Trip report: Two weeks in South-east Asia

[Mattg]

I'm now back in Singapore after the next part of my adventure. I last updated this after I arrived in Penang, so here's the next part.

Unfortunately I only ended up with one night in Penang, which was not nearly enough time to see all of what Georgetown and Penang have to offer. I had originally planned to stay for at least 24 hours, taking a train to KL that departed around 2pm, but unfortunately this service was discontinued a few months ago so I had to either get the 8am train or an overnight train leaving at around 10pm. Having chosen the morning option, the late arrival of the train from Bangkok compounded the time issue, leaving me with just a few hours to see Georgetown if I was to get some sleep before the early start the next morning. I didn't even get time to go up Penang Hill! Next time I will definitely stay longer; Penang is a nice place and the street food was amazing!

On Sunday morning I somewhat reluctantly got up at 05:30 to catch my taxi at 06:30. I took the taxi to the jetty in Georgetown, despite the driver repeatedly insisting that he would take me to Butterworth over the (very) long bridge (no doubt at a much higher cost to me). The outbound ferry was actually free, although at that time on a Sunday morning there was only one in operation, meaning I had to wait over half an hour. It didn't matter in the end as I made the train in enough time. Here's a photo from onboard the ferry:




Train 1: Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur (train continues to Singapore)
Departure time: 08:00 (Actual: 08:05)
Arrival time: 14:00 (Actual: 14:05)

My ticket:


The train at Butterworth:


For this leg I bought a second class seat. At a cost of RM34 (under $11) I had fairly low expectations but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Like the previous train, it was quite old, but functional and very comfortable. As you can see from this photo, the seats are in a 2x2 configuration and there is sufficient legroom, even for a tall person like myself.



The train departed 5 minutes late and initially was quite empty, although a large number of Malaysians got on board shortly after. As far as I could tell, mostly locals were utilising this service, although there were a few other tourists. I would estimate that the train was around 2/3 full. (In contrast, the Thai train was completely full, although it didn't feel that way as each passenger had ample personal space.)

After an hour of rolling through the beautiful Malay countryside, I headed to the restaurant car for some food. For just 8 ringgits (~$3), I got a tasty Mee Goreng (fried noodles) and a cup of coffee. Not that it worries me in the slightest, but I was a little surprised to be served by a woman with a rather deep voice, if you know what I mean. Here's a photo of the food:



The train took six hours, stopping at most stations, although it didn't really feel like that long as the train was comfortable and the scenery was good. I also had plenty of BYO entertainment.

Apparently I've reached my five photo limit per post so I'll include some photos of the scenery in the next part.

The train arrived in Kuala Lumpur five minutes late - at least it was consistent! For me, a five minute delay is a good outcome, having travelled by train in Thailand, let alone in NSW!

For around $10, this was another surprisingly pleasant trip and I would definitely do it again. Below I'll post a trip report for the next part; KUL-SIN.

 

[Mattg]

After 3 fantastic days with some friends in Kuala Lumpur, it was back to KL Sentral yesterday morning for my train to Singapore.


Train 13: Kuala Lumpur to Woodlands (Singapore)
Departure time: 08:30 (Actual: 08:35)
Arrival time: 16:30 (Actual: 16:20)

Boarding the train at KL Sentral station felt like I was boarding a plane. Just like at many airports, my driver spent 10 minutes driving around in circles, through traffic to reach the drop-off zone at Sentral station (with a total distance travelled of close to 300m as the crow flies). Walking into the station, it felt just like an airport. Boarding for my train was being called over the loudspeakers for boarding at Gate B and as I approached the gate I had to show my boarding pass (ticket) to be allowed down the escalator to the platform.

KL Sentral:


Since I had booked a second class ticket for the previous leg, I thought I'd try out first class on this leg so I could compare the two. At RM68 (~$20), first class was double the price of second class. Note that the ticket prices for each class of travel were the same for both legs, despite the train to Singapore taking two hours longer.

