Shervin and I woke up almost three hours before our 7:00 AM Bali-Java bus ride. We packed our bags, checked out of Bali Duta Wisata, and walked to the main road for a cab. A driver agreed with our 60,000 Rp offer. Since we got a cab straight away, we were at the Denpasar bus station earlier than expected.
Air-conditioned bus from Bali to Bandung cost 325,000 Rp with two meals included because it’s a 24-hour trip. We expected to be in Bandung by 7:00 AM the next day, which shall give us a 2-hour rest period before we check-in for our AirAsia flight to Singapore. But then the time frame they gave us didn’t include stopovers, plus the ferry crossing from Bali to Java which took so long (the waiting time, that is).
Instead of a 24-hour trip, it turned out to be a 29-hour one! We were so worried we won’t make it to the flight. We were so fidgety on board and kept looking at the time. I told Shervin, if the plane leaves us, at least we’ll have time to go to Sumatra.
We asked the driver how far the airport is and how long it will still take to the station. The driver did not understand our question and thank goodness the only other passenger left on the bus is a guy who could speak English. He advised us that we might make it if we get off soon and take a cab. At an intersection, when our bus stopped for a red light, the other passenger got down and hailed a cab for us. They were so helpful!
We made it to the flight and even had thirty minutes to eat a snack and relax at the boarding gate’s coffee shop. When we arrived in Singapore, we headed straight to the airport’s Visitors Centre. We asked for a map, Skytrain information, and recommendations for cheap hostels. There was no available Couchsurfing host in Singapore, and Shervin’s friends couldn’t accommodate us either. So right after a light lunch at a restaurant in Changi Airport (we couldn’t afford a heavy hearty meal), we decided to go straight to Kuala Lumpur.
We took the Skytrain to the bus terminal for Malaysia-bound buses and booked the cheapest, soonest one. The gruelling trip ain’t over yet. And getting to Kuala Lumpur in seven hours would mean we have been to three countries in one day!
[This blog is part of the South East Asia in Six Weeks series which took place May-June 2009. Price of goods, transportation and so forth may already be different.]
wow… its like having a private bus 🙂 hehehe
Haha! Yeah Flip. That was so awesome! Except medyo moody si driver.
Air Asia’s Nasi Lemak is the bomb! I can’t believe it’s airline food (well, I can, but it’s surprisingly good!)
Yesss Nina! So tasty! Whenever I book now, I check the menu and order ahead for the discount. Hihi!
Hi! I’m planning a trip to Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia for March 2011 travel. Do you have any tips on how I should plan the trip? Should I just book through a travel agent? Or is it feasible to plan the trip by myself. Do you have any tips on what I should do? Your help shall be greatly appreciated!!Thank you!
-Mia G
Hi Mia! Booking through a travel agent may give you less worries, but it is more expensive. You can definitely plan the trip yourself, research is important. Carefully plan your itinerary ahead, considering the time allocated and your budget.
I could definitely give you more tips, but I need specific details like… How long will your trip be? Which tourist destinations you wanna go to? Etc.
I’ve been to Singapore once but I am dying to go again. Especially now that I have read this blog. Checking out cheap flights to Singapore since I want to save as much cash as I can for shopping. hehe. Any ideas on cheap hotels as I already know that Seair has pretty decent priced tickets.