They said there is always a first time for everything and everyone. In this article, we will be talking about the very first trip I’ve made outside the Philippines and it was really off the cuff to say the least. Got a stretched-thin budget, an unplanned itinerary, and a bad camera with me. It was as if I went to a war without enough ammunition. But despite those, I can proudly say that it was worth everything.
I’ve boarded a flight departing from Manila bound for Kuala Lumpur with my mom and my best friend, flight time was almost 4 hours. We landed past 1 o’clock in the morning and as soon as we got off the plane, we took the earliest bus ride from the airport going to KL Sentral. We checked in at MyHotel@Sentral earlier than our supposed check in time because we were so worn-out that the only thing we want to do was to have our backs laid on a comfy bed. We woke up early and had our breakfast before we prepped up for our Day 1 in Malaysia. Since we did not have any idea where and how to start our day, a staff from the travel booth inside the hotel proactively offered a KL Tour promo (75-150MYR/person) that includes Van Transfers from the hotel to:
CHOCOLATE GALLERY
RONCATO LEATHERWARE
JADI BATEK GALLERY
PETRONAS TOWER
BATU CAVES
ISTANA NEGARA (THE KING’S PALACE)
Other places included on our tour were National Museum and Merdeka Square. I swear I was able to take photos of it but I couldn’t find them anymore.
Our driver/tour guide dropped us off at Berjaya Time Square after completing our tour. He told us that we could book a ticket to cross the border from Malaysia to Singapore with Startmart Express located inside the mall. After purchasing a roundtrip bus ticket (160MYR/person), we headed back to the hotel and called it a day. The next day, we got off from KL Sentral Station to Imbi Station on the Monorail to catch our bus that was scheduled to leave at 10:00 AM. We alighted from the bus twice during the trip, first when we reached Malaysian Immigration checkpoint; and second, at Woodlands Singapore checkpoint. The whole immigration process went easy, knowing that they are usually strict when it comes to first time travelers setting foot in their country.
We arrived at Starmart Express Terminal (Golden MileTower) in Singapore at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. We only had 5 hours to explore the city as our bus ride returning from Singapore to Malaysia leaves at 10:00PM. We couldn’t afford to waste our precious time, so we decided to head out and start our tour right off the bat. We went to the Merlion Park where the famous icon of Singapore sits. We walked around Marina Bay, have seen The Shoppes at Marina Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Art Science Museum, Helix Bridge and took as many pictures as we could before we leave for Malaysia.
Marina Bay
Louis Vuitton Shop in Marina Bay
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands and ArtScience Museum
Merlion Park
Starbucks at the Concourse Tower
We went to Starbucks mainly to kill some time waiting for our bus departure. We also bought tumblers because my bestfriend and I love to collect SB Tumblers. Same immigration stops, processes and travel time, and we were back at our hotel past 3:00AM. We bought souvenirs from Central Market the following morning, then headed back to the hotel to pack our things as we were scheduled to go back to the Philippines late in the evening.
It was just a short escape from reality, but we’ve enjoyed every bit of it. I made a promise to myself that I will go back, and I did as pledged. Please click here to read the story about my second time in MY and SG. Please feel free to let me know how I can better write for you. Thank you for your continued support!
Rj Ruiz 