DestinationsAsia5 Days Trip to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia
5 Days Trip to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia

5 Days Trip to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia

I didn’t think that my 2019 would start in a very interesting way! I visited Dalat once again in Jan after the last time I went there at the end of 2018. Then in the last days of Jan, I did a 5 days trip to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Yes, 5 days trip in 3 countries. That could be so short to do everything. However, it was still enough to take my first steps in new lands and to have my experience in destinations that I hadn’t been to before.

Why I Chose Batam and Cameron Highlands

ticket of 5 days trip to singapore, indonesia, malaysia
‘I just planned to visit my friend in Singapore’.

I just planned to visit my girlfriend in Singapore. Then she suggested I travel around rather than spend my whole vacation in only a city. So I chose Indonesia and Malaysia, the two nearby countries of Singapore.

I actually haven’t visited Indonesia before. Hence, I chose Batam, an Indonesian island that’s very near Singapore, which is the middle point of both Indonesia and Malaysia. Also, it was kinda easy to access Batam from Singapore.

Then I picked Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, a pretty similar place to Dalat, Vietnam. With its location in the high mountains, Cameron Highlands has cold weather over the year. By that, the land is very developed in agriculture, particularly in growing tea trees, flowers, and fruits, especially strawberries. Therefore, Cameron Highlands is beautiful with the tea hills and the greenhouses. If you live in a place like Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where it’s hot all the time, you will know why I prefer a cold place like Cameron Highlands.

How to Go from Singapore to Batam, or Cameron Highlands

From Singapore to Batam, Indonesia

The best way to go to Batam from Singapore is by taking a ferry. Mostly, the ferry operators charge around $10 – $15 SGD for one way. Nevertheless, you can find a promo ticket at $6 SGD sometimes at a point in the day. My friend used a ticket search engine to book the route going to Batam from Singapore. We had a really better price than on the ferry operators’ websites.

From Singapore to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

To save money for transportation, and to take advantage of the nighttime, I chose a night bus to go from Singapore to Cameron Highlands. It was simple to book with the bus ticket search engine. As planned, I will go specifically from Singapore at 9.30 p.m. and will arrive in Brinchang, a town of Cameron Highlands, at around 7 a.m.

The 5 Days Itinerary from Singapore to Batam, then Cameron Highlands

First Day – to Batam, Indonesia

After arriving at Changi Airport, Singapore, I and my girlfriend went directly to Harbourfront, where we took a ferry to Batam Island, Indonesia. It took about 1 hour to get to the island.

the harbour gate to enter batam, indonesia. The first day in 5 days trip to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia
map at batam, indonesia. The first day in 5 days trip to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia
Taxi at batam, indonesia. The first day in 5 days trip to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia

We actually didn’t have any plan when going to Batam. So we initially got a taxi and went straight to the hotel. At Batam, you can easily find 3 or 4-star hotels with good prices, as far as I saw. On the way to the island, you can see many ads about Harris Hotel, which could be a pretty good choice. Its location is right near the harbor, and quite close to Batam Centre. However, we chose Zia Boutique Hotel, a more affordable price but also equivalent in service, and it was suitable for our needs.

After checking in at the hotel and organizing the luggage, we needed to find a place for dinner. The receptionist told us about WTB, an area right at the bottom of the word ‘Welcome to Batam’, where many Indonesian people sell local foods. That would be a great place for dinner, especially to try Indonesian cuisine. Furthermore, you may be able to take some great photos with the welcome words.

WTB, an area right in the bottom of the word 'Welcome to Batam', where many Indonesian people sell local foods
‘WTB, an area right at the bottom of the word ‘Welcome to Batam’, where many Indonesian people sell local foods’.

Wandering around the Batam Centre could be a good option to generally see the life on the island. And that was even a better choice when we had no sim or wifi to catch a taxi or Grab. We then walked to the Mega Mall Batam Centre, after dinner, to both see around the city and to find a taxi to go back to the hotel, the end of our first day.

Day 2 – 1 Day in 3 Countries

batam city in the morning. The second day in 5 days trip to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia
A morning in Batam City.

