A 2 hour drive through the worlds craziest drivers is one of the most idyllic, serene and beautiful hotels we have had the pleasure to stay in, the Viceroy Ubud.
We managed 3 days here last year in room 26 and this time we are next door in room 25
7 days of relaxation with a beautiful and amazing woman.
Yes it’s Cinco de Mayo and we made it through the uber efficient Singapore Changi airport with its electronic passport, checkin, baggage, security and cleanliness (take note UK airports, this is what an airport should be like). Onto our SCOOT airline flight (think Jet2 but better)
To arrive in Bali complete with our luggage (even my three wheel case made it)
Thanks to flying with Singapore Airlines and not with Emirates through Dubai.
And now the journey to the Viceroy in Ubud where the drivers are maniacs (but polite).
So to Emirates we’d like to thank you for wasting our time, holiday and money last year, stranding us in Dubai without luggage, hotel, transport, assistance, compensation or interest in customer care. This one’s just for you
It has been fun revisiting some of the sights from 2011 when we last came here. Do we need to visit again, maybe not for another 14 years.
The food has been awesome (finishing off this evening with Stone Axe Wagyu beef, simply melt in the mouth and Sanchoku Wagyu, with a beautiful taste). And yes food here is really expensive unless you go to the hawker stalls and queue for your food.
Next stop the Bali and let’s see how many wheels my case ends up with next.
While all you lot are happily in the land of nod, it is actually 12 o’clock somewhere (yeh Here)
And that means it’s Singapore Sling o’clock for Mrs Fogg and I. At a paltry SG$41 each plus tax plus tip
Enjoy your snoozing while we are enjoying the boozing here at Raffles.
And we didn’t even queue, we did the oblivious thingy and walked past everyone waiting to enter the long bar. Mrs Fogg did get some hoyty toyty ole fart stop her to advise there is a queueing system. Ha they got sat on uncomfortable bar stools and we got sat comfy chairs. It’s the little wins in life.
That’s them on the stools that is (and she ain’t appy)
Drunks, out!
Oh yeh and here you get bags of monkey nuts and lob your used shells on the floor, it’s like a standard night out in Wakefield or Durham! (Eh Di, Helen)
Here’s the long bar, now where’s wally (she’s there somewhere)?
Meanwhile 5 Slings later, where’s the food!
When we were last in Singapore 13 years ago, the marina Bay Dands hotel existed as a ship atop 3 pillars, and they were starting to build the Cloud Dome and Flower Gardens
So now we are here again we visited the impressive shopping mall, complete with iconic dome Apple Store
And then SG$90+ each to go inside 2 domes, which Mrs Fogg enjoyed but agreed was not worth the money
We did get lunch in a ramen noodle house that has a rather funky robot table cleaning service
I’m fairly certain that Mrs Fogg will be really enthusiastic over all the lovely plants she has seen, me not so.
And time for a drink at the Marina Bay Sands hotel, 56 floors up in the ship, where Mrs Fogg gets her Wes-Side on to the muzac Here
Time then for food as a rather sizzled Mrs Fogg walks up to the Wakado restaurant to book a table and approaches a beautiful young local lady, to ask for a copy of the menu, only for the rather annoyed lady to advise she is a guest waiting for her date!!! Way to stereotype!
Oh my gosh, so the meal we just had actually charges you for the wet wipe, yup SG$1 really !!!!
After a slow rise, a wobble down to Orchard Road and the MTR to traverse Singapore (take note London, the MTR is an unmanned underground rail service that is clean, tidy, efficient and air conditioned, nothing like the UK).
Off to Chinatown for a little sight seeing, apparently Buddha don’t like women’s knees (put on a sarong that doesn’t cover your knees and magically you are respectable)., then off to the hawkers bazaar for lunch, well boiled chicken and rice after queueing for 20 mins, oh yum
Must have been warm since Mrs Fogg wanted beer
Back to the hotel for a shower down (get rid of the hot and sticky), before evening grub and Atico on the 55th floor of the ION centre, where you have Flint (Japanese) or Fire (Argentinian). Japanese it is then and a 5 course tasting menu with accompanying saki.
Atico is Here
And now at 2240, time for a rest after 9 miles of walking. Oh and we found a Harley store to buy T-shirts, me so happy.
After a gentle getting accustomed to the heat, 7h time difference, no sleep and humidity, we wobbled out to Orchard Road for a wee while to look at some of the impressive plant covered apartment blocks and notice how you’ve really made it when you have a cantilever pool hanging out of your apartment 40 storeys up
We is Here
Then after scoffing our “anniversary” cake, it’s time for a 7 course Chinese banquet where Mrs Fogg enjoyed the delights of 8 headed abalone and boiled sea cucumber, the face doesn’t do it justice
Before a slow Wimbledon around the hotel complex
Tomorrow apparently we are looking at some big greenhouses
This is the view from our hotel room, just as a storm starts descending onto Singapore. Amazing view
A superb empty flight with no more than 50 on the plane and 6 in business class
Oodles of food and champagne and guess what we ALMOST got all of our luggage this time, with one exception
Yup my case now only has 3 wheels!, the other one is on its way to Dubai!
And here we are 7 hours ahead in the Shangri-La hotel in 28 degree heat and 80 percent humidity.
And last night we stayed at the “Tribe” hotel at the airport which aims to be cool, hip and trendy (you can see why we stopped there then).
All checked in, cases sent on their own separate holiday and now sat in the over priced 1903 Airport Lounge, not worth it, don’t pay for it.
The flight is in 2 hours, time for more champagne then.
