#EATinSEA : A Gastronomic Journey in Southeast Asia

So, here I am at Davao International Airport on my way to Singapore for another adventure in some parts of Southeast Asia. This time, I am going to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, and Miri in Malaysia, Pontianak in Indonesia and Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei.

I am very excited as this will be my first time to explore Indonesia and Brunei. I am looking forward to visiting its local attractions and even more excited to have a taste of their local cuisines. To me food is happiness so I am drooling now as I write this post. I can't stop thinking of Laksa, Char Koay Teow, Nasi Lemak, and Chicken Rice. The first thing I am going to do when I arrive in Singapore is eat. There's no wasting time. 

Let's #EATinSEA! Can't wait to have an authentic chicken rice, laksa, char koay teow, nasi lemak and more! #escapemanila #yoursingapore #CEBTravels
Posted by Glen Santillan on Saturday, July 9, 2016

This trip is more about food than destinations so follow my journey on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #EATinSEA and #EscapeManila. <3

10 Travel Tips for A Cheap Getaway in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is one of the emerging tourist destinations in the world. It has become a part of most travelers' itinerary in their journey around the world.. From pristine beaches, pagodas, mountains, UNESCO Heritage sites and delicious cuisines, the region has got it all for you.

Traveling across Southeast Asia does not need to be expensive. With careful planning, you can travel around the region cheaply and conveniently. Here are some tips and guidelines for a Cheap Getaway in Southeast Asia.

Plan ahead of time

It is important to plan your vacation at least three to six months before your actual travel. Airline ticket prices are lower when it's far from the travel dates. The closer the date when you book a flight, the more expensive the fare is. The same situation for some accommodations. Some hotels and hostels offer promo rates when you book in advance like GoHotels in the Philippines and Tune Hotels and Red Planet Hotels across Southeast Asia.

Set A Budget

You must set a budget like an estimated amount you can spend for the duration of your trip. I suggest you travel within your means. Meaning, don't go beyond what you can afford. Make sure you include at least 20% buffer in your budget to cover unforeseen expenses.

Draft an itinerary

You have to make a rough itinerary and polish it later on. You have to know when and where you want to go and how many days you will be staying in one place. It's good if you start your travel in a regional hub so you have lots of options to fly across the region. Start your journey in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok. I suggest you use an excel sheet or a google sheet so you can update it anytime. 

Check for Flights at third party websites

If you are not certain where to go next or if you are looking for cheap fares, you can try Skypicker or Adioso. These booking sites let you search for flights for a specific destination or search by radius. This way, you can see which destination has a cheaper fare from where you'll be flying out. I once book my Yangon-Bangkok flight with Skypicker and saved around $10 compared to the airline website's booking system. So, before you book always try the next tip. It's also worth trying Skyscanner, Wego and Expedia. 

Compare prices of flights from third party sites and airline websites

Once you checked the fares at third party websites, go to the airline's website and check their rates. Most of the times, booking directly through the airline's website is much cheaper. Of course, as I mentioned above, sometimes you get lucky too, booking at third party websites. 

Consider flying with the Region's low-cost Carriers (LCC)

There are a number of Low Cost Carriers operating in Southeast Asia and beyond. You have AirAsia in Malaysia; Thai AirAsia and Nok Air in Thailand; Jetstar Asia, Scoot and Tiger Air in Singapore; Indonesia AirAsia and Lion Air in Indonesia; JetStar Asia and VietJetAir in Vietnam; and Philippines Air Asia and Cebu Pacific in the Philippines. These budget airlines often have promo fares so watch out for it regularly. Subscribe to their newsletter or follow their Facebook pages for updates.

Consider traveling by train or bus

If flights are expensive, consider traveling by bus or train. Actually it could save your accommodation cost of you travel an overnight bus or train to your next destination. It can also be fun traveling overland. I once tried traveling by train from Penang to Bangkok for almost 24 hours and I had so much fun. Also tried an overnight bus from Yangon to Bagan in Myanmar and the experience was delightful. Tourist buses are very comfortable.