We started our morning with the breakfast served at the hotel. And then figured out some places that we could visit. Many tours would suggest Vihara Duta Maitreya temple, Batam Miniature, Pineapple Cake, Be Superheroes, Chocolate House, or many beautiful beaches around the island. Moreover, you may want to try the traditional massage of Indonesian.

Nevertheless, as we didn’t have much time on the island, we would love an experience in which we could see the whole island, or at least have a general view. Therefore, we chose to visit a spot called Ex Camp Vietnam, or Galang Refugee Camp. The destination is a historical site where the Vietnamese took refuge from the Vietnam War. At the place, you can learn more about the life of the refugees when they left Vietnam by small boats. Of course, not so many people were alive to step on the new lands. Additionally, the Camp is located on Galang Island, which is the very South of Batam Island. Therefore, by going to the place, we can also have a general view of the whole 3 islands. Honestly, I love doing that than going to a beach, which I have been to a lot last year.

Actually, Batam Island connects to Rempang Island and Galang Island. On the way to the Camp, we got through Barelang Bridge, the longest suspension bridge that connects the strait, also connects the islands there. Talking about the bridge, the locals are very proud of the construction. At the area of Ex Camp Vietnam on Galang Island, we visited Batam Pulau Galang, a Vietnamese pagoda that has a pretty nice view of the island. And it has some good background for any photographer.

We left Batam Island at around 2 p.m. and arrived in Singapore at 4 p.m. local time. My friend has a house in Singapore so we came there for a quick rest before going to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. The plan was to take a night bus to save our travel time. The bus left the station at 9:30 p.m., and we crossed the Singapore – Malaysia border at approximately 11:30 p.m. Hence, it wasn’t really a 5-day trip in 3 countries, but we even did 1 day in 3 countries. And that was so cool!

Day 3 – Hello Cameron Highlands!

landscape at Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
A morning at Cameron Highlands.

The bus dropped us at Brinchang, a settlement of Cameron Highlands, at around 7 a.m. As it was not the right time to check in the hotel, we took a walk down to the center of Brinchang for breakfast. At the destination, Brinchang looked like an old district with a lot of old houses, and restaurants opened by locals, the Malaysian Chinese. Therefore, at Brinchang, you can easily find a lot of Chinese foods. There was only one KFC restaurant for anyone who wasn’t familiar with Chinese cuisine.

We then came back to the hotel – Wan Alyasa Hotel to check in and started our day exploring the land. In the area, you can take a taxi and go to 3 spots within 3 hours for $75 Malaysian Ringgit (RM). There are no other options such as Grab, or public transport. You can only take a taxi, or hire a motorbike if you have an international driving license. Hence, a taxi to us was the best choice. We visited BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre, Lavender Garden, and Tanah Rata, a very tourist area. Cameron Highlands, overall, is very similar to Da Lat. Therefore, you can easily take a lot of beautiful photos of the land.

Charcoal Steamboat, the very common chinese food for dinner at Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

That was a kinda cold day, especially at night. We ended our day with an iconic hotpot, the Charcoal Steamboat. That was awesome! The hotpot always was the best choice for a cold day. Particularly at Brinchang, almost all Chinese restaurants serve this hotpot for dinner.

Day 4 – A Long Day on the Bus

We woke up early to have breakfast, then left Cameron Highlands at around 8:30 a.m. by the bus we had booked. That was really a long day on the bus. It took us approximately 10 hours to come back to Singapore. I can still remember the moment I and my girlfriend had to share our only neck pillow to prevent neck pain when sitting on the bus for a very long time. However that made our good memory!

On the other hand, that night in Singapore was perfect. We awarded ourselves after a hard day with the hotpot at Haidilao restaurant. It was the best restaurant and the best hotpot I have ever tried. This is not an advertisement, but this is definitely the have-to-experience restaurant in Singapore. I must absolutely do a review about Haidilao soon.

Haidilao Hotpot, one of the best Singapore food
‘We awarded ourselves after a hard day with the hotpot at Haidilao restaurant’.

That day ended up after we strolled around Orchad Road. Actually, we planned to go to Clarke Quay, but we were so tired.