The first class has a configuration of 2x1, and each seat has slightly more legroom than second class. I was allocated one of the single A seats. The tray table is in the armrest, similar to what you would find in a bulkhead seat on a plane. There was a foot rest on the back of each seat, which to be honest I didn't really like. I am quite tall and found it actually reduced the legroom as it took up room in front of your seat and couldn't be removed. For shorter people, it would probably be very good. The first class seats can also be turned around, meaning they all face the direction of travel (although they could be moved for large groups to have seats facing each other). The second class seats are fixed, with half always facing backwards.

The carriage:


My seat - reasonable legroom but the footrest can't be removed:


After boarding, a very apathetic-looking train attendant brought around a bottle of water and a piece of banana bread for each passenger in first class. The service was not friendly, and as I was looking out the window, the attendant decided to bump me in the arm with the tray, instead of saying "excuse me" or something like that. He then didn't even make the effort to hand me the bottle or say anything, instead shoving the tray in my face for me to take one myself.

After quite a long day in KL the previous day, I dozed for much of this trip. The seat reclined and it was possible to get a decent rest, although I probably wouldn't want to try sleeping in it on an overnight train.

Around halfway through the trip the attendants come down the aisle offering food and drinks for purchase. Unfortunately they didn't have the same selection of hot food as the previous train. All they had were chicken burgers, sandwiches, biscuits and soft drinks/iced tea. For RM7 I got a chicken burger and a lemon iced tea. Unfortunately, the drink was warmer than the burger which was cold, dry and really not very nice. And that's how I'm describing it having been on an empty stomach, when I usually find just about everything appetising!

 

[Mattg]

Again, the train stopped at most stations but in contrast to the previous leg, I found it quite slow overall. I would estimate that the train never made it past 80km/h and usually it would be even less than that. There was one extended stop where we had to reverse out of one of the stations, then wait on a different track for more than 20 minutes until another train passed.

As per the other trains though, the scenery was very nice and, along with the experience made up for the fact that the trip, which is not much further than say CBR-SYD, took 8 hours.

Some photos of the scenery:




At Johor Bahru, the last station in Malaysia before we crossed the border, immigration officials boarded the train to check everyone's passports. Instead of a departure stamp, the lady wrote on mine in red pen.

We actually arrived at Woodlands Train Checkpoint (Singapore) around 10 minutes early after a quick trip across the causeway from Johor Bahru. Here's a photo of Woodlands from the bridge:




Everyone (except maybe locals) had to fill out a Singapore arrival card and queue up to be processed. It would have saved a lot of time had they handed out these cards on the train, but never mind. Following immigration we had to clear customs, which involved getting our bags x-rayed. All up it took around 25 minutes.

In most cities, the railway station where long-distance trains arrived is conveniently located in the centre of the city. Singapore is not one of those cities. I had to catch a bus to Woodlands MRT station, then get the MRT to one of the city stations. In total this added another hour onto the journey time. I understand the need to process everyone on arrival but if travelling to the city it's not that convenient to have the train terminate at a location which is not really near anything.

This train was as pleasant and comfortable as the others, although in my opinion it's probably not worth paying double to travel first class, even though the difference was only $10 or so. In contrast to my journey in second class, there were hardly any locals in first class; rather mostly tourists - many Chinese, but also some from other nationalities. The service was only marginally better and while the seat was comfortable and had more legroom, my second class seat was also very comfortable. Interestingly, the children on the train in second class were quiet, polite and well behaved. Across from my seat in first class, on the other hand, were a couple of young girls (probably aged around 6) who kept running up and down the aisle and singing/shouting so loudly that even my noise-cancelling headphones couldn't block it out! If you thought the song "What does the fox say?" was annoying at the best of times, this was worse. Maybe I just got unlucky, who knows...


