Alright, here's a little sharing about the SG-KL-SG trip for other travelers who'd like to do the same. When I was Googling about how to do this trip, I only found general trips like what buses are available, what sights to see. So I thought I'd share how it went for me.
At first, I was a bit hesitant about going because I was will be on my own, but in the end I just decided I had to do it and so I pushed through with the trip. Besides, back in my Pahinungod days, I would go to places where the language is different and I wouldn't have a clue about the locality but I'd still go home in one piece. I said to myself that KL is just the same except that one needed to have a passport. Haha! Anyway...
There are buses from Singapore that go to KL. Fare price varies. The one I got was First Coach, which had a round trip fare of S$55, which for me is already quite affordable. There's another one, Aeroline, which costs around RM110 for one way. I'm not sure what you get with that, but with First Coach, you get reclining seats, one free bottled water and a small snack. There are only three seats per row, which gives everyone enough personal space. Some seats have a power socket so you can charge your phone or camera battery or use your laptop, perhaps, on the road. That was already a good deal for me.
The terminal in SG is in Novena Square, while the terminal in KL is in Bangsar. Both locations were ideal because they were right next to an MRT station. In Bangsar, there's a nearby Maybank where you can have your money exchanged. From Bangsar, one can take an MRT to KL Sentral. I took awhile trying to study the train system. It's a bit confusing, especially if you've been so used to the MRT system in Singapore. I got a stored value ticket for RM10. It was good enough until I left for SG the following day.
From KL Sentral, I took an MRT to Masjid Jamek, where Merdeka Square was. A little more walking took me to the Royal Selangor Club and further walking brought me to Masjid India. Then I took the train back to the KL Sentral where I switched trains to visit the Old Railway Station. Aside from seeing the old train station, right behind it was the KTM Berhad, headquarters of the KTM system. Right next to it was the National Mosque. There's a sign that shows the way to the Butterfly Park and parks but I decided to skip it. I took the train back to KL Sentral and took the line that brought me to KLCC where Petronas was.
The landmarks I decided to visit are nearby train stations. Because I would be in KL for less than 24 hours, there was no point wasting time getting lost because I got on a wrong bus or because a cab driver was giving me an unnecessary long ride.
Anyway, since it was already late afternoon, I knew I wouldn't be able to get a ticket to the Skybridge. So what was left to do was take photos of the great twin structures. Tickets to the Skybridge were distributed as early as 8AM, so that's what I did the following day. The Skybridge Visit center is one level below the ground floor of the Petronas main lobby. When I got there, many visitors were already in line. The tickets were distributed by 830. Only 20 persons per group, and each group is given only 10 minutes at the Skybridge. Personally, I didn't find anything spectacular while I was up there. I went there for the photo op and that was it. What was really to be admired is the architecture, which obviously could only be seen from the outside. If the towers were beautiful in daytime, they are even more fantastic at night. I just didn't get to take a photo of the twin towers but I will always remember how the structures glowed in the dark of the night.
After the Petronas Skybridge visit, I went to the nearby KLCC Aquaria. For RM38, you get to see KL's own version of Manila Ocean Park. I thought it was a huge place, but I finished it in a little over an hour. So for the price I paid, I guess it was already good. I particularly enjoyed the underwater tunnel. The rest of the time was spent walking around KLCC Suria, KL's premiere shopping center. There's a little bit of everything for everyone - Chanel to CK, Louis Vuitton to Philosophy. I also went to the Petronas Art Gallery where portraits taken by a local artist were on display. There is a food court that offers a wide range of cuisine for a reasonable price.
My bus going back to SG was scheduled to leave at 230PM, and with nothing more to do plus I wanted to avoid the humid weather, I headed for the First Coach bus terminal in Bangsar. It was a nice terminal because there was a waiting lounge with AC, clean restrooms, free Internet, free power sockets, and free drinks choice of coffee, tea or hot choco. This time, I bough the headsets for just RM5 and I got a solo seat. So on the way back to SG, I watched The Holiday and The Devil Wears Prada.
My total budget for the entire trip was US$50. Not bad I think. I got some small magnets and postcards as souvenirs. And I even kept about RM20 as an additional souvenir.
The highlight of the trip, aside from the Petronas visit, was the dinner with couchsurfers. My host was CK, and we had dinner at Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang with other couchsurfers Sabiqa, Joey and Jon. When you're traveling alone in a city, it's great to know that you can have some friends thanks to couchsurfing. Two other couchsurfers - Leeping and Alex - were also planning to meet up with me but it didn't push through because both were busy with work.
I am really grateful to CK for letting me stay at his nice place for the night. It was my first couchsurfing experience, and I'm really glad that I got to stay with a very wonderful host. To show my gratitude, I gave him a keychain from Team Manila and a Couchsurfing Philippines shirt, which I think he both liked.
Thank you very much, CK and KL CS, for making my KL trip super memorable.
