Hey. Nestled at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, Singapore is a vibrant island nation that defies its small size with an impressive blend of modernity and tradition. After a long time, I finally got my first overseas vacation with my husband, to Singapore. Everything was confusing, but we survived. LOL. Today, I would like to share some tips for noobs like us who want to travel there from Malaysia by bus. So here goes:
Apps to Download
- MyICA app
Download it and fill up SG Arrival Card three days prior to your arrival. Visit https://www.ica.gov.sg/ for more information on the regulations or requirements - Moovit app
Download the app because it’ll be very useful to guide you which bus or train to take when going somewhere - Klook app
Honestly, the attractions are expensive. Luckily Klook offers cheaper rates and it cuts queue. For those who are interested, don’t forget to use my referral ID when signing up: NSG4Y2 . The referral ID gives you RM15 promo code as soon as you sign up! - MySejahtera app
They’ll ask for your vaccination record. So make sure you still have your MySejahtera app. And that’s why you need to have roaming pass because you need the internet to access the app. LOL
Essential Tips
- Purchase roaming pass
Remember to purchase roaming pass before arriving at Woodlands checkpoint because the line changes as soon as you’re at the checkpoint. - No need to buy bus tickets in advance
You can ditch ***bus or whatever bus apps available. We had to learn the hard way to know that. We wasted Rm60 because the drivers didn’t want to wait us to settle things at the immigration. Just go to Johor Bahru CIQ, do whatever required at the immigration, and just take the CW buses. After completing the immigration process at at Woodlands checkpoint, get the same CW bus again. - Have your visa debit/credit card ready
You can use your visa card when taking buses and trains. However, I suggest you to first activate your card for overseas transaction. Nevertheless, Bigpay doesn’t require any activation process. For those who are interested to get Bigpay, don’t forget to use my referral ID when signing up: H9LU4PLBAH . The referral ID gives you RM5 as soon as you activate your card! - Buy tourist pass if necessary
For trains, if you really up to explore the whole Singapore, you can buy the tourist pass for number of days (around $10 per day). But if you just want to go to certain places, again, you can use your visa card. - Halal food at Arab Street/ Kampong Glam
Not sure about other places, but we assure you’ll find a peace of mind here. There are mamak food, minang food, turkish food, etc. - Keep wet tissues in your bag
For those who are used to use bidets, bring your own wet tissues because there’ll be no bidets in the toilet. Wipe and wipe until you reach your hotel bathroom to properly clean your downstairs. LOL
What to Love
- During our stay, we could hear the Azan loud and clear. Some shops, even 7-eleven, closed during praying hours. That’s just so great, right?
- We heard that the Singapore government make income through all sorts of fines. But I genuinely salute them for having regulations like allowing smoking only in the designated area and cleaning your table for the next customer at the food court. It made me wonder; we learned to pick up our plates at school, but why aren’t we doing it now?
- We didn’t see any unsightly roadside stalls like in Malaysia.
What to Hate
The only thing we hated when going to Singapore was that there were only a few friendly people. Most of them were impolite and unfriendly, especially the e-hailing drivers, at least compared to our people. They didn’t care to say hello and make us feel welcome in their country. We had luggage, but the driver just sat in the car, and we had to figure out how to open the damn trunk. LOL
Thanks for reading!