Travel Tip: Staying Cool & Dodging Flies

Do I look ridiculous? Yes. Do I care? No.

"Bring a Scarf." How many times have you seen that tidbit of What to Pack travel advice? It's a fashion accessory. It's blanket. Yada, yada, yada. Like many other traveling women, I carry a scarf for all those many reasons. I found a couple more good uses when we went on a bush walk around Australia's Uluru (Ayer's Rock).

Staying Cool
Uluru was hotter than Hades when we visited, hitting highs of  45°C (113°F). Even starting out on our hike at 7 a.m., the heat radiating up from the baked earth was getting to us. Scarf to the rescue! Wet it and wrap it around your neck. You'll be amazed at how much cooler just doing that makes you feel.

Dodging Flies
The flies at Uluru followed me around like I was a buffet that had been sitting out for hours. A cloud of them whizzed around me, trying to gain access to my nose, ears and mouth. I never really pictured myself hiking around this amazing landmass while wildly waving my hands in front of my face in a futile attempt to fend off airborne insects. I began to regret passing up the flynets for sale at the resort giftshop.  That's when I uncoiled the scarf from around my neck and draped it over my hat and around my head. The gauzy fabric was easy to look through and kept the flies out. Problem solved. Sure, I looked ridiculous, but all the other hikers were too distracted with their own fly swarm to pay me much heed. I bet this works great for sandstorms, too.

Other Uses
Just in case if this is the first time you've ever heard the Bring a Scarf tip, other uses are:

• Jazz up your outfit with a scarf (the original use, so not exactly ground-breaking)
• Keep warm by wrapping it around you
• Cover up bare shoulders when entering a temple or cathedral
• As a head scarf when entering a mosque so you don't have to use the loaner headscarf
• Roll other clothes up inside it to turn it into a pillow
• As a towel
• Wrap it around your waist for privacy if you have to pee by the side of the road.
• Emergency First Aid sling, bandage, or (God help you) a tourniquet
• Wrap it around ice for an ice pack
• Attach your small child to you 
• Bundle up all your belongings, tie it to a stick and pretend you're a hobo
• Superhero cape

If you forget to bring one, it sounds like it's time to go shopping for a souvenir scarf.


Related Post:
The Allure of Uluru (Ayer's Rock)


This post is part of Travel Tips Tuesday on Walking On Travels and Suitcases and Sippy Cups. Check them out for more great travel advice.

Taking a Taxi from Singapore to LEGOland Malaysia

Singapore-Johor cross-border taxi fare

You cannot take a regular Singapore taxi across the border to LEGOland Malaysia. Instead, you must use a cross-border taxi. So, this is what we did:

1. 5 minute local taxi ride from hotel in Clarke Quay to the Ban San Street Taxi Stand, next to the Queen Street Bus Terminal -- SGD$7

2. Cross-border taxi from Ban San Street stand to LEGOland -- SGD$70 for 3 adults and 2 kids

• 40 minute ride to Woodlands checkpoint, driving against rush hour traffic
• 5 minutes to stamp passports for exiting Singapore
• Drive across causeway into Malaysia
• 10 minutes at Malaysian immigration
• 25 minute ride from immigration directly to LEGOland
• Note: The concierge told us we'd have to transfer to a local Malaysian taxi after crossing the border, but our driver was willing to take us all the way to LEGOland.

We asked the driver to come back at 6:30 p.m. (half an hour after closing that day) to bring us back for another SGD$70. Joy of joys! I must have tipped him enough because he was waiting for us when we exited after a long day of fun. I didn't see many other taxis queueing up, so I am very glad that we had one booked.  He drove us 90 minutes back to Ban San Street where we had to transer to a local Singapore taxi to get back to the hotel.

Round trip, it ended up being SGD$154. We had door-to-door service and much more flexibility with when we wanted to depart and return than if we had taken a shuttle bus or tour bus.


Singapore Flyer - LEGOland Round-trip Shuttle
WTS Travel offers on-line booking and payment for their shuttle bus. In Low Season, there are 4 departures/returns each day. In Peak Season, there are 5 departures/returns per day. One way trips from Singapore to LEGOland are also an option. You must choose your times when booking.

Packages include the transportation only or one or both LEGOland parks plus transportation. Depending on the season, prices range from SGD$20-30 per person for round-trip transportation only. They sometimes have discounts on park admission. WTS accepts PayPal for the payment. Book at least a week early as the buses fill up. I have not tried this service myself but am keeping it in mind for our next trip. Click here to make a booking. The company also has a shuttle from Singapore to Hello Kitty Town/ Little Big Club in Johor.

Finally reaching LEGOland Malaysia.

Related Posts:
Building a Day of Fun at LEGOland Malaysia
Asian Landmarks at LEGOland Malaysia Miniland
Flashback to LEGOland California