It was only on my way out to the airport to catch my onward flight to Sydney that I passed by a cordoned off area of the city centre. It was then that the penny dropped. The Formula 1 Grand Prix circus was in town (for three days as it turned out) so that probably explained the high prices everywhere. My 4-star hotel had cost me about €280 for the night which is not cheap by anyone’s standards although I have to say that it was in a great location just off Orchard Road and the food was excellent. Located in Cuscaden Road, the Traders hotel is well worth staying in when you’re next in Singapore and hopefully you’ll end up paying a lot less than I did! Check it out at http://www.tradershotelsingapore.org/. Incidentally, when travelling to Singapore, be aware that several companies operate shuttle-bus services between the airport and downtown so you don’t have to pay high taxi or limousine costs. The one-way rate is 9 Singaporean dollars which is dirt cheap and you won’t have to ensure any more than three intermediate stops. On both my inbound and outbound transfers, I didn’t experience any so it was for all intents and purposes as direct as a taxi ride but at a fraction of the cost. The transfer time is approximately 45 minutes.
The art of getting a quote that is both competitive in price and relevant to your needs starts with gathering all the right information about what you want to do (or think you want to do!).
