Malaysia - Singapore 2013: Trip Report Summary

Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka and Johor Bahru
Singapore

Length of trip: 10 days and 9 nights

Malaysia Summary
We were able to visit 4 provinces of Malaysia - starting from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya to Melaka and lastly, several hours to Johor Bahru. Land trips cover most of our time and the sights and sounds of foreign land never fail us.

We learned that indeed, Malaysia is one of the Southeast Asian countries that is notorious when it comes to tourists. Taxi drivers charged a lot higher, they knew right there and then if you are a tourist (though we Filipinos looked like them). Some of the vendors did not give discounts for tourists, even if you'll be buying a lot more than usual. Food are basically all over, but Malaysia, because of its history, doesn't have its signature dishes. Satay is everywhere, even in Singapore. We found Indian, American and Chinese cuisine as well. Malay food, maybe because we failed to look for them, are not readily available in Jalan Alor.

However, despite these experiences, we enjoyed what Malaysia offered to us. Like the other countries we have been, one visit is not enough and we believe we haven't discovered what Malaysia has more. I love the history that unfolded in our eyes, particularly in Melaka. Its like Macau all over again.


Singapore Summary
Its a beautiful city. Period. It is one of the cleanest country I have been in. I want to believe I belong here - fast paced, organized, and semi-formal way of living. I love looking at the yuppies, how they dress, how comfortable they looked like at their heels, formal dresses after a ride in the MRT. I wish Philippines is more like this.

But because of these fast paced environment, I seldom find Singaporean families at the parks. In more instances than one, I found couples and friends just walking around.

Singapore is indeed, one of the costly countries I have been in. Luxury brands are everywhere, famous restaurants, world class hotels and pricey goods. But just like Malaysia, we failed to find a cuisine that Singapore can surely own. What we had in Malaysia is basically what we had in Singapore. And due to lack of tourist-friendly food choices, we usually end up in fastfood restaurants - McDo and KFC.


The Budget

Good thing we always scout for cheap airfares and not to put our monies in one payment - or else we will be broke. Our budget is a lot more than what I spent for Macau and Hong Kong and our Indochina trip in 2012.

Malaysia 2013 expenses

Singapore 2013 Expenses

Malaysia - Singapore (10D/9N) Expenses

We will always look forward to the other trips in these two countries. Hopefully, we will be able to visit Penang in Malaysia and scout Singapore for the fast food restaurants that are uniquely Singapore.

This finally ends our Malaysia and Singapore chronicles. :)

Hotel Review: Hotel 101 Geylang

Date of Stay: September 17-21
Length of stay: 5 days and 4 nights
Location: 12 Lorong 12 Geylang Road, Singapore

On Location

Hotel 101 is located in Geylang Road, also known as the Red Light district of Singapore. Restaurants and bars are located everywhere, and for the three nights of our stay, girls are lurking around the area.

It is about 10 minute-walk from Kallang MRT Station. Though its website indicates its nearer Aljunied Station, we take Kallang most of the time. We got initially lost while looking for it on our first day, but the walk is all worth it. (We would like to thank the nice lady that searched on her mobile map, Hotel 101's location.)

As mentioned, restaurants are aplenty in the area - from Muslim, Chinese, Indian and exotic that sells frog dishes. Hotels are also located in every street, you can choose from any of them.

Hotel view

Our Accommodation

Hotel 101 is a relatively new hotel, that nobody knows where it is. It has 6 floors and we believed that the first 2 floors are reserved for short-term accommodations (if you know what we mean). We booked our

The Hotel Lobby

Similar to the past hotels where we checked in a bit later in the night, good thing that the reservation officer held our reservations without us informing them. The room is just right and water, and instant coffees are available. We booked the triple room, with double and single beds. The space is just enough for the three of us, but the walking space is quite small. Nonetheless, our travel belief that the hotel will just be sleeping and resting quarters for us after a long day,  Hotel 101 was able to deliver.

Our room

Our Experience

Since we usually leave the hotel early and come back late, our experience only covers our nightly observations. Walking even past 8:00 in the evening is just fine, there are many people in the road and it is fairly accessible to the MRT stations by walking. Similarly, a bus stop is just few blocks away so you have an option on transport.

As mentioned, Hotel 101 is located at the red light district and women in very little clothing is all over the place. They are even at the outside of the hotel's perimeter fence. However, they are not these women who brush them to men and women, so we were good at it.

