Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Kuala Lumpur Day Trip from Singapore!

Photos of KL Menara and Petronas Towers
A day trip to Kuala Lumpur (KL) from Singapore??! Oh yeah :)

As far as I know, there are no travel agencies that offer a day trip out of Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. But that doesn't mean it can't be done! I, for one, have arranged such trips. Twice.

If you have time, do a proper 3-day visit of the place. It is a great city that offers good food, great culture, and wonderfully cheap shopping! However, if you are time-strapped or cash-strapped but still insist on seeing Petronas Towers (why else do you think people visit KL for just a day!), I'm here to show you how to arrange a one-day trip to Kuala Lumpur. For the adventurous and independent, this trip can be fun and satisfying. Read on and discover some great sight-seeing secrets and how to:



Preparing for your trip
Planning is, of course, the first thing you need to do. Ask yourself, "Which day of the week do I leave?", "What do I want to see? And which ones are the must see, and which ones can I skip if there's no time?", "Do I need a tourist visa?", Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur"What documents do I need to bring?", "What's my budget?"

To make the most of your one-day trip, you must reach Kuala Lumpur early in the day, before the shops open and before tourist attractions get too crowded, or the queue too long. This means that, if you're taking the bus or train, you have to leave Singapore in the evening. If you can avoid going on a weekend, do so. The place can get crowded on weekends, and immigration to and from Malaysia, packed.

Also, ensure that you carry with you your travel documents and relevant identification cards to avoid hassles in your re-entry to Singapore. Singapore residents should bring their NRIC or employment permits while Singapore tourists/visitors must bring their ticket to the country that they are visiting after Singapore.

Pinoy TipFilipinos don't need a tourist visa to enter Malaysia, Philippines and Malaysia being ASEAN members.


Getting your ass to Kuala Lumpur
A photo of one of the busy streets of KLBuses and trains travel to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore. Planes do, too. But the comfort you get/time you save using a plane doesn't justify the damage to the environment, so I don't recommend that you do that. Anyway, KL is just 5 hours away by bus, and 8 hours by train. Both the bus and train offer standard and luxurious options. There are many websites that discuss these transportation modes in detail, including ticket price, ticketing office, and schedules. Here are two fab sites that I visit whenever I need a refresher:
What's my transport of choice to KL? Definitely the train! Taking the train allows me to: visit the historic and disputed Tanjong Pagar Railway station, take a sleeping berth and rest in comfort, and wake up in the clean environs of the KL Sentral station, where I can shake off my grogginess before venturing forth to the busy streets of KL.

Traveler TipFare is 50% cheaper when you buy it from Malaysia. To save, buy a one-way ticket from Singapore for the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur leg of your trip, and buy the return ticket in Kuala Lumpur. If you're returning via the train, take note that sleeping berths sell out fast so you may want to secure your sleeping berth tickets while in Singapore.


Traveler TipSome bus companies operate from Golden Mile. Golden Mile is not really the most comfortable or cleanest of places, but it does give you a view of the "rowdier" side of Singapore. A side that may be gone 5 to 10 years from now.


Upon reaching Kuala Lumpur
Purchasing your return tickets to Singapore, if you have not done so yet, should be the first order of the day. You can get your train tickets from the KL Sentral station. Bus tickets can be bought at the KL bus "terminal" (sometimes KL is not really the final stop of the bus and the bus wouldn't really stop at the KL terminal. If you're in a bus, be sure to explicitly ask the driver/assistant to drop you off a place where you can buy your return tickets.) Visit these sites for more information:The next thing you should do is a toss between hiring a cab to take you around the city, and queuing for a FREE pass to the Petronas Towers' observation bridge. If you managed to buy your return tickets before 7:30 am, you'll have time to queue for the free tickets to go up Petronas Towers. Any later and you'll probably end up queuing for 2 hours for the ticket, and another hour to get on to the bridge for your 10-minute stay on it.


Going around Kuala Lumpur
The best way to travel around Kuala Lumpur when you're time-strapped and know nothing about the place is to hire a cab. Not only will you have more control of your time and the destinations that you visit, you'll also get a tourist guide for "free."

There are two companies in the KL Sentral station that offer guided tour via private cars. If for some reason these companies cannot accommodate your requests, such as a request for a bigger car, you can always go to the streets and flag a cab of your choice. The official rate for guided tours in a private car is RM60/hr but you can negotiate for a better price, especially if you're planning a longer trip. In the past, I have negotiated for RM30 - RM40/hr for a 5- to 8-hr trip. Gas and toll fees are included in that price.

I have had wonderful experience with the cab drivers that I've done business with so far. They are very accommodating, friendly, and genial, and you'd feel happy giving them tips (usually RM50) or inviting them for a meal. Malaysian drivers can be on the quiet side, though, compared to their Singaporean counterparts.


