I apologize for the slideshow breaking, but we are transitioning to a new theme and the slides show will be back asap
“Why not take the bus or train?” asked my cousin Joanna last year.
I was trying to get to Malaysia from Singapore.
My destination, Teluk Intan, was seven hours away by road and my first instinct was to do away with the first five hours to Kuala Lumpur by plane.
It is always a great trip when you meet someone new and learn something new in life.
Prior to heading to Malaysia however, I had just completed a round the country trip of Taiwan in 30 days. One item on my “must do” list was to travel the country by train.
Trains have a sort of romantic feel about them. The idea of serendipitous meetings on a train immortalized on film invokes an allure to being transported on rails.
So naturally, I heeded my cousin’s suggestion and took the bus.
I chose the overnight bus ride, hoping to sleep away some of the seven hour journey.
Last year, I found it almost impossible to sleep. For someone who took the route regularly, I am sure they would have no problem passing away the time in slumber. For me, the adrenaline from excitement kept my gears in motion. Unfortunately, the passengers around me on the bus were those regulars who snoozed their way to their destination.
This year, there was only one other passenger and the driver. With only three people on board for the first half of the journey, it made it easier for us to converse.
I learned Korean from my Korean trip mate and about her journey around Malaysia. Never mind the fact that she was almost disallowed back into the country. The experience though was something worth learning about. Be aware about your travel patterns when re-entering a country lest they misinterpret the travel plans in an unfavourable way.
The bus driver also shared his life about what life was like in his occupation.
It is always a great trip when you meet someone new and learn something new in life.
In case you want to make an overnight trip yourself, I used Konsortium, located at the Golden Mile Tower on Beach Road in Singapore.
It is accessible from the Nicoll Highway MRT station and the trip to Teluk Intan cost me SGD$36.00
If you factor having to arrive two hours early, having a 45 minute plane ride, and at least another 30 minutes (3 h 15 min) before you step out of the Kuala Lumpur airport, you might as well take the bus, even to Kuala Lumpur.
The bus ride will only take 4.5 hours at trading the extra hour at a lesser cost and no hassles with airport security.
Alternatively, you can take the bus to Kuala Lumpur for only SGD12.00 from Golden Mile Plaza. Stay overnight in Kuala Lumpur and head on up to Teluk Intan the day after.