Yay, I finally got my finger out and sorted what I was going to be doing during the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend. I decided that I wanted to go for a trip that’s close to Singapore, but out of the City so that I can relax and enjoy the atmosphere and setting, without pushing myself too much.
I had a few options – Batam, Bintan, Malaka or Penang – I have been looking for flights, and the prices were at silly prices – because of 1) the Bank Holiday and 2) customer demand, so flying was not really an option. The other thing to consider with flying is the time as well, sometimes the times are rubbish and you lose quite a bit of the weekend getting to your destination and back again. So a coach or ferry option seemed the best option. I had been recommended to try this coach booking (www.journeymalaysia.com) website, where it outlines all of the bus companies, times and fares – and some of them you can book online.
I want to go to Penang, but felt that it was a bit too far by coach, so I decided to go to Malaka. I will go to Bintan or Batam for a beach resort before I leave – hopefully when it is nice and sunny 🙂 – but for now Malaka is my destination. Well that was the easy bit. The next bit is to actually book the damn thing 🙂
I spoke with my Apartment reception, and then gave me a couple of options – all of which originated at the Golden Mile Complex, where the buses seem to leave from, so I went across there on the MRT, getting off on the Nicoll Highway Circle Line station.
The plan was as follows, leave on Friday evening, arrive a late evening, relax, find the hostel and then spend Saturday, Sunday and Monday being a tourist before venturing back on Monday afternoon / evening. But the seats on Friday evening were all booked up, so they had either Friday morning at 8am or 11.30am or Saturday at 11.30am (but the only seat left!). I could take an extra day’s holiday, that was an option, but I decided to go for the Saturday one, as this will enable me to arrive at 1.30pm and I have the afternoon, Sunday and Monday to enjoy the place. That would work! Ticket was S$25 (on StarMart Express Buses) – not too bad, I guess.
They couldn’t book the return journey, but I had a feeling that they were going to be pretty booked up, so I looked up the www.journeymalaysia.com website again, and stumbled upon the fact that only 2 companies had tickets available on the return leg (according to www.BusOnlineTicket.com) – but these were at 8am on Monday – that’s no good at all! I noticed at the bottom of the site that two bus companies weren’t featureed on the above BusOnlineTicket.com website, so I went to their site directly and looked up the available seats/tickets, and it appeared that tickets for a 2.30pm departure were available. Brilliant 🙂 I quickly made the booking which cost me S$34 (on Konsortium Express Buses) – and I know it was meant to be really cheap (something along the lines of S$8-10 for the return journey – what they seem to do is charge 24 of which ever currency, so outward is $24 and return is RM24 (S$10) – weird but true!). So I knew I’ve paid over the odds, but I said ‘you know what it’s a seat’!! I rather not leave it to when I arrive in Malaka to only find that ALL of the return seats on the Monday was booked up. Then again, I could then come back on Tuesday morning and go straight to the office – that was my back-up plan 🙂 Ha!
Anyway, so return coach journey booked. So I then ventured to find out which hostels to book, so went online at www.hostelworld.com and browsed the available places and locations (and their ratings/reviews). There were a couple that were highly favourable, but they didn’t seem to have spaces, or only one 1 of the nights, so I would have to either move room, or pay extra for the difference. But I managed to find one that had the dorm room available for both nights, it was called Roof Top Guest House and has a 4-mixed dorm room. I hope it’s okay – well it only cost RM45 (S$18). Not bad at all!
So bus/coach and hostel booked, I just need to do a bit of research on what to see and do, and then hopefully I’m sorted!! Just hope the weather holds out! That reminds me, bring an umbrella! Ha!