Gardens By The Bay, Little India, Chinatown and Cross-border Trip to Malaysia

I love the red details

I knew if I was not really hungry, I will be unable to finish this lot.

Sri Mariammam Temple

Check-out time at Cozy Corner Guesthouse is at exactly 11 am. We arrived back at the hostel at thirty minutes past this time. We were greeted by the mister who assisted us during our arrival and promptly instructed us to take down our bags. He said that he already retrieved the bed sheets. Upon arrival here, guests will be provided with clean sheets and is supposed to be dropped off at the laundry bin at the reception area upon departure.

It was a good thing that we have packed our bags earlier before we left. We were surprised that Koji was waiting outside our dorm room. He said that he will come along with us again and he will come back to China town once more.

Our friend sadly bid farewell to us during our transit from Bugis to Kranji station. We spent a short time together but we really had a nice time with his company. We exchanged contact information and has been in touch ever since.

As soon as Koji left for his solo trip to China town, Chie and I breathed a sigh of relief. Our trip to Singapore is now nearing its end. Though we could have spent a few more days here, we are now concentrated on the next country which is Malaysia.

Woodlands Checkpoint @ Kranji MRT Station

Look for bus no. 170

From Kranji station, cross this bridge and wait in this waiting shed.

The train ride from Bugis to Kranji station took about 46 minutes. From Kranji, we followed the signs, crossed the bridged and waited for bus no. 170 bound for Woodlands, fare at SGD 1.30.

All travelers will be shortly dropped off at Woodlands Immigration center. We proceeded to the departure area (Singapore) then had our passports quickly stamped at the Malaysia immigration (Arrival). We waited for the same bus number which need not be the same exact bus. It is important to keep your bus ticket for there is no need to pay again once you are off to Larkin terminal. The bus crossed the Causeway bridge and after about thirty minutes, we arrived at Larkin terminal in Johor Bahru. 

Booths at Larkin terminal

Exterior of Melaka Sentral

The first cat I met on the road 🙂

Exhausted from these several transfers, we immediately bought our bus ticket to Melaka at the first counter selling one. I know that MYR 19 per person is expensive but we no longer cared about the price once we have seated comfortably inside the cool red bus. The journey took about three hours. We used this time to catch up on our sleep since we had barely slept the night before. I knew it was so hot outside but the bus’s very fine air-conditioning system kept the humidity at bay.

At past four in the afternoon, we alighted at Melaka Sentral. We are to have another bus ride to downtown Melaka aboard bus no. 17. There were number signs on the parking lot so we assumed we are to wait near sign no. 17.

If we were not so keen in observing our surroundings, we will miss the bus no. 17 which was parked on another numbered slot. Good thing a kind conductor told us. Paying MYR 1, we were dropped off at the Clock Tower, we saw Discovery Guest house as our bus passed by it. We walked to our hostel and was able to check-in at exactly 5 PM. 

Discovery Cafe Guesthouse

It turns out that a Filipina was working at the hostel. She told us to come down at nine in the evening since there will be live performances at the restaurant at the ground floor. Bands will be singing ‘Pinoy‘ songs until midnight. After having dinner in China town, we were pretty beat and decided to call it a day.