Should you don't walk to walk for 5 minutes to the nearest 7-11 store, vendo machine can be found before the entrance of the hotel and near the parking. Still very convenient.

The Verdict

If you are keen with women and people lurking around your hotel, then Hotel 101 is not for you. Or even the other hotels located at Geylang area. The Hotel 101 delivers your basic needs - a comfortable bed and nice location. Nothing special though, reservation officers are as helpful as others. We prefer those small hostels that you can talk with other guests and interact with the owners.

Similarly, if you don't want the hassle of paying an initial payment, Hotel 101 is one of the few hotels in Singapore that offers this choice.


Hotel 101
Website: http://www.culturalhotelsgroup.com/hotel-101.php

Room rates:
Twin room: SGD 75
Deluxe room: SGD 75
Triple room: SGD 110
Quadruple/ Family room: SGD 140

Hotel Review: River Song Residence

Date of Stay: September 15-17, 2013
Length of stay: 3days and 2 nights
Location: Lorong Hang Jebat, Melaka, Malaysia

On Location
Melaka is a relatively small province in Malaysia, that accommodations are walking distance from one another. Many of these accommodations are located at the riverside, overlooking the Melaka river.

Riversong Residence is one of these hostels, more like a homestay located at the far end of Lorong Hang Jebat. It is actually nearer to St. Francis Church than the Stadthuys Red Brick House. However, it is walking distance to all Melaka spots. It is of 5-minute walk to Jonker Street and Stadthuys.

Shot from the outside

Shot from across the river

View of the river

Our Accommodation

Riversong Residence is not our ordinary accommodation, for the past travels that we had. It is more like a homestay. Guests share a common bathroom, but they have separate sleeping rooms. It was our first time to try this kind of accommodation, good thing that Riversong is just a small one, there are only 5 rooms in our floor, with three bathrooms to share.

Since Riversong is a homestay, it was kept clean
by the guests as well. Slippers and shoes are
kept near the entrance before you go up to your
respective rooms.

Shots of (a) reception area, (b) Jayden at work, (c) mini kitchen at the ground floor,
and (d) shared bathrooms and mini-kitchen at upper floor.

Corridor leading to the terrace

Riversong that a small terrace where guests can converse, take their meals or just resting while overlooking the Melaka river. You will enjoy how the lights reflect on the river at night, or as tourist boats pass by.

Terrace overlooking the river

Our Experience

We booked Riversong residence thru Booking.com and similar to our Kuala Lumpur accommodation, we did not have to pay down payment. We settled our full payment upon arrival to the hotel.

From Kuala Lumpur, we arrived late at the homestay, because we have to wait for few hours before commuter bus come in. The owner and receptionist of the residence, Jayden, was so kind to still wait for us before making our reservation available. He also gave us some tips before hand - that we should pay about RM 15 if we would like to take the taxi to the hotel. Taxi drivers in Malaysia are notorious with fares, they charge twice than usual on tourist. :(

Jayden was also hospitable, he asked our itinerary for our stay and recommended some activities. Bicycles are available for rent, about RM 5 for a day's rent. On our last day, we confirmed that we will be leaving early the next day, and he gladly arranged our taxi service.

The Verdict

For two nights of stay, we really enjoyed the homestay. Maybe its because we were just few guests who were checked in, and we didn't have problems in our bathroom use. Coffee and tea  mugs are readily available, as well as hot and cold water. They also have 3-in-1 coffee mixes free for guests and replenished every day. We really loved the terrace, it was very relaxing and after a day of walking, it was a good place to write and reflect.

For a first timer on the homestay experience, Riversong Residence was able to create a good impression. If we will be coming back in Melaka, I won't bother to look for another accommodation, Riversong will be on the top of the list. Similarly, it created a high level of experience that would be our expectation on a homestay. 

Riversong Residence

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/River-Song-Residence/522077324486103

Prices (all Shared Bathroom)

Twin Room: RM 98

Triple Room: RM 108

Hotel Review: Hotel Al Jafs

Date of Stay: September 13-15, 2013
Length of Stay: 3days/ 2nights
Location: No. 17-19, Jalan Bedara, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On location

Hotel Al Jafs is located about 5 minutes walk from Jalan Alor and about 10 minutes walk from Bukit Bintang MRT station. Conveniently located in major food street and restaurants and even bars, Hotel Al Jafs is one of the budget hotels you can consider when you are into food.

