Thread: A Singapore Visa Run

While still fresh on my mind, I thought I might share some experiences from my most recent visa run to Singapore, which was by far the best 24 hours I’ve ever spent in Singapore.

For many of my past visa runs, I had stayed at the Albert Court, 188 Albert Street. IMHO, not worth the price. So this time I decided to try something different, and really cheap, as in $50 bucks a night. I ended up at the Fragrance Hotel Rose on 263 Balestier Road. And, BTW, there are two other Fragrance Hotels on Balestier Road...each named after another flower. This place was a great value for the money. The rooms are tiny...be careful after you open your door that you don’t trip and fall right into your bed...but it was spotless and everything worked just fine. The staff was very friendly, and what the heck, it’s just a place to sleep one night.

What I did like the most about this hotel was its location. Balestier Road is a very interesting place. It still has some of the original old Chinese buildings, albeit they are mixed in with the new. The best part about the location though, is the proximity to some outstanding eateries, and a less than 20 minute drive to and from the airport.

Arriving on the mid afternoon Garuda flight, the first priority was to contact my visa agent for him to come and pick up my paper work, passport, and of course money for him to secure my visa at the Indonesian embassy the following day. For many times before, I have always used this same agent, who by the way, is also used by many other expats, and also is the recommended agent by PT Bali Ide here in Bali. That gentleman is Mr. Malik Yusof...Pak Malik, of course. Anyone who wants his contact information can PM me. I can’t say enough about this guy. He is a real pro, and I’ve never had any problems getting the visa back the following afternoon, generally around 3:30 and in plenty of time for the Garuda 841 flight back home to Bali.

The next and most important priority (after the visa), was of course...dinner! The plan was to catch up with three friends who live in Singapore, and they suggested the Pasir Panjang food center on Pasir Panjang Road. When I heard that name, it kind of rang a bell, but I wasn’t sure why until I got there. Just two days before going over to Singapore, I happened to catch an episode of one of my favorite programs, “No Reservations” featuring the renown and vivacious Anthony Bourdain. As an aside, when he was here in Bali a while back, he declared the martinis at Naughty Nuris the best outside of New York, and the babi guling at Ibu Oka as the best pig he has EVER had. That says a lot, as this guy has had a LOT of martinis and has eaten a LOT of pig in his day. Anyway, as luck would have it, the program was on Singapore, and he featured the Pasir Panjang on that program.

Amazing is all I can say about this place! Being a group of four, the only thing to do was to order copious amounts of various foods and try them all...washed down of course with buckets of Tiger Beer. So, what did we have? Here’s the list: Oyster omelet, BBQ stingray, beef, lamb and chicken sate, Sotong (which is squid BBQ), sweet potato leaf (gotta have a veggie in there), small clams in shell, and of course, chili crab. Was it good? No, it was outrageous and among the best meal I have ever eaten anywhere in Asia (sorry Eri, sorry Dadong).

So, what to do after dinner? Drinks of course. Where to go? For us it was a favorite expat hangout called The Yard, which happens to be Singapore’s oldest established English Pub. The address is 294 River Valley Road, and your hosts are Mr. and Mrs. Poon who are simply a delightful couple and who have been running the pub for 25 years this coming November 22.

Not remembering how I got back to my room, when I finally woke up, there was only one thing on my mind...Lunch! Just down the road, heading west from the Fragrance Hotel Rose is a famous Chinese eatery best known for its chicken rice. This is Loy Kee Chicken Rice at 342 Balestier Road. I met one of the trio of the friends from the night before...the two others were still recovering, and we had lunch there. Once again, I gorged on not one, but two orders of chicken rice...with other things too, and yes of course more Tiger beer.

OK, lunch is over, and I have two hours until I should grab a cab back to the airport. So...any ideas? Yup, we headed back to The Yard for “just one more” times three. Pak Malik was kind enough to stop at The Yard to drop off my visa, otherwise, I think I would have forgotten just why on earth I was in this bar? OK, one more, and I really mean it, and then a cab to the airport and it was off to home sweet home.

I’ve had some better times with visa runs to Bangkok, but one thing is certain...I never ate as well on those trips! Cheers!

