Singapore Nightlife: Bars and Nightclubs Guide
By
Tibs
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Since my first visit in 2004, Singapore nightlife has seen tremendous changes, though not always for the best. As the GDP of Singapore almost tripled during that time, the number of foreigners went from 875,000 in 2006 to 1,632,000 in 2015. In the meantime, more and more Singaporeans went working or studying abroad, often in prestigious universities . Combined with the Government's ambition to develop Singapore as a tourist destination, this cosmopolitan atmosphere has encouraged restaurants, bars and nightclubs owners to open always more sophisticated and ambitious venues. As a result, Singapore nightlife has become one of the best in Southeast Asia. You have 28 restaurants with Michelin stars, 3 bars among the 50 best in the world , and 2 nightclubs in the DJ Mag Top 100 . On the downside, prices have reached a ridiculous level, especially for wine and alcohol. If you are planning to go to the best nightclubs, bars and restaurants, you can expect to easily burn 300$
I wrote this summary of Gili Trawangan nightlife (Lombok) after spending 3 nights there in May 2017. I had not visited the island in almost 10 years, and yet it didn't change much. It is just a bit more crowded, more expensive and dirtier. Most visitors are young Westerners between 20 and 30 years old. Among them, many are couples on their honeymoon or backpackers on a 6-month Southeast Asia tour. The latter aren't as numerous as in Bali or Thailand, probably because of the prices (overall you'll spend twice as much in the Gili's). They tend to stay for a short period of time only, on their way to other parts of Indonesia. The ones who stay longer usually work in diving centers and form the only real expat community on the island.
2 hours from Bangkok, the resort town of Pattaya boasts one of the naughtiest and craziest nightlife in the world. There are literally thousands of entertainment venues in the city, mostly beer bars, gogo bars, massage parlors and nightclubs. And they all have one thing in common: Prostitution. The whole town is just one massive red-light district spanning over 10 kilometers where most of the human beings you'll meet are either paying for sex or making money from sex. I say "most" because there is a cleaner side to Pattaya as well. Blending with sex tourists and hookers, some families and couples come to enjoy a normal holiday by the beach, seemingly unbothered by the surroundings. This is not the side of Pattaya I will write about here. I only went to Pattaya for a total of 4 night, meaning I only scratched the surface of its nightlife. The idea of the article below is not to be as complete as possible, but simply to give you a quick summary of the best area
Luang Prabang, Laos' most touristic city, does not have the reputation of being a party town. While there are plenty of things to do during the day, from visiting temples to swimming in waterfalls, nightlife activities are much harder to find. There is a 11.30PM curfew on bars located in the city center, but if you go a little bit further away you can find a few clubs and KTVs open until 1AM. You also have the bowling center that closes at 2AM. Within these time limits, there are actually some interesting venues for drinking and having fun. In this short review, I will give you a list of my top 5 favorite nightlife activities in Luang Prabang. Best Things to Do at Night in Luang Prabang 1) Nightmarket Luang Prabang at night (photo kob112 )
In this review of Khon Kaen nightlife, I will give you tips about the best areas to party, where to stay, my favorite venues and how to meet local Thai girls. I stayed there for two nights (Tuesday and Wednesday) and managed to visit all the famous nightclubs and bars. It's not that difficult, as you will see they are almost all within a small area. Where to Party in Khon Kaen? Khon Kaen is a medium-sized Thai city about 1 hour away from Udon Thani. There are few tourist attractions there, but it is a pleasant town with great street food and very cheap accommodation. It also has a small, but fun nightlife, which is dominated by young clubbers (students make up a quarter of the population).
Phuket is one of the most renowned nightlife destinations in Thailand. It has a frenetic party scene, yet most of its bars and nightclubs are concentrated in the 1-km long street of Bangla (or Walking Street) in the beach town of Patong. Nightlife in Patong is rather male-oriented with your typical agogo dancers, bar fines, freelance prostitutes, naughty massage parlors and ladyboys . It is a (paid) sex paradise that acts like a magnet for single males from all over the World. While Russians are the main nationality, you also have hordes of Northern Europeans (UK, Germany, Scandinavia), Asians, Australians, Americans, Indians and Arabs. There are also thousands of foreigners who retired in Phuket or started their own businesses (restaurants, bars, tours, etc). But Patong also attracts "normal" tourists, including families, couples and backpackers. They come mostly for the beach, but you can see them walking on Bangla street at night. They are just curious and n
I just spent a few days days in Patong beach writing a detailed Phuket nightlife guide . This smaller article is a ranking of the 9 best nightclubs in Patong. All of them are located along Bangla street (also referred to as Walking Street), which makes club-hopping very easy and fun. If you start early and finish late, you can do all of them in one night easily (and you'll still have time for a few gogo bars and live music pubs). At the end of the review, I give more general advice about clubbing in Patong: Prices, dress code, safety, where to meet girls, the best hotels near the nightlife, etc... SeekingArrangement is the #1 Sugar Baby Dating Site in the World - Click to Join Free! Top Nightclubs in Patong
I was in Hue for just 2 days on a stopover between Hanoi and Hoi An. I thought it was a pleasant town, with a fun nightlife, a laid-back vibe, some world-class attractions and excellent food. If I had known beforehand, I would have skipped Hoi An, probably the most overrated destination in Vietnam, and I would have stayed in Hue for a few extra days. This review is a summary of what I learned about partying in Hue.