Our Accommodation

We have tried two rooms in the hotel. We initially booked a triple room at Hotel Al Jafs, however, when we arrived at the hotel, the owner informed us that our room in under repair and we might need to settle in separate rooms. He was so apologetic that he even made extra effort on our requests and saved us RM 50 for the separate rooms. We had one single room and one double room.

On the second day, when we came back from a whole day of walking, we were ready to settle in our first day rooms, and when we opened our doors, somebody was occupying them. Shocked, we ran down the stairs and informed the receptionist. He actually said sorry that we were not informed and we were now in our triple room that we earlier booked.

We were quite angry on them, since they transferred our things (even the nakasampay ones) without informing us. We have our slight fault as well, we do not have our local numbers and we didn't subscribe to roaming since we are all postpaid account holders (hello bills!). But they assured that all things were accounted for and we settled in for the night.

Wall design at the lobby

Our triple room

Our Experience

I booked Hotel Al Jafs thru Booking.com and settled in just because you do not need to pay for advance payments prior to check in. Despite the horrible experiences of some travelers that bookings were properly managed in some hotels, Hotel Al Jafs was able to deliver. We just paid the full payment prior to settling in to reduce the hassle upon check out.

Despite the unauthorized transfer of rooms, we really enjoyed our stay at the hotel. The owner was so nice that he bought us a Malaysian plug converter since my two friends do not have their travel adapters. This is without any charge. The owner was very friendly as well, he recommends where to eat, and even the best way from one point to another. He even gave us tourist tips- that we should not pay more than RM 15 when we go to the KL Sentral Terminal Station. The owner even tried to win our hearts by saying some Tagalog words he learned from his Filipino friends - the first-thing-to-learn "mahal kita" and the not so common, "kumain ka na ba"?.

The wi-fi connection is also good, and we were able to send FB messages to our families while we were away. The hotel also offers free buffet breakfast, but do not expect them to be as grand as other good hotels. We settled in for chicken nuggets, franks, eggs, bread, jam and margarine on the duration of our stay. Coffee and tea are unlimited too. The only problem is that the "breakfast hub" is located in a very cramped space. About 6 tables for 4 persons each. Nonetheless, when you find your place, you just can sit down and relax. Just be mindful of our guests when its their time for breakfast.

The Verdict

I will definitely come back to Hotel Al Jafs when I can. Despite some of their boo-boos, we enjoyed our stay and the staff are not that pushy.  I just hope when I return, the same staff is still there.


Hotel Al Jafs
Website: http://hotelaljafs.com.my/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALJAFSHotel

Room rates:
Single rooms: RM 98 to 118 = Php 1,350 - 1,600
Deluxe rooms: RM 138 to 158 = Php 1,900 - 2,100
Family room: RM 158 to 178 = Php 2,100 - 2,500
VIP room: RM 168 to 200 = Php 2,300 - 2,800

Malaysia - Singapore 2013: Changi Airport

September 22, 2013
Flight back to Manila

Dubbed as the best airport in the world, we didn't miss to roam around Changi Airport during our stay. Sadly, our flight is located at the Terminal 2 where lesser of Changi airport is, but still waaayyy better than what we have in the Philippines.

Changi Airport has two terminals, one which caters to most of the foreign and major flights and which has the most number of first world airport facilities are, and terminal two were is a lesser one with the first one. Nonetheless, it has different facilities that the best airports carry.

The immigration and check in is just fast, and in just a while, we found ourselves lurking around terminal two. No doubt it was awarded as the best airport as it still have its rich flora right at the center of the terminal.

A variety of facilities for the waiting passengers are offered - from restaurants, cafe, tourist centers, duty-free shopping and what we liked the most, foot and body massages. With a whole week of walking, dragging our luggages and transferring from one city or country to another, our feet and calves deserves all the pampering it can get.

Wi-fi zone

Entertainment Center

Guests and travelers are busy with the television. Cute chairs as well!

A little game of luck!

Took this picture because of Miranda's face is over all. Girl crush!

Red's (MM) pilot costume

And the foot massage! Can I take you home?

Sadly, we have to board shortly and we didn't get to see the rest of the airport. But like what I write on my other trips, I have reasons to be back.

