Best Of
Re: Kingdoms & Dragons: Singapore to Bali Review - Part 3 Sights and Activities
Day 2 - Walking tour of the colonial district and a bumboat ride on the Singapore River in the morning. Sights include Victoria Theater and Memorial Hall, Old Supreme Court Building, the Arts House, the Old Hill Street Police Station, and the new Supreme Court Building. These are all just walk-bys with the Local Guide providing the historical details.
On the bumboat ride you motor down the Singapore River to the little bay that the Marina Bay Sands hotel is next to and then back. The sights and history of the area are described throughout the ride.
Next up is a visit to a public housing block, a series of nearly 50 story buildings all connected at two different levels. We visited the top level for some amazing views of Singapore. The guides detail the way housing works in Singapore. Housing and owning a car is seriously expensive.
We make a short stop to walk through a couple of office buildings in downtown Singapore to view and discuss their history and architecture prior to heading to lunch and visit at the InTan Home Museum dedicated to the Paranakan culture. The lunch concludes with a bit of piano playing and singing by the host and the local tour guide. The singing was a fun way to conclude the visit/lunch.
We returned to the hotel around 3:30, in time to do the hotel history tour if desired (which we did). If so, a reservation should be obtained via the concierge in the morning or after the previous days Meet and Greet.
After the hotel tour we stopped by the Long Bar (with a time reserved via the concierge) for a Singapore Sling and some peanuts with the shells discarded onto the floor per tradition. NOTE: If you go to the Long Bar be sure to get a reservation with the concierge so you can bypass the line which is always there.
The day ended with a late dinner in the hotel.
Kingdoms & Dragons: Singapore to Bali Review - Part 3 Sights and Activities
Day 0 - Gift of Time Day and Day 1 Up to the Meet and Greet Meeting
We headed out from the hotel towards the Singapore Flyer area with plans to walk around the ‘lagoon’ that sits in front of the Marina Bay Sands hotel and then back to the hotel. We found that the Formula 1 barricades being erected for the September race presented a bit of a challenge to our intended route. We eventually made our way across the Helix Bridge and went into the shopping center by the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. We went to the food court to hydrate and rest a bit (this was our first exposure to the Singapore heat/humidity). We continued our walk around the lagoon taking pictures along the way. The ladies posed in front of a fancy Louis Vuitton store on the shoreline. We continued our navigation of the lagoon when we reached the Merlion statue & fountain and then crossed the Jubilee Bridge. At this point we fumbled upon a route that took us via mostly underground and air conditions walkways most of the way back to the hotel (past the Raffles Metro station and through Raffles City shopping mall).
Day 1 - Meet and Greet Reception and Dinner at 6:00 PM.
The 18 tour guests met the Tour Director, Debra Grant, in the Raffles Hotel Library, got acquainted, and then had dinner in a meeting room in the hotel.
Re: Michigan's Lakes and Mackinac Island
Most of my photos are not transferring from my phone to my iPad here. I assume it is because each person is only able to connect one device at a time to the internet. Apart from that, any time I want internet service on the ship, I’ve connected, no problem. Here are a few photos of the Grand Hotel which have appeared
British
Re: Michigan's Lakes and Mackinac Island
There was a temporary power cut on the island but the hotel had its own generator, maybe that is why paper plates. Nothing like oysters, shrimp etc. Bits of salad, chicken, pork roll or swordfish with mash and green beans or burnt broccoli. No chicken and just bits of fish left when I went up to the huge line. People were stuffing themselves with huge plates of cakes and pastries which I love but they did not look inviting
Unlike your experience Kfnnkfzk on the ship, food and service has been excellent and no sign of the poor afternoon foods you described but really apertizing ones. Only tried a few as there is too much food on this tour .
We had a super lecture on Motown music and a good documentary on Henry Ford this morning . Yesterday , I took part in a painting class, the captain and two officers joined my table and it was fun watching them attempt to paint. Then there was an iPhone tutorial mainly what you could do with photos.
In the evening before dinner, the singer and dancers did a show which was well attended. After dinner, there was Beatles themed live music from resident duo, man and woman. Both from my area of England. Lots of dancing and even the captain sang a song and danced along with all of us. I slept well last night!
We are a day on the ship today as we head towards Detroit.
British
Re: Welcome to Tauck’s Canada Capital Cities Travel Forum
British-I know you hate the Biaggi suitcases but they serve a great purpose. I take a small Biaggi bag with wheels as my carryin with extra clothes for just in case. And I reach my destination, I consolidate my stuff and fold up my small Biaggi abd stow it in my big Biaggi. At the end of the trip, I retrieve the small one and load in my purchases! This works for me!
Re: Welcome to Tauck’s Canada Capital Cities Travel Forum
I am enjoying all the comments about this trip! Hopefully , people will continue to post. It would be great to hear about everyone's experience on their return. I am going on this tour May 2025, so any tips will be helpful!
Capstar
Re: Tour Review - Part 1a, 1b & Part 2
MotherOfPoodles - I've enjoyed all of the Asian tours (India; Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand; China) that I have taken including this one from the sights and activities perspective. I find the people, culture, history, architecture so different from what I am most familiar with (US/Europe) that they create a different level of fun.
That said, because the heat/humidity made it difficult to take on any extra activities or perhaps just being older now than when I did the others the heat/humidity impacted me more, but regardless due to that I rate this tour at the bottom of the list of Asian tours. Again, only due to the heat/humidity not anything about the sights or activities.
I tend to favor the 'exotic' tours, as such I generally rate the Asian, African, South American tours higher than the European tours. That said, I've enjoyed every tour I've taken. Rating them is somewhat like splitting hairs.
As an aside, I found the Indonesian people some of the most kind and gracious people that I've met.