I only spent 6 days in Chiang Mai but it was enough to get a quick overview of the city's nightlife. I managed to visit all the most famous bars and nightclubs, a task which is not so difficult considering there aren't more than 20 interesting venues. I didn't really enjoy the party scene there. Chiang Mai is the 4th largest city in Thailand but it is provincial and conservative. The thing I hated the most was the curfew on bars at 1AM. Even on a Saturday night, you'll struggle to find a decent club open after 2AM. For a tourist and university town, that's really a shame. Also, most nightclubs have live music instead of a DJ. This means the customers will rarely be dancing, but instead, they'll stand around tables or sit in sofas watching the show. If you are going out alone, this isn't the best configuration to meet other people. Finally, generally speaking foreigners and Thais don't mix. If you go to a tourist bar or club, the crowd will b
In April 2017, I stayed 2 weeks in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. I didn't really enjoy the city's nightlife, which was one of the worst I've ever experienced. Before writing about the negatives, I will start with a few positive points : - Sri Lankans are almost always very friendly and helpful. They speak good English too. - Colombo is a rather clean and safe city, especially in the tourist and expat areas. New construction is happening everywhere, for instance near the Fort (5-star resorts, waterfront apartments, etc). - There are several interesting things to do (parks, museums, markets, etc). - You can go to the beach in less than 30 minutes. - Most prices (except accommodation) are reasonable: Transportation (by Uber ), mobile internet, food and drinks.
Phnom Penh has one of the most bizarre and interesting nightlife in Asia. In terms of development, the city is still far behind Bangkok, Saigon , Jakarta or Manila : There are almost no skyscrapers, few modern malls, fewer cars, etc. This also translates into more poverty, poor public services (bad road maintenance, garbage) and average infrastructure (bumpy roads, slow internet, occasional power cuts). These characteristics reflect onto the nightlife. In the absence of a large middle class, you'll find it rare to meet normal girls in clubs. The most popular ones are packed with prostitutes, but many will play the girlfriend card if you are willing to take care of them. The rules are relaxed: Several clubs close late in the morning and a few bars stay open 24/7. Hotels are generally girl-friendly. You can get around without a helmet on a rented motorbike. Drugs are everywhere.
Because of the Internet, prostitution in Asia has been transformed significantly over the past 10 years. Slowly, it has moved out from the street, the bars, and the massage parlors, and instead, it has invaded online forums, escort websites, chatting apps and social medias. The main reason for this evolution is that it benefits the client. He no longer has to visit dodgy, sometimes illegal venues in sketchy neighborhoods. He can choose a girl directly from her photos, chat with her, make a deal, and then invite her to sneak discreetly inside his house or hotel. After finishing, he can even rate the girl and review his experience in online forums.
Even if you live in Thailand, you may not be familiar with Nong Khai. This town of 50,000 inhabitants is near the border with Laos, and it is often a stopover for people heading to Vientiane by land. This is exactly the reason I was there, for only 1 night. Naturally, I tried to find out if there was any nightlife. The city gets very quiet in the evening and you'll barely hear any noise apart from dogs barking and motorbikes. Even finding street food after 10PM can be challenging. Some areas are more busy though, with restaurants, bars, live music and even nightclubs. Below are my top recommendations for drinking and partying in Nong Khai: Along The Mekong River: Mostly Thais There is a nice promenade along the Mekong River called Rim Kong Alley. It is approximately 3 kilometers long from the temple Wat Hai Sok up to the Phra That Lanong (a replica temple).
The best gogo bars in Bangkok with nude striptease (topless and full naked) can all be found in the Sukhumvit area in the red light districts of Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza Entertainment Center. This area, the heart of Bangkok nightlife , is very easy to reach either by taxi (all of them know where it is) or by public transport (BTS/Metro) at one of these stops: Asoke, Nana or Sukhumvit. Nudity is getting more common in Bangkok. Just a couple years ago, very few gogo bars had topless shows while today, around 20% of them have girls willing to show at least their boobs. Pussies are another story: While you can easily get private or semi private lap dances in many locations, especially in Patong, it is still rare to see girls completely naked on a stage. This is the reason why I wrote this list of the best gogo bars in Bangkok with nudity. The venues are likely to be outdated soon so please don't hesitate to leave a comment with recommendations/new information if you can.