The best backpacker hostels in Singapore?! :)

Got an msn from Paula, our beary good ex-host and she said her friend happened to see this article published by Cnngo.com. Typically I won't just click any link fearing those nasty viruses or trojans especially those sent via msn but this time round, just had to do it.. ha ha...

Actually our day host Ila mentioned to me a couple of days ago that a journalist/writer dropped by our hostel to sort of do an interview but I wasnt around. Was pleasantly surprised that our hostel has been selected as one of the best hostels in Singapore! A bit unfortunate that I did not get to meet the journalist/writer of this article else I would have explained why we came up with the 'cheesy' name a beary good hostel.. but nevertheless, am happy to be mentioned although not too sure how they came up with the ratings... :)

Here's the article for your reading pleasure ya!

p/s: Also thanks to our beloved guest Amar Naik for giving a nice review. Really appreciate it and glad you had a nice stay at our hostel!

Click here to read more!

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010

The Standard Chartered Marathon has been going on for 8 years and the number of runners keeps growing. Many from other countries specially come to Singapore just to participate this event. We have some bookings from guests in beary good whom will be participating the run, too!

So, avid runners, did you sign up for the run? Well, one of our beary brave host did and will be running this international marathon happening on 5th December 2010 (Sunday), from 5.00 a.m. So, Run, Shan, Run!!! We will be supporting you, gal!!

Where are you, beary nice?

To answer your burning questions and to prove how close beary nice! is to the Chinatown MRT and how easy it is to locate us, one of our lovely host, Diane, created a photo guide to lead you to us @ beary nice! Enjoy for those visually starved folks.. hehe..:)



Thanks, D!! :)

So what are you waiting for?

p/s: Oh, when you come out of the long escalator from the MRT, remember to turn your head towards left, you'll see a beary good hostel's white sleepy bear logo greeting you! hehe..:)

a story about beary nice!

Gosh.. I know I know, I have gone missing.. totally. :) But really, it's all for a good cause. Was terribly busy in the process of 'making' beary nice! our newest hostel @ Smith Street and now that it's finally opened, phew.. it's all good.

Really thank you so much for all your support! We've hit a whopping 100 guests in our first week of opening and the enquiries are flowing in. Really thank you!!

So, why beary nice!? Well, Bill and myself have always wanted to extend a beary good hostel @ Pagoda St due to the overwhelming responses from our satisfied guests and we felt so bad for guests whom we are unable to accommodate due to our limited capacity, so we decided to open a sister hostel, called beary nice! to keep beary good company.. ha ha! :)

We had alot of trouble searching for the right location initially, took us months! as our main focus has always been constant and that is to provide a place where the guests would be able to conveniently locate us and also definitely be central to everywhere else in Singapore! Where else but must be near the MRT/Subway/Metro, right?

I'm sure all of you know by now and can count the number of steps a beary good hostel is located, which is right outside of Chinatown MRT Station, Exit A: Pagoda Street. Well, beary nice! hostel is just only 2 minutes away from a beary good hostel! Smith Street (beary nice!) is famously known as the food street @ Chinatown Singapore, whereas Pagoda Street (abearygoodhostel) is known for it's busy bustling street for shopping for souveniers, clothes and even electronics! Now, that's what we call a lethal combination! We purposely chose the busiest street in the heart of Chinatown!!!

So here are some photos of the 'process of making beary nice!', some behind the scene photos, the work, the labour, the sweat, the battles, the tough decisions we had to make just to deliver a cosy and colourful beary nice! hostel just for you!! :)
colours: tonnes of paint were splashed all over the walls (okay, maybe I exaggerated a little! but let's just say, a lot of paint were used to colour beary nice!)..hehe..:)
planning: humm.. should I place it here? even made my trusty contractor to take some shots so I can 'visualize' it. Everything we do, we make sure the guest will use it comfortably, ok!
decisions, decisions: like choosing lightings..
more decisions: choosing tiles....
loads and loads of shopping.. the car was always filled up to it's capacity each time we got out of a store!!! We've learnt to ignore lotsa stares from passerbys...
battles: dealing with contractors who are always talking on the phone!! (just kidding, without them, we wouldn't have made it! Thanks Sunny and Eric!) constant monitoring: had to be there daily to make sure all renovation works and carpentry are done properly!!!
Not shy!! Tolerating attention seeking renovation contractors: Haha.. no kidding, this jolly chap was so excited that I told him I'm gonna take pictures and post it on the web, he dived into every shot and started cam whoring.... I have many other shots... trust me...
Lotsa D.I.Y.S: To stamp our blood and sweat into the hostel, we take upon labourious tasks like painting furniture.... (don't worry, we have wiped off any visible blood stain and sweat *grin grin*)
Resorting to child labour: to keep our budget low, the DIYS includes engaging free child labour to fix up furniture...(note: no children were harmed in the process of the making of beary nice!)
beary nice! signages: the most important of all, our beary nice! signature logo!!

