Inside Malaysia - Backpacking to Malacca

Collage Photo of my Travel to Malaysia.

Our 2 nights and three days in Singapore are over… weeew! So we need to move on.. And moving on means a new place to wander! Selamat Datang ke Malaysia (Welcome to Malaysia)! Wow…next stop is Malaysia - an interesting multi-cultural destination.

If you had more time while in Singapore, why not also visit Malaysia. Since, Singapore is just a small part of the Malaysia peninsula, and then it might be better for you to get there as well.

Getting there

There are two ways to travel across Malaysia it’s either by air or by land. On our part, we traveled by bus to see the country side, and it is much cheaper, more comparable to plane where you need to check-in for two hours prior to departure. Eventually, there are a lot of super VIP buses with at least 27 spacious seats and huge seating spaces. You can also incline to as much as 70 degrees while letting the automatic back- massager do the trick for the whole duration.

Starmart Express Air Asia Liner Bus bound for Malacca, Malaysia.

Head on to Golden Mile Complex (the express bus hub in Singapore), at 5001, Beach Road #01-16, Singapore 199588. There are a lot of buses to choose from, and it could be a rewarding experience to find a cheaper good air-conditioned bus bound for Malaysia. We took the Starmart Express Air Asia Liner bus bound for Malacca. StarMart Express operates daily bus service to Malacca, KL, Ipoh, Taiping, Penang, Butterworth and etc. The bus is equipped with a massage chair so you can relax all the way. Singapore to Malacca cost 25 SGD and some buses charge more than that.

We departed at exactly 1 pm in Singapore and arrived at Melaka Central Station at around 4pm after several immigration round-ups between the two countries. Buses will give 15-30 minutes allowance on each border for immigration check-ups.

Another important aspect of this journey is to find something that you can keep your luggage for a while and eventually there is a luggage center of the station! They are open from 7:00 am- 9:00pm. Leave all the burdens..he he..heavy backpack and etc.

You can see this sign.. Beg is Bag. :)

Currency

Malaysian paper bills.

Their money is called Malaysian Ringgit (RM). 1 RM is equivalent to 13.00 PhP. 13 times bigger than Philippine money at the moment. It doesn't matter…goods are way much cheaper in Malaysia... i could still recall during my childhood, my mom used to do some barter trading in Zamboanga City, Philippines because the prices of most Malaysian imported products are inexpensive. Now, i have experienced it first-hand! You can eventually haggle or negotiate on some products down to its cheaper prices here. 

First Stop - Malacca, Malaysia

  This new UNESCO heritage location is a melting pot of Malaysian history with influences from the British, Dutch, and Portuguese.

Our tourist guide in Malacca for less than 2 hours.

Singapore Travel on a Cheap Budget

There are a number of flights to Singapore from the Philippines. Your budget trip to Singapore would never be difficult nowadays. You could name a lot of low-cost carriers who will take you to your dream vacation spots especially to the country nicknamed as "the Little Red Dot". With a population of over 3 million and a total land area of 270 square miles, you'll be surprised how this country has become one of the best tourist destinations in Asia.

Merlion Statue at Merlion Park, Marina Bay Singapore

Singapore Visa Requirements

No visa is required for your stay in Singapore for less than 30 days. Filipinos can travel to Singapore for tourism or for some business, visa is not required unless you intend to study or work in the country. 

Exchange Rates and Hotels

On our way to the hostel.

Exchange rate at the time of writing is one Singaporean Dollar = 32. 48 Philippines Peso. The cost of living is a bit higher than neighboring countries. Hotels aren't cheap; the real estate price in Singapore is soaring high due to its limited land area. Foods lot high-priced as well as basic commodities ie bottled water (3 SGD).  Since we are backpacking with the lowest cost, I booked the cheapest budget hostel where most Filipino backpackers check-in in Singapore for as low as 16 SGD per night or 520 PhP at Ideal Backpackers Hostel, which is, which is located at 178 Tyrwhitt Road and alongside with it are a few backpacker's hostels like "The Little Red Dot" which I think is a bit expensive. Going back to Ideal Backpackers Hostel, we are welcome by this amazing front desk staff that helps us check and see our room. 

Transportation

Loading the MRT Card

There are three common ways to check out Singapore, by Taxi, Bus or by MRT. I definitely recommend riding on the MRT (fast train). Taxi's flat rate is a bit steeper, and since i am on a budget journey, I would choose the cheapest rates possible.

Adding 10 SGD to the MRT Card

Luckily, at Changi Airport, you can buy an MRT Tap-up card which you can use during the trip. It is more convenient and fast on my own experience. Initially, the MRT cards cost something around 12-15 SGD, and you can tap any amount as soon as you are denied entry to the entrance and exits. hehe. Don’t worry if your card holds a bigger value at the end of your travel because you can eventually return it and get the remaining balance at any MRT stations.

Metered taxi cabs are available most of the time and mind you, evening flat rates are a bit higher.

Filipinos waiting at the Bus Station at Clark Quay.

Bus trips are frequent; we haven't ridden on it, and it might be a good idea to try one next time. However, if you want to experience the city, you can ride on this fantastic double dicker buses off to the place you wanted.

Bicycle Ride somewhere at Clark Quay.

You can spot some bicycle cab into the city during the evenings driven by locals. The cost is somehow cheaper. I can’t remember it..hehe You can bargain actually to the driver to bring you somewhere if you hate walking a long mile distance or just some tripping around the city.

