Train to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore

I took the overnight train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in their top of the line seat. Overnight trains are awesome. You can save a night's worth of fees by sleeping while you travel! You have to travel anyway right? Might as well kill 2 birds with one stone.

There's a trick which lets you get a discounted Premier seat (a bed in a first class sleeper car with your own bathroom/shower) from Singapore to KL. Basically fares paid for in Singapore are charged in Singapore Dollars where as fares bought in Malaysia are in Ringgit. So if a fare is 30 in Singapore it costs 30 Singapore Dollars while in Malaysia it costs 30 Ringgit. A Singapore Dollar are worth more than a Ringgit so it's much cheaper to buy in Malaysia.

The trick then is to buy a round trip ticket from KL to Singapore and back to KL. You will waste the ticket from KL to Singapore since I am assuming you are in Singapore already like I was. Then you get the discounted Premier seat to take you to KL. Go to this website and buy your ticket there: www.ktmb.com.my. I can't take credit for this trick, it was detailed on seat61.com; do a Control+F and paste in this without quotes "A strange (you might say unfair) quirk of the system". All the details are there.

The Premiere seat is nice. The bed is comfy, there's a small bathroom and shower for you to use. There was a television inside as well, but it didn't turn on. I don't know if mine was broken or it they just weren't allowed to be turned on. The Premiere seat puts you in a room which you share with one other person. I shared mine with a Malaysia Chinese named David. He was a nice guy and I asked him whatever I could about KL. Turns out he works in Singapore but was going back home to visit his parents.

My gear on my bed in the train. I shared this room with one other person.

My own bathroom, well, shared with 1 other person.

Shower, it worked but I didn't use it.

TV that didn't work

They also served us some food. Here's what we got. I can't remember which one was mine anymore, but I assume it was the noodles since I'm not a fan of fried rice. When the issue of drinks came up I heard the drink Milo for the first time. Milo? What's Milo? I was intrigued! Well of course I'm going to try some! I asked David, what's Milo? He said it was a chocolate drink that was very popular in Malaysia. I said I never heard of Milo. I must try some! I was excited of course, waiting to have this Malaysian drink. Then I got it. Turns out Milo is what they call Nestle Quick in Malaysia. LAAAAME! I don't know why it's so popular. It's served everywhere, like in all the fast food restaurants and what not. Crazy. Nestle Quick...... Nobody drinks that stuff in restaurants State side. Oh well.

Train Food

Train Food

So I took the 11:15 PM Train which then arrived at KL Sentral at 6:30 AM. I'd like to say I had a good night's rest but I can't. The train made several stops before getting to KL Sentral including one security stop when I assume they crossed the border into Malaysia. When we crossed the border they made everyone get out of the trains and wait in a building while the police and their dogs searched for illegal stuff. I found that kind of annoying. I also locked up my backpack in my pacsafe cuz I had to leave my things behind. When I returned it seemed untouched.

My Backpack safe with my PacSafe when I was forced to leave my stuff during the border inspection.

Dinner car

The regular sleeper... the train car is just filled with these bunks. You don't get your own room or bathroom. Everyone is in the same room and you just get curtains for privacy.

There was an incident that happened on the train just before we left Singapore. A man in another Premiere seat started shouting and complaining to the workers there, saying things like 'I can't do this. Do you know what kind of things will be said about me?' or something to that effect. Anyway point is he was having a huge fit and I couldn't understand why. He was demanding a new room. I asked David, the guy sharing my room what was going on. David told me that man shouting is Muslim and he's complaining because they booked a female in his room. He is not allowed to share a room with a member of the opposite sex due to his religion. Well he got it eventually. For me, I wouldn't have cared. It just sucks for whomever is sharing the room with me cuz I snore. ha.

Random Singapore Pictures

I loved Singapore. Friendly people, modern city, cleanest place I have ever been (puts Japan to shame), easy public transportation, and everyone speaks English. I will look forward to going back some day.

Map of Singapore

Map of Singapore

Wash and Blow, 3 bucks in Singapore

A tourist pass that might save you money if you're interested.

A bum by the Hawker Center in Chinatown. Housing is subsidized and certain quotas are maintained by the government of ethnic groups in neighborhoods (i think....). Housing is of course in high demand, and this guy rents his home and saves all the money in the bank by being a real vagabond. It's fairly shameful, but you can't stop him.

St Andrew's Cathedral.

