Anyways, like I said I have been looking forward to this trip. I actually bought the ticket about a month before my departure date and the thing about it is that I have a really bad
habit of getting too excited about something and with this trip my excitement was at an all time high. Anxiety, stress and impending doom were churning inside my stomach which may or may not have caused some stress ulcers from forming. This was my first official trip ALONE ( until a friend of mine decided on coming along - but it's her first trip overseas). Alone, in a sense that neither my parents nor any mature responsible adult was coming with
me. Now, I have experienced traveling before (I've been traveling since I was 5), but just the fact that I was going to another country that I've never been to and no relatives whatsoever... it freaked me out. So, I did a very thorough research (mostly from the internet) and decided that I will take the challenge and NOT buy a tour package. For that whole month I spent most of my time on the internet planning my itinerary and going through all the routes I would be taking. I wanted a trip that wasn't too expensive but would still let me experience what Singapore has to offer. Also, I was in luck since Singapore was having their 50th Anniversary.
For this post, it's actually a mishmash of the planning stage together with the review and any tips I can give out based on my experience during the trip. I think doing it this way makes it easier for other people who are planning their trip. I was reading through dozens of travel blogs to come up with this itinerary, so I hope I'll be able to help someone out as well. This post contains information about everything I prepared before I left for Singapore and what it was really like when I got there.
habit of getting too excited about something and with this trip my excitement was at an all time high. Anxiety, stress and impending doom were churning inside my stomach which may or may not have caused some stress ulcers from forming. This was my first official trip ALONE ( until a friend of mine decided on coming along - but it's her first trip overseas). Alone, in a sense that neither my parents nor any mature responsible adult was coming with
me. Now, I have experienced traveling before (I've been traveling since I was 5), but just the fact that I was going to another country that I've never been to and no relatives whatsoever... it freaked me out. So, I did a very thorough research (mostly from the internet) and decided that I will take the challenge and NOT buy a tour package. For that whole month I spent most of my time on the internet planning my itinerary and going through all the routes I would be taking. I wanted a trip that wasn't too expensive but would still let me experience what Singapore has to offer. Also, I was in luck since Singapore was having their 50th Anniversary.
For this post, it's actually a mishmash of the planning stage together with the review and any tips I can give out based on my experience during the trip. I think doing it this way makes it easier for other people who are planning their trip. I was reading through dozens of travel blogs to come up with this itinerary, so I hope I'll be able to help someone out as well. This post contains information about everything I prepared before I left for Singapore and what it was really like when I got there.
PLANNING
THE ITINERARY: I tried to squeeze in as much as I could without it feeling like I was only there to breathe in the air. I also didn't want to waste any days, sleeping was an option. I actually ended up allotting two days for Sentosa - because I wanted to have fun on this trip. Also, most of the schedule ends at 3-5 pm in my planned itinerary but in reality that never happened. Another thing, when we had some time in the afternoon and we were done with the schedule, we ended up going shopping like in Mustafa Center and at Vivo City so we usually get home at around 10-11 pm. I also decided to start the days at 9 AM, I was trying to be realistic. Besides, most of the tourist attractions open at 10 AM to around 10:30 AM.
AIRPLANE TICKET: This is one of the major things you need to cash-out on so if you get a chance to buy promo fares, you'll have more spending money for the trip. The ticket I bought was from Cebu Pacific, it wasn't really a super cheap promo fare, but I still got it at a very low price. I spent PHP 6,487.00 for the base fare and if you add in the taxes and baggage allowance (I also paid for a window seat), I paid a total of PHP 9,436.00 (Return Trip).
AIRPLANE TICKET: This is one of the major things you need to cash-out on so if you get a chance to buy promo fares, you'll have more spending money for the trip. The ticket I bought was from Cebu Pacific, it wasn't really a super cheap promo fare, but I still got it at a very low price. I spent PHP 6,487.00 for the base fare and if you add in the taxes and baggage allowance (I also paid for a window seat), I paid a total of PHP 9,436.00 (Return Trip).
HOTEL: While searching for places to stay I was looking through AGODA, TripAdvisor, and Expedia. I was browsing through their recommended hotels and just couldn't cash-out PHP4K per night. I wanted something cheaper seeing as my itinerary allowed no time to hang out in a hotel. I only needed a place to crash at night, leave my things when I'm walking around and a place to take a bath. So, I decided on some hostels. I narrowed it down by comparing location, facilities and price. I also read all the bad reviews - I rarely read the good ones (tip: read what's bad about the place, think about it for a second, and see if it's something you're not too bothered about. Example: No TV in rooms or NO fridge).
After going through 50+ hotel listings, I found the best hostel ever. It was love at first sight. The location was perfect, the price was perfect and the facilities were perfect! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you:
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| POD Capsules - with privacy screen |
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| Single - Front Entry |
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| Single - Side Entry |
A capsule fits one person comfortably, and you can choose from a single bed to a double bed (fits two - twice the price), a female only, male only or mixed room, and a front entry bed and a side entry bed. Rooms are air conditioned and with locked doors which can only be accessed by keycards given during check-in as well as lockers (below the bed) which can also be accessed with the same keycard. The Single Pod - Front Entry locker can fit a medium sized suitcase (mine fit super snug - meaning, if it was an inch bigger, it wont fit) while the Single Pod - Side Entry locker can fit a bigger suitcase (dimensions for the lockers can be found here).
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| The Common Bathroom |
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| Shower Room |
They have a communal bathroom per floor that has 3 shower rooms with toilets and 2 toilets only. Hot water is in abundance and each shower room comes with free shampoo and soap (let's just say I ended up not using them - thank God I brought my own toiletries). Towels are provided and are changed everyday with the bed linens (although on the last day, they didn't change it). Also, I was actually worried about it only having 3 shower rooms and there having 3 rooms each floor (about 12 occupants in each room), but during our stay there, there was no queue when I was about to take a shower (which puzzled me a lot).
