22 Apr 2008, 12:51am
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  • Singapore & Jakarta Trip 2008

    I took 3 weeks annual leave and flew to Singapore and Jakarta to visit some friends and relatives. My friends accompanied me for the whole weekend in Singapore (thanks heaps!), and the days in Jakarta were mostly spent with my parents.

    Here are some pictures from the trip:

    The view from my room at Sleepy Sam’s. Rather shabby, I know, but I’d much prefer it rather than staying at some fancy hotels.

    This part of Bugis is my ‘hood in Singapore :). I think I can navigate the area blindfolded.

    We visited National Museum of Singapore. Call me boring, but museums tend to have unexpected interesting exhibitions.

    The front porch of my parents house in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta.

    After the nightmarish Jakarta Flood in 2007, my dad raised the floor by a meter, I could easily touch the ceiling.

    Traffic has always been beyond terrible in Jakarta. That bus in the picture eventually broke down and suddenly moved backward hitting my parents car (the bus driver ran away, gosh).

    As much as I love travelling, this first time trip with budget airlines (Tiger Airways and Valuair) really took the comfort away, though the money saved was definitely worth it.

    If I could recommend one thing to the Singaporean and Indonesian governments, please make your customs officers smile to the visitors. Seriously, I was given suspicious looks and frowned at each time I passed their areas. Maybe next time I should wear a t-shirt saying “Dude, I’m neither a terrorist nor a drug mule. Res-pect!”

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    Man, I’d really like to go to Singapore one day. It’s one of those places that looks like it has so much culture and history to it. And i too like to go the old fashion route of going to “shabby” hotels over the modern one. You get more of the cultural experience that way rather than the canned commercialism of a newer complex.

    You should visit the place :). Singapore is a unique blend of east and west, old and new. Plus, the food is great!

    It is so nice trip !!! I would like to aks the bus from Jakarta to Singpore and how much it cost ??.
    Thanks for your help…I am a Vietnamese girl.

    @Jessi
    I’m not based in Jakarta so I don’t know how much it costs. You might want to contact some travel agents in Jakarta, or google for more information.
    Also, taking a bus will be a pain because you’ll have to take ferries and stop by Batam Island. It’s easier to take a flight from Jakarta to Singapore.

    Hi, I am living in Singapore since February and wondered to go for a visit to Jakarta one extended weekend. What would you recommend as a must see or must do ? And do you need a visum if you are European? Thanks for help,

    ulrike, there are too many things to do in Jakarta for one extended weekend, so I guess it depends on what your interests are :). Lonely Planet’s list is pretty much spot on http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/jakarta/sights .
    I don’t know what the current regulation is re visa requirements, you might want to check with the Indonesian embassy in Singapore. You can apply for on-arrival visa at the airport.

    I certainly agree with you about the museum. I too was amused with interesting exhibitions. Singapore is one of my favorite place for vacation. Nice pictures by the way. Cheers

     

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