Kuala Lumpur attractions to see
Putrajaya sceneI wouldn't lie and tell you that I know everything that there is to know about Kuala Lumpur. I have visited the place a couple of times but not enough to be an expert. Listed below are the places that I still have vivid memories of. Clicking on the items in the list will send you to a detailed recounting of my experience in these places (links coming soon!).
  • Putrajaya -- This is probably one of the best-kept tourist destination secret near Kuala Lumpur. This place is such a fave of mine that I always bring family and friends to Putrajaya whenever I'm asked to be their KL "guide."
  • Istana Negara -- The Buckingham of Malaysia, replete with palace must-haves such as guards, horses, long driveways, and closed gates (!). You can drop by Istana Negara on your way back to Kuala Lumpur center from Putrajaya.
  • Petronas Twin Towers -- of course! I used to think of this as just another tower. So imagine my surprise when I had goosebumps the first time I saw it!
  • KL Tower or Menara Kuala Lumpur -- The observation deck in this tower gives a good view of the inner city, and the audio guide provided gives the necessary explanation of the landscape before you.
  • Neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Little India -- diversity is alive and well in Malaysia.
  • Dataran Merdeka -- Independence Square. A little square rich in history and Moorish architecture!
  • Batu Caves -- a cave on a side of a mountain and home to a Hindu temple.
As in beauty, the wonder of a place is really in the heart of the beholder. Be open. Embrace the sights, sound, and smell of the new culture that you're in. Have fun and enjoy Kuala Lumpur!

Traveler TipRank the places in your must-see list. Though it might be possible, time-wise, to see all of them, I can guarantee that your body will give up mid-way to your list. Also, allot time for short coffee breaks.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Ghim Moh Livin!

In my seven years in Singapore, I have stayed in different areas of the island, from the idyllic Upper Bukit Timah and West Coast to the exclusive Paterson and Balmoral roads. I've even spent two weeks in the ever-buzzling China town! But none of these places really compare to the balance of serenity, accessibility, community, and convenience that the Ghim Moh neighbourhood offers. I've never felt more at home in Singapore!

This article discusses what makes Ghim Moh so special.

Convenience and accessibility
Convenience and accessibility are, without a doubt, the biggest advantage of staying in Ghim Moh. From the building I'm staying at, the Buona Vista MRT is a mere 5- to 7-minute walk. Across the street is a stop for buses 100 and 111 that, between them, pass by major destinations such as Harbourfront, Vivo City, Robinson Road, Orchard, Suntec, and Esplanade. Just 10 steps from my building is another stop for buses 106 and 105 that again go to Orchard. The buses mentioned are the ones that I frequently use, but they are by no means the only buses available.


Looking for shops in Ghim Moh? Click here for a list of Ghim Moh shops. Otherwise, read on!



And lest you think buses and MRTs are the only attraction of the estate, you'll be happy to know (I sure was!) that Ghim Moh is famous for its food stalls. There's an extremely popular hawker center near the market, 4 Kopitiam-style eateries, and an unpretentious pizza place owned and managed by a true, blue Italiano! And the best part is, there's always a stall open any time of the day! What if you want home-cooked food? No problem! There's a wet market nearby, and a Shop n Save store that's open 24 hours of the day!

If chilling out and upmarket dining is more your style, there's no need to worry. Holland V is accessible by foot (and bus), and so is Rochester Park and the whole one-north shebang. And with all the development in the Buona Vista area, even the "ulu" (far) Portsdown is not so "ulu" anymore and is just a couple of bus stops away.

Another plus point of the estate is the countless shops that litter it! Here you'll find a barber shop, hair salons, and body spas. Dentists, medical clinics, and optical shops abound. There's a pet shop, a toto outlet, a dry cleaner, a video rental, and a photo shop. There's Hong Leong finance, too. And ATMs, AXS, and SAM machines. And a SingPost branch.


Pinoy TipPhilippine National Bank (PNB) has partnered with SingPost to allow PNB account holders to remit funds (in real time) to their PNB accounts. This means Filipinos don't have to travel to Orchard to send money! What about your calling cards, you say? Well, there's a shop in Ghim Moh that sells, among other things, international calling cards at discounted prices!


Community and serenity
For me, the best thing about the shops in Ghim Moh is that most of them are Mom and Pop stores. I don't know, there's just something about Mom and Pop stores that transport me back in time, when life was simpler and, should I say, more innocent? There's a sense of continuity and community in Mom and Pop stores that you don't get in malls and franchised shops, where, usually, the person who helped you in the shop and had a chat/laugh with, is gone a month later. Mom and Pop stores remind me of home, where I buy pork from my aunt and have my hair cut by the same person who groomed it 10, 15 years earlier!

But I found serenity not only in the sense of community that Ghim Moh fosters but also in its physical assets. With only 21 blocks, the estate is home to a fairly small community. It is also neighbour to a 70-hectare woodland.¹ The floor that I live in houses 2 units only, and has a great view of the woodlands, and the people who jog/bike/skates on a path along it.

However, a little caveat might be in order (if for nothing else but to manage expectations): Ghim Moh is an estate developed and managed by the Housing Development Board (HDB), and, therefore, wouldn't be as quiet, as less localized, and as impersonal ;-D as private developments. Although Ghim Moh is the first HDB estate that I've lived in, I've seen many and have been to a few. And for me, as far as HDBs (and maybe some private apartments) go, Ghim Moh is quite a winner.

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Footnotes


¹ Unfortunately, a patch of this 70-hectare woodland had been cleared to make way for new buildings.

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