Malaysia singapore and Thailand trip?

Q. iam flying to KL malaysia in june this year for a 10 day trip and wanted to go to Singapore and Thailand as well in this time do you think i could manage going to all three places in only 10 days? any tips on must see places in each country on a budget and time constraints?
thank you for your answers

A. Hi there,

I'd say 10 days is too short, but if that's all you have then it's workable, you just may not be able to spend your days leisurely. Here is a rough itinerary:

Day 1 & 2 - KL City (http://www.tourism.gov.my/destinations/)
- The KL Twin Towers and KL Tower pretty much speaks for itself (offers great 360degree view)
- KL Bird Park (largest free flight aviary in the world)
- Sky Bar at Traders' Hotel (great drinks at a sweet location with a good night view of KL Twin Towers)
- Visit the many shopping malls (Pavillion, KLCC, Low Yat for tech stuff)
- Petaling Street a.k.a. Chinatown (Great for food, knick knacks and general gift shopping)

Day 3, 4, 5 - Singapore (http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/experience.html)
- Singapore zoo (one of the best in the world - great for photography)
- Stroll through Little India (food, smells, photography and a different scene)
- Marina Bay Sands Resort (gamble, eat, shop visit the top deck - Ku De Ta club - offers 360 degree views)
- Universal (skip if you have been to the ones in America)
- Clark Quay (good food and drinks for the evening)
- Sentosa Island (themed park island - also underwater world)

Day 6 - 10 - Thailand (http://www.tourismthailand.org/see-do/)
- Bangkok is a must. Take the floating market tour - well worth it for photography and if you are a foodie
- Hop from island to island
- Scuba Diving in pristine waters
- Take a kayak tour through the caves

This is but the tip of the iceberg. I hope you get some idea as to what the possibilities are. Otherwise, good luck and have lots of fun! :)

Armenian Street in Singapore?

Q. I was browsing on Google Maps looking different countries with "Armenia" in it... and I found an "Armenian Street" in Singapore! Now, I'm not doubting that there could be Armenians there, but does anyone know why it's called Armenian Street? This is really interesting.
Thanks!

A. Armenian Street (Singapore) was named after the nearby Armenian Church (aka Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illuminator). Built in 1835-36, this is the oldest church in S'pore, & has been gazetted as a national monument since 1973.

Already extant before the church, the street later ran along one-third of the church's boundary, & was originally known as Armenian Church Street, before the name was shortened to its present-day moniker. The other side of the church is bounded by Hill Street. Loke Yew Street (a by-lane beside the church) connects Armenian Street to Hill Street.

Below are some archival photos of the mentioned sites.

* Armenian Street (Armenian Church in background), circa 1900:
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?id=3158&thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=armenian+street&photographOption=1&Submit=Submit

* Armenian Church, 1962: http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?id=670083&thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=armenian+street&photographOption=1&Submit=Submit&pageNumber=2&total=482
* Armenian Church frontage, 2010: http://pictures.nl.sg/8ab41f0d-7678-4988-9170-f6ed0c4b60d1.aspx

* Armenian Street with old shophouses, late 1980s:
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?id=670426&thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=armenian+street&photographOption=1&Submit=Submit&pageNumber=2&total=482

* Armenian Street (at corner of Loke Yew Street), 1992:
http://pictures.nl.sg/fd2e3134-d5f4-4a2c-907a-008cc6850439.aspx

* Hill Street area with Armenian Church, 1993 aerial:
http://pictures.nl.sg/9d19baaf-872d-4935-bfc5-d2dc59b6c403.aspx


Like many streets in colonial S'pore, Armenian Street had its own unofficial colloquial name. The Chinese-Hokkiens called it "Seng Poh sin chu au" -- transliteration: Seng Poh's new house rear, ie. the back-end of Seng Poh's new house. Tan Seng Poh (1830-1879), a Peranakan-Chinese born in Perak Malaysia, was a wealthy spirit merchant & opium farmer who became the first Chinese person to serve on the Municipal Commission of S'pore.

Previously, there was also a street called Armenian Lane, located off Armenian Street & Narcis Road (no longer extant). Armenian Lane was expunged due to development works.

Note: In the past, there was a separate Narcis Street located off Tanjong Pagar Road. Today, a portion of this street survives as an unnamed lane at Vanda Miss Joaquim Park behind Tanjong Pagar Complex. Narcis Road & Narcis Street were named after Nerses (aka Narcis) Joaquim, the eldest brother of *Agnes Joaquim -- see the brief biography below.


Brief Background of S'pore's Armenian Community
The founding of modern S'pore back in 1819 was followed by an influx of traders & immigrants, one of whom included a small community of Armenians (numbering some 100 people in the 1820s). Today, the church grounds contain the tombstones of prominent ethnic Armenians, such as:

* Agnes Joaquim (1854-1899, born & died in S'pore) -- An amateur gardener who discovered a new orchid hybrid (now known as Vanda Miss Joaquim) growing in her home garden. This terrestrial orchid hybrid was selected as S'pore's national flower in 1981.

* Sarkies brothers -- Famous merchants & hoteliers, who built & managed a chain of luxury hotels in parts of Asia, including the historic Raffles Hotel (Singapore)


Further Reading from S'pore Infopedia (managed by the National Library Board):-
* Armenian Street: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_284_2004-12-23.html
* Armenian Church: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_809_2004-12-23.html
* Armenians (in S'pore): http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_334_2005-01-26.html
* Agnes Joaquim: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_838_2004-12-24.html

Travelling to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Phuket how much £££?

Q. i am travelling to Kuala Lumpur Phuket and Singpore with my partner for a week each at the end of August and was wondering how much money we should expect to spend?

Also, has any one stayed at the following Hotels:
Bursari Patong, Phuket?
JW Marriott Phuket?
The Traders Kuala Lumpur?
Mandarin Oriental Singapore?

Thanks!!!

A. If you don't take into account accomodations, you can get away with surprisingly little. Of course that depends on your spending habits. If you eat and travel like locals, 15pounds a day per person is plenty enough in KL, Phuket and Singapore. The best food is street food (or hawker food) in all three of these places anyway.

If you plan to eat in restaurants and travel by cabs - Cab fare in Thailand is generally cheap, averaging no more than 150baht. Remember to ask them to turn on the meter, some cab drivers charge a higher flat rate. Tuk-tuks are aplenty too but they're asking for more money in recent years..rides in Patong I heard, have gone up to 200baht! (It was 100baht when I last when 2 years ago). Some hotels might have a service bus to more commercial beaches like Patong. Eating out in restaurants will probably cost 10pounds per person.

Same in KL. Cab fares are cheap (I do not trust the buses in KL) Shopping is okay too, and a meal at a relatively nice restaurant will be about 10pounds, as compared to a meal had at a hawker centre - 1pound per person. Beware Petaling Street though. Well known tourist rip-off.

Singapore, cab fares are alot pricier compared to KL and Phuket, But the public transportation is superb. Take the buses and the trains. Eat in food courts and hawker centres and you will not spend more than 15pounds a day. If you're staing in Mandarin Oriental though, you'll probably spend more, it's right in the heart of Orchard Road - shopping stretch which means more temptation, and hawker food is not so easily available. Plenty of food courts in the shopping malls nearby though. It's a really nice hotel.

Traders in KL is pretty good too. And if I can judge Marriot Phuket by the one in Bangkok, it's superb. Can't help with the rest though.

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