Challenger - kinda like the Best Buy in Singapore. Singaporeans need to buy membership to get discounted prices, but they will give foreigners the discounted price without signing up. They generally don't accept returns, but I had to return something and was persistent about it. I think they finally honored it cuz I'm an foreigner.

No durians. I was not brave enough to try a durian.

Christmas time in Singapore.


Backpackers.... holy crap that's a lot of gear to lug around. Don't be them, travel light.

Funny Ikea Commercial

Old ladies selling stuff

Clean Sparkling Toilets!

Fake watches... Chinatown of course

Ok.... my last country on this trip will be next in my next post: On to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia via first class train.

Some More Singapore Food

This post just has some random food I got on my last night in Singapore... I mainly indulged myself with those pot stickers.

Man... I'm totally hungry for them right now! Without further adieu, proof I am a fatass...

Making my pot stickers.

pot stickers.... one of my many weaknesses

Some peanut snack.

Yeah man, I'm such a fatass, Pot stickers, two dishes of Xiao Long Bao, and a strawberry fruit smoothie. Do you see the two chopsticks? Yeah.... they thought this was for two people. Nope, just for me!

Another strawberry fruit smoothie.... jealous?

Fried seafood on a stick.

Ice Cream and Waffles at the Mall.

Singapore: Fort Canning Park

Yes yes, it's been over a year and I still haven't caught up on my blog? Shameful..... well I'm still trying.

On my last full day in Singapore I went to visit the Fort Canning Park. It is here where the British lost Singapore to the Japanese in World War 2 on Feb 15, 1942. The fort is a nice peaceful park area where you can escape the hustle, bustle, and noise of the rest of Singapore. You can visit the Battle Box, the British base of operations during WW2, take different walks which explore Singapore's history and archeology, or read about the vegetation on the signs posted along the paths.

The Battle Box Brochure.

Battle Box Map

Stairs up to the fort.

Fort Canning Park Map.



Raffles Terrace.

South Battery Cannon.

14th Century Walk - one of the informative walks at Fort Canning Park, I took this walk.

Map of the 14th Century Walk.

I think this was the Fort Gate... but I can't remember.

View of the city from the park.

Cupolas

A sally port at the Battle Box.. the command center for the British in Singapore.

Battle Box Entrance.

I walked in and was greeted with this sad looking manikin of a british solider.

Walk past that manikin down those stairs and you can tour it... only it was closed when I got there. Drat.

Tickets to the Battle Box can be bought here.

Keramat

Keramat

Haggling while Traveling 101

While I was abroad traveling in Asia I went to many open air markets like the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok. You're gonna have to do some haggling whether you like it or not, unless you don't mind getting ripped off. Prices are often marked much higher than the merchant is willing to sell it for. Here are some tips I learned. I don't remember where I learned them all from, probably from reading websites, books, talking to other travelers, and just being there to experience it all myself.

1. Do not haggle on prices for food. This is not acceptable.

2. Put your money in different pockets. Split it up, you'll see why later.

3. Scout the market out. I like to walk around the market first and check out the prices. If there's something I want I try to keep an eye out for it and note the price everywhere I see it. If you need to, find a safe place (nobody looking) and move the amount of money in your pockets so that 1 pocket has the amount you want to pay. Put some more in another pocket just in case.

4. After you have an idea for the price find a merchant you want to buy it from.

5. You don't have to be nice, but that doesn't mean you have to be a jerk. Start low, so if you wish to pay 50% of the listed price start at 25% or 30%.

6. Always smile while negotiating price. You can politely point out things that are wrong with it and say it's not worth that much -- WITH A SMILE. Most of what I've read from hippies say don't do that because the merchant will lose face. I say hogwash, I've never seen one care -- they just want your money and they know they'll never see you again.

7. Invariably you will probably lose this battle of haggling. They do this everyday, and you are used to going to the Mall and just buying at the window price.

8. Ok this is where the real trick starts. Remember the money you put in different pockets? This is where it comes in. If the merchant isn't going for your price put your hand in your pocket and pull out your money. Hold it tight and wave it in front of them and say the amount and "I buy". For example, "30 baht, I buy!". Often seeing the money makes their eyes open wide and they'll go for it. Congrats, you have successfully haggled for something. If they're still not going for it, then you have a stingy merchant or you are just too cheap. Move on to another merchant and try your luck again.