With their skyscrapers, modern architecture, theme parks, mouthwatering cuisines and a lot more, there’s no wonder why Singapore and Malaysia attract thousands of foreign tourists (not to mention the “revenge travel” state). But travelling to these places need not to be expensive. Here’s our little DIY budget travel guide to help you prepare for your trip.
Travel Preparations: Things to Have Before the Trip
- Valid Passport (should not expire within 6 months)
- Roundtrip plane tickets
- SG Arrival Card (Must be submitted within 3 days prior to arrival in Singapore) [Only requirement as of June 2023, check with SG Immigration for any changes]
- eTravel QR Code (Must be accomplished within 3 days prior to departure)
- Travel itinerary
- Hotel booking confirmation
- Company ID/COE
- (Optional) Travel Insurance – we got ours from GCash Travel Protect International
Arrival in Singapore: SIM, Currency Exchange, etc.
Upon arrival in Singapore, as long as you have accomplished the SG Arrival Card, you can head on to their automated immigration lanes. You only need to scan your passport, pass biometrics and you’re good to go (unless if you encounter issues with their machines, then you will be directed to an Immigration Officer).
If you arrive early in Changi, you can head on to the Arrivals Hall and purchase an ezLink card and use it to pay for the bus, MRT or LRT, or you can also get a taxi to drop you off at your hotel in the city.
It’s preferrable to have SGD available or if you need to exchange money at the airport, it’s best to exchange only a few that you will need for transportation and have the rest exchanged once you’re in the city for better rates. You can also choose to rent a pocket WiFi to stay connected (access Google Maps, check MyTransport app for the best bus/MRT routes, etc.) or you can also purchase a 4G SIM Card that can give you 100GB.
Arrival in Kuala Lumpur: SIM, Currency Exchange, etc.
We expected our SIM to have worked, but unfortunately, we didn’t get any signal so we relied on the hotel’s WiFi for the entire duration of our stay in Kuala Lumpur. We also exchanged our money in Singapore so we didn’t have any need to exchange more. Getting around Malaysia is fairly easy as their transit system is fairly comprehensive and reliable. Best to find an accommodation near an MRT or bus station.
DIY 5D4N Singapore-Malaysia Itinerary
For our trip, we mainly walked from one location to the next (we accumulated a total of 71,892 steps). Singapore is walkable and fairly easy to navigate. Their buses and MRT are reliable and on-time. You can check the best routes via the MyTransport app that you can install for your trip to help you navigate Singapore.
Day 1: Arrival, Albert Hawker, Fort Canning Park, Little India, Haji Lane
- Arrival in Changi T4 at 12AM – booked a cab to hotel for 28SGD
- Checked-in to hotel (We booked our accommodation in South East Asia Hotel, located just walking distance to Bugis)
- Breakfast in Albert Hawker Center (cheaper prices as mostly locals eat here)
- Bugis+ Mall
- Fort Canning Park – 1km walk from Bugis
- Little India – 1.4km walk from Fort Canning Park
- Haji Lane – 1.1km walk from Little India
Day 2: Old Hill Police Station, Clarke Quay, Maxwell Hawker, Merlion Park, Esplanade
- Breakfast in Albert Hawker Center
- Old Hill Police Station – 1.5km walk from Bugis
- Clarke Quay – 220m walk from Old Hill Police Station
- Maxwell Hawker – 1.5km from Clarke Quay
- Merlion Park – 1.6km from Maxwell Hawker
- Esplanade – 450m from Merlion Park
- Suntec City – 900m from Esplanade
Day 3: Chinatown, Maxwell Hawker, Golden Mile Tower, Depart for KL
- Breakfast
- Check out from hotel (leave things)
- Explore and buy pasalubong from Chinatown – 0.99SGD bus to Chinatown
- Lunch at Maxwell Hawker to try out the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Pick up things from hotel and head to Golden Mile Tower where we will depart for Malaysia
- 11:45PM Departure from Singapore to Malaysia
Day 4: Bukit Bintang, Lot 10, Fahrenheit 88, Suria KLCC, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC Park, Bukit Bintang Walkway
- Check-in to hotel, breakfast
- Walking around Bukit Bintang, Lot 10, Fahrenheit 88
- Suria KLCC
- Petronas Twin Towers
- KLCC Park
- Bukit Bintang Walkway
Day 5: Depart for SG, Golden Mile Hawker, Jewel Changi
- Breakfast
- Check-out from hotel
- 10AM Departure from KL to Singapore
- Golden Mile Hawker Center
- Jewel Changi
Budget and Expenses
*Computed per person
Roundtrip Airfare (checked-in baggage for return flight) – Php8,627.72
Singapore hotel accommodation – Php6,064.23
Kuala Lumpur hotel accommodation – Php1,285.74
SG-KL-SG** bus fare – Php2,161.00
Travel Insurance (Php1,707/3) – Php569.00
4G SIM with 100GB – Php1,036.00
ezLink with 5SGD load- (SGD10) Php407.96
Pocket money (food, pasalubong, miscellaneous) – Php15,000
TOTAL: Php35,151.65
**We booked our transportation for Singapore-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore bus via 12Go online.
Travelling doesn’t mean you need to break the bank. You can customize your itinerary to fit within your budget and still experience a lot. Just make sure to plan ahead and do a lot of research.
NOTE: Travel requirements might change time to time, make sure to check with immigration.
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