#BestieSGoals : Singapore – Malaysia Trip

Hello, tao po! I’m still here. Yes, believe it or not.

Kawawa naman ‘tong blog ko. Siguro feeling nya abandoned na sya. Cheret! Hahaha! It’s just that a lot of things happened lately, and I can’t seem to find the right time to write. Now that I’m finally writing again, you can consider this as a diversion. Ah basta, long story and too personal.

I’m so happy that I’m finally blogging about the Singapore – Malaysia trip with my bestfriend. I had so much fun with our SG trip because it was like our get together with our two highschool barkadas who are based there – Osang and Amini.

So ganito kasi yun… We’ve been planning to go to SG maybe three years ago pa, but our schedules didn’t allow us. Well, more of Joland because he was so busy with Med school. So after becoming a legit doctor, we had the chance to plan the trip. And sa wakas naipush na rin namin. We decided to schedule it in time for our birthday month.

After the personal and FB messenger planning, we’re all set. Our SG – Malaysia trip’s date : May 24 to 27. Grabe, three years in the making ito! Hahaha! For our first out of the country trip (Hongkong) we got a tour package, but this time, we decided do it ourselves. No group tour, no definite itinerary. Because you know, we’re already grown ups. Hahaha! Chos! Ang totoo nyan, gusto lang namin na hawak namin ang oras at hindi nagmamadali mag picture picture dahil paalis na ang bus. LOL.

Edi yun na nga. We reached NAIA at around 7pm. First things first, check in, pay travel tax, and the most stressful of all.. immigration. Jusko! From 8pm to past 9pm kami nakapila! 

Good thing, we still made it to our 10 pm flight. Mahirap na! May history kami na muntik na maiwanan ng eroplano! Hahaha. Btw, all photos were taken using our camera phones so wag masyadong magexpect. 😀

We arrived in Changi Airport at around 1 am of May 25. The first thing we did was to look for an internet connection so we can contact Osang. While Joland was connecting to the free internet, I looked for the immigration and exit area. After contacting Osang, we went straight to immigration to have our passports stampped.

Immigration. Thank goodness!! No long line. Wala pang 5 minutes tapos na kami. Ang saya! 😀

O syempre, sinimulan na nya agad ang pagkuha mga photos nya na pang online influencer. Hahaha!

Osang met us at the airport. She was also kind enough to let us stay in their house during out SG trip. Sobrang laki talaga ng natipid namin kasi di kami nag bayad ng hotel.  Salamat talaga ng marami, Osang!

Before heading to Osang’s house, we decided to eat first. Bagong bago ang kinainan namin grabe. Mcdonald’s! Hahaha! Pero sobrang sarap talaga ng hot sauce nila. Kakaiba. :))

After eating, I bought a simcard (16USD – inclusive of one hour roaming call and 1GB mobile data) because we need internet connection for our DIY city tour. And then grabbed a car to Osang’s place. We had a short catch up session, freshened  up, and then went to sleep because tomorrow is another (loooong) day. Hahaha!

DAY 1 : CITY TOUR

For our (technically) first day in SG, Osang and Amini can’t go with us because they have work. They reserved their “leave” for the second day – Universal Studios day.

We thought that our DIY city tour will be challenging for us because 1.) we’re not so familiar with SG and 2.) we can’t always ride a taxi to go from one place to another because we’ll spend too much. But surprisingly, we found the tour easy because of the MTR.

It will be a great help if you have your EZ Link card. It’s like the LRT stored value card here in the Philippines. You will save time because you don’t need to line up every time you will ride the train. Plus, you can also use it if you will ride the bus. Basta lagyan nyo lang ng load lagi. 🙂 During our first day, we bought the standard ticket. For the remaining days, Amini let us use her extra EZ Link cards. 

On our way to Bishan station. Lakad galore. Wala pang 10 minutes kaming naglalakad pahinga na agad. Hahaha!

