Getting the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore involves two separate train journeys. Here are the trains to book and how to buy the tickets.

There used to be a direct train service from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but that service was discontinued in 2011. The rail corridor in Singapore has been turned into a walking path and nature reserve, so this service is not returning.

It’s still possible to get the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but it requires booking two separate train tickets. There is a ETS train from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, and a separate shuttle train from Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore.

Booking tickets

The tickets need to be booked separately as the official rail site doesn’t sell combined tickets. If you search for tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Woodlands the booking site will not show any train tickets.

Also note that the shuttle train sells out in advance as it is booked out by daily commuters. I have booked the KL-JB section only to find that there are no tickets left for the JB-Woodlands section. You can get the shuttle bus from JB if this happens, but the train is a much better way to cross the border.

Tickets can be booked at the official site online.ktmb.com.my and via the online booking agent Baolau. The sections are:

Train 9523: Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral) – Johor Bahru (JB Sentral) (ETS)

Depart KL Sentral: 7:55
Arrive Kluang: 12:15

Shuttle Tebrau 79: Johor Bahru – Woodlands (Shuttle Tebrau)

Depart JB Sentral: 12:45
Arrive Woodlands: 12:50

KL to Singapore trains

KL Sentral to JB Sentral

KTM began operations of the electric train service (ETS) from KL Sentral to JB Sentral on the 12th of December, 2025. The ETS project was opened in stages, and previously the ETS train only ran from KL to Gemas. Passengers had to change to a diesel-hauled train for the trip from Gemas to JB Sentral.

[ETS at KL Sentral.]

The ETS trains travel at speeds of up to 140 km/h.

Shuttle Tebrau: JB Sentral to Woodlands

The final leg is from JB Sentral to Woodlands via the Shuttle Tebrau.

This is a popular service as it’s a much quicker way to cross the border than using the shuttle bus service. Tickets for the JB Sentral-Woodlands shuttle trains sell out weeks in advance for the peak-hour trips, but you should be ok in getting a ticket in the afternoon.

The immigration process takes about 15 minutes, even if it’s busy. I saw some veteran border crossers that knew what carriage to get on in order to be the first in the immigration queue. I was at the back of the queue, but the line moves fast.

[Free seating assignment on the Shuttle Tebrau.]

Woodlands is not connected to a metro station, so this is still not a smooth travel experience to get from KL to Singapore. The nearest MRT station is Marsiling, which is 1.5 km/22 minutes away (according to Google Maps). You are then looking at another hour of travel time on the MRT to get to Central Singapore.

[James on the Shuttle Tebrau from JB to Woodlands.]

Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by train

Here is how to go from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by train.

Future KL-Singapore train services

Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High-Speed Railway

In addition to the current KL-JB line, a high-speed railway from KL to Singapore is being planned. This will travel on a different alignment and not pass through JB Sentral. This project was cancelled but it is being reconsidered, so it could be years away from being a reality. If it is built then there will be two different ways to travel from KL to Singapore by rail.

More Malaysia and Southeast Asia rail travel

This article is part of the Nomadic Notes train travel series. Read more about Malaysia train travel and Southeast Asia train travel.

There is no direct train service from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, so this guide shows how to make the journey by two different trains.

Getting the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur used to be a straightforward affair. The train would leave Tanjong Pagar railway station (near downtown Singapore), clear immigration for both countries at Woodlands, and then continue on the same train to Kuala Lumpur. I did this journey in 2009 and it was a great way to travel overland.

In 2011 the service from Tanjong Pagar was discontinued and the train service then began at Woodlands, near the Singapore-Malaysia border. The railway corridor from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands has since been turned into a park (the Singapore Rail Corridor) so it’s unlikely that this line will ever be restored.

Then in 2015 the Woodlands-KL service was discontinued, and a shuttle train from Woodlands to Johor Bahru was introduced.

Also in 2015, the ETS (Electric Train Service) began operations from Kuala Lumpur to Gemas (which is about halfway to Johor Bahru). The electric train service was extended Johor Bahru in December 2025, so it now takes two trains to go from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.

You need to book tickets individually as the train booking sites don’t book multiple sections on one ticket. Here is how to book train tickets from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.

[The old Johor Bahru Station.]

Tickets to book for Singapore-Kuala Lumpur train

Tickets for each segment need to be booked individually, so it’s best to open a browser tab for each segment to make sure there is a seat available on every segment first before committing to a single ticket.

To do this, go to online.ktmb.com.my and do a search for each leg on separate browsers. You can also book via the online booking agent Baolau.

Train combinations from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur

Shuttle Tebrau 72: Woodlands – Johor Bahru (Shuttle Tebrau)

Depart Woodlands 08:30
Arrive JB Sentral 08:35

The first shuttle train to JB Sentral is not timed to connect to the JB-KL train.

Train 9510: Johor Bahru (JB Sentral) – Kluang (Intercity)

Depart Johor Bahru (JB Sentral) 08:40
Arrive Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral) 13:00

If you want to get this morning service from JB, then you will need to cross the border by bus.

An alternative itinerary would be to stay in Johor Bahru overnight. That gives you a chance to explore the JB old town and not having to leave Singapore so early.

The second train of the day leaves in the afternoon, so you get the have the morning in Singapore

Shuttle Tebrau – 82
Depart Woodlands 15:00
Arrive JB Sentral 15:05

Platinum – 9532
Depart Johor Bahru (JB Sentral) 16:20
Arrive Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral) 20:40

There are plans to add more ETS trains, so there should be a better morning connection in the future.

Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

Here is my guide on how to go from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train.

Bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur

If you’ve read all this and it all sounds too complicated, then book one of the many direct bus services from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.

Read more about railways in Malaysia and other train travel articles.

Read more about the railways of Southeast Asia.

A guide to train travel Southeast Asia, featuring resources for buying tickets and reviews of rail travel in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia railways index

Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Southeast Asia train travel resources
Southeast Asia train travel FAQs
Future Southeast Asia railways

Cambodia

Railway Operator: Royal Railway.

Buy Cambodia train tickets Baolau.

Cambodia train travel articles

Cambodia railways – a guide to train travel in Cambodia.

The Japanese train in Cambodia: Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville on the KiHa train from Hokkaido

Battambang to Phnom Penh by train

Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by train

Riding the Bamboo Railway in Battambang

The bamboo railways in Battambang: Comparing the original and new bamboo trains

Indonesia

Railway Operator: Kereta Api Indonesia
Buy Indonesia train tickets Traveloka.

Java train travel articles

Java Railways: maps and resources for Java train travel

Jakarta Airport Rail Link – Train details, and which stations are best for visitors.

Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (Whoosh): A guide to the fastest train in Southeast Asia

Bandung to Yogyakarta by train – one of the most scenic rail journeys in Southeast Asia

KA Probowangi: Train from Surabaya to Ketapang (for the Bali ferry)

Java to Bali by train, ferry, and bus

The most comprehensive online Java Indonesia travel itinerary – By dontworryjusttravel.com.

Sumatra train travel articles

Sumatra Railways: A guide to every train line in Sumatra.

Palembang to Bandar Lampung by train – Riding the coal-subsidised railway of South Sumatra.

Palembang to Lubuk Linggau by train in South Sumatra

Kualanamu Airport Rail Link: The Medan airport train.

How to get from Medan to Lake Toba by train and bus

Medan to Rantau Prapat by train (North Sumatra)

Sulawesi train travel articles

Makassar–Parepare railway: the first section of the Trans-Sulawesi railway.

Laos

Buy Laos train tickets Baolau.

Laos train travel articles

Laos Railways: a guide to train travel in Laos

Laos-China Railway travel guide – A guide to the Laos-China Railway from Vientiane to Boten, including tickets, train types, station guides, onboard amenities, and transport to stations.

How to buy tickets for the Laos-China Railway

Vientiane Khamsavath Railway Station Guide

Udon Thani to Vientiane by train

Malaysia

Malaysia railways

Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train

Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth (Penang) with the ETS

Jungle Railway – The best train times and most scenic sections.

Gemas to JB Sentral: The last diesel Intercity service on Malaysia’s West Coast

Johor Bahru to Singapore by train: KTM Shuttle Tebrau

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station: A guide to the most beautiful station in Southeast Asia

Padang Besar Station: crossing the Malaysia-Thailand border by train

Myanmar

Railway operator: Ministry of Rail Transportation

Philippines

Railway Operator: Philippine National Railways

Singapore

Singapore train travel articles

Singapore Rail Corridor: The former railway line that’s now a walking path

How to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by train

Thailand

Railway Operator: State Railway of Thailand
Buy Thailand train tickets 12go

Thailand train travel articles

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal; A guide to the main train station of Bangkok.

Train No. 275: Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border (train to the Thailand-Cambodia border)

Train 7 Bangkok to Chiang Mai: The day train through historic Thailand.

Train 261: Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) to Hua Hin by Ordinary Train

Bangkok to Pattaya by train

Getting the train in the troubled deep south of Thailand – A review of the train from Hat Yai to Sungai Kolok, through the provinces of Thailand which have travel advisories to not travel to.

Bangkok to Trang by train, and onward connections to the Trang Islands

Bang Sue Grand Station construction update – The future central station of Bangkok

Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train – Best train times to see some of the highlights of Thailand.

How to get from Bangkok to Vientiane by train

Kanchanaburi to Hua Hin by train (with a bonus stop at the tallest stupa in the world)

The train that will transform Nakhon Ratchasima – A report on my visit Nakhon Ratchasima, where a high-speed train will connect to Bangkok, and eventually to the Laos border.

Maeklong market train

Vietnam

Railway Operator: Vietnam Railways
Buy Vietnam train tickets Baolau.

Travel Guide: Rail Vietnam is an independent guide to train travel in Vietnam. (This is my Vietnam train travel site.)

Vietnam train travel articles

Vietnam Railways – A guide to every line, tickets, and FAQs.

Hanoi to Nanning by train

Train SE22 from Saigon to Danang

Da Nang to Hue by train via the Hai Van Pass

Hue-Da Nang “Connecting Central Heritage” train (on my other site, Rail Vietnam)

Da Lat – Trai Mat Railway – A restored heritage railway in Vietnam

Hanoi Train Street Guide: Where to visit the open sections.

Hanoi to Haiphong by train

Nha Trang to Saigon by train

Saigon to Phan Thiet by train – the easy way to get to Mui Ne

Special Train to the Gia Lam Train Factory (Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023)

Southeast Asia train travel resources

Any questions related to travel by train in Southeast Asia please visit the Southeast Asia Railways Facebook group.

Get a monthly summary of Southeast Asia rail travel news at southeastasiarailways.com.

Southeast Asia train travel FAQs

Is there a Southeast Asia Train Pass?

