It all started with a simple conversation with my friend about our plan to travel outside the Philippines. On May 15th, just a week later, we found out that Cebu Pacific Airlines had a seat-sale for international flights. We immediately booked our Manila-Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur-Manila flights with our other two friends. We also booked our one-way ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur since we planned to take a bus from Malacca, Malaysia to Bugis, Singapore. The days quickly passed by and before we knew it, we found ourselves on a 4-hour flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sometimes you need to experience some unplanned and untoward events that you do not want to happen. I was held in the immigration due to the stupidity of the immigration officer, but fortunately, I still had extra money to re-book my ticket at a much later time on the day itself. But that’s a different story for another blog post. Find out here what happened.
At around 2 AM, I reached the condominium unit of my friend’s cousin where we were staying for a couple of days. I had a good rest and at around 10 in the morning, our Malaysian tour started. I created a separate blog post about our detailed day-to-day experience in Malaysia and Singapore. So without further ado, here’s the itinerary, cost-breakdown and some highlights of our tour.
The Itinerary
The original itinerary was created by my friend and it served as our guide all throughout the tour. I’m glad we were able to do and visit 90 percent of our initial itinerary.
Day 0
- 7 PM Flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur (KL)
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) > KL Sentral Station > Centerstage Condominium
- Slept at 2 AM
Day 1
- Morning MRT ride from Asia Jaya to KL Sentral Station
- Breakfast at ABC Bistro Cafe
- Batu Cave Tour at 1 PM
- Visited historical establishments in Kuala Lumpur
- Tried Malaysian Street Food in front of the National Mosque Malaysia
- Toured Planetarium Negara
- Shopped around Pasar Seni Central Market, Kasturi Walk and Petaling Street
- Walked to Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
- Got some rest at Merdeka Square
- Bought Chocolate Souvenirs at Haniffa Department Store
- Late Dinner at Jalan Alor, Food Street
- Toured around Kuala Lumpur City Centre and Petronas Towers
- Back at condo unit at 11 PM
Day 2
- Morning LRT ride from Taman Jaya Station going to Mandar Tasic Selatan Station
- Tried Malaysian Laksa for Lunch
- Bus ride going to Malacca Sentral to Dutch Square
- Afternoon check-in at Voyage Hostel
- 3-hour tour in Malacca
- Food tasting and Dinner at Malacca Night Market in Jonker Walk Street
- Back to hostel at 10 PM
Day 3
- 10 AM Check-out at Voyage Hostel in Malacca
- Breakfast at Kedai Kopi Chung Hwa; Tasted their famous Chicken Rice Balls
- Tasted the famous Cendol of Gi Kiat Huay Restaurant
- 3-hour Bus ride to Singapore
- Late Check-in at Central 65 Hostel, Singapore
- Dinner at Tian Tian Huo Guo Restaurant
- Start of City Tour
- 10 PM Chill at Riverside in Clarke Quay — my personal highlight of my Singapore Tour
- 12 PM Shopping at Mustafa Centre (a 24-hour shopping store)
- 1 AM walk along the streets of Singapore
- Back in hostel at 2 AM
Day 4
- Free breakfast at Central 65 Hostel
- LRT ride going to Sentosa
- Start of Sentosa Tour
- 3 PM Tour at Marina Bay
- Back in Hostel at 4 PM
- LRT ride to Changi Airport
- 5 PM flight back Kuala Lumpur
- Dinner at KLIA2 – Nando’s Restaurant
- 11 PM Back to Condominium Unit in KL
Day 5
- Late breakfast at Tavern 13
- Bus ride going to KL Sentral Station
- KL Sentral Station to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2
- 6 PM Flight back to Manila
Highlights:
- Smooth transactions at the Malaysia and Singapore immigrations
- Efficient buses and trains in both Malaysia and Singapore
- Changi Airport in Singapore is the best airport in the entire world
- No bad experiences in people or places
- Cheap, but quality goods in Malaysia
- Love the Central 65 hostel in Singapore
- Great food in Malaysia
- Able to meet new friends in Malaysia
- Great quality time with my long-time friend who lives in Singapore
- There were a lot of money changer centers in both Malaysia and Singapore
- Free Wi-Fi spots in major facilities of Malaysia
- Malaysia is a solo-traveler friendly country
- Awesome trip!!!
