It’s Saturday, Take A Walk…

Hello, guys!

Today, I would like to take you around Singapore National Parks. Usually, my Saturday mornings are spent taking a walk in nature parks and breathing in some fresh air. I am not a morning person, but this is one of the few things that breaks the daily routine.

Enjoy the photos!

Alexandra Arch

Southern Ridges – Forest Walk

Southern Ridges – Henderson Waves

Hort Park

Hort Park

Kent Ridge Park

Kent Ridge Park

MacRitchie Reservoir

MacRitchie Reservoir Park

Woodlands Park Connector

Upper Seletar Reservoir

Chek Jawa Wetlands, Pulau Ubin

Ketam Quarry, Pulau Ubin

From lunch in JB to an overnight adventure in KL

How was everyone’s weekend?

Ours was quite an adventure, at least compared to our normal weekends.

Monday is holiday in Singapore (and Malaysia) so 4 friends, hubby and I decided to go out to Johor Bahru for seafood lunch. Of course, lunch does not pass without capturing the food’s sumptuousness!

Lunch is at Bamboo Restaurant 

No. 1 Jalan Sutera Satu, Taman Sentosa, 80150, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Tel: +607-3313180

Taxi fare from City Square to Taman Sentosa: RM 12.00, approx. 10 minutes drive

Over lunch, we decided to take the trip further, so we went to Kuala Lumpur. 🙂

Kranji MRT to Larkin Bus Terminal (by SBS bus no. 170): S$ 1.39, approx. 40 mins. travel time, depending on time spent at Singapore and Malaysia immigration checkpoints. 

(No need to fill up white/embarkation cards at Malaysia checkpoint. They are substituted with stickers printed by the officer after scanning your passport. Thumbs up!) 😀

Larkin Bus Terminal, Johor Bahru to Bus Terminal Pudu Sentral, Kuala Lumpur: RM 50.00, approx. 5-6 hours travel time.

Kuala Lumpur (KL) is the capital of Malaysia, and it is known for the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world to-date.

Because this trip is unplanned, we do not have any hotel bookings. Did I mention that the holiday this Monday is Hari Raya Aidilfitri? Actually, it’s on Sunday that’s why the hotels and hostels are all full. We went in to every hotel/hostel in Chinatown, hoping that we can find a place to stay for the night. Luckily, we got 2 rooms at D’ Oriental Inn just a few seconds before one backpacker asked for vacant rooms.

Our bus schedule back to Singapore is at 2pm the next day. We finished brunch at 11:30am, so we have more time for wandering around. The boys and I went to Batu Caves. It’s a 20-minute train ride per way, just enough time to see the place and come back to catch our bus.

KTM train from Kuala Lumpur to Batu Caves: RM 1.00 per way

Yes, we went up! 😀

On our way back to Kuala Lumpur, the train stopped for 30 minutes. That means, the bus left without us. And that means, more time for more adventure! 😀

I have always wanted to ride the train from KL to Singapore, so we took the chance to do that this time. We booked for the 11pm train back to Singapore. It was exciting!

KTM Intercity train from KL to Singapore: RM 35.00 per way, approx. 7.5 hours travel time.

Upon reaching Singapore at 6:30am, we had to rush home and get ready for work.

We had fun and we’re definitely hoping for another adventure soon… 😀

Happy 47th, Singapura!

Today is Singapore’s 47th year of independence. In my 6 years of residence here, I have witnessed continuous developments with their infrastructures, making their country even more beautiful. Not to mention the sustained cleanliness and discipline for which Singapore is well-known for.

As I was watching the National Day Parade held The Float @ Marina Bay (I watched only on TV for better view of what’s happening ;)), I was amazed (as usual!) by how everyone is united and dedicated to their country. The NDP is a big annual event for all Singaporeans. Representatives from different sectors participate in dances and parades; the national defense team exhibit their skills and passion for protecting their country. There were jet planes and fireworks. As always, it was beautiful!

I wished that someday, my beloved country — the Philippines — can be like that, too. Not in terms of celebrating our Araw ng Kalayaan big time, but more of being better citizens of the country.

Earlier that day, my friends and I went for a 12km walk from Yew Tee (somewhere West of Singapore) to Mandai Road (Northern part, near Singapore Zoo), passing through nature parks and bike trails. This is one of the few signs you can see in their parks:

Have you been to Singapore? It’s one big, beautiful garden. 😀

With all the recent flooding in the Philippines caused by habagat, I pray that everyone back home is safe… and when the land dries up, may they reflect on what has happened and try to be more aware of the effects of not caring enough for Mother Nature. Like Singapore, may we, Filipinos, aspire to make our country a clean and beautiful garden… at least for the sake of our children.