Day 5 – Goodbye Singapore!

I always love to start a day in Singapore with Kaya Toast and half-cooked eggs, the traditional breakfast of the country. After breakfast, me and my friend wandered around the city, starting from Takashimaya Mall, to Bugis, then a mall near our accommodation. As the day was pretty close to the Lunar New Year, Singapore was decorated pretty nicely at places we went to, and people sold a lot of things for the special occasion.

At around 1 p.m., I went to Changi Airport and had lunch there before getting on the plane to fly back to Vietnam, ending up an enjoyable 5 days trip to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

‘I went to Changi Airport and had lunch there‘.

Hey, I Have Travel Planning Resources Here to Help You Easily Plan Your Trip

Essential Items

Don't forget to bring the Travel Medicines, as well as your necessary Travel Kit.

If Your Next Destination Requires a Visa

IVISA will help you with their speed, simple, and secured services with just a minimal chance of being rejected.

Find Your Flight and Transportation to The Destinations

You can read my travel tips to Find Cheap Flights. You can also use 12Go to book buses, trains, ferries, or any transportation to places.

Book An Accommodation

I mostly use Booking.com to find a place for my trip. Sometimes I try to Get Free Credits on Airbnb to book homestays.

Driving Yourself Will be More Enjoyable

You can easily compare prices and find great deals on Discover Cars.

Protect Yourself and Your Trip

Travel Insurance is Important, especially after COVID-19, there are more possible health issues and pandemics. Please don't forget to have a shield for yourself and your trips!


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READ MORE SINGAPORE, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA POSTS

I hope you love reading this itinerary. And I hope it helps you to plan your trips to Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Here are some posts that I believe you would love to read:

Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.

21 Comments

  • Shane Prather

    Such a comprehensive itinerary! Would love the chance to see more of SouthEast Asia. I have been to Singapore and Thailand but Malaysia is high on my list.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      So this itinerary is definitely written for you. Indonesia is nice also. You can do a longer trip to Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
      I also have a lot of posts about South East Asia countries. You can read it for more info. I’m sure you will love it 🙂

  • Anwesha Guha

    I totally agree with Shane, this is a very nicely written comprehensive guide and very helpful for people like me who haven’t been to Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Glad that you like this itinerary. And hope that it can help you plan your trip to the 3 countries

  • Esther

    oh!! what a great trip!! last year I went to spend te NYE in Malaysia.But we chose Langkawi Island. Then we spent some days in KL and Singapore. I would love to be back to Malaysia and visit Cameron Highlands next time. It seems so beautiful!!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah you must visit Cameron Highlands once. I’m sure that you will regret if you don’t go there

  • Soumya Gayatri

    Sounds like you had a lot of fun. 3 countries in 5 days did seem a lot to me in the beginning. But I see you had it all laid out well. It must have been so exciting to be in 3 different countries on the same day.

  • roseline

    Cameron highlands definitely worth a visit for the spectacular tea plantations and the rain forest.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah it is. I’m writing a particular post for Cameron Highlands. Coming soon..!

  • Epepa Travel Blog

    Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in 5 days? It must have been a very intense journey! To be in three countries in one day is also a very unusual experience.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah the unusual experience sometimes make life is more interesting. You should try it haha

  • Hailey

    WOW! You did a lot in 5 days. Having it so well planned must have made all the difference.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah it was a lot of experience in only 5 days. You can also use this itinerary for your journey =)

  • Yukti

    All three countries are must visit ones in Far East Asia. I had not been to any of them and therefore I would refer your guide to make my itinerary. Morning at Cameron Highlands look very peaceful and relaxing.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah the morning at CH was beautiful.
      You should use this itinerary to travel as many as places in the SEA. I believe you will enjoy it a lot!

  • 增大网

    没玩过博客,认真学习学习!

  • blair villanueva

    I haven’t moved around well in Singapore, but I would love to follow your itinerary. This is cool and exciting to do.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Glad that you love this itinerary. And hope that you will enjoy your trip a lot! 🙂

  • mamayi

    一如既往的表示支持!

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