Honeymoon in Singapore

Greetings all in Singapore!

I am planning my honeymoon in your lovely country and wanted to ask a few questions, if you might permit me, and please excuse any ignorance from my part, I am attempting to do my research:

1) which area has the markets where one can shop for normally priced items, not high end fashion malls etc.?

2) where would the best area be to book a hotel, that would be within walking distance of nice attractions?

3) do the hotels book activities for you, or do you have to book those yourself such as a cruise down the river or a trip to universal studios?

4) which areas would you recommend tourists go to see? historic etc.

5) how does the taxi system work? Do they have meters or do you have to haggle with them? How difficult is it to get a shuttle/ taxi from the airport to the hotel you choose?

I am hoping someone can enlighten me on my quest for info, I am already freaking out about getting married :S any info you have would be most greatly appreciated.

Plus, I would not mind making a few friends here through the forum that can give me a real live tour of singapore from the eyes of an expat/local there. OF course i would reciprocate the gesture should said person wish to travel to where i am/ where i am from.

best wishes,

Ayman

I tried to answer some of your questions.

- All taxis are using meter.
- some places that you may be interested:
* Little India, you can go Mustafa Centre, the price is relatively cheap
* Bugis, you can go Bugis Village and Arab Street
* Chinatown
* Bras Basah, there are a couple museums around this area
* Clarke Quay, the night life spot in Singapore (actually you can go Arab street also to experience night life in Singapore)
* Orchard Road, high end shopping malls are located here
* Marina Bay, you can go to Esplanade, Merlion, MBS (Marina Bay Sands), Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay
* Another tourist spot: Sentosa (Universal Studio, Resort World, etc), Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari, Botanical Garden, Chinese and Japanese Garden

budse has some good advice. My additions:

You'll find it very easy to get a taxi from the airport. The taxi queue is efficient, fast-moving and well-organised.

*Generally speaking* taxi drivers are knowledgeable about locations *compared to drivers in other countries*. That is, they're no London Cabs and to be on the safe side you can print out a google map with your hotel pinpointed, BUT they will probably find it one way or another if you don't, and without too much run around. Some cabs have GPS or their drivers have smart phones. Otherwise they often ring a friend.

They will use the meter. There's no haggling.

Don't worry too much about staying walking distance from tourist attractions. Most tourist attractions are near MRT stations. The MRT is convenient and easy to use. Just try to book a hotel near an MRT station. That said, the central/tourist areas are around Marina Bay, Orchard, Clarke Quay, Chinatown, Little India, Harbourfront/Sentosa. If you mark these places on google maps you'll get a good idea of what is central and what is a long way out.

It's pretty easy to book visits to attractions either online or at the door/starting point. I think most hotels would help if you asked.

As for which attractions to recommend: any clues on what sort of thing you're into?

many thanks Bronwyn, much appreciated :one

well the future Mrs. loves history, so a few temples would be much needed, museums etc. Also, i heard from friends that sentosa island is a must, as well as the night safari. other than that ofcourse, universal studios is a must.

any suggestions/ additions to this? they would be greatly appreciated :)

Temples:
- Little India
- Arab Street
- Chinatown
- St Andrews Cathedral (near Raffles Place)
Any walking tours (guided or self-guided) around these areas will include temples/churches/mosques.

History/Museums:
Asian Civilisation Museum (Clarke Quay)
Chinese Folk Museum (Pagoda St, Chinatown)
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall (Thompson)
Art Science Museum (Marina Bay)

Sentosa:
Appeals to some people and not others. If you like theme parks and resorts then certainly go. If you're going to Universal Studios you'll be there so you just need to take some extra time to wander around.

Zoo/Night Safari
It's definitely nice to see the zoo in the cool of night, and the nocturnal creatures will be a feature.

The close proximity of Buddhist and Hindu temples, Christian churches and Muslim Mosques is, in my opinion, a greater (and more unique) sight of Singapore's multi-cultural, cosmopolitan society than the individual places of worship by themselves.
Add to that hyper-modern malls and office buildings mixed with conserved corners where time seems to have stood still, and you get an idea of the real Singapore.
Also have a meal at a hawker centre, where you have the same variety in hundreds of dishes from all kinds of origins (and even sometimes all mixed into one).