Courtesy of a very kind friend, I arrived at LAX the recommended three hours before my departure time. Due to having only the one carry-on bag, I was in the waiting area within an hour, having bypassed the lengthy line for those with luggage to check. There was no sign telling me this was possible, but it never hurts to ask. Our flight from LAX aboard a Singapore Airlines 747 was uneventful, and about as pleasant as a 19 hour voyage in economy class can be. True to their reputation as the world's most highly rated airline, the plane left and arrived on time, and the attendants were attractive and very friendly. My carry-on backpack, which was slightly over the seven kilogram weight limit, was accepted with no complaint. My traveling companion brought a bag that was nearly twice the allowable size and weight, but which still fit into the overhead compartment, and similarly encountered no problems. I am one of those people who just can't seem to sleep anywhere but in a bed, so I watched three movies on the private headset monitor, and read a book. I think I did get about half an hour of sleep in the three or four hours I attempted it. Thanks to Strike Eagle's air travel guide here on Club Hombre, I had brought two bottles of water along. This was a lifesaver, as the flight attendants were asleep for several hours.

Our flight was spent in darkness all the way to Taipei, Taiwan, where we had a seventy minute stopover. I must say that I was very unimpressed by the airport there. I expected much better, but it was not important. We hit the souvenir shop and stretched our legs, then reboarded for the final six hours. When we landed in Singapore, I had totally the opposite experience. The airport there is large, modern, and filled with shops and restaurants. Everyone speaks English with a cultured British accent. Overall, pretty much a microcosm of Singapore itself. Our first stop was the transit hotel. This is a rather unique hotel, in that it is located inside the secure area of the airport. If you are going there, you do so before leaving customs. Rooms are rented in six hour increments, with prices ranging from S$35 - S$57. What I wanted was a shower. The cost was S$5.15, and it was well worth it.

After clearing customs, and changing some money, we decided to take a city bus to Orchard Road, get some food, and decide what to do from there. When we attempted to board the bus, we found out that the cost was S$1.50 and exact change only. After going back into the airport and getting change, we were off on the next bus. These buses are you typical air conditioned city bus, just like you would find in any large American city. I was disappointed with Singapore, although not totally surprised. It was very similar to a large American city. The only real novelty was hearing all these Asians speaking the King's English. I did see quite a few very attractive Chinese women, but unfortunately none of them were working girls. We stopped for food at an area of hawker's stalls on Orchard Road. These are Asia's answer to the food court. I tried the fish ball soup. Must be an acquired taste; not gross, but not overly appealing. The strawberry milk was quite good, however. Tony had no interest in spending time in Singapore, having been here before. I decided that I did not either, so we decided to go to the bus station and see about a bus to Kuala Lumpur.

I will write more about Singapore later, including the stuff you really want to hear about. This is where I spent my final night of the trip, and had a very enjoyable time with a sexy Laotian lady.

Hippie,

Any chance of getting more details of your experience at the transit hotel at SIN? I'm actually surprised that you had a layover in TPE prior to your final arrival in SIN.

Thanks for the great report. Looking forward to more details as time allows.


StrikeEagle

I don't really have a lot more details. I only used the shower facilities, which I believe are part of the health club, but are available separately at a lower cost. I got a price sheet with the intention of posting the info, but apparently threw it away when I tossed the various airport tourist brochures I picked up. The place was pretty nice from what I saw, so I would guess that the rooms are 3 star level, with the deluxe rooms maybe being 4 star. Any specific questions? I'll be glad to answer them if I can.

Singapore Air has two flights a day from LAX to SIN. One stops at Changi in Taipei, the other to Narita. There is 70 minute layocer at either.