Visiting three countries in four days - that's insane but I say possible. My friends and I planned a trip to Singapore but decided to go all out on our first out-of-the-country travel and got passport stamps from three different countries, that includes Malaysia and Indonesia. Sounds insane but we did it in actually in less than 4 days. We would have wanted to extend but we couldn't due to the flight schedule we reserved beforehand so we pushed through the itinerary we have prepared ourselves. DIY it is!
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| Singapore-Indonesia-Malaysia 4-day Itinerary |
I would admit there were a lot of disadvantages of traveling in a very limited time and in a DIY itinerary. We didn't hire a tour service as we were a little confident that we could just get by ourselves [there were 3 of us, by the way]
The questions we got when we arrived home were the following, which I will try to answer in this blog.
- How did you manage your time?
- Was it stressful?
- Were you able to visit all sites/spots in your itinerary?
- How much did you spend?
- Did you enjoy? [Side comment: I bet you didn't]
- Was it really worth it? Any regrets?
How we managed the time
We were not perfect with time management. We did have a lot of shortcomings as we encountered unexpected delays and uncontrollable circumstances. Getting the right bus or train was always the dilemma especially in Malaysia. We also didn't expect the travel time from Johor to Kuala Lumpur. We spent almost 14 hours on the bus. It sounds like a total waste of time but we took advantage of that time to get some sleep so we could regain energy. It could be exhausting for some who can't sleep without a bed. Fortunately, this is a skill I've mastered - sleeping while on a ride.
Following the itinerary
The most difficult part here is sticking with the time but the most wonderful thing about DIY travels is you don't need to always stick with the itinerary - paradoxical thought. We were not able to abide completely with our schedule especially in Malaysia [again]. We wanted to visit Batu Caves, Lego Land, and Genting Highlands [very ambitious. lol.] but little did we know that bus trips there have irregular schedules,perhaps due to the distance. We ended up visiting the famous Petronas Tower only.
With the remaining questions, I say, overall it was a little stressful but enjoyable.
No regrets.
Definitely worth it.
Before we even embarked on this trip, we were full of anticipations about seeing beautiful spots and capturing these sites so we could treasure them for as long as we live but it turned out, the trip exceeded our expectations. We only aimed to capture moments but what we had was an experience.We learned a great deal of patience, driven by our resourcefulness, compelled by our resilience. We experienced culture and lifestyle not as tourists but as common people. That's more than photos could capture.
No regrets.
Definitely worth it.
Before we even embarked on this trip, we were full of anticipations about seeing beautiful spots and capturing these sites so we could treasure them for as long as we live but it turned out, the trip exceeded our expectations. We only aimed to capture moments but what we had was an experience.We learned a great deal of patience, driven by our resourcefulness, compelled by our resilience. We experienced culture and lifestyle not as tourists but as common people. That's more than photos could capture.
Before I end up crying while reminiscing, here's our itinerary for 4 days in 3 countries with the price tags and some side notes
DAY 0
Midnight - Arrived at Changi International Airport
1AM - Sengkang [where we stayed temporarily with a friend]
Taxi Fare: SGD44 (around PHP1,450)
DAY 1
7 AM - Brekky and prep [sponsored breakfast - totally unexpected]
8 AM - Bus to Punggol Station [where we could get ticket to Harbourfront]
[bus fare: est. SGD2; MRT to HarbourFront: SGD2.44]
9AM - got the EZ Link card at Harbourfront
[EZ Link top-up: SGD30]
10 AM - strolled and got a early lunch meal at 7/11
[value meal: SGD3.94]
11 AM - Universal Studios Tour [yay!]
[ticket cost: SGD74]
