9 Nov morning- Real strong urge to get away and be alone by myself and refresh my mind.. with the tight budget and time, backpacking came into my mind... no time to research much.. no time to plan exact.. But this time round, I'm ready to just leave tonight or the next morning and set out on an unknown adventure.
10-Nov morning (Saturday) - Left home with my backpack and passport.. Took a MRT from Ang Mo Kio
-Kranji MRT -bus 170 - Woodlands Checkpoint-Malaysia JB checkpoint-Larkin Bus Terminal -Scout around for bus with suitable timing to Malacca.-Coach bus to Malacca Central-Taxi to Jonker Street
Total journey took me around 6 hours.
When I was at Woodlands checkpoint, my destination was Malacca, but I was not sure if I could get any bus tickets for it since I did not make prior reservations.
Managed to get bus tickets for a bus departing 20mins later and at 19ringgit.
The taxi rides in Malacca are quoted flat rate based on area despite the arrival sign that warns you to travel by metered fare. The taxi fare from Malacca Central-> Jonker Street is a whopping 20Ringgit! that's crazy and double of what I was willing to pay for! But oh well, the locals kindda dominated the rates there and it seemed impossible to find a taxi that runs by the taximeter.
Jonker Street is a short 5mins drive away and Screams "Here you are!" with the loud in your face greeting by the Chinese Dragon!
Jonker Street can also be known as Jonker Walk is the Chinatown of Malacca.
It is also part of the Heritage Centre area where the presence of History is strong in this area. *supposedly
okay~ so here I am, kindda excited with the vibe of this place called Jonker Walk. It carries a different vibe from the usual Chinatowns around the world because of it's mixed heritage.. Malay, Chinese and Peranakan.
Famous food items:
Nonya food! - Assam Laksa etc.****
- Beh Teh Sor/Tau Sar Piah
- Portuguese Egg Tarts
- Gula Melaka Chendol
- Coffee
- San Shu Gong Snacks
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Information about traveling from Singapore to Jonker Street in a nutshell:
Direct Coach from Singapore to Malacca - $40~45 (weekend)
Indirect : Kranji MRT to Larkin to Malacca to Jonker Street- $1.70+19 Ringgit+Taxi 20Ringgit/bus 1Ringgit
Food costs:
Assam Laksa, Prawn Noodles - 5 Ringgit~6 Ringgit
Chicken Rice Ball -around 7Ringgit i think.. chicken rice and coconut juice cost me total 11.60Ringgit
Nonya Kueh - 70cents Ringgit/piece
Bubble Tea - around 5.80 Ringgit
Lok Lok- 2Ringgit~6Ringgit/stick
Coffee- 5.80Ringgit
Western- 12Ringgit~34Ringgit
Night Market street food- 1Ringgit~3Ringgit on average
Massage:
30mins foot reflexology- 23~28Ringgit
60mins massage (Foot- 55mins, neck/shoulder-5mins) - 38Ringgit
Lodging:
Hotel- Jonker Heritage Hotel - around 178 Ringgit
Guesthouses: Room - 50Ringgit~60Ringgit (shared bathroom),18Ringgit~35Ringgit (Shared Dorm)
Some of the Guesthouses in the area: River One Residence (My Fave!), Monkey Guest House, Rooftop Guesthouse, Sayang Sayang, Jiong Guesthouse (don't like), Youth Hostel.. and tonnes more!
Cafes:
Quite a few but you have to hunt for them as they are scattered over the alley.Hit and Misses.. I saw about 2~3 that are pretty nice to relax in during the afternoon.. but the others are quite hhmm..not really comfortable for my liking as cafes.
Bar:
Its mainly populated on a Single stretch which is good because it compliments each other on the club vibes. They are all pretty nice, feels as though I'm in a less crowded Holland Village with more available seating, cooling weather and alfresco space available. Kee.. don't know about the drinks price becos I'm abstaining from Alcohol for this trip ;)
Here's my walk through Jonker Street area
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Jonker Street at night
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Weekend Night Market
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Walking through the quieter alleys with Historical facade and feeling like I'm brought back in time to the 1960's.
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the rainy weather made my trip challenging. During my 1st day there, I was drenched in the rain from the drizzle which developed into a downpour while I was scouting for a Guesthouse a.k.a Hostel which were mainly full house.
For my trip back to Singapore, I decided to opt for Public Bus instead of Cab. Another challenging to do as I had to figure out the location of the bus stop via the map routing through alleys. The bus stop when found, did not indicate any bus number or any form of details at all. Luckily for me, an auntie came and I conversed with her in Mandarin to find out which is the correct bus to take as well as the bus fare.
The bus fare costs me only 1 Ringgit in comparison to 20 Ringgit via cab!
with the 42Ringgit I had remaining from Jonker Street back to Singapore, it worked out to be more than sufficient :)
This time round, I became smarter by choosing the coach company 1st and then decide if the timing and price is ok. The trip from Larkin->Malacca was grueling because it was operated by a minor company with old bus which was very bumpy, air-con kept going on/off and traveling slowly.. and even slower with the downpour along the way.
So this trip back, I looked around for familiar Coach Brands and found KKKL buses. Yes, I'm a happy soul with this ride back from Malacca -> Singapore with a smooth and comfortable ride! | | |
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