Staying Around the University...Suggestions?

My husband and I will be staying off of the West Coast Highway between the University of Singapore and Pasir Panjang Terminal for at least a month.

I have several questions regarding this location and appreciate your responses:

1. Is this a convient location to access various tourist spots?

2. What are some places in this area not to be missed, such as eating, shopping, and cultural?

3. Queenstown seems close. What does this area have to offer?

4. Our apartment is close to the water. How are the beaches near the Pasir Panjang Terminal? Is it mostly ship yards?

I have tons of questions and appreciate all of your help.

Staying Around the University...Suggestions?

1. Not really, unless you%26#39;re into Chinese kitsch in an amusement park type atmosphere (Haw Par Villa). You%26#39;ll also be within convenient reach of Sentosa (via the West Coast Highway) and Jurong (for the Bird Park)

2. None I can think of. Its mixed industrial (warehouses) and residential in that area, so unless you%26#39;re wanting to explore the heartlands (Clementi, Jurong), there%26#39;s nothing in the area that I would consider %26#39;not to be missed%26#39;. Shopping? probably IMM Jurong would be closer than heading to town.

3. Singapore%26#39;s best chicken rice (IMHO only, of course)

4. What do you consider as %26#39;close%26#39;? Once upon a time (%26lt; 30 years ago) the only thing that seperated Pasir Panjang Road from the sea was about a 50 m wide strip of parkland. This area has since undergone extensive urban development with land reclamation and the addition of a highway and the Pasir Panjang Terminal. I wouldnt get your hopes up about %26#39;beaches%26#39;.

Cheers!

Staying Around the University...Suggestions?

Thank you for your thoughts. I was afraid that it would not be conducive for the tourist, but better suited for my husband who will be working.

I would say that most things in Singapore will seem close to me since I live in Houston where things are spread out. As long as there is public transportation available in that area, I should be fine.

No problem, and you%26#39;ll be fine. By public transport from the area you will likely have to hop a bus (they ply West Coast Highway and Pasir Panjang Roads and are way more frequent than Houston Transit, averaging 10-12 mins in frequency) to HarbourFront Centre/Vivo City (which is also the gateway to Sentosa) in order to connect to the MRT system (HarbourFront station on the NE line). Your other alternative is a bus to Buona Vista or Clementi stations to connect to the MRT%26#39;s East-West line. If I were to summon a guess, I would think Vivo City is your best bet. The following links will help - try using them in tandem:

http://www.streetdirectory.com

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/

As far as beaches go, try Siloso Beach on Sentosa or the East Coast Park. I reckon even Galveston has nicer beaches but not as far. East Coast Park on the other side of the island from you, is still only about 15 mi.

Hi HoustonRedRaider,

Between the NUS and the Pasir Panjang Terminal can be a long stretch. =)

This location, albeit not as convenient as what the city centre can offer, is not as inaccessible as it would seem to be. A self-drive might be a good alternative. As you didnt mention where exactly you are staying, it%26#39;s hard to know whether your location is near the MRT Station.

But no worries, Sg is small enough for you to access to any parts of it at ease.

As mentioned by Raverboy, the Vivocity Shopping Mall and the Sentosa Island will be pretty near you.

You can also take a trip to the Marina @ keppel bay for chillout/breakfast/dinner. http://www.marinakeppelbay.com/CH_FB.asp

It%26#39;s a recent development... and personally i love to go there during the day for a breakfast or lunch.

Queenstown is a shopping paradise for sports brands like Nike, Adidas etc. They offer discounts up to 30% from the retail price. Good stuff if you are a sports lover. There is a pretty good hawker centre nearby Queenstown known as the Alexandra Hawker Centre. Ikea (for furnitures %26amp; house gadgets) is also nearby only.

The Pasir Panjang Terminal is mainly for the shipyards. And in recent times, there are more ships than ever laying up in the Singapore Seas... wherever you are, you%26#39;ll see quite alot of ships along the coast. Even Sentosa is not exceptional. Sentosa seems to offer a cleaner beach though - best in Sg, but it is nothing like clear azure blue waters.

I%26#39;m not sure if you like steamboats. But there is a pretty good Laksa Steamboat restaurant along the highway when you drive down from West Coast Highway towards the Telok Blangah. (it%26#39;s only one stretch of road so you wont miss it). They have a relatively big signage writing the words ';Laksa Steamboat'; just along the road. You could check out this website:

http://www.soshiok.com/print/9067

Cheers,

Suying

PASIR PANJANG...........My favourite place..one that I visited VERY often from early 70s to the late 80s. ^__^....Whenever am back from CAN.