Almost there!!! Hirap ng walang taga picture. No choice kami kundi solo solo yung pictures namin. Hahaha!

Going back, sobrang galing talaga ng MTR nila kasi connected ang lines sa isat isa. Parang paikot lang sya. Edi ayun, best in MTR ride na kami. Kala mo locals kami sa SG kung maka sakay at baba ng tren. Hahaha!

What made commuting even more fun was that we created korni (but witty – yes claiming it) jokes using the MTR station names.

“Mam, hindi po ako aabot sa deadline, Toa Payoh nalang po yung sakin.”

“ Late na tayo. Bishan mo naman”

Hahaha. Sorry pero napakababaw talaga namin. Ganyang kasimpleng joke tuwang tuwa na kami. Kaya hindi na rin namin naramdaman ang byahe. The last thing we knew, we’re in Chinatown already.

Turista shot na sobrang challenging icapture dahil sa mga dumaraan na mga tao. Hahaha. So sinong mag aadjust? 😀

Awra pa, Bes!

Some view we saw while walking. More lakad talaga! Buti nalang  sanay kami pareho maglakad ng mahaba.

We went to Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in SG. It was built by the immigrants from South India to honor the goddess Mariamman, who is known for her power to cure illnesses.

And since the temple is so sacred, visitors are not allowed to go inside while wearing shorts. Ehhh… syempre, hindi naman ako nagtatravel ng  nakapantalon kaya walang choice kung hindi magrent ng mahabang  saya. People are also required to remove slippers as a sign of respect.

Mainit ang panahon pero… sige lang para sa IG feed. Chos! Hahaha!

Sobrang interesting yung mga parang paintings at mga bagay sa paligid. Kung kaya ko lang ba iinterpret eh! 

While we’re there, we’re able to witness a ritual being performed. There’s a chair that is being washed by different kinds of liquid. Medyo matagal rin sya. After the ritual, we left the temple and went to our next stop.

That’s the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. It got its name from what the Buddhists consider as the left  canine tooth of Buddha that was recovered from his funeral pyre. The four-story temple was built in 2007. Best in research. Hahaha!

Joland even crossed the street to get that shot. Effort! Hahaha!

Hindi na nya pinalampas ang pagkakataon. Pag gusto may paraan! HAHAHAHA.

After the first two stops, we felt a little hungry so we decided to have lunch. Choosing the place for our lunch was a little challenging because we had so many options.

We ended up in a restaurant in the middle of Chinatown and we ordered peking duck set with something else. Hahaha! What is fail flatlay? 😀

Syempre recharged na kami ulit kasi nakakain na. We went to Bugis Street to have a little shopping. If you are looking for a place where you can find cheap clothes, accessories, gadgets, souvenirs, etc., Bugis is the place to go.

 We bought 3 SG souvenir shirts for 10USD. The highlight of our shopping was the cheap chocolate/candies store. Timtam’s chocolate are being sold for 1USD each!!! I MEAN HELLO!!!! ANG SAYA SAYA!! Hahaha!

Anyway… before heading home, we went to Haji Lane. It is located in the Arab Quarter, and there you can find stores that sell quirky and extraordinary items. You can also find coffee shops and restaurants there. Pero pumunta lang talaga kami dun para magpapicture. Hahaha!

We went back to Osang’s house to have a nap and to freshen up. Around 8pm, we went out again to meet Amini and Osang in Marina Bay Sands. Napilitan na kami mag grab car papunta dun. Haha! We had dinner there and after that, they toured us outside.

Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay!!! Haaaay! There’s something about lights that I find soooo magical.

Ayan bilang supportive yung dalawa. Sige, BFF shot! Sana may BTS nitong shot na to. Hahaha. Si Osang taga picture tapos si Amini taga ilaw gamit ang phone flashlight.

