Johanna Ella May ErrobaContributed by Camera and Cheese
Late May 2015, I went to Nepal on a temporary assignment for work. I was there for seven weeks and to go back home, I was granted by our boss to book my connecting flight via Malaysia then back to the Philippines. I also had leave days that I could consume so my boyfriend and I decided to meet halfway in Malaysia then travel to Singapore since he hasn’t been there yet.
Also read: 15 Incredible Photos of Islands and Beaches You Won’t Believe Are in Malaysia
If you’re a friend of mine, you’ll know that this is my second time to go to Malaysia and Singapore. It just so happens that I have an aunt who lives permanently in Kuala Lumpur (KL) with her husband and two children so our accommodation was free! Now, before coming to Malaysia, I already had our itinerary planned out. I’ve booked a place to stay in Singapore through Airbnb, bought bus tickets from Malaysia to Singapore and back, bought a tour package for the trip to Singapore, and scored tickets for the Petronas Twin Towers.
I don’t want to bore you by writing down all the details about the trip so I just want to share the highlights of it. However, if you’re interested in the itinerary, you can see it below. Details on expenses will be shared at the end of this entry.
| DAY | TIME | PLACE | DETAILS |
| 1 | 12:00 PM | Kuala Lumpur | Lunch at my aunt’s house and drive to Batu Caves |
| 12:45 PM | Batu Caves, Selangor, MY | Features a giant statue of a Hindu God, three main caves with temples and shrines, 272 steep steps | |
| 1:40 PM | Istana Negara, Jalan Istana, MY | Former residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme King) of Malaysia and was converted into the Royal Museum | |
| 2:00 PM | Thean Hou Temple, KL, MY | A six-tiered Chinese temple, one of the oldest and largest temple in Southeast Asia, has a modern Buddhist pagoda | |
| 3:00 PM | Kuala Lumpur Tower, MY | 420 meters high and has 6 floors, I’ve never been inside so I can’t give out other details | |
| 3:30 PM | KL | Go back to my aunt’s house | |
| 2 | 8:00 AM | Drive to Melaka | |
| 10:00 AM | Melaka, MY | Late breakfast at a Chinese food house | |
| 11:00 AM | Shopping at Jonker Walk and picture taking at Chee Ancestral Mansion (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Christ Church Melaka, Melaka River, antique train and A Famosa | ||
| 12:45 PM | Late lunch at a mall | ||
| 2:30 PM | Head back to Kuala Lumpur | ||
| 10:50 PM | Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), KL, MY | Arrived at the terminal to ride a bus to Singapore | |
| 3 | 1:45 AM | Bus left KL to SG; got left by the bus and got lost on the way; details below | |
| 11:45 AM | Tourist Hub, SG | Rode a bus to go to Sentosa | |
| 12:30 AM | S.E.A. Aquarium, Sentosa, SG | Lunch at one of the restaurants, sight-seeing for fish in different types of aquariums | |
| 4:00 PM | Travelled by bus and train to Chinatown | ||
| 4:50 PM | Chinatown, SG | Sight-seeing and picture-taking around Chinatown and inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (wear appropriate clothing) | |
| 5:30 PM | Rode a train to Little India | ||
| 5:45 PM | Little India, SG | Picture-taking at some spots | |
| 6:00 PM | Rode the train and a bus to go to the Night Safari | ||
| 7:00 PM | Night Safari, SG | Long lines everywhere! Features different animals but was too dark to see some of them; Ride a cart or walk around | |
| 9:30 PM | Dinner at a Chinese stall | ||
| 10:11 PM | Rode a bus, train and a taxi to go to our host (accommodation) | ||
| 4 | 9:30 AM | Tourist Hub | Rode a bus to go to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) |
| 10:30 AM | USS | Brunch; Rode a LOT of rides: Transformers, Battlestar Galactica (Roller Coaster), Rapids Adventure, Puss in Boots Giant Journey; sight-seeing and picture-taking | |
| 6:00 PM | Head to the Tourist Hub for the Night Adventure Tour | ||
| 7:00 PM | SG | Start of the Tour | |
| 7:15 PM | Gardens by the Bay | Features a garden with towers of plants with a lights display | |
| 8:00 PM | SG | Tour resumed; short stopover at Bugis street | |
| 9:30 PM | End of tour and went back to the host | ||
| 5 | 8:45 AM | East Coast, SG | Checkout and breakfast at Toast Box; |
| 10:40 AM | Bugis Streetm, SG | Shopping for souvenirs | |
| 12:15 PM | Merlion Park, SG | Picture taking at the Merlion statue | |
| 3:30 PM | Little India, SG | Waited for the bus to go back to KL | |
| 6 | 10:00 AM | Kuala Lumpur, MY | Breakfast at my aunt’s house and headed to the Petronas Twin Towers |
| 11:00 AM | Petronas Twin Towers, KL, MY | Start of the tour; features a twin skyscraper with modern architecture and beautiful view | |
| 7 | 6:30 PM | KL, MY | Flight back to Manila, Philippines |
Also read: 15 Reasons Malaysians Absolutely Love Their Country
Malaysia Highlights
1. Thean Hou Temple
If you’re a Buddhist or a person who loves temples, you’ll love Thean Hou. You get a really nice view of the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur. There’s also a beautiful garden and cute statues of all the zodiacs. I’m also very fascinated with Buddhism ever since I went to Nepal.