Now that I'm back in Singapore my Asian train adventures have come to an end. It was definitely a worthwhile experience and I would gladly do it again. If anyone is considering taking any of these trips by train, I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. I would also recommend visiting this website, which was most helpful to me when planning this trip: http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm

The plan from here is to meet up with a friend in Singapore tomorrow and then next Monday, I'll be flying Emirates SIN-DXB-MUC.

 

[Programme]

In most cities, the railway station where long-distance trains arrived is conveniently located in the centre of the city. Singapore is not one of those cities. I had to catch a bus to Woodlands MRT station, then get the MRT to one of the city stations. In total this added another hour onto the journey time. I understand the need to process everyone on arrival but if travelling to the city it's not that convenient to have the train terminate at a location which is not really near anything.

The train used to terminate at Tanjong Pagar, much nearer the centre of Singapore. It got relocated to Woodlands because of a diplomatic spat between Singapore and Malaysia - the KTM (Malayan Railways) effectively owned the line between the border and Tanjong Pagar, deep within Singapore, and there were issues as to where the border control should be. It was a historical accident arising from the forced expulsion of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965. Eventually the transfer station settled at Woodlands, as close to the border as it could be without actually being in Malaysia.

Arriving on the train then having to transfer (on a bus!) to the MRT station is hardly the sort of efficiency that Singapore has become known for.

 

[JohnK]

Very nice trip report. Looking forward to the rest of it.

I have wanted to do that train trip for a couple of years now. Perhaps it is time to get it done and tick the box.

Don't worry about the BKK taxi Matt.Those with a lot of experience know you can get into trouble even if you get the despatchers note and the fellow uses the meter.

Yes it happens to most even the experienced. I try to avoid it as well preferring to go straight to Pattaya with private transport rather than hang around Bangkok for 1 night.

 

[craven morehead]

Fantastic trip report, we do appreciate the effort !! :mrgreen:

 

[serfty]

The train used to terminate at Tanjong Pagar, much nearer the centre of Singapore. It got relocated to Woodlands because of a diplomatic spat between Singapore and Malaysia - the KTM (Malayan Railways) effectively owned the line between the border and Tanjong Pagar, deep within Singapore, and there were issues as to where the border control should be. It was a historical accident arising from the forced expulsion of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965. Eventually the transfer station settled at Woodlands, as close to the border as it could be without actually being in Malaysia.

Arriving on the train then having to transfer (on a bus!) to the MRT station is hardly the sort of efficiency that Singapore has become known for.

Did the train trip in the 90's when it still terminated near Tanjong Pagar - it was still a bit of a walk from the KTMB terminus to TP station.

IIRC, back then First was MYR104 return ex Kuala Lumpur and SGD105 return ex Singapore.

 

[Mattg]

After a very enjoyable two weeks in South-east Asia it was back to the airport on Monday morning for my flights to Munich.


Flight: EK433 SIN - DXB
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER A6-EGK
Departure time: 09:35 (Actual: 09:45)
Arrival time: 13:00 (Actual: 13:30)

When I arrived at check-in at Changi airport, there was a bit of a queue forming, however there was no-one waiting at the first or business counters, nor the dedicated counter for silver, gold and platinum Qantas frequent flyers (and the Emirates equivalent) so I went over to this one and was processed in a little over a minute. Full marks there.

This was actually my first time flying with Emirates. The main reason I flew with them is their new partnership with Qantas. I booked most of my long-haul flights for this trip on one ticket with Qantas. If QF still flew to Germany, I would have used them for sure, but failing that two daytime flights with Emirates (QF codeshare) seemed the next best thing.

When boarding was called, they began with people requiring assistance and then first and business passengers. They use a "zone" system whereby they board economy passengers by zone, as indicated on the boarding pass, from A to H. I didn't get to see this in action in Singapore, however, as before they began boarding economy by zone they called for silver, gold and platinum Qantas members (and Emirates equivalent) so I took the opportunity to board early. Despite the efficiency of the boarding system, the two air bridges seemed to me to be set up highly inefficiently with one dedicated for the 8 or so first class passengers, and one for the other 350 people in business & economy. (This was the same in Dubai.)