Moooreeee lights!!! ❤

Annnd suuuuper long walk from Gardens by the Bay to the Merlion. Pinipilit ko sila mag taxi kaso wag na raw e. Edi wag. 😀

Mandatory shot of the Merlion. Grabe ka ha! Ang layo ng nilakad namin para sayo! At dahil inuna ni Joland makipagkwentuhan sa kakilala nya na nakita nya sa SG, wala kaming matino na picture sa Merlion. Hay nako! *rolls eyes* Charing! Hahaha!

DAY TWO : UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Eto na, eto na!!!! For our USG trip, we’re complete! Ginawan talaga ng paraan nung dalawa para makasama sila! Hahaha!

First time to ride SG bus and our first time to use the EZ Link card as well. That’s our ride from Osang’s house to MRT – Bishan Station. We just met the two of them in Bishan Station, and from there, we went together to the cable car that brought us to USG.

We bought USG ticket + cable car ride + Luge ride as a package. The package costs 70USD. 

Here we gooo! Cable car!!! At first I was so scared. Napakataas naman kasi! Kita ang mga puno na at lahat ng pwedeng bagsakan. Haha! Pero pag tagal tagal, naging okay naman na. 

#SingaFOUR. Amini was so worried because her GoPro might fall and she even warned Osang that she will pay for it if that happens. Hahahaha.

Instagram beshie of the year! HAHAHAHA.

NAKIKITA NYO BA YUNG MGA PUNO??? SINONG HINDI MATATAKOT. HAAAAA!!!?? Hahaha!

Sasandali lang naman yung cable car ride pero pakiramdam ko napakahaba! Haha! Anyway, I was so excited with our USG tour because theme park is my thing. Mas masaya sana kung hindi umulan, e kaso yun nga, napakalakas ng ulan. But the rain didn’t stop us. Laban lang!!!

Happy? Hahaha!

What dreams are made of? Kems! 😀

USG trip is not complete without that shot. Ginalingan ni Joland masyado. Sorry, gabi na sya nagpapicture kasi pinaghandaan. Hahaha!

We started from FB messenger planning now we’re here. Hahaha!

Ayan. Para na naman batang nakakawala sa theme park.

Just some photos around the area. 🙂

Feels like home. ❤

First ride! Relax and pabebe muna. Haha.

And then the extreme rides happened. MAGKAKASUNOD! Let’s start with Battlestar Galactica! Grabe as in ASDFGHJKL!!! I was sooooo weak after the ride. Di ko alam paano ko sya nakayanan. Pushy kasi mga kasama ko kaya wala akong choice. But yeah, for the sake of experience.

And then Revenge of the Mummy. I asked Amini if the ride is also extreme and she answered, “Hindi. Sakto lang”. Yung totoo saang parte ng backward at forward motion ng ride ang hindi extreme!!!?? 😦

HINDI PA SILA TAPOS! Last extreme ride was Trasformers. We waited for more than 40 minutes. Napakahaba ng pila tapos masstress lang pala ako sa ride. Haha! Chos.

Keri pa nyang magpapicture ng maayos pagkatapos ng lahat ng pinagdaanan namin. Hahaha!

After all of those craziness, lunch timeeeee!!!

And back to regular programming.

My turn!!! Shrek’s Palace. Walang pwedeng umangal kahit mga 7 years old ang kasama namin sa ride. Pinagbigyan ko sila sa mga extreme rides ganap nila. BAKA NAMAN. Hahaha!

Minsan lang to!! Go, Osang!! Hahaha!

I’m not sure if Joland really knows that I have a thing for carousels or it just so happened that he wanted to take a photo of me in front of the ride. Well.

Almost done with the USG tour. Masaya kahit maulan. 🙂

LOOOOOVE!!!! Haaaayy, my childhood!

To cap off our USG tour, we rode the Luge. Another ASDFGHJKL! Mas masahol pa sa cable car kasi open sya at konting maling kilos…yun na. Before that, we experienced Mario Kart. And then the Luge carried us back to the cable car area. Grabe yung Luge ride. IBAAAAA!