Southeast Asia is a long way from being developed enough to offer a railway pass that would be similar to the Eurail Pass in Europe. The railway network of Southeast Asia is not extensive enough to warrant such a ticket, and there are very few international connections.

Can I travel from India to Myanmar by train?

Even though the two countries are neighbours there is no rail link yet. There are plans to build a line from Impal in India to Tamu in Myanmar. This would provide an eventual connection from Delhi to Yangon.

Are there any international train services in Southeast Asia?

There are currently three international services:

Bangkok (thailand) – Padang Besar (Malaysia)
Nong Khai (Thailand) – Thanaleng (Laos)
Johor Bahru (Malaysia – Woodlands (Singapore)

Read more here: International train services in Southeast Asia.

Future Southeast Asia railways

One of my projects at Nomadic Notes has been to map the proposed railways of Southeast Asia. To illustrate what is planned for the region I’ve created a map of current and proposed railways in Southeast Asia.

[Click here for larger downloadable image.]

The black lines on the map represent railways that are currently operating, while the red lines are proposed lines.

This map is based on my previous project which depicted Southeast Asia railways as a subway-style map.

[Click here for larger image.]

This map has details of all the proposed railways which are listed here:
Future Southeast Asia – A map of proposed railways in Southeast Asia.

I also write about future railways of Southeast Asia at futuresoutheastasia.com.

[nomadicnotes.com is an affiliate with Tiket, Baolau, and 12Go Asia.]

A guide to every ferry service between Singapore and Indonesia, including how to connect to other ferry services in Indonesia.

Singapore and Indonesia are close maritime neighbours separated by the Singapore Strait. The two countries are just over 5 km apart at their closest point, and the fastest ferry services take a little under an hour.

There are numerous daily ferry services from Singapore to Batam, Bintan, and Karimun Besar. Batam is a manufacturing and financial hub, and Bintan is a popular resort destination for Singaporeans looking for a beach break without flying.

Getting the ferry to Indonesia is also a crucial link for overlanders travelling from Mainland Southeast Asia to Maritime Southeast Asia.

Index

Map of Singapore – Indonesia ferry ports
Singapore – Batam
HarbourFront – Batam Centre
HarbourFront – Harbour Bay
HarbourFront – Sekupang
HarbourFront – Teluk Senimba
Tanah Merah – Batam Centre
Tanah Merah – Nongsapura
Singapore – Bintan
Tanah Merah – Tanjung Pinang
Tanah Merah – Teluk Sebong
Singapore – Karimun Besar
HarbourFront – Tanjung Balai
Singapore – Sumatra
How to go from Singapore to Sumatra by ferry
Singapore – Java
How to go from Singapore to Jakarta by ferry
Check ferry times
How to buy ferry tickets

Map of Singapore – Indonesia ferry ports

Ports referenced in this guide are shown on this map.

[View map of Singapore – Indonesia ferry ports.]

Singapore – Batam

HarbourFront Passenger Terminal is the main port for cruises and ferries in Singapore. This is the most useful port for Batam if you are staying in Central Singapore. The terminal is connected to the Harbourfront MRT, so it’s easy to get to by public transport.

Ferries from Tanah Merah to Batam are useful if you are based in the east of Singapore or if you are coming directly from Changi Airport.

When booking a ferry to Batam, make sure you know what port you want to go to. There are five ports in Batam that receive ferries from Singapore. This list gives a brief description of each port to help decide which port to go to.

[List of Batam ferry operators at HarbourFront in Singapore.]

HarbourFront – Batam Centre

Batam Centre is the administrative area of Batam, with government offices based here.

HarbourFront – Batam Centre: BatamFast Ferry
HarbourFront – Batam Centre: Majestic Fast Ferry
HarbourFront – Batam Centre: Sindo Ferry

Compare tickets and times at 12Go

Search for hotels in Batam Centre

HarbourFront – Harbour Bay

Harbour Bay is near Lubuk Baja, which is better known as Nagoya (named after the Japanese who were working on infrastructure projects in Batam in the 1970s). The Nagoya area is the best area to stay in Batam, so you are coming to Batam just to check it out, then get the ferry to Harbour Bay.

HarbourFront – Harbour Bay: Horizon Fast Ferry

Check tickets at 12Go

Search for hotels in the Nagoya area of Batam

HarbourFront – Sekupang

Sekupang port is useful to get ferries to other destinations in the Riau Islands.

HarbourFront – Sekupang: BatamFast Ferry
HarbourFront – Sekupang: Majestic Fast Ferry
HarbourFront – Sekupang: Sindo Ferry

Compare tickets and times at 12Go

HarbourFront – Teluk Senimba

Teluk Senimba is the port of the Waterfront City development. There is not much here yet, and the ferry operator doesn’t appear to have a website.

HarbourFront – Teluk Senimba: Indo Falcon.

Tanah Merah – Batam Centre

Tanah Merah – Batam Centre: BatamFast Ferry
Tanah Merah – Batam Centre: Majestic Fast Ferry
Tanah Merah – Batam Centre: Sindo Ferry

Compare tickets and times at 12Go

Tanah Merah – Nongsapura

Nongsapura is in the northeast of Batam. The area includes some resorts and Raja Golf Palm Springs.

Tanah Merah – Nongsapura: BatamFast Ferry.

Search for Hotels near Nongsa Pura Ferry Terminal

Singapore – Bintan

Ferries from Singapore to Bintan depart from Tanah Merah in the east of Singapore. You can get the MRT to Tanah Merah, then take bus 35 towards Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. There is also a shuttle bus from Changi Airport.

Tanah Merah – Tanjung Pinang

Tanjung Pinang is the main port city of Bintan and it’s the capital of Riau Islands Province. Tanjung Pinang has ferry services to other ports of the Riau Islands, and it’s the closest port to the resorts on the east coast of Bintan.

Tanah Merah – Tanjung Pinang: Majestic Fast Ferry
Tanah Merah – Tanjung Pinang: Sindo Ferry

Compare tickets and times at 12Go

Search for hotels in Tanjung Pinang

Tanah Merah – Teluk Sebong

Teluk Sebong (also referred to as Bandar Bentan Telani Terminal) serves the resorts on the northwest coast of Bintan.

Tanah Merah – Teluk Sebong Bintan Resort Ferries

Check ticket prices at 12Go

Search for hotels and resorts on Bintan Island

Singapore – Karimun Besar

Karimun Besar is the largest island of Karimun regency in Riau Islands province.

Harbourfront – Tanjung Balai

HarbourFront – Tanjung Balai Sindo Ferry (check on 12Go)

Singapore – Sumatra

There are no direct ferries from Singapore to Sumatra.

How to go from Singapore to Sumatra by ferry

Sekupang port had ferries to Sumatra, though there aren’t any recent updates from the ferry operators. There are old reports of ferry services from Sekupang to Dumai (Sumatra) with Batam Jet and Dumai Express.

Singapore – Java

How to go from Singapore to Jakarta by ferry

There is no direct ferry service from Singapore to Jakarta, but there is a Pelni ferry from Batam to Jakarta. With some preplanning you can go from Singapore to Batam to Jakarta by ferry.

Pelni is the national cargo and passenger shipping company of Indonesia. Pelni ship KM.KELUD departs Batam on Wednesdays at 16:00 and arrives at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta the next day at 22:00 (1 day and 6 hours travel time). Check with the website to confirm if the ship is sailing or if there are other days added.

I did a test booking in English and I could find economy and cabin tickets. There is also a Pelni office in Batam if the website isn’t accepting your payment.

[Pelni booking site showing class options for Batam – Jakarta ferry.]

The return leg comes back to Batam and continues to Belawan Port in Medan (North Sumatra).

Google Maps is showing Sekupang as the port for the ferry to Tanjung Priok, but the ferry departs from Batu Ampar. The closest port to Batu Ampar is Harbour Bay, so you will need to get a taxi between ports.

Here is a trip report of an overlander who went economy in a bunk bed, and here is a trip report in a private cabin.

Check ferry times

All ferry times are on the Singapore Cruise Centre website (the ferry terminal operator of Singapore). Keep track of ferry departure and arrival with live updates.

Check schedule for Ferries.

How to buy ferry tickets

Ferry tickets can be bought online or at the ferry terminal. Every ferry operator has their own sales counter, so you need to know which ferry operator and port you are going to.

The first time I went to Batam I didn’t know where to go, so I picked Batam Centre because of its name. This port is further away from the Nagoya area, though taxis are not too expensive.

On my next trip to Batam I went to Harbour Bay, and the ticket agent asked if I was sure I wanted to go to Harbour Bay.

[Ticket counter for Horizon Fast Ferry at HarbourFront Singapore.]

I travelled midweek during the day, so there was no problem to turn up and book a seat. I would have booked in advance if it was the weekend or closer to peak hour travel.

[Seats on Horizon Fast Ferry.]

Another thing to consider is that I couldn’t use my Visa or Mastercard (they wanted a local NET card). I had already spent my Singapore Dollars so I had to go to an ATM (and incur a withdrawal fee) to pay for the ticket in cash. If I had of known this I would have booked online.

I have listed all the ferry websites where you can book directly, and you can also compare tickets with 12Go. Search in SGD to compare prices.

I was surprised with how expensive the tickets were considering how many ferry operators there are. It turns out that the ferry operators have a history of anti-competitive behavior, and they are once again being called out for possible price-fixing.

[Nomadic Notes is an affiliate of 12Go and Agoda.]

The Singapore Rail Corridor (formerly the Green Corridor) is a walking path and nature reserve along the old Singapore railway line. This is a guide for walking the Rail Corridor, including where to see the best sections.

Index

About the old Singapore railway
Singapore Rail Corridor map
Walking the Singapore Rail Corridor
North
Central
South
News and future updates

About the old Singapore railway

Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were once connected by a direct railway, which ran from Tanjong Pagar near Downtown Singapore to Kuala Lumpur Station. The railway was closed in 2011, and the service was replaced with a cross-border shuttle service.

[Tanjong Pagar railway station.]

While there once was a railway in Singapore, it was never Singapore’s railway. The land and tracks were owned by Malaysian Railways KTM, and Malaysia had partial sovereignty over this land (which was a sticking point for Singapore). After a land-swap deal the railway reserve was returned as Singapore land.

There is a plan for a new high-speed railway that will connect KL to Singapore, but the terminal station will be in Jurong East. Thus the 24km railway reserve that runs north to south across the country will never again be used as a railway.

Personally I would have preferred to still have a railway station closer to the city centre, but at least Singapore have made good use of the land. The rail corridor is now a national park, and it has become one of the world’s most iconic urban nature walks.

Singapore Rail Corridor map

This is a map of the Rail Corridor, and it includes the most convenient MRT stations and other nearby landmarks.

