My First Solo Travel: Malacca and Singapore

 

 

 

To be alone is one of the many things I miss. Yes, you read it right – I love being alone. My husband gave me one of the best birthday gifts ever – solo travel. My destinations – Malacca and Singapore.

I admit I felt anxious days before my trip but I did packed my bags and boarded the plane for Singapore. My flight was at 10pm and landed at 2am. First thing I noticed was the carpeted flooring of Changi Airport. Immigration was a breeze. I’m not in the Third World anymore!

 

Took an airport shuttle for $9 to Hangout Hotel @ Mt. Emily ( near Orchard) to leave some of my things. For this trip, I was hosted by Hangout Hotels for both their Singapore and Malacca properties. If you plan to go to Malacca and Singapore, these hotels are highly recommended, same goes to those with early or late arrivals and departures. I’ll be writing separate posts for Hangout Hotels for you, please stay tune.

Farrah, the Pinay receptionist greeted me and told me to stay at the Second Floor with their lounge, coffee, and PC station. Checked some emails and slept – I woke up at 8am! A little bit late for my plan of leaving for Malacca at 6am, but I had a good rest. I washed up before going to the nearest station – Little India.

 

 

One of the things that excites me was the idea of taking trains again. Oh, the sounds of the trains…when I was in Japan, I would take trains for work. I love it. Long train rides gave me the chance to daydream.

I saved a lot of money by taking trains in Singapore. I even bought a $20 EZ-Link Card. From Little India Station, I changed to Dhoby Ghaut Station that took me to Kranji Station. Had a quick breakfast and got on a Causeway Bus to take me to Larkin Terminal in Malaysia.

It was an adventure! To be in 2 countries – Singapore and Malaysia in a single day with four currencies in my wallet namely, Philippine peso, Singaporean dollar, US dollar, and Malaysian Ringgit. From Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru (Malaysia), I took another bus to Malacca. I slept sporadically, waking up to these plantation views.

 

I’ll blog a more detailed post on how to get to Malacca from Singapore and Vice Versa. Finally, after almost 3 hours from Larkin…..Malacca!!

 

 

Malacca is a UNESCO Heritage Site and Malaysia’s top historical states. I have been dreaming of coming here and I finally did.

The famous Jonker Walk..

 

Malacca or Melaka is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and Europeans ( Dutch and Portuguese). It is also a famous weekend destination for many Singaporeans.

 

I spent overnight in Malacca and took a 3:30pm bus back to Singapore the next day.

 

Arrived in Singapore around 8pm and took a taxi to my hotel – the only time I took a taxi in Singapore. Dani of Hangout Hotel @ Mt. Emily ( Singapore) pumped my energy back when she greeted me, ” Happy Birthday!!”. I had dinner at the bus stop en route to Singapore and with the hotel’s cozy interior, I just fell asleep after my shower.

 

After breakfast, I explored the vicinity starting with Mt. Emily Park. Why do people think that Singapore is just one concrete jungle?

 

I also went to Little India, which is a few minutes away from my hotel on foot. It was early and few shops were opened. Little India reminded me of my friend who is practicing Hare Krishna.  Went back to the hotel to sleep and explored the city after lunch.

I spent 5 hours at Gardens by the Bay. I got a Media Pass that let me explored all paid attractions – Conservatories ( Flower Dome and Cloud Forest) and OCBC Skywalk. Gardens by Bay shouldn’t be missed when visiting Singapore.

 

After Gardens by the Bay, I met up with my dear friend Nanette. Funny how we took the old-school way to meet up – no phone calls. We just set the time and place – Bayfront Station at 5pm. Because she’s my friend since we were 13, I easily spotted her running towards me some 20 meters away. hahaa.

We had dinner at Marina Bay Sands and checked out some shops. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is lovely that I decided to just skip Orchard and Bugis for the rest of the trip.

 

Nanette completed my very productive day in Singapore with the Light Show and River Cruise. Say hi to Nanette!

 

I love the river cruise with its audio tour – very informative and plenty of trivias. I would love to have a daytime river cruise too! We passed by main attractions in the city center like Boat Quay, Clark Quay and Civic Center.

We ended our cruise at Merlion Park, ate ice cream wafer for $1.20 and walked toward Raffles Place Station – just like high school girls! I arrived at the hotel at 11:30 pm, sweating from all the walk but it was one lovely day.

The next day, I looked for a church and went to the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It was under repair and there is a temporary structure for the faithfuls. Actually, many of the attractions were being repaired. It’s totally fine. I met up with Nanette again and after lunch and shopping, we went to the Chinese Garden.

 

Parted ways with Nanette and her well-behaved son at Jurong East station and I went back to Merlion Park to get more shots of the area. Spent some time sitting along Boat Quay, Civic Center and did some people watching. Enjoyed my Chinese Rice and Chicken BBQ with iced Milo at Selera Restaurant close to my hotel before preparing myself for my 2am flight back home. Again, I took the train from Little India Station all the way to Changi Airport. I still have a $4 credit on my EZ-Link Card. Big savings!

I intentionally skipped some must-sees in Singapore. I want to savor every moment and just enjoy the place. Or maybe I’m just confident that I’ll be coming back to Singapore.

I can’t count the number of people I asked for directions. Traveling solo is blissful. I really don’t have  formal itineraries for both Malacca and Singapore, totally different when I’m traveling with my family. It was a good break for me, to just walk and stop whenever I feel like.

You get lost but it’s part of the adventure. At first you feel a little bit scared or nervous ( for those who are not intrepid travelers like me) but sooner, you won’t realize that you feel like a local walking along the streets wearing a half-smile on your face.

Till next time! Selamat Singapore and Malacca!