When we started to plan our round the world trip, we were challenged with seeing as much as we could within the time we had. By the time we reached Singapore, having visited New York, Hawaii and Japan already, we only had one more flight scheduled, from Singapore to London. 

But with two weeks at our fingertips, I didn’t want to spend the entire time in Singapore. It didn’t take long for me to start looking at other options. The end result? A bus ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur! And another flight booked from Kuala Lumpur to Bali.

How to get from Singapore to Malaysia

It took me a while to find a good way to travel to Malaysia from Singapore. Online, there are very mixed reviews. Some people say it’s not worth taking the bus when you can fly there in an hour, others said it’s an experience. I decided to get a ticket from ‘Transtar Travel Pte Ltd’, which advertised as being a first class bus service between Singapore and Malaysia. The tickets cost $37.

The bus station is located in an Asian shopping centre, so you won’t find any cafes or shops. I am glad I checked this out before arriving, so we had the chance to pick up drinks and snacks. Unfortunately Marina Bay Sands, where we were staying, also doesn’t have the best selection for that kind of emergency (although you can read about the amazing attractions we did enjoy here), so our next stop was Starbucks.

Taking the bus to Kuala Lumpur

The ticket says to arrive 30 minutes before your departure and show your ticket. The counter was just a very small open stand. After presenting your ticket on your mobile phone, they simply give you a piece of paper with your seat number on in return.

The bus came on time – in fact, it was 20 minutes early! The staff did not check any tickets, they just helped with our suitcases and amazingly we departed 10 minutes ahead of schedule. I am not even sure if they checked whether everyone was on board, but I guess they have a system that works.

Our first stop was at the Singapore border line. We had to leave the bus with passports, present them to the border guard, get a stamp and wait for the bus on the other side.

The second stop, about 10 minutes later, was on the Malaysian border and it was a bit more complicated. We had to take all our luggage with us and go through checks more similar to those you’d find at an airport. Everything went very smoothly though. When I was reading the reviews before our trip, a lot of people said they found this stage annoying or complicated. I am not sure if I was lucky because it wasn’t busy, or if I am just used to travelling a lot, but I didn’t mind.

The whole trip took us about 5-6 hours. The seats were very comfortable, the staff very nice and we even got a meal of fish and rice. All in all, I’m glad we travelled from Singapore to Malaysia by bus. My view was limited to the highways, but I had a relaxing time catching up with my blog without a chaotic trip to the airport. Plus, by the time you’ve added up time spent at the airport, it probably wouldn’t have been much quicker.

Arriving at THE FACE SUITES in Kuala Lumpur

We got dropped off near a mall before jumping into a taxi to our next hotel, THE FACE SUITES. I found this hotel on Instagram – it has one of the prettiest pools in the city! There goes another infinity pool checked off our bucket list.

The view of famous Kuala Lumpur landmarks, like Petronas Tower and Menara KL Tower, was just incredible. I completely forgot that THE FACE SUITES were set up more like apartments than a traditional hotel. That meant I was even more surprised when I walked into a top floor, two-bedroom apartment with a stunning view! Even better, enjoying all that space in that location cost less than other well known hotels nearby.

Booking.com

Our suite was very modern and spacious. It included a kitchen, laundry machine and other great facilities. And despite having a kitchen, it also included free breakfast, once again with a view.

Speaking of that view, it only made us more excited to get out and explore Kuala Lumpur. Stay tuned for my next post to find out what to do in Kuala Lumpur when you only have three days.

Have you travelled to Kuala Lumpur? How did you get there?

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23 COMMENTS

  1. Nice just 5 hours and you reach a new country . I knew water travel was one option to explore but going by bus was not something I heard before. The pictures share it was an amazing trip.

  2. This was a refreshing read. I haven’t heard of too many stellar bus trip reviews before. Even though you were sequestered to the highway, I’m sure being able to focus on getting some work done was a welcome relief. That “in-flight” meal looks a lot better than I thought you would get. And it was so inexpensive! Awesome.

  3. Kuala Lumpur is one of the cities that I loved visiting. Our experience was the other way around – we took the bus ride from KL to Singapore. It was great to be able to do that – cross from one country to another with ease. This post made me miss my time in KL and I would definitely love to go back!