[Map of Singapore Rail Corridor]

Walking the Singapore Rail Corridor

In 2023 the northern section of the Rail Corridor from Kranji MRT station to Hillview MRT station opened. This new section now allows visitors to walk almost the entire length of the old railway corridor.

I have walked different sections of the rail corridor before, but I wanted to walk the entire length as a challenge. I reserved a day to walk the length of the rail corridor.

The corridor is divided into three sections: North, Central, and South. This guide breaks down the highlights of each section.

North

The most logical direction to walk is from North to South. I got the metro to Kranji MRT station to began my walk. There is a path opposite the station but I missed that and I started at the entrance near the big Woodlands Road Interchange.

[North entrance of Rail Corridor.]

I didn’t really prepare for this walk apart from slathering up with sunscreen and buying a big bottle of water at the supermarket at Kranji MRT. If there was one thing I would have done differently, I would have started walking at 7.30 am instead of 9.30 am. It took an hour by metro to go from Central Singapore to Kranji, so include that travel time in your planning.

I estimated that it would take me about 5 hours to walk the corridor, which turned out to be accurate. It took me 5 and a half hours, with a 30 minute lunch break and a couple of toilet breaks. It’s a long walk if you are not used to the heat, so you can always bail out to a nearby MRT if you can’t continue.

The path itself is a nice walking track that varies from compacted gravel, concrete, and paved road. You will not be jumping over old sleepers or railways (apart from a few sections later on).

If walking isn’t your thing, you can also cycle the corridor. I’m not sure how they police the speed limit.

The website says that it is a 24 km track, but where I started at Kranji it said it was 21 km from the end. The 24 km appeared to refer to Woodlands at the very end, which was not open for walking.

[20.8 km to Tanjong Pagar.]

I appreciated that there were so many distance posts along the way. It helped me push on, and it stopped me looking at my phone so much to check the map.

[19.9 km mark – under 20 kilometres to go!]

The walking path is connected to other parks and points of interests along the way. I was tempted to stray off the path on these side quests, but every diversion would be more metres that would add to the days walking budget.

[To Kranji War Memorial.]

There are plenty of entry/exit points if you want to start or finish at another point.

[HBD Choa Chu Kang.]

The main drawback of the northern section is that there are some roads that interrupt the walking path. I didn’t fully appreciate how nice it was to walk uninterrupted until I walked the entire length.

[First road crossing at Sungei Kadut Ave.]

They are not big roads but they still break up the walking rhythm.

[Road crossing at Stagmont Ring.]

The road crossing at Choa Chu Kang Rd is near Junction 10 Mall. I’ve marked this on the map as a good place for an air-conditioned toilet break that’s not too far off course.

The last road crossing is at Gombak Drive. The government is continually upgrading this path, so I suspect that eventually it will be a continual path with no road crossings.

[Rail Corridor at Gombak Dr.]

There may still be some parts of the path that are diverted due to infrastructure work, and these disruptions are mentioned on the offical website.

Central

The Central section of the corridor begins near Hillview MRT. The Central section has the most interesting sites of the corridor, so I would start here if you don’t want to do the entire walk.

Hillview MRT is near the Hillview Bridge

From the Hillview Bridge it’s another 13.6 km to the end of the walk at Tanjong Pagar.

[Singapore Rail Corridor 13.6 km marker]

The Central section uncludes the Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge.

[Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge.]

This is an original rail bridge, and it’s one of the few places where the railway has been left on the track.

[Metre gauge railway track.]

No danger of oncoming trains here.

Near the Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge the The Rail Mall shopping strip. There are some cafes here if you want a break.

[Starbucks at The Rail Mall.]

For my metrically-challenged friends, you can take a break at the 9 Mile Platform.

[9 Mile Platform on the Rail Corridor.]

After walking parts of the northern sections that had no tree coverage, some of the central section is a lush tropical jungle.

I was also impressed with the clean water tricking along the path.

There are signs that warn about wild boars, but I didn’t see any. I saw plenty of big lizards, and I imagined that I heard a thousand snakes. There is also plenty of birdlife, which were too swift to be captured by my phone camera.

The thought of snakes kept me walking briskly through this jungle section, though I stopped to smell these giant flowers.

There is another railway bridge at the Hindhede Crossing.

[Old KTM Railway Bridge Hindhede Crossing.]

I was nearly tempted off course by the Rifle Range Nature Park, but this will have to be incorporated into a another walk.

I saw more walkers along this section than anywhere else. I also saw some cyclists on bikeshare bikes, and I was wondering if there were any nearby.

On some stretches of walking path I would remind myself that a train used to go through here.

[Singapore Rail Corridor along Rifle Range Rd.]

Another great remnant of the railway is the Bukit Timar Truss Bridge.

[Bukit Timar Truss Bridge.]

Near the bridge is the Bukit Timah Yard Shelter.

[Bukit Timah Yard Shelter.]

There is a toilet block here and a water fountain with chilled drinking water (you can drink from the tap in Singapore), so this is a good spot to resupply water.

This rest station is next to the Bukit Timar Railway Station. The old station and the tracks have been preserved here.

Bukit Timar marks the halfway point of the old railway. It was at this point, midway in the island, that trains could pass each other.

If you are walking the entire length then you are about halfway there. This is the most interesting historical relic of the railway, so take a break here if you want to see some rail sites.

Bukit Timar Station is near King Albert Park MRT Station on the Downtown Line. If you are pressed for time (or if walking for 5 hours in tropical heat doesn’t sound like a fun day out), then I would just walk the section from Hillview MRT to King Albert Park MRT.

South

After leaving Bukit Timar Station the metre markers are into the single digit kilometres and you are now in the southern section of the corridor,

[Singapore Rail Corridor 9.78 km point.]

I saw this new rest stop that had no cover, and it occured to me that there were few places along the walk where you could take cover. It was midday by now and this stop didn’t look appealing. I was lucky in that it didn’t rain on the day of my walk.

The most urbanised section is at Buona Vista. There is a new office park near the path, and new trees have been planted. I was thinking that this would be a nice place to work. I was then concerned that these fantasies of working were being induced by heat stroke, so I pushed on to complete the walk.

This section at Buona Vista had the most sensible rest stop on the path, so hopefully there are more stops like this added in the future.

Buona Vista is the last opportunity to get an MRT, in case you are feeling like you’ve had enough walking.

One of my favourite buildings in Singapore is The Interlace. This can be seen from the corridor around the 3.9 km mark.

[The Interlace viewed from the Rail Corridor.]

If you are going ot take a detour at any point, I would recommend exiting at Alexandra Road to continue along the Southern Ridges Walk.

[Singapore Rail Corridor Alexandra Road exit.]

Some sections of the last few kilometres loses its canopy cover. It was around here that I was regretting starting at 9.30 and not 7.30.

I noticed a lot of wild chickens on this walk, and I saw wild chickens in urban areas as well. Perhaps someone had kept domestic chickens years ago, and these are the descendants of chickens that escaped from the coop.

Another landmark that’s visible from the corridor is Avenue South Residence. These twin towers are the world’s tallest prefabricated skyscrapers.

Near the end of the corridor is the KTM Railway building.

At the end of the corridor is the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

There is currently construction around Tanjong Pagar Railway Station so it’s not possible to end this epic walk by walking into the station. Cantonment MRT Station (CC31) on the Circle Line (CCL) Stage 6 is being built under Tanjong Pagar.

[Cantonment MRT Station under Tanjong Pagar.]

Once this is finished, the Rail Corridor will have an MRT station at the end of the walk. For now, the closest MRT station is at Tanjong Pagar on the East-West Line.

If you still want to travel by train between the two cities here is my guide on how to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by train.

News and future updates

Rail Corridor’s Buona Vista node now open; ideas sought for former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station – [22/04/24]
“Users of the Rail Corridor can now enjoy facilities such as fitness areas, a playground and an open lawn at a community node in Buona Vista.”

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to undergo restoration, completion expected by 2026 – [29/08/22]

Old Singapore railway line to become new park – [16/02/16]
“Named the Rail Corridor, the new park would stretch across almost the entire length of Singapore. It would be one of the world’s largest linear greenways.”

[Image by nikken.jp.]

This guide on where to stay in Singapore lists the best areas for visitors in the central area of Singapore. This includes all accommodation types, from the cheapest guesthouse room to the famous five-star hotels and resorts.

The city-state of Singapore is the most modern country in Southeast Asia. While it sometimes feels like a western city, its Malay, Chinese, and Indian heritage makes it a cosmopolitan Asian city.

If you’ve been travelling in the region then Singapore will be a shock to the system when it comes to accommodation prices. There are neighbourhoods that offer cheaper accommodation, and the excellent metro systems means you are never far from anywhere.

I live and work in Southeast Asia, and I am a frequent visitor to Singapore. I love walking around Singapore and exploring the neighbourhoods, and I have good feel the main places where visitors stay.

If you are a visitor it’s best to stay in the historic central area to make the most of your time. I have put together this Where to Stay list of the best areas to stay in Singapore.

Where to stay in Singapore guide

Map of Singapore hotels
Best areas to stay in Singapore
Chinatown (Best area to stay in the CBD area)
Tanjong Pagar (Upmarket heritage district in CBD )
Central Business District (Business and finance hub)
Marina Bay (Stay at that hotel with the iconic rooftop infinity pool)
Singapore River (Nightlife along the Quays)
Civic District (Historic colonial area of Singapore)
Bras Basah Bugis (Central location with accommodation for all budgets)
Orchard Road (Famous shopping street)
Kampong Glam (Trendy lanes in the old Muslim quarter)
Lavender/Jalan Besar (Cook inner city residential area)
Little India (Vibrant cultural area with more budget options)
Other areas to stay in Singapore
Geylang (Residential area with cheaper hotels)
Sentosa (Island with resort and theme park hotels)
Changi Airport (Layover at the best airport in the world)

Map of Singapore hotels

Map of the best areas to stay in Singapore.

[View where to stay in Singapore map.]

This map shows areas mentioned in this article. The outlined areas are not official boundaries.

Best areas to stay in Singapore

Best areas to stay in Singapore are within the Central Area of Singapore. There is no single best area, so this list goes though the merits of each area, starting from the CBD and working its way north.

Chinatown

Chinatown is where the original community of Chinese immigrants settled in Singapore, though like most Chinatowns nowadays, it’s not exclusively Chinese. The area is filled with Chinese stores, markets, temples, and great places to eat for all budgets.

Chinatown is within the Central Business District of Singapore, but the historic shophouses have kept this area low-rise compared to the rest of the CBD. There is a variety of accommodation options, from hostels to 5-star luxury hotels. The top Singapore attractions can be easily reached from Chinatown.

With good public transport and a wide range of food options, Chinatown is one of the best areas to stay in Singapore.