For pricing, you'll need to visit the website, I'll leave the contact information at the end of this post. For our stay there, price was pretty cheap since it was considered non-peak season.
We stayed for the first 2 nights at the Single - Front Entry Female Only Pod and it cost about SGD 41.63/night (PHP 1,398.77) there was an additional 7% for tax and 10% Service Charge. Total came out to SGD 98 (PHP 3,292.80)
On the next two nights, we transferred to the Single - Side Entry Female Only Pod and costing was a bit different for each night (I'm not sure why). First night was SGD 46.73 (PHP 1,570.13) while the next night was SGD 41.63 (PHP 1,398.77) when you add in the tax and service charge, the total came out to SGD 104 (PHP 3,494.4).
If you're planning on staying here, getting here from the airport is very easy. For us, we ended up taking a taxi since we arrived in Singapore at 11:30 pm, MRT and buses stop operating at 10 pm to 10:30 pm, so we had no choice. From Changi Airport to The Pod, Taxi fare cost about SGD 30 (PHP 1,008), but since I was with my friend, you can divide the taxi fare to two.
Overall experience with The Pod Boutique Capsule - I give it 4 out of 5.
The staff were all so accommodating. They were friendly, very courteous and very helpful (one of the staff was also a kababayan). Breakfast was always good, bathrooms were always clean. The rooms are also super clean and very modern. I love the minimalistic designs they applied to all the floors. The location of the place is also very accessible, outside the hostel is a bus stop (buses that stop here are numbers 100, 107, and 107M). MRT stations are quite near (Tip: Nicholl Hwy Station is nearer than the Bugis Station - made a mistake on the first day by going to Bugis - it took about 10 mins). Also, it's easy to find, and near to tourist attractions. There are also a lot of restaurants and convenience stores around. I'm definitely coming back.
TIPS:
*The top bunks are a little hard to climb, so as much as possible, request the lower bunks when you book it online or over the phone. Also, the air conditioning is a little low on the top bunk, so it gets a bit hot.
*The breakfast they serve consist of cereals, breads, pastries and beverages, I was actually happy with it, but my friend wasn't (she's used to eating heavy for breakfast, where as I'm not used to eating breakfast at all).
*When trying to access the MRT line, Nicholl Hwy Station is so much nearer than the Bugis one. If you have the Tourist Pass (I'll explain that below) you can take a bus to the Lavender Station if you don't feel like walking - which is what we did on our way to the airport, while bringing our baggage)
*All the MRT stations have an elevator you can use especially for when you're lugging around your baggage.
*The Pod Laundry room is located at the 5th floor, right after the shoe lockers. You can access the room with your keycard. You can ask for laundry powder at the front desk.
*The Pod Communal bathrooms have an access door located at the end of the hallway. Access doors lead to other level bathrooms (in case all the stalls are occupied).
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| The Entrance |
Address: 289 Beach Road 03-01, Singapore 199952, Singapore
Tel: +65 62988505
TRANSPORTATION: The transportation system in Singapore is very easy to understand. Also, figuring out a route to get from point A to point B is quite easy. The places in Singapore are also easy to find, the streets are labelled properly and if you access Google Map - everything shows up.
For this trip, I figured, since we'll be going around Singapore a lot, I decided to get a Tourist Pass. If you're planning to take public transportation a lot in a day, it's better to get this than paying for fares individually, you'll be able to save a lot.
You have the option of getting a 1-day, 2-day or 3-day pass, which covers all MRT, LRT and Bus fares.
We decided to get the 3-day pass and then got another 1-day pass on our last day. If you want to compare prices, you can go to Singapore's Train System website to calculate for fares. You can access the website here.
Another thing I did before I went for my trip was printing out this map of the Train System. It's helpful to get acquainted with the places when planning out your itinerary.
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| Train System Map |
I had this printout in my purse the whole time I was there. They do give out a copy of the map when you buy the Tourist Pass though, so never fear. If you're not sure about the stops, don't hesitate to ask for help, there are help desks located in every station.
But if you're planning ahead like I did, heres a list of Tourist destinations and their corresponding stops. Also, here is a copy of places you can BUY the Tourist Pass.
TIPS:
*A Tourist Pass Card has a $10 deposit, you can get a refund at the end of your trip by returning the card. You can keep the card, but you can't get you deposit back.
*A regular top up (recharge) on a regular card will still cost you $10.
*Read the signs on the train platform, make sure the train you're on is going in the right direction.
*A one way fare on the MRT would usually cost around $2+, calculate and see if you're better off buying a Tourist Pass or a Regular Pass.
*There are bathrooms in all the MRT stations.
So, here ends the first part of my Singapore blog. On the next post I'll be going over Day 1 and everything that happened on that day. Till next time honey bees!
But if you're planning ahead like I did, heres a list of Tourist destinations and their corresponding stops. Also, here is a copy of places you can BUY the Tourist Pass.
TIPS:
*A Tourist Pass Card has a $10 deposit, you can get a refund at the end of your trip by returning the card. You can keep the card, but you can't get you deposit back.
*A regular top up (recharge) on a regular card will still cost you $10.
*Read the signs on the train platform, make sure the train you're on is going in the right direction.
*A one way fare on the MRT would usually cost around $2+, calculate and see if you're better off buying a Tourist Pass or a Regular Pass.
*There are bathrooms in all the MRT stations.
So, here ends the first part of my Singapore blog. On the next post I'll be going over Day 1 and everything that happened on that day. Till next time honey bees!
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