20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
out of date, innaccurate, out of touch, July 17, 2000
As an American having lived in Singapore for much of the past 30 years, it seems to me Mr. Hellander hasn't spent much time there. Much of his 'facts' and 'tips' are out of date, or just plain wrong. His 'tips' on hotels and restuarants in particular seem to be based on marketing data, and not real world experience. If you are planning to go to Singapore, there are many other, better written and more accurate, books to read. This would not be one of them. Insight and Essential Explorer do a much better job.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Handy and truly serves its purpose!, February 25, 2000
Like all Lonely Planet Guides this one on Singapore is professionally compiled, well mapped, with lots of info on places to eat, stay and visit. I couldn't have enjoyed Singapore as much as I did without it. Travelling anywhere with a Lonely Planet Guide gives me a peace of mind. I am able to plan every day of my holiday and make the most of the time I spend there. It's very helpful that everything is categorized into various budget range.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Solid Reference for Getting Around in Singapore, March 31, 2002
By A Customer
We found this book to be a very solid reference for transportation and side trips while traveling in Singapore. Compared to Fodor's Singapore guide, which we also carried, this book has more accurate and helpful information on sightseeing and transportation options, e.g., local places to buy bus or ferry tickets for side trips in Malaysia and Indonesia. The book is also a good source of ideas for exploring outlying islands, forests, and neighboring cities.
We were not impressed with the "Places to Eat" section. With two broad exceptions, the descriptions of "Places to Eat" and "Places to Stay" are too brief to be of much use in choosing a specific restaurant or hotel. However, each publisher covers hawker centers reasonably well. Lonely Planet's treatment of budget and alternative lodging arrangements--such as camping--seems fairly comprehensive. Finally, you will find more shopping advice in other guides, although this book's shopping section is not bad.
The information in the book is well organized and generally easy to find. While it is not a "pocket size" guide, its size (approx. 5 x 7 in. or 12.5 x 18.5 cm) makes it very easy to take along in a backpack, camera bag, or briefcase. At 200 pages plus maps, it is light enough to go almost anywhere.
For getting around in the city and to more remote locations, we found ourselves relying on this book. If you are familiar with Singapore, have already arranged accommodations, or are more interested in exploring and side trips, the options in this book can take you much farther afield without stress.
Lonely Planet also maintains a very good website, which features detailed content, including updates about Singapore and other destinations.
Conclusions:
* This is a very useful little reference that is likely to become more useful as you become increasingly familiar with Singapore (i.e., the more you visit).
* Combined with the website, the book can prepare you well for nearly all aspects of a trip there, especially if you intend to use Singapore as a hub for excursions elsewhere.
* More detailed descriptions of hotels, including further treatment and recommendations in the top half, and more material in the shopping section would give the book a stronger appeal to a broader audience.
* First time travelers to Singapore (other than those with extremely limited budgets) or those who go only for the shopping may find the Fodor's guide more helpful.
Hope this helps!
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