This post is about our bus trip from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Singapore. How to book your tickets and what you can expect during the trip are explained. The journey was long, but it was worth it.
Kuala Lumpur-Singapore - Travel options (and why you should take the bus)
When we originally planned our trip in Southeast Asia (which was part of our Around the World trip in 13 months we thought that we could take the train from Kuala Lumpur directly to Singapore. We were mistaken. We were wrong. After some research closer to the date of our trip, we discovered that the train from Kuala Lumpur now also consists of two trains and a bus. When we tried to purchase tickets in Kuala Lumpur, we discovered that the journey would take 8-9 hours and you'd arrive at Singapore after midnight due to the time required to cross the border. Kuala Lumpur is also a good place to fly from. Many low-cost airlines offer this flight, which takes about an hour. We prefer to travel by land when the distance is manageable. We took the bus to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur.
How to purchase your Kuala Lumpur-Singapore bus ticket
There were many choices! There are also horror stories about bus drivers abandoning passengers at the Singaporean border because they were taking too long. After much research, we chose Grassland. We chose them mainly because they were close to where we stayed and had good reviews. The bus station is located a little outside of the city center, so a taxi would have been necessary. We used redBus. We recommend, but you should be aware that they automatically include insurance with these bus tickets. It cost us a few bucks because we didn't realize it. We paid 67 SGD for our two tickets ($47.50).
What to expect during your Kuala Lumpur-Singapore bus trip
Prepare for the event
Checking in, using the toilet, and buying bread were three very important steps to prepare for our bus journey. You must check-in at an office that is hard to find (it's hidden behind a 7/11 in Jalan Imbi), 30 minutes before your bus leaves. It is advised that you go to the toilet before the bus leaves. There are no bathroom stops along the way (but there were, of course). You're also told that you can only bring bread on the bus.
The bus itself
Someone had fun choosing the upholstery. The seats were large and comfortable. Sarah enjoyed the entertainment system, which was just a collection of mp4s. The Hobbit . We settled down and got comfortable for the long ride. The bus stopped for bathroom breaks no later than 10 minutes after we left. Seriously. The bus had stopped in the middle of the city. The bus stopped for another longer break to use the bathroom and eat food after three hours. On the highway, we entered a food court/hawker center. The bathrooms, while unpleasant, were necessary. We were able to spend our last Malaysian dollars on snacks.
Leave Malaysia
It was chaotic and unorganized. We were told to get off the bus when it stopped. We were through customs in less than a second and had to then find our bus amid a sea of similar-looking buses. It worked because we followed people who appeared familiar.
Singapore Immigration
It took longer than anticipated because the bus took so long to get to the border center. For about an hour, we were in a long line of buses that moved slowly. The entry process itself was well organized and quick, as was the finding of the bus at the other end (there was an electronic screen with numbers). Also, there are bathrooms!
Arriving in Singapore
It didn't take long to get from the border into the city. It was dark and we got a nice view of the Gardens by the Bay SuperTrees all lit up. The bus we took dropped us off at the Golden Mile Complex, which is in the city center. We chose a bus that would drop off here instead of in a suburb where many buses (and the train) drop off. We could have taken a subway to our hotel, but after our seven hour journey we just grabbed a taxi.
Gawdy bus trip tips
What we learned from our trip from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
- Select your bus according to the pick-up and drop-off locations in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore
- When booking your tickets online, beware of automatically added travel insurance
- Prepare yourself for a journey that is longer than listed, mainly due to the unknown length of Singapore immigration
- The bus may not have a toilet but it will stop at a restroom.
- Take reviews of bus companies with a grain or salt. Every experience is different.
