travel necessities

About a week or two before our trip, with the excitement slowly trickling in, I started gathering as much info about Singapore.

One great travel advice I read and try to follow is that travelers must research as much and as early as they can about the place they are going to. That way, they can plan on how to efficiently maximize their time. Also, they might find great deals for early bookings. This way, they have enough time too to choose the best, and maybe the cheapest, hotel.

Researching about Singapore and how to go around was initially confusing because most of the sites and forums I saw mention street names and LRT/MRT stations like Orchard Road, Joo Koon, Pasir Ris, Tampines, Bugis, etc. I initially thought that we could just hire a cab, give him the address, and off we go. But I read that taking a cab is quite pricey (better save that for buying the best fat burners), which was why many people, even the locals, took the MRT/LRT. Only after familiarizing myself with the MRT/LRT stations did I fully appreciate the tips I saw. Somehow, I was informed on what to expect and how to move around.

After downloading a copy of the MRT/LRT system map, I e-mailed a copy to those coming with us. One tip I got off the Internet was to print a copy of our itinerary, along with flight details, just in case custom officials ask us.

So before leaving for the airport, make sure that you have printed copies (for you and your travel buddies, just in case they forgot and avoid the hassle) of your flights details, your itinerary, and a map (in this case the MRT/LRT system map).

More about Singapore on my next posts.