Howdy all!

Well, it’s time to crank the clock (or calendar I guess) back a few years to 2011 and look at a place I stayed at when I stayed in Singapore. And that is the budget stay that is Ali’s Nest. Where a single room could have set me back way more than I’d like to pay where you’re on a tight budget in this destination that is frankly not a budget destination, Ali’s Nest stepped up and filled a void for me.

This is a cosy little simple place, with shared bathrooms, single rooms and doubles (most if not all of which have bunks rather than a queen or twin beds), and also it has dorm rooms with up to I think eight beds.

It cost me around $20USD ($25 Singapore) when I was there, so that was a decent price. It is located in little India not far from a Metro station, so that is pretty handy, and is a friendly family run place. Was I’ve ventured onto Trip Advisor and I was thrilled to find it listed there. Whether it is STILL there, I don’t know, the most recent of reviews comes from 2017, having said the reviews are sporadic at best – it’s not really the sort of place people use Trip Advisor to find.

Which means it’s more the sort of place that people who are ‘in the know’ stay at. So how did I find it? Well, I liked the neighbourhood. It isn’t the centre of town, and it’s not the flashiest area, but plenty of food options close by and Little India is a vibrant and extremely likeable part of Singapore.

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So what did I get at Ali’s Nest? Well, I got a single room. And well, it was a cupboard, but frankly those were the days and that didn’t bother me too much. But it was a single bed that took up half the room to give you an idea, and then the showers and toilets were shared. I found myself on the ground floor, and I think most of the rooms and beds were actually on the first floor.

In fact I stayed at the bottom of bunk beds, there wasn’t even a mattress on the top. There was a little bed side table and a fan. It was so humid in Singapore, even if it was mid-20s I needed that fan at night to sleep. Outside the back was a large green space. The owner, Ali (I presume, memory fails me on that score) was nice and helpful for any information I needed around Singapore. I think I was there just the two or three nights maximum, but I had the chance to visit Sentosa Island and take the gondola over Singapore on that trip, so it was pretty cool.

There were a few little prayer idols in the living space, it was very white and clean. There was a toilet and shower just next to my room next to the open laundry where the linen was washed and travellers also did their washing. It seemed like a friendly place although I think I kept to myself mostly whilst I was there.

The most I can show you of Ali’s Next is in the first minute or two of my Singapore vlog I did, way back then, called ‘A Short Stay in Singapore’, where you get a glimpse (and not much more) of the place!

Andy’s Ratings:

Value For Money : 4/5

Friendliness: 3.5/5

Cleanliness: 2.5/5

Noise: 2/5

Total: 12/20 [60/100]

Thanks for popping by today – May the Journey Never End!