After another scrumptious breakfast at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton (which you can read about in detail here, if you're curious about this *amazing* breakfast), we checked out around 7:30 and walked across the street to catch our 8AM train. We had explored the area the day before, so we knew right where to go. Unfortunately, we didn't know what section to sit in.
We purchased first class tickets because they were still within a reasonable price point. We boarded the train, found our seats, and got ready for our 6.5 ride. The car was perfectly comfortable and clean, and our seats were very nice. When the guy came around to check our tickets, he informed us that we were in the wrong car. He directed us to the first class car, and we laughed because we couldn't imagine how the car that was supposed to be first class could be better than this one.
As we crossed into the next car, it wasn't all that much nicer (seats a little cushier perhaps), and when we got to our seats, we discovered another couple already sitting in them. They apologetically got up and explained that their seats were broken, so they kept moving from seat to seat until they could find one that wasn't being occupied. We felt guilty for "kicking them out" but the got up immediately.
The train ride was lovely. It was a refreshing change from the sketchy Air Asia flights we had taken over the last week and a half. We read, napped, wrote, and just enjoyed watching the scenery roll by.
Around 2:15, we stopped at the customs and immigration point for leaving Malaysia and crossing into Singapore. We had to take our bags and put them through scanners and essentially walk through this big, empty building where we signed a piece of paper saying we weren't carrying anything bad.
When we got back on the train, we only rode for another 5-10 mins before arriving at our destination: the Woodlands Station. We went through security again, and then we had 2 objectives: 1. transfer our Malay dollars to Singapore dollars and 2. find the right bus to take us to the Singapore metro. Although we were officially in Singapore, we weren't in Singapore city yet. We were still very much on the outskirts of this tiny country.
I had read ahead of time that getting Singapore dollars at this bus/train depot was a bit of a challenge. If you arrived by train, you had to walk down the street and up the hill a ways to get to an ATM machine outside of a minimart. We stood for a few minutes surveying our surroundings when we saw the exact bus we needed pull up. On a chance, we decided to ask the driver if they took Malay dollars, so we wouldn't have to worry about changing money just yet. The bus ride only cost about $1-$1.50 a person anyway. We stood half way up the steps of the bus and showed the driver our palms full of Ringgit. He shook his head negatively, and slightly embarrassed, we tried to politely shuffle past the people behind us on the steps to board the bus.
All of the sudden, a kind religious gentleman (of what religion, I don't know, but he was dressed from head to toe in some sort of religious regalia - sikh would be my guess) stopped us from getting off the bus, and offered the driver enough money to cover the fare for himself and the two of us. He didn't speak English but politely refused our offers to give him our Malay Ringgit or even the few American dollars we still carried. It may not have been more than a good deed to him, but such an act of kindness is something I will always treasure.
The bus took us to the MRT (metro) station, where we found an ATM and purchased tickets that would take us to the Orchard Station just a few blocks from our hotel.
In choosing a Singapore hotel, I considered many options. I looked closely at 6 hotels that ranged in price from $90/night to $170/night. All were under my $200 limit (not sure what I mean? Read one of my earliest posts that explains my criteria for choosing a foreign hotel. This is before Air B&B existed, mind you. I have absolutely no experience with that style of travel). Then it came down to location and amenities.
We ultimately chose the Royal Plaza on Scotts. For $150/night we enjoyed a hotel that was minutes from the MRT, included breakfast, the rate was refundable, and it had the highest star rating out of all the hotels I looked at. Mind you, all of the hotels were at least 4 stars and they all had stellar reviews. This one just seemed to fit the bill for our stay.
Orchard Station is also in the shopping district, so we knew that our hotel would have close proximity to good shopping and food. If money is no object, consider staying at Marina Bay Sands. It's comparable to the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Like Dubai, we had no intention of staying there, but we did take advantage of their afternoon tea so that we could explore the hotel. (More on that in a future post.)
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| Royal Plaza on Scotts - Singapore, Singapore |
After checking into our hotel, we went for a walk to find dinner. Singapore is a major cosmopolitan city, so we could have easily eaten in just about any food chain we wanted. Instead, we were walking down the street, and saw this little eatery tucked away down a couple of stairs. We peeked in and saw (what looked like) a bunch of locals and a small scale cafeteria-style restaurant. With maybe 3-4 different food vendors to choose from, we each picked one and enjoyed an authentic Singaporean dinner. Unfortunately, this would be the last meal of the trip that we truly enjoyed. Why? Oh...just you wait.
Singapore is not without its own adventure and missteps. Until next time...
Thanks for reading!
- Foxy the Traveler
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