Checkout Regional Passes

Airasia has ASEAN Pass and Bangkok Airways and Lao Airlines offer Discovery Airpass to explore the region. Check them out and study if you can save on flight costs. These passes do not cover taxes and other fees so you have to be careful. I know some folks who were able to save a lot by using these passes. 

Check for Accommodation

Once you booked your flights or you polished your itinerary, consider booking your accommodation. Booking sites such as Expedia, Wego, Agoda and HostelBookers are great websites to begin your search. Do not book right away, compare prices. Most of the time, Agoda has cheaper rates but from time to time Expedia offers promotions exclusive to its members. I once saved around $20 after booking from Expedia. As mentioned above, try GoHotels, Red Planet Hotels and Tune Hotels as they offer really cheap rates when you book in advance.

Get A Travel Insurance

There are a lot of companies offering travel insurance. You don't know what's going to happen so make sure you spend a portion of your budget to purchase a travel insurance. I suggest you get an insurance from World Nomads. It's easy and it's affordable.

How To Go To Johor Bahru From Singapore

Planning a short cross country getaway when in Singapore? Johor Bahru (JB) is the easiest place to visit when it comes to crossing border from Singapore. Not to mention, it is home to the famous Legoland Malaysia Resort.

Larkin Bus Station

The cheapest way to go to Johor Bahru from Singapore is by bus. Most people would commence their trip at Queens Street, Bugis. Here are the options you can take and some considerations when crossing the border from Singapore to JB.

There are three bus companies that operate in Queens Street Terminal going to JB: Causeway Link, SBS Transit 170 and Singapore-Johor Express.

SBS Transit 170

Fare: SGD1.93 (With EZ-Link card); SGD2.50 (Cash)

Estimated Travel Time: Around 1.5 hours depending on the traffic situation

First trip at 5:20AM and Last Trip at 12:30AM

This is the most familiar bus company among the three. The good thing about taking this bus is the cheap fare especially if you have an EZ-link card plus it's operated by Singapore-based drivers. 

Disdvantages

Although the fare is cheaper compared to the other two buses, SBS Transit 170 stops at every bus stop in Singapore to pick up and drop-off passengers. The queue hopping back on the bus after clearing the Singapore Immigration can be too long at times.

Causeway Link

Fare SGD3.30

First trip at 4:30AM and Last Trip at 11:00PM

This may not be the most popular choice because it is relatively expensive compared to the two bus companies but surely it is somehow the most recommended since they have frequent trips to JB. There are also less passengers in the queue when you hop in after clearing the Singapore Immigration. They also accpet payment using EZlink aside from cash.

Disavantage? I think it's the price if you're really on a tight budget.

Singapore-Johor Express (SJE)

Fare SGD2.40

First trip at 6:30AM and Last Trip at 11:30PM

SJE goes straight to Larkin Bus Terminal in JB. So, if you have an onward bus journey to KL, Melaka or any other city in Malaysia, this is your best option.They have the most number of buses that goes to Larkin so it will be easier for you to hop in the bus after clearing the Singapore Immigration.

If you plan of going to JB Sentral, I suggest you take the Causeway Link or SBS. Their bus trips from Woodlands to JB is not so frequent.

Arriving at Woodlands Checkpoint

Just sit back and relax or take a nap while in the bus. At the checkpoint make sure you bring your stuff with you as you'll be taking a different bus after clearing the immigration.

Make sure you keep your bus ticket with you as it will be inspected once you hop in to another bus. Queue to the proper line. There are clear signage so you will be guided which area to queue in.

Show your ticket to the driver/conductor and hello Malaysia!

Traveling during rush hours? 

Traffic situation during rush hours has gone worse from bad. Fortunately, a new train service from Woodlands Checkpoint to JB and vice-versa has been launched. It costs RM5 (S$1.79) from JB and S$5 from Woodlands. The departure times from Woodlands station are 6.30am, 8am, 9.30am, 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm and 11pm. From JB Sentral, the trains leave at 5.30am, 7am, 8.30am, 4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm and 10pm. This is really a good option if you are in a hurry. Five minutes travel time compared to around 45 minutes by bus.

