Fancy visiting 2 countries in limited time? Possible. I have recently been to Malaysia for the Chinese New Year (February) and made a quick visit to Singapore due to proximity.
While for my March term break, I went to Singapore and Malaysia, respectively.
This travel guide is for travelers opting for Malaysia as starting point. If you are to start in Singapore before transferring to Malaysia, click here.
This itinerary covers:
- Johor Bahru, Malaysia
- Singapore, Singapore.
JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA
How to get there
The closest Malaysian airport to Singapore is Senai International Airport. If you are planning to go to Johor Bahru, Legoland Malaysia and Sanrio Hello Kitty Town, this is the nearest one.
It is a 33-minute-drive to JB Sentral which is the hub for JB Sentral Bus Terminal. JB Sentral Bus Terminal houses Johor Bahru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex, City Square and Komtar JBCC shopping malls.
From Surabaya, there are direct flights to Senai International Airport.
From Manila, stop over is at KLIA or Singapore before finally landing at Senai International Airport.
Lodging
There are a lot of hotels in JB Sentral ranging from budget to mid-range. We prefer the ones located at the heart of Johor Bahru’s Central Business District, especially with the downtown’s night life and Pasar Malam. Oh! How I love Pasar Malam!
Activities
LegoLand Malaysia
Hello Kity Town
The Little Big Club
Angry Birds Activity Park
Shopping
Dining
For this trip we spent 3 days in the lovely Johor Bahru and a day to witness the celebration of Chinese New Year in Singapore.
DAY 1
10:00 ETA Senai
11:00 bus to JB Sentral
12:00 lunch
14:00 check in hotel; quick rest
16:00 walk from hostel to downtown
18:00 dinner at downtown
19:00 Pasar Malam
21:00 back to hotel
Johor Bahru is a very special place, I came back after a month for my spring break.
Why Johor Bahru is a special place.
DAY 2 LEGOLAND
8:00 call time and eat breakfast at Restaurant Jamilah
(supposed to be earlier but … mornings in Malaysia are dark even it’s 6:00)
Catch the JB-Legoland Bus at 10:00
11:00 ETA LegoLand
21:00 last bus to JB Sentral
22:30 arrival at DownTown
23:00 walk towards the hotel
DAY 3 SINGAPORE – Chinese New Year
One day in Singapore and see all the famous attractions, is it possible?
You can cover the whole of Singapore’s famous attractions in a day excluding theme parks.
10:00 Bus from JB Sentral to Queen Street
(inclusive of clearance time in Immigration)
13:00 Arrival Queen Street
13:15 Arrival at Raffles Place
14:00 late lunch at Glutton’s Bay
15:00Tour around Sir Raffles Statue, Victoria Memorial Hall…
16:00 Marina Bay Sands
17:00 Gardens by the Bay
19:00 Dinner and mall-ing at Marina Square Shopping Mall
21:00 Fireworks (seat: in front of Art Science Museum)
DAY 4 Early departure back to Indonesia
6:00 bus to Senai Airport
6:45 ETA Senai Airport
10:30 ETD JHB – SUB
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