Budget (1-2 Stars)

There are no cheap guesthouses like in Malaysia, and no backpacker areas like Khao San Rd in Bangkok or Pham Ngu Lau in Saigon. For backpackers, this will mean it’s back to hostel dorms.

Chinatown hostels and budget hotels aren’t as cheap compared to other parts of Singapore (such as in Little India or Bugis), as you are paying the premium of the inner city location. If you prefer location over price then here are some budget options.

The Bohemian is a hostel that offers tradition bunk beds and capsule-style beds.

Royal Hostel Singapore

Mid-range (3-4 Stars)

Bliss Hotel Singapore is a 3-star hotel in the thick of the action on Upper Cross Street.

The Keong Saik Hotel is a 3-star hotel near Duxton Plain Park.

Search for hotels in Chinatown.

Tanjong Pagar

Tanjong Pagar is a district in the Central Business District, below Chinatown. Some maps show the two historic neighbourhoods overlapping, so the Chinatown name is sometimes used in parts of Tanjong Pagar. Both of these areas are distinct from the rest of the CBD for the amount of preserved shophouses.

Tanjong Pagar was the location of the terminal railway station (Tanjong Pagar Railway Station). While the railway line has closed down, the station and surrounding area is being redeveloped.

Tanjong Pagar is a more upmarket version of Chinatown, with cool cafes and trendy restaurants. Hotels here are in the upper end of the scale.

Duxton Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection is a 5-star hotel in a row of restored shophouses.

Tanjong Pagar is where you can see old and new Singapore merging together. One of the most exceptional modern buildings is Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore by Far East Hospitality. This hotel stands out among the grey and blue glass towers with its red facade covered in a vertical garden.

Nearby is the 5-star Carlton City Hotel Singapore.

Central Business District

The Central Business District (CBD) is Singapore’s business and financial hub. It’s also referred to as the downtown area, though defining a boundary is difficult as there are different definitions.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority defines the Downtown Core Planning Area as the CBD, City Hall, Bugis, Marina Centre, and Nicoll zones. Part of the CBD is also in the Marina Bay development area, but this is not a helpful definition for visitors.

To keep it simple, the CBD area refers to the area below the Singapore River and surrounding the Chinatown area. Raffles Place is the central point of the CBD.

The CBD of the Marina Bay development area is to the east of Chinatown. This area is dominated by big boxy business buildings, so I have not highlighted that area on the map.

Needless to say, the CBD is the preserve of the 4-5 star international hotel chains, so you won’t find any budget hotels here. This area is best if you are doing business in Singapore or if you have a favourite hotel group that you are loyal to (or burning credit card award points).

In the area between the river and Chinatown is the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, Singapore. This hotel is on an entire city block and has integrated sky gardens in the property. The hotel is dubbed ‘Singapore’s most awarded sustainable hotel’, and upholds Singapore’s stature as the garden city.

Also between river and Chinatown is The Clan Hotel Singapore by Far East Hospitality. This was listed as one of New York Times 10 new standout hotels in Asia.

Marina Bay

[This is where people stand and dream of staying at the Marina Bay Sands.]

Marina Bay is the basin of the Singapore River and is where the Merlion fountain can be found spraying water that tourists pretend to drink from.

Marina Bay includes part of the CBD on what is mostly reclaimed land. With the opening of the Gardens by the Bay and a metro station, this area has shifted the centre of gravity of the city. For the purpose of defining where to stay, the best area of Marina Bay is surrounding the bay. The section in the CBD is mainly office towers and luxury residential apartments.

Being a redevelopment project in a prime location, the hotels here are at the high end of the market. I have read some “where to stay in Singapore” guides that that claim that Marina Bay as the best place to stay for for first-timers. It’s not, but it’s an area to consider if you want a luxury hotel with great views of the city.

Marina Bay Sands is the most recognisable hotel in Singapore with its giant swimming pool straddled across its three towers overlooking the bay.

The world’s largest rooftop pool stretches 150 metres across Sands SkyPark, and it might also be world’s most famous Infinity Pool. The pool is only accessible by hotel guests, just in case you were thinking of sneaking a pool selfie for the ‘gram.

This landmark hotel was a fitting location for the movie Crazy Rich Asians. If you want to splurge on a memorable stay then this is the place to do it. Here is my review of the Marina Bay Sands.

For views of the Singapore skyline – including the Marina Bay Sands – the best-rated hotel is the The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

On the old side of the bay is Collyer Quay. Along here is The Fullerton Bay Hotel. This hotel has assimilated the historic Customs House and Clifford Pier into its architectural fabric. The Art-Deco style concrete arch trusses of Clifford Pier have be retained in the design.

Search for hotels in Marina Bay.

Singapore River

North of Chinatown is the Singapore River. Starting near the mouth of the Singapore River is the Fullerton Hotel Singapore. This city landmark is a five-star luxury hotel that occupies the former General Post Office Building.

[Check rates for The Fullerton Hotel Singapore.]

Boat Quay is is on the southern bank, between the Fullerton Hotel and the Elgin Bridge. There are many bars and clubs along Boat Quay, making it a popular area for visitors looking for nightlife. This area still has a surprising amount of budget accommodation considering its prime location on the river. The historic shophouses have acted as a bulwark against multinational hotel groups, who would have demolished this area long area given the chance.

BEAT. Capsule Hostel @ Boat Quay

Upstream from the Elgin Bridge is Clarke Quay. This area includes the Clarke Quay Mall shopping centre. The main hotel here is the 5-star Paradox Singapore Merchant Court at Clarke Quay. On the north side of the river are more bars and clubs.

Search for hotels near Clarke Quay.

[Clarke Quay, Singapore.]

Further upstream is Robertson Quay. A notable hotel here is The Warehouse Hotel, which is a converted 19th-century spice warehouse on the Singapore River.

Civic District

The Civic District is the historic centre of Singapore on the north side of the Singapore River. This is where Stamford Raffles landed to claim the colony, thus it’s also referred to as the Colonial District.

This area has many civic buildings that have been converted into museums and art galleries. These include the National Gallery Singapore (in the Old Supreme Court Building and former City Hall), National Museum of Singapore (the former Raffles Library and Museum), The Arts House (in the former Parliament House), the and Asian Civilisations Museum (the former Empress Place Building).

Opposite the National Gallery Singapore is the Padang, which is a big open field (literally “field” in Malay). This is the home of the Singapore Cricket Club. This area is green and spacious, and at times it’s hard to believe that an area so quiet is the city centre.

There are mainly high-end hotels around here, with the majority of them being around the City Hall MRT area.

The most famous hotel in Singapore is the Raffles Hotel.

[Raffles Singapore.]

Raffles Singapore is a colonial-era luxury hotel that was opened in 1887 by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers. The hotel is named after the founder of Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles,

“The Raffles” has become a byword for staying somewhere luxurious. The Grand Old Lady of Singapore re-opened in August 2019 after a two-year renovation.

Even if you’re not staying there, you can still visit the Long Bar to have a Singapore Sling, which is where the famous cocktail was invented. Note that no one in Singapore actually drinks this, but don’t let that stop you from fulfilling your bucketlist duties

Bras Basah Bugis

Bras Basah and Bugis are neighbourhoods in central Singapore to the north of the Civic District. These neighbourhoods are referred to as the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct, and i’s known as the arts and heritage district. Bras Basah is home to many museums and art galleries, while Bugis is better known for shopping.

[Map by Welcome to Bras Basah.Bugis.]

Bras Basah Bugis is one of the best all-around areas to stay as it has accommodation types for all budgets, good transport, and ideally-located to be able to walk around Central Singapore.

I like staying in Bugis because it’s on the East-West MRT Line that goes to the airport.

Bluewaters Pods @ Bugis is a hostel that offers pod-style bedding, which gives a bit more privacy than a standard bunk bed.

Many hostels in Singapore have adopted the “pod style” of bedding, where your bed is either in a capsule (Japanese style) or has little walls and curtains around the bed for privacy.

South East Asia Hotel is a 2-star budget hotel that has the vibes of an old-school Southeast Asia guesthouse. The furnishings are decades old but it’s kept in good condition.

Hotel NuVe Heritage is a 4-star boutique hotel in a street that has become well known for its food. Here is my review of the Hotel NuVe Heritage.

Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen Hotel is a 3-star hotel from the reliable Ibis brand.

Hotel G Singapore is a 4-star “lifestyle hotel” from the popular Hotels G group.

In 2018 another architectural landmark was added to the Singapore skyline with the addition of DUO, by German architect, Ole Scheeren. These pair of concave skyscrapers are clad in a latticework of hexagonal windows, and one of the towers is home to Andaz Singapore – A Concept by Hyatt. This is the first Andaz hotel in Southeast Asia, where each hotel is one of a kind. DUO is connected via underground pedestrian walkways to Bugis MRT station.

[Check rates for Andaz Singapore – A Concept by Hyatt.]

InterContinental Singapore is on the same block of the Bugis Junction Mall and Bugis MRT Station.

Search for hotels near Bugis.

Orchard Road

Orchard Road is the premier shopping street of Singapore. It used to be more famous internationally as a shopping street before the age of globalisation. It was known as a place to go for cheap shopping. Now that the same shops are everywhere it lost some of its competitive advantage.

In recent years there’s been a redevelopment arms race, where each mall seeks to outdo the other in brashness. And unlike the malls of the US, UK, and Australia, the malls are actually good places to eat.

Most of the hotels here are high-end hotels, with the few mid-range hotels getting average reviews. The big-name hotels along Orchard Road have been keeping up with the times with rebranding and renovations.

Mid-range (3-4 Stars)

I stayed at the JEN Singapore Orchardgateway by Shangri-La (formerly Traders Hotel Singapore), which is the mid-range hotel brand of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

[Check rates for JEN Singapore Orchardgateway.]

At the far end of Orchard Road is the Orchard Rendezvous Hotel by Far East Hospitality.

Luxury (5 Stars)

Pan Pacific Orchard opened in June 2023, adding another incredible garden tower to the city. This distinctive tower designed by WOHA Architects features Sky Terraces surrounded by gardens.

[Cheack rates for Pan Pacific Orchard.]

Hilton Singapore Orchard (formerly the Mandarin Orchard Singapore) is an icon of Orchard Road and it’s the largest Hilton Hotel in Asia.

[Check rates for Hilton Singapore Orchard.]

At the end of Orchard Road on Orange Grove Rd is the Shangri-La Singapore. This luxury hotel is set among a tropical garden on a resort-sized block of land. Read my Shangri-La Hotel review.

[Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore.]

Kampong Glam

[Bussorah Street and Sultan Mosque.]

Above Bugis on the other side of the Rochor Canal is the Kampong Glam area. This is where Arab and other Muslim traders set up shop, with street names such as Haji Lane, Baghdad St, and Arab St. There is also the photogenic Bussorah Street and Sultan Mosque. The neighbourhood is now one of the trendiest in Singapore.