Total Expenses
Was it worth our money?
Aside from the unexpected re-booking of my ticket, everything was perfect. The journey was priceless and the joy it brought to us was overwhelming. It was such bliss to see with your own eyes all those beautiful places once dreamed of to seeing; You’re not just paying for the tour, but you’re paying for the experiences as well.
Accommodation
Ampang is located in the district of Kuala Lumpur (KL) in the Titiwangsa constituency in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is historically a tin mining so therefore is known for its history, scenic views and for its local cuisine. Tourist attractions here include, Batu Caves, National Zoo, Bukit Tabur, Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, Tamarind Springs, Bukit Ampang, Tasik Ampang Hilir Park and Nine Emperor Gods Temple. End your day at the best Ampang apartments that can be found here.
- Address: 134 Jalan Besar Singapore 208852
- Contact Number: +65 6298 0015
- Email Address: info@central65hostel.com
- Cost Per Person: Price starts at Php 925 per Night
What they Offer:
- Free Breakfast
- Free Coffee & Tea
- High-Security Surveillance
- Bicycle Rental
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free Local Calls
- Free Computer Station
- Personal Locker Provided
3. Voyage Cottage Lodge Hostel
- Address: 72, Lorong Hang Jebat, Jonker, Malacca, Malaysia
Contact Number: +60 6281 7823
- Cost Per Person: Price starts at Php 899 per Night
What they Offer:
- Easy access to all famous destinations in Malacca
- Free Wi-Fi
Gallery:
These are some of our photos during our trip. I’ll create a separate blog article of a detailed and more personal day-to-day experience from our Malaysia and Singapore tour. I’ll try to tell everything that happened using the photos I took.
There you go! I hope you enjoy and find this article helpful. You can freely use our itinerary and all other details found on this post.
10/19/2016
thank you that you are sharing very helpful and wonderful!
12/20/2016
thanks your post. it very good
06/19/2017
Hi. =D I would like to ask if prior to going to Malaysia and Singapore, did you book for a hostel or inn in both countries while here in the Philippines? Your response is highly appreciated. Thank you so much. =D
06/29/2017
Hi Tin, Yeah, I booked all my hostels from KL-Malacca-Singapore. It is advisable to book the accommodation prior to the tour to avoid problems with the immigration officers.
09/26/2017
Singapore and Malaysia, two great cities in south east Asia travelers can say worth a trip. Malaysia is fairly cheap when compares to Singapore but larger than Singapore so more things to do. But also Singapore has some great attractions too, so in my opinion both cities are worth a visit. Keep writing mate. Cheers.
10/17/2017
I believe a traveler by heart need no preparation and be always ready to pack the bag and dash out on a whim. And sometimes even after lots of preparations a trip doesn’t go well. And ironically, things fall at a place without taking any precaution. You don’t have to be so organized when visiting Malaysia since the accommodation and things to do are in plenty. Singapore, on the other hand, is a bit expensive. But then there are places where you don’t have to pay through the nose for renting a room and stomach-filling.
03/08/2018
I’m planning to make the exit in singapore. Would that be easy than going back to Malaysia? I’m from the Philippines. Thanks
04/22/2018
Sometimes, venturing out unplanned and just out of impetus is a good way to enjoy a tour and collect real-life experiences. I am impressed to know that you guys never spend time on thinking whether to take the tour or not. And since you were hell-bent on taking it, the opportunity came in the from of seat-sale for international flights.
05/10/2018
anong airlines kayo singapore-kuala lumpur… we will be flying to singapore on august and we are also planning to visit malaysia… 5 days din kami…. thank you
05/12/2018
Hi Julie, it’s Air Asia. Enjoy your vacation! 🙂
08/29/2018
We had booked a room in this lodge via Airbnb for only 1 night. Location is great, just beside the river and a few minutes walk to Jonker street and Melaka Church. It has good value for money, but the room we booked didn’t have its own bathroom. The shared bathroom was clean but toiletries were not provided.
Also when booking this lodge, inform the owner early about your time of arrival. We arrived around 10pm from Johor Bahru and the lodge was already closed. Good thing the local taxi driver helped us contact the owner to inform him of our arrival. There’s no receptionist that duties overnight, so don’t forget to message your time of arrival.