All posts tagged: singapore

booksactually

BooksActually, Singapore: The Best Bookstores in the World

Published by Diana

One of the best parts of traveling is discovering the world’s most wonderful bookstores — and my heart exploded when I stepped into BooksActually in the Tiong Bahru neighborhood in Singapore. (Tiong Bahru is helpfully described by the Singapore Tourism Board as “one of the most happening hoods in town” — sort of like a sunny, very small Williamsburg, and punching well above its weight in terms of bakeries.) BooksActually is amazing, with walls stacked with novels (Singaporean classics and contemporary, plus all the other stuff worth reading), a super-smart and eclectic collection of art and design books, some lovely souvenirs, and, in the back, an entire room full of local vintage pieces. Outside, a vending machine sells “Mystery Books”; inside, two cats meow at customers. There is literally nothing more you could ask for from a bookstore.  This is my interview with Kenny Leck, the founder of BooksActually and publisher of Math Paper Press. 

Hotel Review: Hotel G in Singapore

Published by Diana

A review of Hotel G in Singapore:  I paid: $100 a night Hotel G location: Within walking distance of the National Museum and with easy access by bus/Uber/MRT (Bencoolen) to literally everywhere in Singapore. Hotel G vibe: Industrial-chic co-working space with tiny bedrooms Hotel G food: I got takeaway from the ground-level 25 Degrees, which offers the rare hamburger and French fries I did not enjoy. I didn’t go to the hotel’s other restaurant or bar, but I absolutely did feel underdressed when I walked through them on the way to the sidewalk. They were properly buzzing — I wish I’d made time. Hotel G amenities: There’s a gym I neither saw nor used. No pool. Free, unexceptional wifi. Use of a phone that included free calls to the US, which I used more than I thought I would—the reception was great, considerably better than what I would have gotten on Skype or a $.20-a-minute Project Fi call. The TV had HBO and all the international news channels. The room: This is a itty-bitty little …