2. Melaka
I LOVE MELAKA! I kept saying it over and over when we were there. Seriously, Melaka has everything! From museums to a fort, good food, great fashion finds and a lot more. I love it mainly because of the selection of clothes. Haha! Typical. Melaka is a gold mine and I was so happy my aunt took me there.
Also read: Top Attractions in Malacca and Must-Try Foods You Can’t Miss
3. Berjaya Times Square
OHMYG. If you ever want to shop, don’t do it in Singapore, everything is expensive! Do it in Malaysia. Berjaya Times Square is a huge mall full of clothing shops. I think most of these clothes are from Bangkok. Anyway, I wanted to shop for clothes so bad that we had to go back before heading home to the Philippines.
Singapore Highlights
1. Getting Lost in Singapore
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum
I’m going to spit it out. We got lost in Singapore. It’s a funny (now that I think about it) but really irritating story. Ugh, I don’t know how I can express my frustration at that time. I wanted the trip to be memorable for my boyfriend because it’s his first time and I’ve planned the entire itinerary so the trip would be hassle-free.
To make this short, we managed to arrive at the pickup point in the nick of time for the next activity but we lost the chance of getting the first one which was supposed to be at 9:00 AM. We were too late. Still, I was relieved that the first day was not dedicated to Universal Studios or else, it would have been such a bummer.
Also read: Street Photographers whose Instagram Posts Will Make You Think: Wait, This is Singapore?
2. Universal Studios Singapore (USS)
I’ve noticed that most people want to go to Singapore so they can visit the USS theme park. And yes, despite this trip being my second time, I still truly enjoyed the experience. My boyfriend and I had so much fun making strategies on how we could skip the long lines! Haha. The best ride, so far, was the Battlestar Galactica roller coaster. Oh man was that awesome. I wanted to ride it again but the line was just long that it would be a waste of time to have to wait again. If you’re ever going there, wear comfortable clothes and even bring extras if you plan on riding the Rapids Adventure.
3. Gardens by the Bay
I hate to be sappy but this was the most romantic part of the trip. A lights display with music was showcased and we found a spot where we could lie down and just look at how the towers would change colours. My mom wanted to go there but for some reason, we didn’t. The story behind the garden was amazing. You can read more about it here.
4. Transportation System
I was not able to take any photo of myself in the train or the bus (because that would be too touristy) but I just have to say that Singapore’s transportation system is top-notch. It is so organised, the vehicles are safe and clean, the traffic is well-regulated and the staff are extremely helpful and accommodating. They have a Singapore Tourist Pass (STP) which is a card that would allow you to ride any public bus and train in Singapore. I highly recommend that you get it. You can ask the people who man the train stations about this and I’m sure they will help you out.
Also read: A Filipino Traveller’s Guide to Visiting Singapore for the First Time
Budget
Now, onto the money part of the trip. I would suggest that you prepare around PHP 30,000.00. This should cover all expenses for the plane, accommodation, tour, transportation and food both in Malaysia and Singapore. This amount is actually a bloated estimate because we did not have to spend for accommodation in Malaysia since my aunt has a house there. You’ll understand better if you read the summary below. If you want to shop, you’ll have to prepare a bit more cash. I know some people could actually get away with incurring lesser expenses. You’ll just have to find what works best for you (itinerary, sights to see, etc.). I would also suggest looking into Airbnb. Trust me, you’ll save a lot of money on even better places than hotels.
I hope this post was informative and entertaining. Ciao for now!
