Malaysia is pretty close to Singapore. It would only take 6-7 hours by train, 4-5 hours by bus, and 1 hour by plane. I went to Singapore from Johor Bahru, Malaysia by bus. Tickets ranging from RM35 to RM250, and then went back to Malaysia by plane that cost me 70USD with AirAsia.
Crossing the Singapore-Malaysia border is kinda confusing even though it’s my second time traveling to Singapore from Malaysia. One important thing that I learned from those trips was to keep my ticket with me even after I boarded the bus. You would need it in case they do a random inspection.
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Here’s a DIY (do-it-yourself) Travel Itinerary to Singapore and Malaysia:
Malaysia
Day 1 – Batu Caves
Batu Caves Hindu temple is a famous landmark in Kuala Lumpur. You won’t miss the 140 feet golden structure of Lord Murugan once you passed the entrance. In order for you to see the 400 million years old limestones caves, you have to take the stairs with 272 steps.
Climbing the stairs is easy, the hardest part of it was the mischievous little monkeys along the way. One monkey took my water bottle from my hand and ran away like a thief! It was funny and scary at the same time.
Day 2 – Perdana Botanical Garden
Formerly known as the Perdana Lake Gardens, it is located at the Heritage Park in Kuala Lumpur. Originally, it was created as a recreational park then turned into a Botanical Garden. It’s nice to stroll around here coz of the nice landscaped gardens, the man-made lake, and the tiny Stonehenge replica — all for free!
Petronas Tower
“Identical towers, identical wonders.” This is probably one of the famous icons everybody would instantly recognize coz it used to be the tallest building in the world (now it’s Burj Khalifa in Dubai). Those skyscrapers towering 88 floors are Islamic-inspired and the buildings house the corporate headquarters of the Petronas Company and other offices.
Suria KLCC
This mall is located underneath Petronas Twin Towers. It is divided into three parts; Ampang Mall, Park Mall, and the new Ramlee Mall. There’s also a science discovery center called “Petrosains” and an oceanarium called “Aquaria”.
Day 3 – Putrajaya
Putrajaya is located in Selangor, about 25 km from Kuala Lumpur. It’s Malaysia’s federal administrative capital. Aside from handling the administrative functions of KL, lotsa tourists come here coz there’s a lot of attractions to see. What captured my attention was the bridges and the Marina Putrajaya with musical fountain and extreme water sports.
Jalan Alor
If you’re craving for local Malaysian cuisine, Jalan Alor is the perfect place to be. You can dare yourself to eat something exotic like frog porridge, pig innards bak kut teh, and braised chicken feet. But if you’re not too adventurous, you can still enjoy some seafood restaurants and Chinese hawker food that are really good.
Changkat
This area is famous for pub crawling and after-hours entertainment. Popular bars and restaurants in KL can be found here. I like the buildings in Changkat coz it used to be a pre-war colonial shop-houses that were renovated and turned into pubs and western restaurants.
Singapore
Day 4– Resorts World Sentosa
Sentosa is a famous leisure destination and island resort getaway in Singapore. You can literally stay here for days without getting bored because there’s a lot to explore. People of all ages would surely enjoy attractions like the Universal studios, casinos, S.E.A. Aquarium, Singapore Cable Car, Boardwalk, Merlion, Adventure Cove Park, Zipline Parks, etc.
Day 5– Marina Bay Sands
If you’re the kind of person who appreciates great infrastructure, Marina Bay is the perfect spot for you. Marina Bay Sands’ famous swimming pool is the largest and the tallest rooftop infinity pool in the world. If you want to get a spectacular view of the city at night, go to the rooftop and take awesome pictures of the skyline.
Gardens by the Bay
This 101 hectares nature park is one of my favorite destinations in Singapore because I like the way they showcase tropical landscaping. I know it takes guts and skills to make those conservatories (flower dome and cloud forest), I can’t say anything but WOW… I’m very impressed.
Day 6 – Merlion Park
This park is pretty close to other landmarks like Marina Bay Sands, Esplanade (Theatres on the Bay), and Singapore flyer. They said that Merlion is a well-known marketing icon of Singapore.
It represents a mythical creature with the head of a lion and a body of a fish. Taking a photo with this Merlion is a must. Try to search “merlion selfies” and you’ll be surprised how creative people are in taking selfies with this icon. 🙂
Asian Civilisations Museum
You can find the history and ancestral culture of Singapore in this museum. Each gallery is organized according to their geographic location such as; China, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Islamic world. There’s an entrance fee of 8SGD for foreigners and free admission for locals.
Day 7 – Singapore Flyer
This world’s largest observation wheel gives you a 360-degree view of the city. On a clear day, you can also see a panorama view of Malaysia and Indonesia. It’s kinda expensive though, 33SGD for a short 30-minute ride.
Jurong Bird Park
This park has almost all bird species in the world. You can also find the world’s largest walk-in lory flight aviary at 3,000 square meters and over 9 stories high. Kids will surely love the fun exhibits, interactive shows, bird feeding, and tram ride.
So there you have it, my suggested DIY travel itinerary for 1 week in Singapore and Malaysia. I stayed with some friends in Malaysia and Singapore and they made my trip easier coz they know their way around the city. If you have any questions, feel free to write it down using the comment form below. Thank you! 🙂
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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover” – Mark Twain
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