After USG, we had dinner and then went back to Osang’s house to rest and regain our energy for the next day.

DAY THREE : SINGAPORE TO MALAYSIA

Another day of adventure! We left Osang’s house at around 9 am. We rode the MRT until Jurong East. From there, we rode a bus going to the immigration of Malaysia.

We thought that the process is just simple, but to our surprise, it took us hours to finish the immigration thing process. The line was suuuuper long.

Konti nalang. 

We reached Legoland at around 3 pm, I think. We’re supposed to go inside  Legoland pero ano pang magagawa namin dun e ang service namin from Johor Baru to Kuala Lumpur aalis ng 6:40 pm? Hahaha!

So we just did what we can do. Piggy back ride shot!!! After nth number of takes, ayan na. Achieved!!!

Remembrance. It could have been great if we made it inside, though. Maybe next time.

Before leaving Johor Baru, we made sure that we’re full because we have a loooong travel time ahead of us.

Joland booked a bus going to Kuala Lumpur via Causeway Link. Reserved seating. If you want to have hassle free transfer from  Johor Baru to KL, we suggest that you book your seats as well. If I remember it correctly, fee is around P800 per person.

It took us around 5 hours of land travel. We arrived in KL at around 11 pm. We booked Tune hotels, and promise,sobrang marerecommend namin sya. Not bad for P1,000 per night!!

First dinner in KL. There’s a restaurant just across Tunes Hotel. Super sarap at mura ng pagkain.

After dinner, we went to the Petronas Tower, which is just 5 minutes away from the hotel. Kailangan mong humanap ng magandang spot para makakuha ka ng IG-worthy na picture. 😉

DAY FOUR : BATU CAVES + BACK TO MANILA

On our last day of trip, we went to Batu Caves. I’m not sure if Joland really wants to go there or he had no choice but to accompany me. Hahaha! But during our visit there, he seemed interested naman. 😀

Anyway, we left the hotel at around 9 am. We rode a cab from the hotel to KTM Commuter – KL Central Station and there’s a designated station for those who are going to Batu Caves. Best in commute na talaga kami. Haha!

Instead of card, payment is through chips. Lakas maka casino. Char! 😀

Medyo matagal lang ang bago dumating ang tren kaya patience is a virtue. Haha! Total travel time from Tunes Hotel to Batu Caves is more or less 1 and a half hour.

Finallyyyy!

Mainit talaga ang panahon sa KL kaya make sure to bring towel and water. But we didn’t bring water so okay fine, coconut. Why not, coconut. #lastna 😀

I had a nice time playing with the birds, too. They were actually eating during that time, but we disturbed them by running from here and there. If only those birds can talk… baka namura na nila kami. Hahaha!

At etong isa naman na to, nakapag papicture pa sa nagtatantrums na monkey. 😀

We had to climb the stairs with  270+ steps while carrying a bucket with sand. That way, we we’re able to help in the on-going construction of some areas in Batu Caves. Kasi kung yung mga gumagawa pa ang dadala ng sand mula sa baba pataas, wawa naman sila. It was actually a nice strategy. 🙂 Also, take note that you can’t go inside the Batu Caves while wearing shorts. Edi ayun, nag hire na naman ako ng pangcover.

Batu Caves is a limestone hill with three major caves and a number of smaller ones. It is considered as one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan (Hindu god of war). The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old.

After Batu Caves, we went back to the hotel and had our late lunch. One of the best meals we had during our trip.

At around 6pm, we were already on our way to KL airport. It took us more than an hour because the traffic was kinda bad. In fairness to KL airport, ang ganda. We reached Manila at around 1 a.m.

Thank you, Joland, for being the best trip companion. And more importantly, thank you for being there for me through good times and bad. You are truly one in a miNion. #Waley. Haha.

That’s it for our SG – Malayasia trip. Sana may nabasa kayong may kabuluhan dito. At kung wala, ehhh.. sana meron. 🙂

Bianca