Search for hotels near Kampong Glam.

Budget (1-2 Stars)

Cube Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Kampong Glam is a good example of how Singapore has embraced the capsule model for their hostels.

[Check rates for Cube Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Kampong Glam.]

Mid-range (3-4 Stars)

Hotel NuVe is a 3-star hotel in a well-preserved heritage street (my full review here).

[Check rates for Hotel NuVe.]

PARKROYAL on Beach Road, Singapore is on the edge of the Kampong Glam area.

Lavender/Jalan Besar

Lavender is a subzone that includes parts of Kampong Glam and Little India. For the purposes of defining a neighbourhood, Lavender refers to the area between the distinct neighbourhoods of Little India and Kampong Glam. This area is also called Jalan Besar, named after the main street that goes through the area. The two neighbourhood names appear to be interchangeable, as I have found Singaporean bloggers switching between Lavender and Jalan Besar.

I have stayed in Lavender/Jalan Besar a few times and I have found it to be an underrated place to stay compared to its better-known neighbours of Kampong Glam and Little India. There are still many historic shophouses here, lots of cheap places to eat, and cool cafes tucked away in side streets. There are less tourist crowds here, and there is a good selection of accommodation for all budgets.

I stayed at Hotel Snow Lavender (2-star). I had a tiny room, but suitable if you just want a private room. Here is my review of Hotel Snow Lavender.

Hotel NuVe Urbane is a boutique 4-star hotel in the Lavender area (my full review here).

[Check rates for Hotel NuVe Urbane.]

V Hotel Lavender (4-star)

The Vagabond Club, Singapore, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is a boutique hotel by the world renowned French designer Jacques Garcia.

Little India

[Colourful shophouses in Little India, Singapore.]

Little India is where most of the original Indian migrants (mostly from South India) made their home. Today it still retains its sub-continental flavour with Hindu temples, markets, and lots of cheap places to eat. It’s a popular spot for backpackers and there are some good mid-range options here.

Search for hotels in Little India

Budget

I have stayed at Ali’s Nest, which is the possibly the cheapest guest house in Singapore.

Other than that, the cheapest places are going to be hostels such as the 7 Wonders Hostel @Upper Dickson.

Bunc Hostel is ideally situated next to a metro station. Read my review of Bunc Hostel.

[Check rates for Bunc Hostel.]

Mid-range

Some of the cheapest hotels with private hotels in Singapore can be in Little India. Just lower your expectations as many of the hotels are showing thier age and have tiny rooms.

The Noble Hotel (3-star) and The Daulat Hotel (4-star).

Luxury

At the northern end of Little India is One Farrer Hotel and Spa. This hotel has the advantage of being next to Farrer Park MRT.

[Check rates for One Farrer Hotel and Spa.]

Other areas to stay in Singapore

I have listed the best areas to stay if if you are a new visitor. There are of course other areas to stay, so I list them here and explain why you may or may not want to stay here.

Geylang

An emerging neighbourhood that is worth considering for budget hotels is Geylang. I say emerging because this area that was better known for being the red-light district has been (for better or worse) cleaned up, and it’s now seeing new hotels. With its location close to central Singapore and a good stock of heritage buildings, it was only a matter of time before it became desirable as a place to stay.

I have stayed here a few times, mainly when I have booked a trip at the last minute and couldn’t find a reasonable price in the city area. You will have a better chance of finding a cheap private room in Geylang. The main drawback is that some of the hotels are a 10-15 minute walk from the closest MRT station (Aljunied).

When doing a hotel search you will see hotels from Singapore’s largest budget hotel chain, Hotel 81. This hotel group was inspired the salaryman hotels in Japan.

ibis (the economy hotel chain by Accor) have seen the opportunity in Geylang and have opened hotels here as well.

This area is worthy of consideration if you are a repeat visitor and want a cheap private room. If you are new, then stay closer to the city.

CapsulePod@Aljunied is the nearest accommodation to Aljunied station.

The bulk of the budget hotels are below Geylang Road. There are ibis budget and Hotel 81 hotels scattered throughout the streets between Lorong 4 and Lorong 22. The area associated with the red light district of Singapore is between Lorong 24 and Lorong 30. Local media reports that this area is not what it used to be.

Budget hotels in Geylang include:
Hotel 81 Orchid
Hotel 81 Palace
ibis budget Singapore Pearl
ibis budget Singapore Ruby
Search for more hotels near Geylang.

Sentosa

Sentosa is an island off the island of Singapore. I don’t recommend it if it’s your first time in Singapore, but I list it here for reference. Getting to the island requires getting the MRT to Harbourfront and then getting the resort monorail at VivoCity Station. This is a private monorail that doesn’t interchange with the MRT, so it’s a bit time-consuming if you want to spend most of your time exploring the city.

Sentosa is home to Resorts World Sentosa, which is an integrated resort that includes Universal Studios Singapore theme park (the first in Southeast Asia), Adventure Cove Waterpark, the S.E.A. Aquarium (the world’s second largest oceanarium), and the other casino in Singapore (after Marina Bay).

Sentosa is a popular staycation destination for Singaporeans, and it’s a good option if you have kids in tow and you don’t feel like sweating it out in the city. There are hotels and villas that are connected to Resorts World Sentosa. You might also consider Sentosa if you are on a stopover in Singapore for the umpteenth time and you just want to relax by a resort pool in between flights.

Best Sentosa Hotels:
[5 Star] Hard Rock Hotel Singapore
[5 Star] W Singapore – Sentosa Cove
[5 Star] Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, Singapore

Check out more hotels in Sentosa here.

Changi Airport

As one of the biggest airports in the region, the chances are you might just be passing through without time to stay. Changi Airport is consistently awarded as one of the best in the world, so if you have to do an overnighter at an airport then you could do worse than Changi. Here is a review of one time I stayed overnight at SIN. I didn’t get any sleep but it was an enjoyable stay at the airport.

[A lounge chair with alarm clock at Singapore Changi Airport.]

Ambassador Transit Lounge Terminal 2 has nap rooms on the airside if you are not clearing immigration.

Even if you are not going into the city, you should definitely clear immigration (passport permitting) to have a look at the spectacle that is Jewel Changi Airport. Exiting and entering immigration at Changi is quick so there is no stress in going landside if you have enough time between flights.

If you have a longer stopover but not long enough to stay in the city, there is the YOTELAIR Singapore Changi inside Jewel,

For a more luxurious stay, the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport has been voted as the best airport hotel in the world.

[Crowne Plaza Changi Airport.]

This where to stay in Singapore guide is part of the Nomadic Notes Where To Stay series.

In March 2019 Singapore Changi was crowned the best airport in the world for the seventh year in a row. That was just before Jewel Changi Airport opened. After previewing this architectural marvel I can’t see how any other airport is going to take this title in the foreseeable future.

Jewel Changi is a mixed use development that sits inside the U-shape of the terminal buildings, making use of this previously underutilised space. Singapore have become masters of making use of limited space, and this is an example that is on display as soon as you arrive.

I’ve been following the progress of this development since it began construction in December 2014. In addition to this travel blog I also write about infrastructure in Asia. When the preview week was announced I scheduled my travels to visit.

I planned my trip to be able to visit the Jewel before my flight out. As you can see on the illustration there are three entrances to the Jewel. Seeing it was my first visit and I had time on my hands, I figured I should enter via the main entrance at Terminal 1.

Ever since I saw the first render of this building I’ve tried to contain my expectations. It looked other-worldly on paper, but often renders don’t match reality. When I turned the corner and saw the dome for the first time I gasped a little. It’s every bit as good as it promised.

The centrepiece of the Jewel is the waterfall that falls from the ceiling of the dome. Officially known as the HSBC Rain Vortex, at 40 metres high it’s the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.

I spent the first hour of my visit just wandering around looking for the best viewing points. I thought the waterfall might only be turned on intermittently, but it’s on 24 hours a day. So if you have a horrible overnight connection you can at least admire this beautiful creation.

On the east side is the Shiseido Forest Valley East Trail. What a great way to stretch your legs between long flights by having a walk up this “hill” along this “stream”.

At some view points it looks like a dense jungle. The place was crowded and yet I got this photo with no people in it.

I imagined this is what life on Mars will be like, with colonising humans living under geodesic domes. Or maybe this will be the future city living. Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, stated that air conditioning was one of the most important inventions, so this climate-controlled paradise is a logical progression for the Singapore wonder-state.

there is so much greenery in here that went beyond the resources of the average gardening shop. There are over 2,000 trees and palms, and over 100,000 shrubs that were imported over three years. If you want to see more gardens like this, also check out the Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay.

As well as the flora being meticulously thought out, the climate inside the dome would have had to be considered. It can’t be freezing cold like so many shopping malls are. Instead it felt like a cool breeze after a morning rain in a tropical rainforest. Comfortable without being humid.

At the top there is a canopy bridge giving another overview of this indoor forest.

A view of the control tower is a little reminder that you are at the airport. The dome couldn’t be built higher than the tower, so that was a consideration in the design.

At the top level there are various activities to appeal for kids (and big kids). These Sky Nets look like a good place to let your kids run loose after being on a 14 hour flight.

There is also a mirror maze, a hedge maze, and other various activities for children. Here are the “Foggy Bowls”, which seems to be some sort of trap to lure Instagrammers.

The official Changi website has a guide to Instagram-worthy locations at Jewel Changi Airport, so it’s no surprise that this is so Instagram-friendly.

As it was preview week when I went it’s not possible to judge what is a normal crowd yet. During the preview week 500,000 free tickets were issued for visitors, with a three hour time frame for each visit. With a population of over 5.5 million, that’s about a 1/10th of the population of Singapore. Expect more crowds for the rest of the year while curious Singaporeans come and visit their new crown jewel.

Despite the crowds there’s always a way to find room for a selfie.

Food and shopping at Jewel

The forest valley looks so big that it’s hard to believe there is enough space for a mall. The site plan by Safdie Architects gives you an idea of how the space is used.

The mall section forms a ring around the dome, so you eventually end where you started.

The Jewel functions as a stand alone mall that non-travellers would come to visit. Apart from a few signs pointing to the airport there is is no hint that it is part of the airport.

I didn’t think much of the shopping, though I am the wrong person to ask in that regard. One thing that grabbed my attention was this currency exchange machine that offered proper exchange rates. I saw a similar exchange machine at an airport in the UK by a company-I-won’t-name that is famous for terrible exchange rates.

Where the Jewel excels is in the food department. Not surprising given that Singapore is famous for its food. Even at the airport the food is better than any airport I’ve ever been to.

