Four skyscraper hacks

I'm not great with heights at the best of  times, so the promise of a little liquid lubrication is one of the best ways to get me to the top of scary tall buildings. Parting with a few pennies for some liquid courage is also a great way to dodge hefty admissions fees to popular sights; at worst you break even on the cost of a pint or cocktail each and sometimes you even come out a few bucks ahead - here are a few of our favorite skyscraper hacks.

Marina Bay Sands: Singapore

I'm going to say this outright (and I'm glad that I didn't know at the time of my visit) but the Marina Bay Sands is owned by mega-Republican donor and all-round geriatric-baddie, Sheldon Adelson. So should you chose to visit, just know where your money goes . . .

But if you must . . . the Marina Bay Sands is reportedly the most expensive building in the world - and it looks it; it was finished in 2010 at the cost $5.5 billion. I am not going to lie, it is impressive and virtually overnight has become Singapore's most iconic building.

So, if you've already slung a few Singapore Slings at Raffles but are still a bit thirsty and hankering for a bird's eye view of the city, you could do worse than heading to the rooftop bar Ku De Ta. Yes, a pint of Stella will set you back about $20 (welcome to Singapore!), but that beats the hell out of $23 just for the elevator ride to the observation deck. So hop the elevator to the bar (and don't pay the observation deck fee) - that way you can assuage your guilt of lining Sheldon Adelson's pockets with a cold beer while you enjoy the view.

John Hancock Building: Chicago

Chicago is famous for many things; political corruption, pizza, gangsters, bootlegging and its skyscrapers - yes, Chicago had them first (sorry NYC).  While The Sears, erm Willis Tower is the tallest (it gets you get to the 103rd floor) and has that terrifying little skybox, it does not have The Signature Lounge.  The Signature Lounge at John Hancock gets you nearly as high - to the 96th floor of this Michigan Avenue icon and like the Marina Bay Sands, you can pay for a lift to the top, or you can ride free and have a cocktail at the other end - I know which one I'd go for. The toughest decision is whether to go in the daytime and enjoy the fabulous views across Lake Michigan or at night to take in the city lights.

The Stratosphere: Las Vegas

Daredevils can bungee jump or $18 will get you to the observation deck; but (I guess you're seeing a pattern by now) we opted for the free ride and splurged on a post-nuptial glass of champagne. The Stratosphere isn't the trendiest or most popular hotel/casino in Vegas, but you'd be hard-pushed to find a better view.

View from KL Tower

KL Tower: Kuala Lumpur

The Petronas Towers rightfully hold the title of KL's most impressive - and tallest buildings; but the problem with visiting the Petronas Towers is that once you are in them, you can no longer see them! It's also worth mentioning that a visit to the Petronas Towers doesn't get you any higher than the skybridge, tickets are limited and queues long. So, cheat and make time for a visit to the KL Tower instead. It's recently gone under a much-needed renovation and the cost of the lunch buffet is nearly the same as a ticket to the observation deck. It may not be a free lunch, but it's close.

And if you're really just wanting to ogle the Petronas Towers and being sky-high isn't a top priority, then KL has plenty of rooftop bars with lower, but still spectacular views - there's the Skybar at Traders Hotel, Luna Bar at The Pacific Regency and several others. Bottoms up!

Seeing Singapore

Nearly two years in Malaysia and we have finally made our first trip to Singapore.  Singapore as we know it was established as a British trading post in 1819 by Stamford Raffles (for whom everything in the country is now named).  After years of British rule it was occupied by the Japanese in WWII - then went back to the Brits before it became part of an independent Malaysia in 1963.

 The union with Malaysia was a short, unhappy marriage.  Singapore was a wealthy city, lacking natural resources with an ethnic Chinese majority - the rest of Malaysia was Muslim-Malay dominated, significantly poorer but rich in natural resources - within two years Singapore was expelled from Malaysia and became an independent state.  Despite a relatively peaceful co-existence today the rivalry between Malaysian and Singapore remains palpable.

Although Malaysia has developed rapidly and is now at the top-end of second-world country status, Singapore and Malaysia are still complete opposites - where Singapore is clean, orderly and expensive - Malaysia is dirty, chaotic and cheap.

I wasn't overly-charmed with Singapore - don't get me wrong, the ability to safely cross the street, the lack of garbage, extreme regard for health and safety and the general efficiency of well, everything, was refreshing - but beyond that it's just like any other modern, first-world city.  I can see why the Brits enjoy it, they love to tour their former colonial stomping grounds and to European eyes Singapore is something completely different - but skyscrapers are less impressive to Americans; we have some pretty good ones at home.

 Also, having been to so many other Asian countries and cities, Singapore just feels like someone came in and cleaned it up for the tourists.  It lacks a certain sense of authenticity and it should be no surprise that Singapore does feel so 'unauthentic' - of over 5 million inhabitants only 3.25 are citizens - the other nearly 2 million people are foreign permanent residents and workers.

Despite great affluence (Singapore has the 3rd highest per capita income in the world) Singapore has a dark side.  Chewing gum is famously banned and canings for relatively petty crimes make the news regularly as do Singapore's draconian anti-drugs laws - but the lives poor migrant workers are particularly grim.

As of May of this year nine Indonesian maids had fallen to their death in Singapore (some accidental, some under investigation).  There are frequent stories of beatings, sexual abuse and even murder (last year the body of maid was found stuffed in the water-tank of a condomimium which was also contaminating the water supply) and only from 2013 will maids legally be required to be given one day a week off work.

I complain about Malaysia (sometimes a lot) but given a choice between the two, I'd still probably stick with Malaysia - but it's certainly nice to have Singapore just 200 miles down the road.  If you ask a Malaysian what do you think of Singapore they will say, 'Oh, it's so stressful! So organised and so many rules!' If you ask a longtime expat in Malaysia what they think of Singapore they say, 'Oh, it's so relaxing!  It's so organised and everyone follows the rules!'