The final touches!!! And that's it! I present you the lovely, spacious, cosy beary nice!! *tsk tsk* We even had guests staying over before our opening on 28th October 2010! :)

Exterior view of beary nice! Rustic old and charming shophouse, about more than 60 years old!
beary nice! Reception... we maintained the ever popular reception logo where all guests love taking photos!
super cosy lounge fully equipped with comfy sofa, rocking chairs, surfing stations, wii, dvd player, 42" plasma tv, etc!!
our bright and neat functional pantry that comes with microwave, fridge and utensils! :
Our lovely cosy dorm rooms: Funky Orange Dorm Room
Cool Blue Dorm Room
Ever Green Dorm Room

Okay, that's it from me for now. I still have more photos to share. Maybe will do it later after I catch my breathe... (or rest my fingers).. ha ha.. later loves!!!

Singapore Lantern Festival 2010

Hey Hey, been wanting to blog something about the Lantern Festival happening soon. About 2 weeks back, I was walking along Pagoda Street around midnight and saw a bunch of workers setting up lanterns all over Chinatown. Quite a sight, really nice and peaceful to be able to admire the colours and serenity. :)

Here are some info that you might find useful while visit Singapore during this period:

Chinatown Lantern Festival Street Light Up
- Huge lanterns and fairy lights brightened up Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and the street bazaars along the side streets.
- From Sat, 11 Sep 2010 to 10 Oct 2010
- From 7pm till late nightly.
- Expect the festival was launched on the evening of Saturday, 11 Sep 2010 near Chinatown MRT - with a flurry of energetic activities.

Street Bazaar
- Pagoda Street, Terrenganu Street, Sago Street and Chinatown Complex become pretty busy with vendors selling mooncakes, savouries, lanterns and other festive wares.
- From Thur, 9 Sep 2010 to Wed, 22 Sep 2010.
- From 11am till late daily.

Stage Shows
- A good mix of traditional and comtemporary entertain at Kreta Ayer Square (near Buddha Tooth Relic Temple).
- From Sat, 11 Sep 2010 to Wed, 22 Sep 2010.
- From 8pm nightly.

Mass Lantern Procession
- From 7.30pm on Sat, 18 Sep 2010.
- The procession starts at the open field near Outram MRT Station and ends near the river banks in Clarke Quay. Join in with your own lanterns!

Lantern Festival Events @ Singapore River
- the huge lanterns near Clarke Quay and on the River, and the cultural performances near The Central.
- Nightly, 8-22 Sep 2010.

So, enjoy the lights and mooncakes, folks! :)

It's the Mid Autumn Festival 2010...get yer groove on!!!

Tonight, Chinatown will be ablaze with the lights from many many lanterns. It's the start of the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Mooncake or Lantern Festival. Do take a walk around the area and immerse yourselves in the festivities. Click on the link below for more info on all the activities schedule and do enjoy yourselves :)

YourSingapore.com - Mid-Autumn Festival 2010

Something Random, Something Nice

Many guests left many random things behind the hostel.

As one would say, fun is only restricted by your imagination :)
So on some occasions, you will find some guests not sleeping. But instead doing some things which they themselves couldn't comprehend why.

**** I did witness the entire process, and a picture was taken in the toilet. Sadly I have no idea where is the picture. But since such memorable event should not be forgotten, so I depicted the picture based on my memories. Which is simply bears from different lands crowding in the small shower room, having fun :) ****

And sometimes ending off the night with pork stew in the washer.

Along with the sincerity of a smile,differences were forgotten.
Friendships across the border are forged.

With the echoes of the laughter,
Imprints of the smiles.
Can you see it?
Many left a part of their wonderful memories behind:)

So now, what would you leave behind in the hostel? :)

- Paula :)

Featured in newspaper, beary nice! :)

Our little hostel was briefly mentioned in our local newspaper, "Straits Times" for the Singapore's National Day special on 9th August 2010. A month back, a journalist was walking around Chinatown looking for 'new shops' residing in the good old conserved shophouses in Chinatown for his article on "Old shophouses house new shops". I received a text message from Diane asking me to call this guy because he wanted to interview me... and well, I called him and the rest are all in the small little article (actually we spoke more than that and funny the photos seems to be missing.. hehe... oh well..) :)




Anyway, it felt good to be mentioned in the news again! The last time was a surprised one but this time round, we know what and when it's going to be published. I must say, its a different kind of feeling. Here's the previous article in case you've missed it and don't know what I'm yakking about.. ha ha!