My flight was at 15.30 so I figured I would have lunch here and make a day of it. I was impressed by the diversity of food options here, with so many choices beyond what you would expect at a mall. Starting with the cheapest there are Singaporean kopi tiams serving the classic local breakfast of kaya toast and half-boiled eggs with kopi.

There is a Tim Ho Wan, who seems to be everywhere now.

A Michelin award-winning ramen bar from Japan.

Putien Duotou Clam is a restaurant serving Fujian-style clams, and they were doing a roaring trade when I walked by later.

American-style breakfast by Eggs’n Things from Hawaii.

And Muji not only has a store here, they also have a restaurant to go wth it.

The Michelin-starred Kam’s Roast looked tempting to me.

But I didn’t fancy waiting in line. I’ll be back.

I was actually hoping to try Shake Shack as I’ve never had it, but it was not open during the preview week.

Instead I opted for Tsuta, the Michelin ramen. My palate is too blunted to be able to discern what makes a dish Michelin Star worthy. To paraphrase an old saying, “I don’t know much about ramen, but I know what I like”, and this ramen was great.

I had no intention of getting an ice cream today (something I say to myself every day) until I saw the Black Hawaii ice cream at Aloha Poke. I would never have thought to mix carbon and coconut water, so I’m glad someone else did.

There are plenty of cafes here as well if you just want to pop over for a coffee between flights. I’ll be checking out Coffee@Works on my next stopover.

Starbucks is also here with a Starbucks Reserve store.

And if you are looking for a beer between flights head up to the top for the Tiger Street Lab.

How to see Jewel Changi from the airside

Jewel Changi is located on the landside of the airport so it’s open to the public. If you are just transiting through Changi you will need to clear immigration to view it in all its glory. While that would normally be a hassle for most airports, Singapore has an efficient immigration experience so you can get out fairly easily. My best ever immigration experience was at Changi, and even on a busy hour of the day I’ve never waited more than 30 minutes to get my passport stamped. I couldn’t find average queue times so if anyone knows let me know.

I saw signs in the terminal saying that you should have 5 hours between flights to visit Jewel.

Getting back into the airport is even easier as immigration is now done by scanning your passport, and security is done at each individual gate before the flight boards. It’s no wonder this airport is considered the best in the world.

I ended up spending 2.5 hours inside Jewel, and I could have spend longer just walking around. I think 3 hours between flights would be ok, and at 2 hours you would have enough time to sneak out for a cheeky selfie at the rain vortex. I’m wondering in the future if there are going to be flight delays with passengers going missing in the Jewel. There are no announcements in the Jewel so the onus is on you to get back to your flight in time.

The main entrance is at Terminal 1, with special pedestrian bridges from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Terminal 4 passengers can get a shuttle bus or go via Terminal 2.

If you’re pressed for time another option is to get the skytrain between Terminals 2 and 3. This passes through the Jewel enclosure with no way of getting out, so it remains as a secured airside space. Imagine if you didn’t know Jewel exists and you were transiting between terminals and you saw this view. This would make you want to stop in the city next time, which is surely the point of spending 1.7 billion SGD. Here I am writing an unsponsored blog post telling you to go and see this place, so it’s already working.

There are two skytrains, so get the skytrain from Gate E T2 to Gate B T3, not the skytrain from Gate F T2 to Gate A T3. My only concern about this is that it becomes too popular, and passengers that are in urgent transit might be stuck in a crowd of people wanting to see the Jewel.

How to see Jewel Changi from the landside

If you’re already in Singapore then you can visit Jewel like you are going to a regular mall. Indeed, I’ve already read about Singaporeans heading out to Changi just to have Shake Shack for lunch. At the Changi MRT station just follow the signs to Jewel.

If you are getting a flight then give yourself a few hours beforehand to explore. At Jewel there is an early check in service available for select airlines (mostly full-service legacy airlines, plus Singapore low cost airline Scoot).

If your airline is not participating in this service then there is also a baggage storage area, so no need to hump your bags around.

Where to stay

If you are staying in Singapore for longer than a day then you should of course be staying in central Singapore. Here is my guide on where to stay in Singapore. If you are just transiting then you could stay at the Yotel Air, located within the Jewel. They also rent short term rooms, so you could have a wander around and a rest between long connections.

If you want to do it in style then the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is next door. As if it wasn’t enough to be the best airport, Changi is also home to the world’s best airport hotel.

And if you are doing it on the cheap, Changi is a good airport to sleep at.

Final thoughts

Jewel Changi far exceed my expectations. It is like being in a movie set, and Jewel architect Moshe Safdie said he drew inspiration from the film Avatar. Too bad it wasn’t ready in time when Crazy Rich Asians came out, but no doubt this is going to feature in many movies and commercials in the future.

Being based in Southeast Asia I already consider what airport to fly through if given a choice of connections, and Singapore was already a favourite for me.

The airport and Jewel are owned by the government of Singapore, and being a hub in a competitive region it makes sense to build something that will keep their leading hub status.

Another beneficiary of this will be Singapore Airlines (also majority owned by the Singapore government investment and holding company Temasek Holdings). SIA already offer an enticing stopover package, so having this attraction to lure visitors away from Middle Eastern and other Southeast Asian hubs is smart.

Hopefully other big hubs like Bangkok and Dubai will look on in envy and decide to make their airports a beautiful place to travel to. For now though Singapore will remain as the world’s best airport.

Hotel Name: Oxley Hotel
Address: 44 Lorong 6 Geylang, Geylang, Singapore.

[Edit: Oxley Hotel has now rebranded as Hotel Duke. This review is left as an archive.]

I stayed at the Oxley Hotel in Singapore. I booked online and picked it for its price and location in Singapore. The rate was 41.72 SGD ($30.35 USD) per night, which is about as cheap as it gets for a private room in Singapore. The hotel is in Geylang, which is just outside what you would consider central Singapore, but still very accessible by metro.

Geylang was known for being the red light district of Singapore. Being Singapore it was nothing like what you would see in Bangkok, but it was there if you sought it. The area has been cleaned up of late, and more budget hotels are starting to pop up around Geylang Road. It’s also famous for durian shops, where stalls line the streets at night selling this pungent fruit (which is good by me).

The Oxley Hotel is about 10 minute’s walk from Kallang metro station, down a residential street off Geylang Road. There are some other hotels along this road, but it’s mainly apartment blocks here.

I checked in with no fuss and went to my room.

I got a single room with a private bathroom.

My bed was comfortable and the room was bright and airy. There was air conditioning, which is a prerequisite for any place in Singapore. The bedside table could have used a power outlet.

A small work desk with tea and coffee-making facilities. There is free wifi at the hotel and I had no issues with the connection while I was there.

The bathroom was clean and tidy, with good hot water service. Some more space for toiletries would have been handy.

There is no breakfast service here but there are plenty of cheap eateries nearby, and I went to one of the Indian restaurants for a roti breakfast. Geylang still has the old shophouses that are famous in Singapore, so I can only see this area getting more popular over time.

The nearest metro station is Kallang, which is two stops from Bugis. In the evening I walked back from the Bugis area and it took me 40 minutes.

Overall this was a good place to stay considering the price and location. If you want budget accommodation without staying in a hostel then this will suffice.

Search for more hotels in Singapore.

If you’re unfamiliar with Singapore then find out the best areas to stay before you book.

A map showing current railways in Southeast Asia along with every proposed railway.

Current and proposed railways of Southeast Asia – every line mapped

In 2016 I compiled every current and proposed railway in Southeast Asia and created the Future Southeast Asia Railway Map, which depicted all current and proposed railways as a subway map.

[Future Southeast Asia Railway Map – 2016 version (Click for larger image).]

I’ve since been keeping a tab on news of any proposed railway, including any new proposals or an old one that has begun construction. I also had many requests for a map to visually represent current and proposed railways on one map.

I now present the current and proposed railways of Southeast Asia (2017 edition).

[Click here for larger downloadable image.]

The black lines on the map represent railways that are currently operating, while the red lines are proposed lines. As with the subway map, proposed can mean anything from lines currently under construction, in the feasibility study stage, or an on-the-record election promise from a pork-barrelling politician.

Current Railways

The full details of current railways can be found on the guide to train travel in Southeast Asia.

If you are looking to buy train tickets in Southeast Asia try 12Go Asia.

International Train Services In Southeast Asia

In many respects, the past year was a step backwards for Southeast Asia railways, with a decrease in international services. The Bangkok to Butterworth train was discontinued this year, with trains now stopping on the border at Padang Besar. This is on top of the Malaysian Railways overnight service from Kuala Lumpur to Hatyai that was cancelled in 2016.

Most of the international railways have been reduced to cross-border shuttles, with the Hanoi-Nanning-Beijing train being the only international service of note. Considering the population of the region and amount of land borders on mainland Southeast Asia, this is a sorry state.

There is a grand total of five international train services (not counting the private Eastern & Oriental Express from Bangkok to Singapore).

Johor Bahru (Malaysia) – Woodlands (Singapore): A cross-border shuttle that replaced the KL-Singapore train.

Padang Besar (Malaysia) – Hat Yai (Thailand): Twice-daily shuttle train.

Padang Besar (Malaysia) – Bangkok (Thailand): A daily train from Bangkok to the Malaysian border station.

Thanaleng (Laos) – Nong Khai (Thailand): A cross-border shuttle that connects to the Nong Khai – Bangkok service.

Hanoi (Vietnam) – Beijing (China): The Beijing-Nanning-Hanoi Through Train is the only intercity railway connecting two capitals.

It’s not surprising that the long-distance trains have struggled to stay open, given the slow speeds and the abundance of low-cost airlines in Southeast Asia. It will not be until new high-speed rail services are operating that there will be a return to more international services.

It’s not all bad news though as there are some big projects underway, and some look like they will finally start.

Proposed Railways

Most of the details of the proposed railways can be found on the subway map post. There I have bookmarked all the news reports of the railways, so you can see for yourself each proposal.

For this post I am featuring news items that have been published in the year since I published the first map. Consider this a “State Of The Southeast Asia Railways Address”.

I have news alerts and other interested people who send me news links on all of these projects. If you want to stay up to date or post news articles please join the Facebook Southeast Asia Railways group.

[Join the Southeast Asia Railways group.]

Nomadic Notes Proposed Railways

In addition to the officially proposed lines, I have made my own proposals that are glaring omissions. These only make up a fraction of the map, so most of what is mapped are official plans (and not just me drawing lines).

Last year I listed the following lines that would connect obvious lines, or would be useful extensions:

Pematangsiantar – Parapat/Lake Toba (Sumatra, Indonesia)
Surat Thani Airport – Surat Thani (Thailand)
Surin (Thailand) – Samraong (Cambodia)
Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) – Thakhek (Laos)
Phan Thiet – Mui Ne (Vietnam)

This year the Lake Toba extension was officially proposed so I can take it off this list. I’ve now added a new line that would fill in a missing link:

Ranong (Thailand) – Myeik (Myanmar)

In the short term, this would open up tourism in the deep south of Myanmar. In the long term, this would enable traffic from Singapore, Malaysia, and Southern Thailand to be routed through to Yangon rather than going via Bangkok.

