We were on our way to Malaysia from Singapore. There were three ways to go at it: by plane, train, or bus. After weighing out all the options, we decided to take the bus. It was the cheapest option and afforded us the chance to see a bit of the Malaysian countryside before arriving in Kuala Lumpur.

There were several bus companies offering daily trips for the 4 to 5 hour bus ride from Singapore direct to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. We discovered we could spend half the bus fare if we crossed over to Johor Bahru, Malaysia first and then catch a local bus from there.

Our new plan got us to consider taking an overnight stopover halfway between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Melaka was an easy winner since it’s after all a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kranji MRT Station at the outskirts of Singapore

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Singapore is a highly cosmopolitan city. I was amazed at the diversity of cultures in its society. I live in an somewhat ethnographically homogeneous place. It was kind of a new experience for me to interact with different races.

For our walking tour of Chinatown, I wanted to see the multi-cultural facets in this old district of Singapore. Chinatown implies a place with strong Chinese influence. Beyond the main streets of Chinatown, we also got to see influences from other cultures.

It was cool to be able to visit a Chinese temple, Hindu temple, Mosque, and a Christian Church all in one day … and within walking distance from each other.

Singapore Central Business District

Walking past the Singapore CBD towards Chinatown

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A walking tour along the Singapore River was what I was most excited about. Singapore is one of those cities where its river has had a significant impact in its history and development into the mega city that it is today.

We would’ve already explored the area along the banks of the Singapore River if not for several mishaps, which offset our sightseeing plans. To keep up with our itinerary, we spent the whole day for a DIY photo walk along the banks of the Singapore River and old streets of nearby Chinatown.

We started from the City Hall MRT station and worked our way towards the Esplanade.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral

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We spent our second evening yet again at the Merlion Park. I earlier hoped to experience the Singapore Flyer or get a breathtaking view of the Singapore Skyline at night from the SkyPark of the Marina Bay Sands. Unfortunately, both were closed down for private functions because of the F1 night race.

As an alternative, we did a long walkathon from One Esplanade all the way to Marina Bay Sand and the Double Helix Bridge. It was very tiring to say the least but we were able to see a lot of interesting views along the way.

Fullerton Hotel

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I was excited to spend the day at Universal Studios Singapore. … so weird for me to look forward to visiting a theme park.

We took the MRT to the Harbourfront Station and walked to the ticket counters at the 3rd level of VivoCity Mall. Paid the admission fees of Sentosa Island, which included round trip tickets on the Sentosa Express monorail and transportation within the island itself.

Universal Studios Singapore located in Sentosa Island sits within the huge property of ResortsWorld Sentosa. I liked Universal Studios because it caters to a more matured market (unlike Disneyland). Pretty cool to have a theme park based on famous movies.

View of VivoCity from the Sentosa Monorial ride

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We left the hostel at a quarter before 6PM. I wanted to spend the sunset / dusk at Singapore’s most iconic landmark, the statue of the Merlion found at the mouth of the Singapore River.

Got off at the Raffles Place MRT Station and started walking towards the River. The first recognizable landmark we passed by was the historic Fullerton Hotel. There were a lot of luxury cars parked at the front. It was the F1 season (Fomula 1 Night Race) in Singapore.

Car junkies around the world flock to Singapore at this time. I’ve spent hours playing NFS and I admit it was kinda cool to have the game realized in a real megacity like Singapore. The streets around Marina Bay were blocked off because it was used as a race track for the night race. I can only imagine the thrill of speeding through skyscrapers and thousands of spectators.

Fullerton Hotel Singapore

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Who says traveling on a cruise is designed only for the more “seasoned” tourist? Disney’s Zack and Cody would certainly disagree. Having seen my fair share of “The Suite Life on Deck,” I’ve always been curious about the experience traveling on a cruise. When I found out I was going to do it for the first time, I did have my reservations. I found out later on though that “cruising” did have its many upsides.

Superstar Virgo by StarCruises docked at the Harbourfront Centre in Singapore

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Spending the afternoon in Sentosa Island was a great way to end our 4-day trip to Singapore and Malaysia. Despite being at the border of “tourist trapdom,” I liked Sentosa because it caters to many types of travelers/tourists. Last time, I hated not being able to spend much time in Sentosa. My battery ran empty after shutter-frenzy sessions at Universal Studios. I had to make a retreat to my hostel for a quick charge. Great to be back in Singapore and try out some of the other attractions in Sentosa. From the Harbourfront Centre, our bus dropped us off at one of the coach shuttle stops in Sentosa.

Back in Sentosa Island, Singapore :D

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