Sleepy in Singapore

Frank and I had a couple of weeks in Singapore several years ago and did lots of touristy things - Singapore Zoo, Santosa Island, Singapore Sling at the Raffles - during that trip. We arrived in Singapore feeling quite jet lagged. There was the long flight from London to Kuala Lumpur, with a six hour stopover before flying on to Singapore. Given we only had a couple of days in Singapore we just planned to relax and catch up with my brother and his family who live in Singapore.We stayed at Hotel Rendezvous; a beautiful, newly renovated hotel which was in a convenient location. The kids were very excited to catch up with their cousins and we had a lovely dinner at my brother's place. After 3 months away we were all looking forward to going home...our bags were packed and flights confirmed. Then I was declared 'unfit to fly' due to blocked ears caused by a cold. We didn't do much in the extra few days we stayed in Singapore, mostly just stayed at the hotel. I was told to avoid elevators and escalators where possible which is quite a challenge in Singapore! On our second last day we went to the newly built Marina Bay Sands. The hotel consists of three towers connected at the top by a structure resembling a ship. We didn't go the top - despite Frank trying to convince me I should take the stairs up fifty plus flights (to avoid the elevator). We did get to the Long Bar at the Raffles for a Singapore Sling.

Top Five Travel Tips

We have now been home for nearly two weeks and our travels seem so far away. Already we dreaming about our next trip - South and Central America. But it will have to wait...It is lovely to catch up with friends, many of who are planning overseas adventures. Talking about these journeys is great and helps keep our own adventure alive.So here are our top travel tips if you are planning a trip: Travel light - we took very little with us (carry on luggage only) and bought what we needed as we travelled. We essentially wore our souveniers. Toward the end of the journey we accumulated a large case and this slowed us down both physically and mentally. Certain travel options, like the Metro, become too difficult when you have a lot of luggage and are travelling with kids. Take a Laptop- This is very useful for booking flights and accomodation (last minute deals) and blogging. In fact we could have taken 2 laptops as we were always waiting for each other to get off it. Be flexible-Because it is so easy to book things on line your itinery doesn't need to be set in stone. Planning as we went allowed us to see places and as the mood took us. Although this was a little stressful at the end when we were in London with no planned exit strategy. Take a smart phone - we took a camera but hardly used it. The iPhones took good pictures, the games kept the boys ammused and it's great to listen to your favourite songs as you travel around. Some travellers used the GPS in their phone to get directions but we found it more fun to ask a local. Carry a pashmina - as we travelled I bought a few bright scarves and pashmina's to dress up my black and navy outfits. These don't take up much room, make great keepsakes and always came in handy if anyone got cold or sleepy.