Apparently this flight actually originates in Brisbane, routing BNE-SIN-DXB. I must say that I didn't find it difficult to work out who was joining the flight in Singapore and who had been on since Brisbane, especially as the flight departs BNE at 2.35am!

A photo of the aircraft:


My first impressions of the interior were that it was very nice. Business class looked fantastic, but I can only dream of sitting there for the moment! I was in 19K, which is a window seat in the third row of economy. There is a nice "mini cabin" of around 6 rows at the front of economy between the business cabin and toilets/bulkheads, similar to the Qantas 767s. The plane looked quite new (turns out it was 2 years old), my seat was comfortable and there was at least as much legroom as on Qantas; maybe even slightly more. As you can see here, I'm quite tall but there was still just enough legroom:


The inside of the plane - business class is in front of the bulkhead:


I have heard a fair bit of negative feedback regarding the Emirates 3x4x3 layout on their 777s. I honestly didn't find it as bad as I had expected. The seats might have been slightly narrower but it was not obvious to the naked eye. Although I did feel a little cramped when I tried to sleep on the second flight, I always find it difficult to sleep in economy anyway, so I personally wouldn't avoid the 777 on account of this configuration alone.

Hot towels were offered to everyone in economy before departure, which I thought was a nice touch.

The flight left the gate 10 minutes late for no apparent reason, and there was a long queue of planes waiting to take off meaning that we didn't get off the ground until 35 minutes after the scheduled departure time.

Shortly after takeoff the cabin crew came around offering drinks and a small bag of something which resembled crackers. Around 2 hours into the flight, lunch was served.

Here is the menu; you can also see what's offered on BNE-SIN leg on the left:


I chose the chicken and ordered with it a Bloody Mary, both of which were very nice. For some reason I stupidly forgot to remove the foil from the chicken before taking a photo, but you can see the rest of it:


The flight was almost completely full. I was seated next to a German couple and we conversed in German for much of the flight. The time passed quite quickly and by the time I'd got around to watching a movie the flight was almost over. The personal IFE, which emirates call "ice" was brilliant. A very wide selection of all types of movies, TV shows, games, music etc. in multiple languages were available and I could have easily been kept entertained for hours.

An hour before landing the crew did a final drinks run and around half an hour before landing, the cabin crew came around the collect everyone's blankets and headphones. I found this unusual and it was actually a bit annoying as I still had half an hour left of the movie I was watching, and my headphones didn't work in their system. On other airlines you can keep watching movies right up to the gate. The only reason I could think of for this is to improve aircraft turnover time and perhaps stop people taking them with them.

For me, this flight with a duration of 7:25 was just long enough that they should have done a second meal service, or at least offered some sort of refreshments. I actually got off the plane feeling hungry, which I would not expect when flying a "premium" airline.

We touched down in Dubai 30 minutes behind schedule. No explanation, apology or even acknowledgement of the delay was given. I presume the delay departing Singapore and strong headwinds combined to cause this (at one point the IFE was displaying a headwind of 100km/h).

I had over two hours before my next flight boarded but others with much tighter connections were met by emirates staff at the gate and rushed through to their next flights. Unlike my previous experience at Dubai, security took hardly any time at all to clear and less than 15 minutes after the plane arrived at the gate I was already in the departures area. The airport was actually pretty quiet - it would seem that mid-afternoon is a good time to visit.

