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March 27th 2013

Published: April 3rd 2013

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Stoffel and Pantoffel on Manoeuvres

China Town Tiles

Singapore

23 March 2013

At 04h30 in the morning, sitting at KL LCC, after getting in after midnight thanks to that wonderful and almost never on time budget airline Air Asia, it is hard to get excited about going to Vietnam.

Just a warning to fellow travellers, buy your taxi coupon before you exit the arrival hall or you will be f#*#ed. KL Low Cost terminal has become a nightmare. Transport syndicates prevent you from just catching a cab outside the door like you once could, and the place is so crowded now that even if you did get your coupon in the right place, you will stand in a very very long queue and taxis are not guaranteed even if you have the coupon. This terminal is horrible. Almost as bad as Manila.

We have just flown in from the almighty Changi airport in Singapore, which not only has butterfly gardens and cactus gardens but also air conditioning and carpets and seats, so this KLLCC is doubly awful.

Singapore as usual was wonderful, and expensive. We stayed in Joo Chiat Rd in Geylang at The Venue Hotel. Our room was so small that

China Town

Singapore

you couldn't move around the bed. It was wedged into the room so that only one side was accessible, but the room had a window, was brand new with lovely sateen sheets, and Singapore spotless.

The area is vibrant and interesting with beautifully restored shop houses and colonial buildings, loads of great restaurants to suit any taste, and the East Coast park is a 10minute walk down the road, so we did go for one run - the first since SA!

Every time I go to Singapore I am astounded by how much it has changed. There is always a new building to see, a new park to walk through, a new shopping centre, a new area being upgraded. It is a city that never stops moving forwards.

A good friend has just recently opened his restaurant in China Town, on Ann Siang Rd. Lolla is fabulous. It has been getting rave reviews everywhere, and rightly so. The tapas style dishes are distinctive, delectable and divine and the decor is delicately handsome. Do stop by if you are ever in Singapore and love food!!

This was just a short stop-over for work, but we will be