This concludes our epic Malaysia-Singapore trip. I have visited another country before the 2013 ended, I owe that to you.

Malaysia - Singapore 2013: Another Walking Tour of Singapore

September 21, 2013
Little India, Chinatown and Bugis

Our flight was moved the day after our original flight date. Since we only got this change several weeks before our actual trip and the rooms on our hotel are already fully booked. Our trip was coincided with the F1 Singapore.

Moving on, good thing that Amae has her former boss living in Singapore, and he gladly took us in for one night. Before coming over to his house, we decided to walk around Little India to buy some souvenirs. We learned that we can find good stuff here since there is a shop that has items taxed free - the Mustafa Center.

We moved to our new accommodation for our last night and our host was so kind to bring us around Singapore. His house is just walking distance from Chinatown, so it was our first stop for the day. Good thing we did because we found cheaper sets of souvenirs here. Tshirts are at 4 for SGD 10 and keychains are at 3 for SGD 5.

Chinatown is the one of the many foreign towns in Singapore, aside from Little India (for Indians). In Chinatown, you can see the Singapore Coin Museum, just beside Chinatown Heritage Center and Pagoda House.

Our next stop was the Sri Mariamman Temple which is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. Near it was the Thian Hock Kheng Chinese Temple which is one of the biggest chinese temple.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - The Biggest Hindu Temple in Singapore.

Inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. 

Inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Front Gate of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown

Lantern festival in Singapore

After our Chinatown walk, we made our way to Orchard Road where Abercrombie - famous for its near naked male models, H&M, Chanel and other high end stores. Lucky Plaza, Filipino worker's tambayan in Singapore houses the sole branch of Jollibee in the country.

LV's store in Orchard

Gucci's Store in Orchard

Abercrombie's near naked model for photoshoot.

H&M store in Orchard Road

Cafe! :) Snoopy all around!

Famous Pinoy Tambayan

Our last stop for the day was Ikea - which is a heaven for me. If only I got monies when we got there, I bought house items already.

We decided to hit the sack early since we need to be at the airport early as well for our morning flight.

Malaysia - Singapore 2013: Singapore Walk

September 20, 2013
Singapore Walk

Our feet maybe cursing us this time, as we still wanted to walk over the Singapore bay. After several days of train ride rests, we are getting closer to the end of this trip.

We might be the not-so-ordinary travelers as we push back seeing the famous Singapore bay landmarks towards the end of our Singapore stay. Glad we really did because the time that we were in Singapore is the F1 season, and the sounds of the cars and large screens are already installed in at the bay.

After our Jurong Bird Park experience, which concluded our days with the animals, we decided to go straight to Singapore Bay to finally take our tourist worthy pictures. We just took the shuttle back to Boon Lay station and proceeded to City Hall Station. We just walked towards Marina Bay, passing by Fullerton.

There were so many people since it was F1 season and they are getting this Merlion tourist shot. We might have helped some of them, ahem, good tourists! :)

After a quick photo-ops at the Merlion, we decided to walk to Marina Bay Sands (not up to the infinity pool) but just passing by to Gardens by the Bay.

Marina Bay Sands

Merlion with the Esplanade at the back

Esplanade in Full View

Singapore Flyer and the Singapore Sci-Fi Museum

Gardens by the Bay is the man-made park in Singapore that houses several faunas and floras of Asia. It may be man made, but it feels like it was there for a long time.

Gardens by the Bay

The Mad made trees

Planet - This is one of the many art installations in Gardens by the Bay.
Believe it or not, the art is suspended from the ground. I wasn't able to check
if how is it supported. 

Pagoda by the river inside the Gardens by the Bay. The time we visit Singapore
is also the Lantern Festival. 

Since our feet are already hurting us, we did not walk to the Helix Bridge, around 10 minutes from Gardens by the Bay and just decided to snap some photos with it in the background. Well, I have reasons to go back. :) We did splurge a little bit in Marina Bay Sands, our first TWG experience. Sosyal di ba? (well, we almost got broke because of it.)

A night shot of Singapore skyline. 

Marina Bay Sands at night

Another Singapore Skyline night sky. 

We also managed to squeeze a meet-and-greet with Amae's former officemate that seemed to be almost dying of homesickness. At least, we got to meet a new friend! :)

We got one more day in Singapore because we were  re-scheduled in a later flight few weeks before and good thing Amae has a friend who gladly adopted us for another night. :)