 

[Mattg]

Next flight: EK51 DXB - MUC
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER A6-EGK
Departure time: 16:30 (Actual: 16:35)
Arrival time: 20:10 (Actual: 20:25)

I was quite surprised to be boarding the exact same aircraft I had just taken from Singapore. I also happened to have been allocated the exact same seat! At least it was a good one. I started up the IFE and to my pleasant surprise, the movie I hadn't got to finish watching was still paused at the point I had left off! The music playlist I had created was also still there. After a small fist-pump I finished watching the movie, but by the time it was over we were still at the gate. I had boarded fairly early, and in fact the aircraft was ready to go 10 minutes ahead of schedule, but according to the captain there was significant congestion at the airport due to single runway operations. We ended up pushing back 5 minutes late, but didn't get airborne for another half hour after that. I'm going to presume that the repair works to Dubai's runways have started.

This flight was around 2/3 full and I would say that a large proportion of passengers were German. However unlike the last flight I had a free seat next to me and an Asian man on the aisle. Go figure.

The sun set shortly after take-off and the flight was largely uneventful. Drinks were served shortly after take-off and dinner was served around two hours into the flight. Again, the food was very nice:


The lights were dimmed after dinner and only briefly came back on for the crew to prepare the cabin for landing.

The crew on both flights were friendly and professional. There was no major differences between the first and second flight, which to me would indicate that the service is consistently good.

Based on these flights I would be more than willing to fly Emirates again.


As this marks the end of my time in South-east Asia, this will be the last time I update this thread. I will spend the next month travelling around Germany, Austria and Switzerland and during this time I have no flights booked (I will be travelling mostly by train). I have a couple of flights in mid-January with norwegian air shuttle, which I will most likely write a trip report on, and then next February I will be travelling onto the United States, followed by South America. I will almost certainly write reports for these as they involve a lot of travel, including a lot by plane, to quite a few places which I've not been to before.

I'll post a link to my next trip report from this trip on this thread, but otherwise that's all from me for now.

 

[Major]

Great TR...I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

It bought back a few memories of the SIN-KL train which I first took in 1982

 

[Mattg]

Great TR...I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

It bought back a few memories of the SIN-KL train which I first took in 1982

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same train :shock:

 

[smit0847]

I was quite surprised to be boarding the exact same aircraft I had just taken from Singapore. I also happened to have been allocated the exact same seat! At least it was a good one. I started up the IFE and to my pleasant surprise, the movie I hadn't got to finish watching was still paused at the point I had left off! The music playlist I had created was also still there.

That is really weird!

Great TR though - train travel around SEA is something we rarely see covered on here!

 

[Melburnian1]

You were in a Pullman sleeper from Bangkok. It's a famous railway design with a long history.

Airlines have borrowed many features from railways, but due to space limitations cannot replicate everything.

 

[Jos888]

I just read your trip report on SE Asia and enjoyed it very much. Hope your later travels are going well.

 

[bbewg]

Very much enjoying your TR. Did the train from Butterworth to BKK and didn't have a great trip due to horrible neighbours - the train was also late so had a mad dash to the airport (my fault for not leaving enough time in between). Looking forward to the rest.

 

[Mattg]

For those of you following my trip, I would just like to let you know that you can read my next trip report here:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer..../tr-quick-trip-stockholm-norwegian-56921.html

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Hay Matt,
I finally got round to reading your TR on SE Asia..... along with all your other TR's this one is superb as well.

Looks like some amazing scenery, particularly in Thailand.

As for the Toilet Refuge going straight on the tracks..... this did occur on the Indian Pacific Train Journey (right here in Australia) back in the early 2000's when i did the trip, not to sure if Serco the UK operator of the train has improved on this nowadays, but even in the UK some Private Operators have the Toilet Refuge go on the railway tracks still in this day & age..... From memory the East- Coast mainline up to Scotland & maybe the East Anglia line too..... But im quite sure on some trains in the UK it still occurs..... quite primative when you think about it.

Enough talking about toilet refuge!

Train travel sounds like a great way of travelling in SE Asia & surprising quite punctual.... certainly in your experience anyway.

Great TR review, glad i finally got around to reading it.

You're TR has resulted in adding more destinations onto my bucket list...... as if its not long enough all ready