Lonely Planet Singapore

A physical guide? Very old school, said someone to me when I whipped it out to consult while on vacation in Singapore. Which begs the question are they still useful in this day and age of easy access to all things on this planet via the internet via the device of our choice that we carry around and peer at constantly. In these travellers' case, the answer is an emphatic yes. I decided that my wife and I were not going to get international roaming on our phones and were going to do our best to explore with the assistance of this guide and see what happens.

Prior to leaving, I used the guide to set a loose itinerary with 2 days set aside for the Singapore Sevens, a sports event we were attending. Included in the guide was a pull-out map that only covered the central area of Singapore as well as an index to major roads, a transport system map, a top sights guide and a very small map of the entire island. I ultimately left this behind each day and used a far better map found at Changi Airport when we arrived. Based on the loose itinerary, the guide turned out to be more than useful in the end. Its descriptions of the various neighbourhoods to visit were very good and of the small to longer walks suggested for each we used 2 and found them fantastic. Our hotel was right next to Kampong Glam so this lead to easy access from there to Little India and at least 3 walks that the guide suggested.

Lonely Planet also wrote of a couple of places we may not have found but were glad to have, The Battle Box at Fort Canning Park and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in China Town for example. Of the top sites recommended by Lonely Planet we made 7 of the 10 with the National Art Gallery, in my opinion an absolute must for those that like art. I would also suggest that the Botanic Gardens are also a must, a gorgeous place that deserves its world Heritage listing. The least impressive for me was Sentosa Island but that is not my style of place to visit, though I get why it would be included.

Near the back there are 20 pages that cover such things as Singapore Today with a bit of history, a short discussion on its people and cultures, architecture and the many languages spoken that was very useful. This is followed by The Survival Guide, also very useful as it covers everything from public transport to small district maps. The transport system is easily one of the best and cheapest we have ever used anywhere. Our home town of Brisbane has to have a serious look at Singapore considering it is holding an Olympics in the not so distant future, and as to how its public transport will cope with that huge event I have no idea.

If going to Singapore, I would suggest a minimum of 4 full days, there is a lot to pack in. And I would pack this guide in your luggage if you wish to get that pesky phone out of your hands and face. And beware the humidity, phew!