Visiting Malaysia And Singapore And I Mean It

I’m on my way to Malaysia, and this time I mean it.

First, to leave Australia I’ll hop on a new favorite airline, Scoot, the discount version of Singapore Airlines. I like the fleet of 787s and the fact that you can upgrade for a relatively low cost. It’s an eight hour flight and, in my case, it’s worth the couple hundred bucks to sit in their premium product, ScootBiz. This is not a premium experience, but it’s more than comfortable and I didn’t have to break the bank to keep traveling.

You may have guessed, Scoot took me from Sydney back to Singapore. This time, I was determined to actually stay IN the country. My Chinatown hotel was a little fussy, but the neighborhood was a ton of fun, especially as it was preparing for Chinese New Year.

I asked how the dehydrated duck (?) would be used for cooking. A lovely young woman tried to explain, but there was a bit of a language barrier.

You’ll see paper novelties for sale everywhere. Many are burned as part of New Year’s celebrations, either as offerings to the dead or a wish for the future.

It was a very different experience from the daily cross-border bus drama I endured during my first visit.. Alas, the budget doesn’t allow for a long stay here.

Next stop: An AirBnB in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

I heard the train from Singapore to KL is just as complicated and confusing as the border crossing so I opted for the hour-long flight between the two cities. I’m in the minority in that I like Air Asia. Again, upgrades are cheap and worth it!

My AirBnB was “less than fabulous.” It was located in what I can only describe as a failed high-rise apartment building. It feels like it was built in 2003 but not one penny was spent on maintenance since. It’s really a cluster of condo towers designed to be anchored by bustling retail in each lobby. This is what happens when “bustling” goes bust. Now there’s just an overpriced no-name convenience store and an occasionally-opened deli. One of the towers has a rooftop restaurant that’s waaay overpriced and not particularly good. The rooftop pool, however, is a popular spot at sunrise and sunset. The views are impressive.