  4. I went to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore by plane, just because it was easier and quicker. It’s nice to read about the bus journey, I felt I was actually there! And that suite is gorgeous, it definitely is more like an apartment than hotel. I think I could stay there for a while!

  5. When we visited Kuala Lumpur, we toyed with the idea of traveling to Singapore. However, we soon realized that we didn’t have much time and plus, I had already visited on a previous trip. It’s great, however, that these countries are easy to travel to and from because they’re located on the same peninsula.

  6. This bus journey sounds like a great way to travel. And I can’t believe how cheap the ticket was! I was in Malaysia a couple of years ago and loved it. I didn’t get the chance to visit Singapore though – maybe next time…

  7. Wow, those are comfy looking bus seats. And you got a meal! We haven’t experienced either of those on bus trips BUT would still do them in a heartbeat. It sounds like it’s a really good way to get from from Singapore to Kuala Lumper.

  8. I actually did the opposite bus ride, from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, about 8 years ago when I was backpacker. I traveled this way mainly because I was on a budget. While the buses were better than some I experienced in Southeast Asia, they certainly did look as comfortable as the ones you had! I don’t remember getting a meal either. Getting off at the border was a little annoying, but I’m used to that kind of thing.

  9. The chairs on the book look so comfortable and modern! And it’s nice that there was even a meal included, especially that the price of the ticket wasn’t high at all. I visited Kuala Lumpur but unfortunately I didn’t have time to go to Singapore as well as I spent more time than planned in the islands, waiting for the rain to stop. Your hotel in KL looks gorgeous, that infinity pool is to die for! What a view!

  10. That bus chair looks so comfortable–and 5-6 hours isn’t bad at all! Throw in a meal and some views, and I agree, it’s definitely worth saving some money and taking the bus between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Your suite once you arrived looks great as well, and absolutely enormous by SEA standards!

  11. I’ve been to KL but not via bus – but it actually looks like quite a comfortable journey in those big comfy seats! And I’ve never been on a bus that served a meal before – what great service! KL is an awesome place, I’ve only had a couple of days there but would love to go back and properly explore all the sites. Your accommodation looks beautiful!

  12. Seems like travelling by bus can be awesome. I usually rent a car where ever I go, but now I’m looking more into using other methods of transportation in my travels and I would surely give this a try when traveling southeast asia. And that hotel looks very nice, especially with the view it offers of the Petronas Tower. I like how you found it on Instagram and it lived up to the expectations! Sometimes I look at social media and wonder whats actually genuine and what’s not so I’m glad to read on your incredible experience.

  13. Seems like a good experience. It looks clean and the sit is spacious. And I agree with you, the amount of time spent in a bus ride wasn’t that much different compare to fly. Sometimes we need time to relax in a different way. I’ve been to KL once and I flew from Jakarta.

  14. A bus ride is a good alternative way to travel. Yes, it is cost-effective, another benefit is it’s smaller carbon footprint compared to flying.

    The perspective you get is different to all other styles of travel. It’s a shame it was mostly highways, but then again, life experience can be gained from all views and vistas.

    Your suite looked great and a good location for sightseeing. That pool, wow, oh wow.

    Thanks for sharing. Keep travel blogging. Adventure is better shared with friends!

  15. Sometimes taking a bus or train can be a much more relaxing and fulfilling experience to jumping on a flight. Airports can be a stressful experience (sometimes just the energy of other passengers even if you’re calm!) and you may lose out on experiencing the countryside that’s only available if you drive/bus/train.

  16. Great post! I was thinking of hitting KL this year and was wondering what option I had for hitting Singapore. $37 seems really reasonable and that bus looked pretty good for what you get for the price. And that view from the pool at the hotel is amazing!

  17. OMG… This tour is all about Bus, Which start to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore. This is really amazing that Adrianna you made this tour by Bus & share your experience with us. This is such a great post!

  18. Many years ago (when I was in high school), my family and I took a trip to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia – it was our first trip abroad. Your post reminded me of our first time there – and it’s amazing to see how things have changed! At that time, we actually took an overnight train from Singapore to KL! Btw the bus looks very comfortable! Faces suites looks good and I tend to prefer accommodations that also provide breakfast. Good to have this information on hand for whenever we end up deciding to return that side!

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