Current And Proposed Railways Of Southeast Asia Map

The map and this report don’t include city metro and commuter trains within a city area, of which there is a lot going on in Southeast Asia.

Here is what has been happening with Southeast Asia railways over the past year.

Cambodia

There are no new lines or proposals to report this year. Like much of Southeast Asia, much of the news could be rehashed from last year. The main focus in Cambodia is establishing a service that will connect Phnom Penh to Bangkok.

The railway that will connect Thailand and Cambodia was supposed to open this year. It is now been scheduled to open next year, with a railway station in Poipet (on the Cambodian border) under construction.

The line from Poipet will travel to Sisophon, which is a junction for travel to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. From there it’s still a long way to go until the line to Phnom Penh is rehabilitated. One news outlet reports that the line will be ready by 2020.

[Battambang train station.]

The famous Bamboo Railway (near Battambang) was set to be closed in October, in preparation for the line restoration to Phnom Penh. It has been threatened with closure for years, so maybe this is the year.

The most obvious domestic link of Phnom Penh to Siem Reap has been offered to be developed by Chinese companies, along with a link to the Vietnamese border.

Another Chinese-owned company is to conduct a feasibility study for a railway from Preah Vihear province through to Koh Kong province. This is for a planned iron and steel plant in Preah Vihear. The report remains vague as to what towns it will pass through, which is why I have kept the map with subway-style lines rather than trying to draw exact routes. It’s unclear if this would also double as a passenger railway, so I have included it as one. I have found a few other proposals that are purely mining lines which I left out pending further investigation.

Read the complete guide to proposed railways in Cambodia.

China

The story of Southeast Asia’s railway rejuvenation can’t be told without mentioning China, which plan to connect Asia, Europe and Africa along land and sea routes. The New Silk Road, One Belt, One Road (OBOR), or the now preferred Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) includes Southeast Asia as part of this grand master plan. Railways from southern China will pass through Southeast Asia to seaports, saving days of shipping travel from eastern ports. In Maritime Southeast Asia, China is pledging money to build railways as a tool of soft power.

[Kunming–Singapore railway by Classical geographer.]

In China there are three routes that will radiate from Kunming in Yunnan Province, connecting to Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Construction of China’s longest rail tunnel is underway, which will eventually connect Kunming to Myanmar.

[Video from New China TV.]

India

Along with China I’ve been monitoring news of railways from India that may connect to Myanmar and onwards to the rest of Southeast Asia. There is a plan to build a railway from Imphal in India to Tamu in Myanmar. The India-Myanmar rail project has yet to be sanctioned so there will be no Dehli to Yangon service in the foreseeable future.

Indonesia

Same as last year, there are still only railways on two islands (Java and Sumatra). Things are moving along to expand the current network and build new railways. There are more than 3,200km of train tracks planned, with new railways in Batam, Bali, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and West Papua.

[Image by straitstimes.com.]

Sumatra

The biggest island in Indonesia has the ongoing Trans-Sumatra railway project that will eventually travel the length of the island. The northern end of the line that will connect Medan and Aceh is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019.

A Chinese investor has shown interest in a Medan-Lake Toba Railway. This would involve extending the current railway from Siantar to Parapat (the town on Lake Toba). I listed this railway on my 2016 map as a recommended railway extension. If Indonesia plan to create “10 new Balis”, then a railway to Lake Toba would make sense.

Further down the Trans-Sumatra, the Palembang-Betung-Jambi–Pekanbaru line is in the planning stage.

Java

Java already has an established railway network (by Southeast Asian standards at least) so most of the work here involves upgrading to faster trains. The big project is converting the current Trans-Java service from Jakarta to Surabaya into a “semi-fast” rail link. The goal is to reduce the travel time from around 9 hours to 5 hours, making it competitive with air travel.

It appears that the government is courting China to build the railway, after agreeing that Japan could build it.

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is about to begin construction, but didn’t they say that last year? Work has begun on one of the tunnels, so that counts as begun.

[Bandung Station.]

One of the biggest problems of developing a new railway is land acquisition. Java is the most populous island in the world, with over 145 million according to the 2015 census. Unlike China, which can just evict landowners as they please, clearing land in Indonesia is a much more difficult process.

In central Java, there is a plan to connect the Solo and Yogyaakrta airports.

[Train passing through Yogyakarta.]

Bali

Of all the proposals in Southeast Asia, the Bali railway ranks as the most ridiculous. The previous plan had a line going around the coast and meeting at the proposed new airport that would be built in the sea (not a typo). Groundbreaking for that project was reported to be scheduled for August 28, 2017. That date came and went without a shovel being lifted. Now it’s reported that the fate of the North Bali airport will be determined at end of 2017.

[Good luck finding space for a train line in Bali.]

This year Indonesia has offered the Bali railway project to China. This plan has a railway going through the island rather than around it, connecting Denpasar to Ubud and Singaraja. A feasibility study has been completed and construction is expected to start in 2018. Maybe if China is involved it will get done. They would probably have to get one of those fancy tunnelling machines like they are currently using in Southern China, as I can’t see any way that they could possibly clear land in Bali now.

They have been kicking the can down the road for so long about this one that I wouldn’t expect a railway, or new airport connected to a railway, anytime soon.

Sulawesi

The first section of the long Trans-Sulawesi is under construction. The 146-km line from Makassar to Parepare forms the southern section of the 1,700-km line from Makassar, South Sulawesi to Manado, North Sulawesi. It is apparently due to open in 2018. If so that will give me a good excuse to go back to Makassar and visit some other parts of Indonesia.

In the north a Manado – Bitung railway line has been offered to investors [http://www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/infrastructure-news/may-2017/development-of-north-sulawesi–six-infrastructure-projects-offer.html].

Kalimantan

There was an announcement of massive railway plans in Indonesian Borneo by President Jokowi. A 2,428KM railway will span North to South Kalimantan. Construction was announced to begin in 2019, starting with Balikpapan-Samarinda, Tanjung-Balikpapan, and Banjarmasin-Palangkaraya. This would form part of the Trans-Borneo Railway/..

Related to this, an idea to move the capital to Borneo would have to include a comprehensive railway plan as well.

Russia plan to construct railways in East Kalimantan totally about 575km, which they expect to be completed by 2022. If you are dreaming of riding the rails through the jungles of Borneo, passing by pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys on the way, then you will be sorely disappointed. This railway will be used for transporting resources such as coal and crude palm oil. The railways will then be opened up for passenger operations after 5 years.

West Papua

Meanwhile in West Papua, groundbreaking was due in 2017 for a railway that will connect Sorong City and Manokwari. Trains on the 390 km route would be able to travel at up to 250 kilometres per hour. This is the first stage of the 595 kilometre Trans Papua Railway that will traverse the north coast of West Papua, form Sorong to Jayapura. I would like to see this happen, if only because it would be embarrassing for the Australian government if there was a faster train in New Guinea than there is in Australia.

Laos

[Thanaleng – as of 2017 the only train station in Laos.]

Laos is one of the least developed nations in Southeast Asia, and as of 2017, it has just 3.5 kilometres of railway. Yet if all the proposed railways come to fruition, Laos could become the railway crossroads of mainland Southeast Asia

[Image by Vientiane Times.]

While many of the planned railways continue to be just plans, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in ASEAN is now underway. After years of delays the railway linking China to Thailand via Laos began construction in December, 2016.

The stats for this project are staggering. The railway is over 412km long, and over 62 percent consists of bridges and tunnels. It will make domestic travel in Laos much quicker, and open up new tourism and trade routes between the three countries.

It has not been without controversy. Land compensation has been an issue, and details are limited on the repayment terms of the loan, how many Laotian workers there will be, and the rights to land when it is finished. Even the Laotian government doesn’t know the exact number of Chinese workers in the country.

A double-track electrified railway from Savannakhet to Lao Bao is still on the cards. This would form part of the east-west link that will travel to Vietnam. There was a ground-breaking ceremony held in January, 2014 for the Savannakhet to Lao Bao link, yet progress has been slow. It was expected to take four years, which would have had it opened in 2018. The right-of-way railway corridor posts of the planned 220 km railway project was completed in December, 2016. This is ready to begin construction, pending the Lao government’s approval.

There are some good images at Giant Rail Company Limited (grcl.asia), which is the project management company for the Savannakhet to Lao Bao line.

[Projected image of Laos Railways by Giant Rail Company Limited.]

The website has images of what the stations might look like. This includes a Savannakhet that has been transformed from a sleepy provincial city to a provincial metropolis.

[Bangkok? No, the metropolis of Savannakhet. Image by GRCL.]

I say dusty sleepy lovingly. Savannakhet has a languid charm about it, and if it has some more city amenities and trains to Bangkok maybe I will retire here. If it does get trains to the capitals of surrounding countries it would be a good candidate to become the seat of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

[Colonial remnants in Savannakhet, Laos.]

A second link to Vietnam is still planned, which runs from Vientiane to Vung Ang Port. This would also form part of a Vientiane – Champasak Railway, and on to Veunkham on the Cambodian border (near the 4000 Islands).

Another project to watch is the “Boloven Economic Zone” – a Sino-Laos new area in Southern Laos. The Bolaven Plateau is to the east of Pakse in Southern Laos. The Special Economic Zone will have an area five times the size of Hong Kong and will be built by a Chinese group. Mind you, this press release sounds like it’s making stuff up when it says that “with the opening of the old railway and the construction of the international airport, more and more Chinese people are traveling to Laos”. Huh?

The only old railway is at Don Khon in the 4000 Islands, which is not anywhere near the Bolaven Plateau and will never be restored as a functioning railway. I will be watching this SEZ story to see if there is a proposed railway from Pakse to the Plateau, and through to Vietnam. It’s challenging terrain (and with loads of UXO) but if the China-Laos-Thailand railway gets built then anything is possible, especially if Beijing wants to keep spending their renminbi on exerting influence in the region.

Malaysia

There are two big railway projects are planned for Malaysia. The KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail is waiting to select a builder for the project, which should be done by December. Concept designs for the stations have been unveiled, with land acquisition for the project to begin in November.

[Malacca HSR Station.]

The station at Bandar Malaysia (in KL) would include the “world’s largest underground city”. With some big redevelopment projects underway, KL is on its way to fulfilling the vision of a modern industrialized nation as part of the Wawasan 2020 plan.

