Gujju Diary

Two countries · family trip

Singapore & Malaysia

Four packed days in Singapore, where everything runs on time, then a hop to Kuala Lumpur for towers, caves and serious bargaining.

September 2017

Duration
8 days, 7 nights
Season
September, warm and humid
Getting around
MRT, bus, taxi
Best for
Families and theme parks
Stays
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur

The route

We spent four days in Singapore getting around on the MRT, then moved to Kuala Lumpur for three days before a night flight to Mumbai.

Singapore

  1. Gardens by the Bay Cloud Forest, light show
  2. Sentosa 2 days: cable car, Universal Studios
  3. Mandai zoo and river safari
  4. Clarke Quay river cruise, Merlion

On to Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

  1. Kuala Lumpur 2 nights, Bukit Bintang
  2. Petronas Towers KLCC
  3. Batu Caves temple caves

How the trip went

If you only read one part of this page, read this. The full day-by-day table is below it.

Days 1–2
Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa

Singapore, by the minute

Singapore rewards a plan. We landed before noon and were inside the Cloud Forest by four, staying on for the evening light show at Gardens by the Bay and a walk down Orchard Road.

Day two was mostly Sentosa: the cable car across, Madame Tussauds, the tower, luge rides, the aquarium and the Wings of Time show over the water, then back downtown for the view from the Marina Bay Sands observation deck.

Draft note for Manan: the light show at Gardens by the Bay, in a line or two.

Days 3–4
Bird park, zoo, Universal Studios

Birds, animals and a whole day of rides

Day three started early at the bird park, where you want to be by 8:30, then the Singapore Zoo and River Safari, ending on the Singapore Flyer. The MRT and a bus get you to each of them.

Universal Studios took the whole fourth day, and we still made it to Clarke Quay for a 25-minute sunset river cruise and a walk to the Merlion.

Days 5–8
Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, towers and caves

Kuala Lumpur felt looser and louder. Bukit Bintang at night, the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower by day, and Batu Caves with its giant golden statue and long staircase.

The last day was for shopping: Berjaya Times Square and the electronics malls, where bargaining is expected. A night flight took us to Mumbai and an early connection home.

Draft note for Manan: climbing the Batu Caves steps, or the best bargain of the trip.

Day-by-day itinerary

Distances and drive times are the ones we planned with. Optional extras are highlighted like this.

Day Route and travel Sightseeing Stay Distance
Singapore
Day 1 Arrive in Singapore (11:25 am) Gardens by the Bay: Cloud Forest and Flower Dome (4–7 pm), evening light show; Orchard Road Destination Singapore Beach Road Flight
Day 2 Sentosa and downtown Cable car, Madame Tussauds (3–3.5 h), Tiger Sky Tower, Skyline Luge, S.E.A. Aquarium, Wings of Time show; Marina Bay Sands observation deck Suntec City Destination Singapore Beach Road
Day 3 MRT to Boon Lay and bus to the bird park; MRT to Ang Mo Kio and bus 138 to the zoo Jurong Bird Park (reach by 8:30 am), Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Singapore Flyer Destination Singapore Beach Road MRT + bus
Day 4 Sentosa and the river Universal Studios (10 am–7 pm), Clarke Quay, sunset river cruise (25 min), walk to the Merlion Adventure Cove Destination Singapore Beach Road
Malaysia
Day 5 Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (leave around 11 am) Nightlife on Bukit Bintang i-Heritage, Bukit Bintang
Day 6 Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, Batu Caves i-Heritage, Bukit Bintang
Day 7 Kuala Lumpur, night flight to Mumbai (10:15 pm) Berjaya Times Square, electronics at Low Yat Plaza, Imbi and Sungei Wang Flight
Day 8 Mumbai to home Early train and flight onward to Gujarat Train + flight

What has changed since our trip

  • Bird park: Jurong Bird Park closed in January 2023. Its birds moved to Bird Paradise at Mandai, next to the zoo, so day 3’s parks are now all in one place.
  • Sentosa: The Tiger Sky Tower closed in 2018.
  • River Safari: Now called River Wonders.
  • Malaysia visa: Indian passport holders can visit Malaysia visa-free until 31 December 2026; we needed an eVisa in 2017. Check before you fly.
  • Arrival: Singapore now asks visitors to fill in the SG Arrival Card online before landing.
  • Prices: Those from 2017 are out of date, so we have left them out.

Last checked: November 2026

If you are planning this route

  • Use the MRT. It reaches almost everything, with buses for the last stretch to the zoo.
  • Give Sentosa and Universal a day each. Trying to combine them means rushing both.
  • Veg food is easy in Little India. Mustafa Centre is open late for shopping and snacks too.
  • Electronics. Sim Lim Square in Singapore, Low Yat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur.
  • Holland Village at night. A different, relaxed side of Singapore if you have an evening spare.
  • Changi Airport. Leave time before your flight; the airport is an attraction in itself.