Ditch the Plane, Go for a Train Ride

Ditch the Plane, Go for a Train Ride

SINGAPORE to MALAYSIA – Are you currently in Singapore and are now running out of options and places to go to? Then why not go to its neighbouring country, Malaysia and take in its different vibe and culture goodness that modern Singapore could not offer you?

 

 

But wait! Before you start opening the website of your most favoured airline for this journey and clicking your mouse away to book your plane tickets, I just have some suggestions on how you could make your journey more exciting and environment-friendly.

 

 

Train operator in Malaysia, Keratapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), offers a different riding experience from Singapore to Malaysia, even extending to Bangkok if you have the spare time to do so as the railways are connected with each other.

 

On Buying the Tickets

 

There are a lot of ways to reserve your train seats for your upcoming journey.

 

• Book online through KTM’s website http://ktmb.com.my
• Phone the KTM call center at +603-2267-1200 or if you happened to be already in Malaysia, you could just reach them easily through 1-300-88-5862.
• Visit the ticketing counters of KTM

• KTM has a station in Tanjong Pagar in Singapore and you could just approach, buy and get your tickets from there. I should warn you though that they have this irrational policy of doubling the amount that you will be paying for the tickets if you are to buy it in Singapore or if you are to start your journey in Singapore. I am not sure if this is a political issue or just a historical one since the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, which have already served Singapore for the longest time now, would already be nearing its close down as a new station in Woodlands is now under construction and would be operational on the third quarter of 2011.

 

• So, if you are in a budget and could not afford or stomach the fact that the price of your tickets are to be doubled if you are to get those from Singapore or if you are to start your journey in Singapore, you could just go to the nearest KTM station in Malaysia from Singapore, which is in Johor Bahru, and book your tickets there.
  • You could take Bus No. 170 or Causeway Link in Queen Street Bus Station near Bugis MRT Station to get to Johor Bahru.
  • Just approach the ticketing counter of the newly constructed JB Sentral upon arriving.

When should we buy the Tickets?

 

Even though you could buy your ticket on the same day of your journey, I advise you not to. It is still better if you could still choose freely where to sit or sleep while onboard the train.

 

How Much are the Tickets?

It actually depends where you want to go and in what cabin of the train would you want to stay but we paid a total of RM 201 for three tickets going from Johor Bahru to Tampin all of us in second class sleepers (Malacca) and KL Sentral to Butterworth seating in a second class seat (Penang). Visit http://ktmb.com.my to know how much you will be paying for your journey.

 

 

 

Stopovers

One of the best things about riding KTM’s trains is that you could take as many stopovers as you like.

 

• Johor Bahru to Tampin
  • Approximately 5 hours worth of travelling by train.
  • Take Tampin as your first stop as you could already ride a bus from here to go to Malacca. Take a day or two to tour around Malacca and its nearby places Ayer Keroh, A’Famosa Resort and Tanjung Kling and sleep in for a night before leaving town. Malacca has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so your visit here will surely be worthwhile. Visit the numerous museums within the town for you to know the beautiful history behind Malacca.

• Tampin to KL Sentral
  • Approximately 2 hours of travel either by train or bus. But since Tampin train station is still another 2-hr ride from Melaka Sentral, which is Malacca’s bus station, I would advise you to just ride a bus from Melaka Sentral going to Kuala Lumpur.
  • Stay a day or two in Kuala Lumpur to either do some shopping or visit some places that are located a little bit outside of the fashion and retail hubs of the city. I would recommend you to go out of your way to see the Batu Caves which is known for being one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India and be amazed with the limestones that make up the cave.

• KL Sentral to Butterworth
  • It would take you 7 hours of train ride before getting there.
  • Make Butterworth your third stop to visit the second UNESCO World Heritage Site of your journey, which is Georgetown located in Penang Island. Penang Island is accessible through a 15-minute ferry ride from Butterworth. Be enchanted by the numerous beautiful Peranakan houses and temples scattered around Georgetown. Check out the Blue mansion which is owned by the once powerful Nanyang industrialist Cheong Fat Tze and be charmed by the story behind the mansion where he housed his 7th and favorite wife.

 

This is just a suggestion for your next Malaysia getaway. You could still of course include a lot of other places that you would like add in your journey. Like what I have said, if you have time to spare, you could also extend your train ride to the next country, which is Thailand. Go to Phuket first, then Ko Samui and finish off your journey in Bangkok and be amazed, all over again, with all the things that Thailand has to offer.

 

 

Would you please ditch the plane ride now and book yourself a train ticket instead? Enjoy Malaysia in a different way and you will surely thank yourself for doing so.