Things to Do in Singapore - The Top 5 things you won’t Miss!

There are a lot of things you can do and sites to visit while in Singapore. This Little Red Dot on the tip of Malay Peninsula is one of the biggest economies and most modern in South-East Asia. Its culture is a mixed of distinctive races, and if you are a food fanatic, you can examine a wide array of different and sumptuous cuisine from the Malay, Arabic, Indian, English, and Chinese. Leisure and shopping are a common denominator when visiting Singapore. Look at my top five list below of the best things you can do and enjoy in Singapore. 

How to Travel to Singapore - Cheap Airfares

In the advent of low-cost airline carriers, the percentage of frequent Asian travelers has gained a tremendous hop. Backpacking to Singapore is popular nowadays. A lot of factors and instances that made such ordinary folks not able to pursue their endeavors. However, airline companies are bringing cheap airfares to Singapore, and that means...its travel time! ;)

Heading to Singapore from Clark taken at 6:38 AM Phils.time.

How to Travel to Singapore from the Philippines. 

First of all, Singapore is open to at least 80% of all the countries around the world requiring NO VISA! Unless you belong to the 20% then you may refer to http://www.mfa.gov.sg. The travel time ranges from 15 days up to 90 days. So if you plan to stay longer than you may need to visit the Singaporean Embassy.

Areal View of Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Conferring about cheap airline tickets to Singapore, there are a lot of low-cost carriers who offer promos- some could even get to as much as ZERO ALL-IN flight cost. This is rare; however, if you are lucky, you could get one. As a Filipino backpacker, traveling has been a sort of a drug for me - a way of relaxation and getting into new things and perspective. Tiger Airways, Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, Air Asia, AirPhil is some local airline carries in the country that offers low cost fares to Singapore. I was lucky to get a chunk of the promo from Air Asia, which cost me 1800 PhP excluding the travel tax and terminal fee to more than 2070 PhP if I could recall. Please check out http://www.dmia.ph/faq.htm for more info.


Air Asia is operating at Clark, Pampanga. I'm from Mindanao - southern part of the country, so the traveling cost is a bit steeper than from those in the north. Depending on the carrier, you could choose your pt. A from Cebu, Manila, and Clark bound to SG (If you are from Mindanao, it is best to check promos for domestic airfares to be further lower your expenditure). On our experienced, we took a taxi from Manila to Clark where we haggle over the payment to as much as 400 PhP. We missed the bus bound for Clark (the usual bus that takes Air Asia passengers). It was already 1 AM, so we took the taxi and evenly divided the cost.

We arrived at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, at Clark, Pampanga past 4am. So we had like less than two hours to check-in for our 6:10 am flight. It was really a relief! wheew! :)

Waiting for our flight at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

Arriving at Changi Airport, Singapore

Welcome to the city nicknamed as "The Little Red Dot". Warm climate greeted us at exactly 10am! We are almost screwed up the in the past 9hrs, so we had that sunny smiles after we set foot on the beautiful garden city of Singapore. We don't miss any pictorials at the Changi Airport where I see it with extensive duty-free products as well as dining and leisure facilities.

Touch Down at the Airport

Having fun taking pictures with the Angry Birds at the Airport.

Going to Skytrain- Inside Changi Airport.

Fresh Start Of the Chinese New Year

Hello! I haven't been writing for a while... but i promise to give you something this month.. Just got home from a long expedition..haha..i call it that way..lol..nevermind. So, ive been to Singapore and Malaysia last week.. im so excited to post my shots here..i was able to get a new lens for my 450D. Im so happy..even much more happier with my travel photos. But, before that i should be telling you about my "amazing race" experienced going to the airport.. haha..kinda funny and exciting. Been left by the plane one's..so i dont like to get the same feeling all over again. haha. For now, im not in the mode to write..im not a writer but i love to share my experiences with you guys..so pardon me with my outputs. :)

To see the full image, just click on the photo.. :)

Kuala Lumpur at night. Taken from Menara KL Tower.

Batu Caves, Malaysia

South Putou Temple

Surrounded by spectacular landscapes, beaches, and man-made scenery no wonder you are on one of China’s most affluent, modern, and vibrant locations – Xiamen. Awarded as the most livable City in 2002, this fast growing metropolis has been the center of economics, education and tourism in Fujian Province. Speaking of tourism, there is a lot to find in this magnificent place. One among the most visited sites which dates back to the Tang Dynasty was the Buddhist South Putou Temple (南普陀寺) or Nanputou Temple. It is one of China’s national treasures and was named because it is located south of Mt Putuo in Zhejiang Province.

Entrance gate of South Putou Temple or Nanputou Temple.

The temple is situated in the Wulao mountain range and the sea. A tourist could enjoy a picturesque view of Gulangyu, Haicang, Seming District, and Zhangzhou City from the top of the mountain. It is also adjacent to Xiamen University. Visitors could also experience lush green vegetation and caves along the trail up to the peak.

The 30,000 square meters temple has four major tourist attractions. These are the Devajara Hall (the Hall of Heavenly Kings), Dabei Hall (the Hall of Great Compassion), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), and the Sutra-Keeping Pavilion which is built on hillsides, rising one step each higher.

Devajara Hall ( Hall of Heavenly Kings), Nanputou Temple

 The Hall of Heavenly Kings (Devajara Hall) is where the fat Buddha, Maitreya stands. The Laughing and the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya is located at the center together with three other Celestial Kings.

The Mahavira Hall , Nanputou Temple