6 PM - walked around Sentosa [we got lost. it rained. we're soaking wet.]
7 PM - grabbed dinner at KFC [value meal est. SGD8-10]
8PM - checked in at Inncrowd Hostel in Little India
[rate est SGD16 inclusive of breakfast]
10PM - lights off (recharge for Malaysia)
DAY 2
8AM - brekky and prep [we overslept]
8:30 AM - strolled around Little India
9AM - MRT to Woodlands [we used the EzLink card here]
10 AM - Boarded the bus bound for JB (Johor Bahru) Sentral
- Immigration
- JB Sentral
- looked for money changer then we got lost, we thought we're suppose to go back to the bus
after the immigration but we didn't
12NN - Dined at KFC [value meal: MYR 12]
1PM - finally found the Terminal [waited for the bust for almost an hour]
2PM - Larkin Terminal [where we bought bus tickets to KL] [est cost MYR34]
6PM - arrived at Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS)
- purchased return tickets to Woodlands,SG [est cost MYR45]
- dinner at TBS [meal: MYR 8]
- took MRT to Petronas Tower [total est cost to/fro: MYR6 ]
- the point when we got the currency all mixed up and paid SGD in Malaysian MRT
8 PM - Petronas Tower, finally
11PM - took MRT back to TBS
MIDNIGHT- boarded the bus bound for Singapore - zzz
DAY 3
4AM - Immigration at Johor [buses were honking like crazy]
4:30AM - I was half-awake while walking to the immigration LOL
6AM - arrived at Woodlands
- MRT to Sengkang [we had to go back to our friend's flat since we left our baggage there]
7AM - Sengkang
- brekky and prep for Indonesia [walang pahinga] [sponsored brekky again]
9AM - walked around Farrer Park to look for another hostel [completely out of the plan]
11AM - New Society Backpackers' Hostel [SGD18/person/night]
[we had to wait until 2PM; left our baggage there and continued with the itinerary]
12NN - Lunch at City Square Mall [meal: SGD12]
- money changer for IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)
1PM - got tickets for Batam Fast at HarbourFront [roundtrip fare SGD49]
2PM - Arrived at Batam [Indo time is an hour late]
- took the taxi to Nagoya Shopping Mall [to-fro fare: est. IDR160,000]
- shopped for Souvenirs
6PM - Batam Center to Harbourfront
-took dinner on the go [KFC value meal: IDR36000]
7PM - HarbourFront to New Society hostel
- left our things and checked in
- prep for another activity [walang pahinga]
9PM - Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands [photo opp]
MIDNIGHT - took the taxi back to hostel [taxi fare: SGD14]
- recharge zzz
DAY 4
8AM - Brekky and prep
9AM - strolled at Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay [can't get enough]
11AM - walked and reached Merlion Park
12NN - enjoyed the MRT ride [lol] to Ion Orchard Mall [window shopping]
1PM - lunch at Bugis Junction [value meal: SGD12]
2PM - souvenir shopping at Bugis Street
6PM - got our bags from New Society hostel [already checked out earlier]
7PM - back to Sengkang
- prepared for the flight back to PH
1AM - ready for takeoff at Changi Airport
5:30AM - Home Sweet Home
If I had to go back to any of the three countries, I'd probably go to Singapore. It's just worth every penny you pay. Although I had my share of OMG-moments there, I fell in love with the place and how everything works. Check out the things you need to know before visiting Singapore here.
DIY trips like the one we had is not the best nor the most convenient option but it's worth the try. There could be unpleasant circumstances in traveling or doing the itinerary yourself but it's when you could experience reality and truly learn the life and culture of other people. It's fun to be a tourist but it makes more sense to be one with the locals. Traveling would be more than sightseeing then; it would be a meaningful experience of a lifetime.
DIY trips like the one we had is not the best nor the most convenient option but it's worth the try. There could be unpleasant circumstances in traveling or doing the itinerary yourself but it's when you could experience reality and truly learn the life and culture of other people. It's fun to be a tourist but it makes more sense to be one with the locals. Traveling would be more than sightseeing then; it would be a meaningful experience of a lifetime.
Till our next laag,
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