Ten days in December - what to do?

I will be in Singapore in December for a meeting, and then will be free to travel around for 10 days before returning to San Francisco. I would like to get away from the city and get ';off the beaten track'; a bit - try to experience a bit of local culture(s), get out in nature, maybe some snorkeling if possible. I have never been to Asia before, so it%26#39;s all exciting and new.

I would welcome any suggestions - should I stay in Singapore? travel to Malaysia? What might be a realistic plan, given time, budget (about $100/day), and December weather?

Ten days in December - what to do?

You can only find snorkelling activities in say Phuket, Thailand. So you may want o divide your 10 days out. Singapore can give you a good tour of the several Asian cultures. See website for tour: http://www.ducktours.com.sg

or do it yourself by visiting Chinatown, Little India and Kampomg Glam, etc.

Nature places include Bukit Timah Hill nature reserve, Pulau (Island) Ubin, Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, etc.

Off the beaten track places will include some of the southern islands, some of the parks and reservoirs, such as Labrador Park, Marina Barrage, MacRitchie Reservoir, Seletar Reservoirs, etc.

For Malaysia, the East coast is out of bound as it is Monsoon period. You can visit Malacca for culture, KL for city tour, Penang for history, and Langkawi for beach resort. These places can be reached by coaches or flights from Singapore. If you have never taken a SIA (Singapore airlines)flight, you should. I think you will never want to take other airlines after that.

My suggestions based on your likes will be 5 days in Singapore, 1 in Malacca, 1 in KL, 2 in Phuket, then back to Singapore for your return flight to SF.

For your 5 days in Singapore, do give some consideration to some of the main attractions, because though they may be touristy, they are good, especially if you haven%26#39;t tried them. You know, it is like Singaporean going first time to Disneyland or first time seeing Redwood trees. It is touristy, but worth every penny (speaking from experience). Give the zoo and night safari, and Sentosa some consideration.

Enjoy your stay in Singapore.

Ten days in December - what to do?

I couldn%26#39;t agree more with %26#39;%26#39;Woodlands%26#39;%26#39; spend a few days in Singapore, then head north to one or two of the Islands in Thailand, Langkawi, Phuket, etc. The water round Singapore don%26#39;t lend themselves to snorkeling, but further north there are some excellent opportunities for water sports. Enjoy. Alan.

I personally wouldn%26#39;t try to do 4 locations in 10 days. We usually do two in two weeks and could probably fit one more in but any kind of travelling is tiring and if you are arriving from the States you will be very jetlagged for the first couple of days. I would do Singapore and Malaysia or Singapore and Thailand but would not attempt all of it unless you are a seasoned traveller but as you say you have never been to that area I wouldn%26#39;t try to do too much because days can be used up just getting from A to B.

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i8282-Suggested…

Going in Dec, it is the beginning of the monsoon season. Tioman would be a great place to visit (esp. for snorkeling) but it will rain too much that month.

What can be considered an unforgettable nature side trip from SIN is a trip to Taman Negara or Endau Rompin (u can join an organized adventure group from SIN). One of the world%26#39;s oldest rainforest (E.R is and is closer and easier to get to), what a great place for a hike, camp, etc

T. Negara has a canopy walk that is a must, white water rafting as well as a cave visit. Of course, if u r lucky, u can get to see some amazing animals. All these r done with guides (coz wild life includes wild elephants, tigers, rhino, etc !!!)

Coz of the time u r traveling, wouldnt advise u to spend too much time and expenses on snorkeling destinations (u got to travel further) so why not do something we dont have back home ? I highly recommend a trip to the rainforest.

Or if u like a cultural experience, try Malacca. In SIN, there is always Pulau Ubin (esp. Chek Jewa) or a swamp visit to Sungei Buloh

It is nothing like hiking in our National Parks coz of the different climate so enjoy the difference. Only thing is, u will have to prepare lots of liquid as it is HOT and HUMID. Bring along wicking athletic wear.

Good luck !

PS. also bring along some bug spray (their range is not as wide as ours), mosquitoes and other bugs can be bad

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Thanks especially to de last one for the link to the 5-day suggestions.

So, given travel costs and time, maybe I should leave Thailand/Phuket for another trip? I can forego the snorkeling and instead concentrate on rainforest and cultural experiences closer to Singapore.

Does it make sense to go to Malacca? What is the best way to get there from Singapore? How long does it take?

Thanks.

Hello ageprof,

did you consider spending 3-4 days to visit Angkor?

It is only a 2h fly from Singapore. You%26#39;ll enjoy both nature and khmer culture at the same same :p

sorry, forgot to give you this link to a Singapore Tour operator: http://rmgtours.com/index.php?current=tours

You%26#39;ll find some rates on daily trip to Malaysia and Malacca.