Eat, Pray, Shop: Malaysia

I know the blog's been quiet for a while so here's some new content for you. :)

There was another seat sale earlier this year...and you know what happened next, right? ;) I was able to book round trip tickets to Malaysia for August for only Php3,400 (about USD81). 

On another note, I landed a new job last May so I was still uncertain if a week's worth vacation leave would be possible. Well, I guess I had lady luck on my side when I filed for the VL last July and it immediately got approved. :D



So, with just a little over a month to plan for this trip, I feel like this is my most haphazardly done itinerary ever. Anyway, the plan was really simple as it just revolved around three activities as the title says: to eat, pray, and shop! 

The itinerary below is the actual route we took and different from the first draft I did. 

Philippine travel tax
Php1,620.00
Terminal fee Php550.00
PHP
RM
DAY 0 - August 20, 2012 (Monday) Kuala Lumpur
Arrival in KL LCCT
Aerobus to KL Sentral Php112.00 RM8.00
Taxi to Berjaya Times Square (Classic Inn) Php136.50 RM9.75
Check-in at Classic Inn (2 nights) Php1,827.84 RM130.56
DAY 1 - August 20, 2012 (Monday) Kuala Lumpur
Hotel breakfast
Imbi Monorail [MR5] to KL Sentral [MR1] Php22.40 RM1.60
KTM to and from KL Sentral and Batu Caves  Php42.00 RM3.00
KL Sentral [KJ15] to KLCC [KJ10] Php22.40 RM1.60
Lunch at KLCC Php147.00 RM10.50
Petronas Twin Towers, Beryl's Choco Kingdom
Taxi to Berjaya Times Square (Classic Inn) Php119.00 RM8.50
Dinner Php140.70 RM10.05
DAY 2 - August 21, 2012 (Tuesday) KL to Penang
Hotel breakfast
Taxi from Berjaya to Puduraya Bus Terminal Php98.00 RM7.00
Bus to Butterworth Php485.10 RM34.65
Ferry to Georgetown Php16.80 RM1.20
Taxi to Hutton Lodge Php84.00 RM6.00
Check in at Hutton Lodge Php700.00 RM50.00
Late lunch/early dinner Php98.00 RM7.00
Bus to and from Toy Museum* Php63.00 RM4.50
DAY 3 - August 22, 2012 (Wednesday) Penang to Melaka
Brunch Php133.00 RM9.50
Penang Peranakan Mansion Php140.00 RM10.00
Bus to Penang Hill/Kek Lok Si Temple Php42.00 RM3.00
Inclined lift to Statue of Kuan Yin at Kek Lok Si Php56.00 RM4.00
Bus to Penang Road Php28.00 RM2.00
Dinner Php93.80 RM6.70
Bus to Melaka (with taxi pickup from Hutton Lodge) Php658.00 RM47.00
DAY 4 - August 23, 2012 (Thursday) Melaka
Breakfast Php112.00 RM8.00
Taxi from Melaka Sentral Bus Station to guesthouse Php168.00 RM12.00
Check-in at Oriental Riverside Residence Guesthouse Php488.04 RM34.86
Lunch at Jonker Street Php147.00 RM10.50
Christ Church, Stadthuys, St. Paul Ruins

Trishaw to Maritime Museum / Melaka River Cruise Php140.00 RM10.00
Melaka River Cruise Php210.00 RM15.00
Dinner Php194.60 RM13.90
DAY 5 - August 24, 2012 (Friday) Melaka to Singapore
Taxi to Melaka Sentral Bus Station Php105.00 RM7.50
PHP
SGD
DAY 5 - August 24, 2012 (Friday) Singapore
Bus from Melaka to Bugis (Singapore) Php330.00 SGD 10.00
Taxi from Bugis to Sengkang Php198.00 SGD 6.00
MRT: Sengkang to Orchard Php69.30 SGD 2.10
Lunch*
MRT: Bugis to Sengkang Php69.30 SGD 2.10
DAY 6 - August 25, 2012 (Saturday) Singapore
MRT: Bedok to Orchard Php62.70 SGD 1.90
Lunch Php280.50 SGD 8.50
MRT: Orchard to Sengkang Php69.30 SGD 2.10
Taxi to Changi Budget Terminal Php231.00 SGD 7.00
Changi Budget Terminal to LCCT via Tiger Airways with 15kg baggage Php2,475.00 SGD 75.00
DAY 6 - August 25, 2012 (Saturday) Singapore to Malaysia
Inflight snacks Php99.00 SGD 3.00
Dinner at LCCT Php126.00 RM9.00
DAY 7 - August 26, 2012 (Sunday) Arrival in Manila
TOTAL
Php13,010.28

*Cost of accommodation and taxi ride is per head based on two persons splitting the expenses.