A Little Bit of Singapore

I have visited Singapore a few times already but I always keep coming back. You'll never run out of food to try in the city as it's a melting pot of different cultures in Asia. When I learned about Cebu Pacific's direct flight from Davao to Singapore, I got really excited. Unfortunately, I was not able to avail of their promo last year so I thought I won't be able to see the place again anytime soon. One day, I browsed Cebu Pacific's website and found a really cheap fare at only Php2,700 for a one-way ticket. I immediately booked a one-way seat and waited for a few days to book for the return ticket hoping that the fare would go down. It didn't and it even started to go up, so I booked my Singapore - Davao ticket for almost double the price which still isn't bad. After about three weeks I found myself eating my favorite chicken rice in Singapore.

Departure

It's my first time to depart from Davao International Airport for an international flight so I was quite naive of the process. It was in 2011 when I last departed for an international flight and it was in Manila. I was also skeptical of the Immigration process since I have a new passport and I lost my old passport with the stamps of the countries I visited years ago.

After checking in, I had to pay the travel tax of Php1,720 and went back to the check in counter to get my boarding pass. I learned that you can also pay your travel tax by showing your ticket before checking in so you won't have to go back and forth.

I then paid the Php750 terminal fee. So in short, before a Filipino can leave the country, one has to pay over Php2,000.

Singapore Circa 2011

At the immigration counter,  I was a little nervous. I don't want to get offloaded since I already booked my onward flights and hotel accommodation. It would be a disaster if I won't be able to fly. The immigration officer asked me a number of questions and I told her I am a travel blogger and that I write travel stories. She asked about my itinerary and my blog url. I gave her my card and she allowed me to leave. That was a relief! Hahaha

Arriving in Singapore

The plane departed on time so in a little over 3 hours, I finally arrived in Singapore after almost five years. We arrived in Terminal 2 and after clearing the immigration, I immediately looked for an ATM to withdraw some Singapore Dollar (SGD). I used my UnionBank EON card and took some cash without any hassle. I checked my account later on and the bank charge was only Php142.00. The conversion rate wasn't bad either. We took the Airport train from Terminal 2 to our hotel for less than SGD3.

Hotel Booking

We already booked a hotel ahead of time through Expedia. We stayed at The Noble Hotel which is in Little India. We did not research on how to get there so we got lost. We were already starving so when we see a food stall we immediately sat and order some Indian food. We continued walking hoping that we'll find our hotel and then we gave up and ended up taking a cab. Good thing, the driver knew where the hotel is. We checked in, freshen a bit and went out to eat again. This time we tried Singapore's famous chicken rice at a nearby hawker near our hotel. After satisfying our cravings, we went back to the hotel, work a bit and hit the sack.

Exploring A Little Bit of the City

We decided to work in the morning so we only went out for an hour to have some brunch at a nearby hawker. This time we ate pork ribs and pork rice. We continued working and decided to go out at 3PM to explore a little bit of the city.

We decided to have a little walking tour around Little India and saw a number of Hindu Temples. They're very interesting and they're just a walking distance from the hotel.

We took the MRT and was supposed to go to the National University of Singapore but unfortunately it started raining so we had to cancel. Instead we head to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to visit the Gardens By The Bay. To our dismay, it was also closed because of heavy rains. What a bummer!

NUS Circa 2009

We've decided to  go back to MBS Shopping Center to explore a little bit and eat. After all, this recent trip is more about eating rather than exploring. Hahaha

The rain has finally subside, so, we went to the MBS viewing area to witness the light show at the Gardens By The Bay, it was good but since I did not bring a DSLR with me, I was not able to capture great photos. Good thing though, I was able to enjoy the show.

After MBS, we head to Singapore's Chinatown. It's still vibrant and it used to be my favorite hangout place when I stayed in the city for a month. I loved it, I still do. Cheap bargains and sumptuous food will never fail you.

We know that there are a lot more to see and experience in Singapore but our main purpose really was to eat and explore a little bit. Goal, achieved!

My short trip to the Lion city has resulted in me wanting to live in one of the Singapore condos. But I'm not sure that it's the right time for me to move, maybe in the future.

Here's a short video of our short visit to Singapore. Next stop, Melaka, Malaysia!