Reading your post gives me goosebump because I have connected you in my mental assumption that you must like Anthony Bourdain and voila! There you wrote "No Reservation" is one of your favourite programs! Yes, I've seen him on Bali's program too where ate that "babi guling", etc. Also where he was entertained by this Indonesian guy (forgot his name) on "bale bengong". This boy whose mother was a Balinese I know and father is Australian. I once stayed a night with some expat friends at the father's villa in Puncak and played tennis too years ago.
And as for the visa run, thanks for your generosity to share with all of us here on all the tips. They're really useful and I'll file this post just in case.
For the Hotel, yes, even though it was the past, I did have that experience on staying at a very cheap Hotel around those areas...but that was looooonggg...time ago.

You must have roared like I did when the cameraman brought down all the shelves of food in the Padang restaurant!

I think for anyone who lives to eat, rather than eats to live...Anthony Bourdain is top on the list! He still looks pretty healthy for a guy who smokes, drinks and eats continuously!

Yes, I love him!! Yes, I wanted to see some more of that incident but a pity they cut it.
That's what amazed me too. He smokes, he eats everything and I do find him sexy especially when he was contemplating to come and live in Indonesia. For sure, I'll lure the guy...hahahah... Just kidding!

Interesting post, Roy
I always thought you hated Singapore with a vengeance!?

I have stayed in Fragrance Hotels, too, in Singapore. These days, there are 18 of them, the biggest number still in the Geylang area (aka "Little Malaysia"). There are five in the lanes off Geylang Road:
Emerald, Sunflower, Sapphire, Pearl, and Ruby

The one you probably stayed in, (Balestier Road/Lavender Street), could have been Fragrance Lavender. Like you said...very basic, clean, functional and cheap. The Geylang ones are also in the middle of a very active red-light district. Whatever.

Fragrance Hotels has a very helpful website. http://www.fragrancehotel.com/fragrance06/main.asp
I have never had a problem with them.

:D

Phew, I couldn't finish your review on your stay at the Hotel in NY. Soooooo looooong...! How did you find the time to write all that when at the end of it all, your comment came to "NO" for recommendation.
I've stayed at the Westin once, then at the Sheraton with hubby.
Then once flying back to Milan from Los Angeles, I stopped one night again in NY, and stayed at the Wellington Hotel at 5th Avenue. I found it cozy, never mind the old interior, but loved the location and price.
There's an Italian Restaurant across but further up to the Central Park called "Il Naso", and for the first time I enjoyed eating Italian food in America. I'm biased coming from Italy as I have never found an excellent one in the ones I've been, outside Italy that's according to the real Italian from Italy (and not Italians in the States are they're so different) palate. There's that famous Olive Garden but yuk! It does have good salad but portion wise, it's mind-bogling! Don't like it.

“The one you probably stayed in, (Balestier Road/Lavender Street), could have been Fragrance Lavender. Like you said...very basic, clean, functional and cheap. The Geylang ones are also in the middle of a very active red-light district. Whatever.”

No Phil, the Fragrance hotel I stayed at was the Fragrance Hotel Rose:

http://www.fragrancehotel.com/fragra...hotel&opt=rose

It is located at 263 Balestier Road. The Hotel Fragrance Lavender is on 51 Lavender Street. I know where I stayed Phil, but thanks for your help trying to tell me where it was! :roll:

Thanks for the update Roy, I enjoyed the food guide as much as the accommodation tips. What's the cost of your agent to do the bar delivery? I had used a Pak Ismael in the past and he was also quite efficient as everyone else in Singapore it seems, a bit scary if you ask, makes one feels like some backwaters peon..
Also heard that Lion has started flying direct to Singapore from Denpasar so it should make the trip even more affordable. Don't know about their schedule though..

The total cost depends on the visa type, but in my case, it was Singapore $ 270...all inclusive.

Yes, Lion Air just started the Sing/DPS route, but I don't know the schedule either. I guess I won't until it's time to head to Singapore again. I think the total cost now, if using Lion Air makes a Singapore visa run even cheaper than a run to KL. Cheers!