkat: kat's guide to Singapore

Do you need a vacation? Planning a trip one of these days to...Singapore? For the travel virgins, you might wanna read on about some of the main attractions that Singapore has to offer. Ive recently visited the country and it was really amazing. But i must say that i havent fully enjoyed my trip for a couple of reasons. One of which is because my mom and I were on a packaged tour along with some of the not-so-fabulous-people-on-earth. Anyway, for those who havent been bitten by the travel bug, here's a list of suggestions that might help to make your vist to Singapore memorable and hassle-free.

1. Hop through different Travel Agencies. There are tons of them but be patient to sort them out to have the best deals. Our travel agency booked us for Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. But when we got to Singapore, we were informed that the itinerary of our trip was changed. We would have a City tour of Singapore instead. MAJOR BUMMER. Be a hypochondriac to hop through all of these agencies and find a reputable one.

2. Change currencies. If you can, change your peso into Singapore dollars before leaving . It can save you time rather than finding a money changer booth while your'e on tour. Check the rates before you do so.

3. Money in your pocket.Unless you have a very generous sponsor or your'e just filthy rich, this should not be a problem. But for the common folks like you and me, a good Php 10,000- 20,000 would be enough for a 3-day trip to Singapore. But if your'e really on a tightER budget, at least Php 8,000 will do. Just stick to $1-3 food and your'e good to go. =D

4. Singapore Sale. Now would be good time for you to pack your bags and head down to Singapore since its their annual eight-week Great Singapore Sale. Literally, all of their stores and malls go on sale. It runs from May 23 till July 20. TIP: if you wanna find great bargains, skip on their fancy malls and head down to Orchard Street and Bugis Street. Its a whole street full of bargains and shops where you can find EVERYTHING. They also have a shopping complex called Mustafa Center. It is located at Little India and it caters to the budget market. (ahem!) The best part of it is that it is open 24hours. =D

5. Main Attractions. We were able to visit some of their popular tourist attractions and these are just some of my recommendations:

> Singapore Flyer- Its a ginormous ferris wheel that houses up to 30 people. It offers you the best panoramic view of the entire region which will take about half an hour. DONT MISS this.

> Sentosa Island- The island is packed with all sorts of adventure to suit every type of tourist. We were able to to ride cable car to which we had a fantastic view of the island from above. We also visited the Underwater World which houses 2,500 fishes in one huge aquarium. And we watched Songs of the Sea which is a spectacular musical with pyrotechnics, lasers and computer images with the sea as the stage. This should NOT BE MISSED.