Some notes on how we were able to keep the cost down (well, obviously I didn't include the cost for shopping but that's another story):

  • We didn't visit any amusement/theme parks for two reasons:
    • My friend and I are not big fans of amusement rides, and
    • We skipped Universal Studios Singapore because we're both coming back (on separate occasions) with our respective families.
  • In relation to the first bullet point, most of the attractions we went to has minimal entrance fee; if not free of charge.
  • Food and public transportation in Malaysia is very cheap. Could have brought the cost down further if not for the taxi rides to and from bus terminals, and the plane fare (with baggage allowance. Ouch!) from Singapore back to KL (just because we ended up adding kilos of stuff per destination!)
  • When in Penang, take advantage of the free CAT (Central Area Transit) bus - which we should have taken from the port to our accommodation instead of the taxi.
  • We stayed at my friend's cousin's flat in Singapore so accommodation is free. We also met up with my uncle on our first day that's why our late lunch was also free.

***

By the way, I got rashes on my arms and legs two days before my flight! Turns out I had Roseola or 'baby measles' (more commonly known in Filipino as tigdas-hangin).  I was really worried that I might not be able to fly out of the country, and the tickets and reservations would all go to waste but here I am blogging about it - the power of the law of attraction. ;)


K

Up next: guesthouse reviews

Comments

  1. wow.. nice post =) will visit sg-malaysia on jan. super mura ng nagastos mo!!! ang galing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Will return to Singapore in December so hopefully, may updated iti and budget na naman ako hehe


    Yes, super mura! (wag lang isasama yung mga pinamili) hahaha

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  3. Well done on budgeting. A week of travel for only 13T - panalo ka! Law of Attraction really works no? Keep it up :)

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  4. Yes, it really works!


    I think mas mura pa rin yung Indochina ko; 15k-16k (including souvenirs/pasalubong) for 9 days, 3 countries hehe

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  5. oh good!!! im looking forward sa it mo =)

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  6. except for the penang leg, we almost have the same itinerary. the difference is we will be travelling the other way around. from SG to Melaka to KL to Manila. Your itinerary and costing will surely help us in budgeting for our trip. thank you

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  7. Nice :)


    Good to know my iti somehow helps. By the way, it's best if you'll be in Melaka during the weekend (starting Friday night). The owner of our guesthouse says they close the whole Jonker Street for the night market. :) Too bad we left for Singapore Friday morning :(

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  8. we will also be staying at the guesthouse where you stayed and yes, we will be there sunday morning :)

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  9. Amazing how you guys were able to keep account of everything! I used to do so but got tired of it :(

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  10. I don't think I'd be able to keep track of the expenses if I travel as extensively as you do hehe

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  11. you could have lower down your expenses if you're able to avail the go KL buses that plying within the central business district of KL like KLCC, Bukit Bintang area, it's FREEE :)

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  12. Really? Di kasi ako masyadong nag-research sa KL because we were there for just a day. :) Okay lang, di pa rin naman ganun kalaki ang nagastos namin hehe

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  13. Yeah, the transpo and food here in KL is really cheap, cost of living same satin. That's why we consider it as our second home :)

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  14. bonga sa pagbudget. now I know what to do.. next time na magtravel ako.. titingnan ko nalang to.. and sure problem solved na haha..

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  15. korek! forte ko talaga yan teh eh hahaha

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  16. yup :) traveling doesn't have to be expensive.

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  17. Kat, may question ulit ako, hehehe. Kasi mag Malaysia - Singapore kami sa January, 4D-3N, keri na kaya yung 13K? 2N sa Malaysia, 1N sa Singapore?

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  18. If hindi naman mahal yung hotel niyo and hindi kasama ang shopping, tingin ko kasyang-kasya yan. :) Yung costing ko nga sa taas may kasama pang plane ticket from SG-KL eh :D

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  19. sige, babayaran ko na lang siguro ung hotel in advance para menos sa gastos. hehehe salamat :D

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