Place not to be missed:

Labrador Park, Mount Faber for that Cable car to Sentosa or a Direct bus ride to Vivocity Mall.

ALl within 15min from any part of PP....

About Heritage of PP %26amp; activities to do:

sgblogs.com/blog/…2615

That WWII Pillbox, reminds me of the many happy memory I had while visiting the village (As that was the entrance to the village %26amp; partial my playground). Across the Road from there, about 50m away, is the beach where my grandpa ';parked'; his fishing Boat. Now only a small road was named after my grandpa.

Park?

The West Coast park nearby is rather interesting with a McDonald in the middle. Read this blog %26amp; soon, you will wish u have more than a month:

…blogspot.com/2008/07/west-coast-park-singap…

If you were to pull this map downward %26amp; look at the corner of Clementi Road %26amp; West Coast Road (Behind santa Grand hotel) There is a not bad Roti Prata place %26amp; some restaurant nearby that serve delicious food.......^__^

streetdb.com/singapore-street-directory-BUIL…

Shopping nearby:

The ALl Revamped West Coast Plaza

Eating?

IF you looking for a quick meal: Call Sarpino Pizza

Tel: 6473 7331 http://www.sarpinos-singapore.com/

Otherwise, go to Pasir Panjang Village, there is this Japanese Fish mart:

Fish Mart SAKURAYA (The Village Centre)

Address:

3 South Buona Vista Road

#02-01/02 The Village Centre

www.sakuraya.com.sg/e-sakurayahome.html

If you walk a little further toward Lor Sarhad (Toward Ahmad Mosque from The Village Centre) You will come by a row of old shophouse on ur right and at the very corner there is this restaurant that sell delicious braised Duck....%26amp; some local stir fried Dishes......

Map: streetdb.com/singapore-street-directory-BUIL…

Have a fun time.

Everyone is so helpful and I am very grateful for the advice. I will be staying in the Redwood Apartments on Pasir Panjang Road.

It%26#39;s really hard to picture and get my barings until I get there and see it all. I have been saving all of your responses so I can go back and fully understand what you are saying.

Is there a MRT station near my apartment? I do not have any demands on my time, so I will have plenty of time to wander and explore. I just hope there is an easily accessible hub.

Thanks!

This is the best map I%26#39;ve ever found of Singapore, Hope this helps. Click on the numbers 1-6 to expand the map. Alan.

streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/…

Failing that, this is an MRT map of Singapore. Alan

www.mta-asia.com/mta2007/images/mrt_map1.jpg

Given the MRT map, I think I will have no problem making my way around the city. It seems pretty simple. I%26#39;ve just got to get to one of those stations. :)

Is there some sort of monthly or weekly pass I can purchase? Or is there a rechargeable card that I can add to when necessary?

Hi There

It is Best for you to get an Adult Stored Value Ez-Link card %26amp; when U travel, all you need to do is Tapped the card when going aboard %26amp; Tapped again when alighting. No need to worry about getting the exact for the bus fare.

Some link below for your reading pleasure:

How to get around via the MRT:

http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/trains.asp

The Ez Link Stored value Card / Journey Planner etc:

http://www.transitlink.com.sg/

How to use:

transitlink.com.sg/images/…ezLink-eng10.pdf

The Village Centre is just a 5-10min short walk from the Redwood apartment

http://www.streetdb.com/singapore-street-directory-BUSSTOP-p-REDWOOD-WEST-(BUS-STOP).htm

You don%26#39;t really need to go to any MRT station to go into town like Orchard Road or to Vivocity (Where the HarbourFront MRT station is). Bus# 143 from the bus stop along Pasir Panjang Road will get you to Vivocity, Chinatown, Clarke Quay (Liang Court / SIngapore RIver) and Orchard Road to Scott Road, to Newton circus %26amp; End at Toa Payoh. Bus# 10 , 30 , 143 %26amp; 188 will go by HarbourFront MRT station (Stop at the Bus stop AFTER Seah Im Food Centre Bus stop). Bus# 188 will end at Seah Imm Bus Terminal (Which is connect to the food Centre %26amp; also Harbourfront MRT station.)

If you put ur cursor above the yellow Bus icon in the map above, U can see the bus # available %26amp; from there, You can check the following Bus website on the route those Bus Ply:

To check bus# 10, 30, 51, 143, 200.

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/

To check Bus# 188 / 176

www.smrtbuses.com.sg/ebusguide/busguide.asp

Hope you have a good time exploring Singapore.

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