The other big project is the East Coast Rail Link, which began construction in August, 2017. This rail link is being built and funded by (surprise!) China. The line will travel from Port Klang to Kuantan Port, then up the east coast, which doesn’t have a railway. It’s being built on a standard gauge, avoiding the mistake of the new metre-gauge railway from KL to Padang Besar.

[East Coast Rail Link, image by straitstimes.com.]

While the ECRL will be beneficial for freight and passenger transport, there are concerns about the environmental impact, where the line will cut through protected forests.

A new proposal this year was one to connect Penang to Songkhla in Southern Thailand. This has been put forward as an alternative to the Kra Canal, which emerges in the news cycle every few years.

There has been no progress on any sort of railway on the island of Penang or connection to the mainland.

Lonely Planet listed the region of Perak as one of the top places to visit in 2017. Ipoh (the capital of Perak) has experienced a renaissance over the last few years, and the amazing Ipoh station is looking to be renovated. Plans include a big underground mall (though not the scale of KL) and a rail connection to Lumut for Pangkor Island.

[Ipoh train station.]

In Malaysian Borneo, there is a study to extend railway service east from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and Kudat.

Sarawak is the only state without a railway in Malaysia. Sarawak has complained that it hasn’t been given its due oil royalty from the peninsula-centric federal government. It has been proposed that royalties could be used to build a railway system linking Sibu, Kuching, Miri, and Bintulu.

Myanmar

Like in Laos, the developments to watch in Myanmar are from China. The Dali-Ruili Railway in Yunnan province is being constructed with the eventual intention to make its way across Myanmar to the Bay of Bengal. China want to turn the island of Kyaukphyu into a Special Economic Zone – A “Singapore of the Bengal Sea”. Myanmar has been resistant to the idea as it’s not clear how local residents would benefit.

Apart from China slowly but surely boring a tunnel towards Mynanmar, most of the railway news revolves around continuing to update the most run-down system in Southeast Asia.

The Yangon-Mandalay railway [http://www.railprofessional.com/news/yangon-mandalay-railway-upgrade-update] is planned to be upgraded with the assistance of Japanese loans. The line from Yangon to Mawlamyine is being refurbished, which will cut the journey from nine and a half hours to six hours. This is scheduled to be done by 2019. The Yangon-Pyay and Mandalay-Myitkyina railroad are also being upgraded.

There is still talk of turning the port of Dawei into an SEZ. Thai contractor Italian-Thai Development expressed its interest which would include a railway from Dawei to Kanchanaburi.

To the west, the India-Myanmar rail project yet to be sanctioned. And with the Rohingya crisis still unfolding, a Myanmar-Bangladesh link would be the last thing on either government’s minds.

Philippines

The Philippines has several heavily populated islands that are in need of better transport. President Duterte has made some big-ticket promises, so it remains to be seen if they get started.

We all dream of having a functioning railway network as seen in the East Asian nations. Those countries (ie China, Japan, South Korea) have been generous with donations and loans to their Southeast cousins. At some point though they must wonder what the hell is happening to their money.

China has asked what happened to their 200 million that was allotted for a railway with nothing to show for it (not counting buying silence over the South China Sea).

Luzon

On the largest and most populous island in the Philippines, the proposed railway from Manila to Clark International Airport is edging closer to becoming a reality. Stations have been marked and construction is expected to start “later this year”.

To the south, the Bicol Express that used to run from Manila to Naga is still not operating. It was taken out of service in 2012 after the track was damaged by flooding. There is a plan to rebuild the line from narrow gauge to standard gauge, which will be like building a new line rather than refurbishing it. As it’s not being reinstated any time soon I have made the line red on the map.

Panay

The revival of the Panay Island railway system will have a feasibility study by a company based in Beijing. An American company has also expressed interest, which would include extending the former line to Malay, the gateway to Boracay Island.

Read more about the Panay Railway.

Cebu

In addition to a previously proposed Cebu light rail, the governments latest infrastructure plan includes a five-line railway project in Cebu.

Mindanao

A 2,000km railway for Mindanao is undergoing a feasibility study with work also expected to start “later this year”. As Duterte’s home island, this one might actually get started.

Thailand

The biggest project in Thailand is the upcoming high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai on the Laos border. This project has been announced for years that it’s about to start, yet not a single shovel has been muddied for the line. With China now boring a hole through Laos, the time for dithering is over. It was announced that the project will finally be underway in October 2017 [https://www.smartrailworld.com/thai-government-approves-their-first-high-speed-rail-line], starting with the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima line. As you can see by the date-stamp on this post, October is about to come and go, so stay tuned for next years update or join the Southeast Asia Railways group for regular updates.

One project that is progressing well is Bang Sue Central Station. This will be the new “Grand Central Station” of Bangkok, eventually replacing the historic Hua Lamphong Station. There will be 24 platforms at this station and it will serve suburban Bangkok, national, and international services. If all the proposed railways are eventually built, you could see a departure board at Bang Sue with services to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, China, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. It would be a true rail hub of Asia. This may not happen for decades, but at least they are building a train station for future growth.

[Bang Sue Central Station under construction (2017).]

This roundup doesn’t include urban rail transit updates, so news about a line linking the two airports of Bangkok wouldn’t count. A planned high-speed railway linking three international airports does count though. Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok will be connected to U-tapao airport (which serves Pattaya). I can’t think of any city in the world that has three airports connected on one railway. It will be the longest and fastest airport railway in Southeast Asia.

Most improvements in Thailand (and much of Southeast Asia) can be made by improving current networks. A 20-year masterplan was announced that involves double-tracking current single lines. Such headlines are not as exciting as new lines with high-speed trains, but double-tracking will make a huge difference to the number of services that can be run.

[Double tracking means no more waiting at passing loops for opposing trains to pass.]

The east-west railway in the north region of Thailand continues to be of interest. The Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA) proposed an 800km-long route connecting Maesot, Tak, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen and Mukdahan. This is the line that would connect Myanmar to Vietnam, making it an Indian-Pacific railway.

There is still talk (lots of talk) of a Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed train that was going to be a Shinkansen-style train built by Japan. Now it appears that there is another battle between China and Japan over the rights to build the line.

[Not a Shinkansen train – outside Chiang Mai Railway Station.]

The Prime Minister said that construction would “soon” begin on the Chiang Rai railway. That would run from Denchai on the Chiang Mai line to Chiang Rai, and then onto Chiang Khong on the Thai-Laos border. Perhaps “soon” is the ASEAN version of “mañana” which is frequently used in Latin America to put things off until later.

To the south, a Bangkok-KL high-speed train under consideration (again). This is part of the grand Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL). I don’t know how they expect this to work. Malaysia has built a fast train from KL to Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thailand border with a metre-gauge railway. The railway from China is on a standard gauge, so Malaysia will have to build a brand new line next to the one they just finished. Way to go, Malaysia!

A proposed new train line from Surat Thani to Donsak would connect to ferries to the gulf islands of Koh Samui and Ko Pha Ngan.

News continues to surface of a planned Phuket light rail that would connect the island to Phang Nga on the mainland. That would then connect with a previous plan to run a line to Surat Thani. This year saw a new plan a mega-airport project at Phang Nga, named the Phang Nga-Andaman International Airport, which would be an alternative to Phuket. This has been envisaged by Bangkok Airways, who own other fancy airports around Thailand. Surely they would make a provision for a railway before building this.

A feasibility study has been commissioned for a line connecting the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea. The railway would run from Chumporn to Ranong.

I made an addition to last year’s map by including a line from Nam Tok to Three Pagodas Pass in Myanmar. This has been proposed many times previously but I didn’t include it originally. That would make two alternative ways to Myanmar via Kanchanaburi.

Vietnam

Apart from the delayed construction of the new metro systems of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are no new railways to report in Vietnam.

According to former the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport, in 40 years Vietnam have not invested in a single metre of commercially viable rail.

There was a proposal to upgrade the current Hanoi to Nanning service to a high-speed rail service but that was not up for consideration by the government.

There was the annual announcement of a probe into a high-speed railway between Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, which an arbitrary date in the future was set to delay the decision. This time 2035 has been set as the next delayed date.

[No chance of a high-speed railway on the current line (Nha Trang, Vietnam).]

There is still interest in restoring the Da Lat–Thap Cham railroad, which has not run since 1968.

And the proposition for a high-speed train to Can Tho continues to be mulled, and next year will mark the 10-year anniversary of its first proposition.

With so much going on in Laos perhaps Vietnam will have its hand forced to start some projects of note. Apart from the Savannakhet – Lao Bao line, Vietnam has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway, which will connect the Lao capital with the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province. The feasibility study is due to be completed by the end of this year. If that went ahead that would make two railways that connect Vietnam and Laos.

If the thought of creating a new high-speed railway is too overwhelming, perhaps starting with some small wins would be the answer. A plan to link Da Nang and Hoi An has been proposed again, which would make sense to do. The land between the two cities is filling in with new developments and it will only be a matter of time before traffic chokes this part of the coast.

In between publishing the two maps, I discovered a proposal for a Central Highlands line that would run between HCMC and Danang, via Buon Ma Thuot. There was also another plan for a line from Buon Ma Thuot to Tuy Hoa, so both of those lines are now represented.

Construction Summary

This post lists all of the published proposals in Southeast Asia. Just because they are being proposed doesn’t mean they are being built. Here is the list of new lines that are actually being built now:

Cambodia
Poipet to Sisophon.

Indonesia
Medan to Aceh (Northern Sumatra).
Makassar to Parepare (South Sulawesi).

Laos
Boten – Thanaleng (from China border to Thailand border).

Malaysia
East Coast Rail Link.

Updates

This list is probably not complete so if you know other proposals send an email or leave a comment.

Read more about train travel.

A hallmark of a great city is one that has a grand public park. Central Park in New York, Hyde Park in London, and Lumphini in Bangkok are three that spring to mind. Most of these parks were laid out over 100 years ago (or 1920 in the case of Bangkok), back when there was more space. It’s rare to find a new park that is built in a central location, yet Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is one such park.

Gardens by the Bay is located on the edge of downtown Singapore, next to the marina and on what is mostly reclaimed land.

I first visited the gardens in 2013 – a year after it had opened – and it still had a “just planted” feel to it. The trees and grass were all transplanted here and it felt like the greenery was still settling in.

I revisited the park this year, and after three years the park felt more lived-in and permanent. Not having so many bamboo poles propping up trees helped with that. It’s never going to look completely wild, but having more greenery made it a pleasure to walk around.

The gardens cover over 100 hectares, which is about the third of the size of Central Park. I arrived by metro at the new station at the Marina Bay Sands complex. From there you can walk out over the Dragonfly Bridge into the park.

The gardens have a botanical gardens feel to it, with a variety of plant species marked out, and artistic floral arrangements. For a proper botanical garden experience you should visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The most visible landmark of the park the Supertrees, which are vertical gardens with tree-like canopies.

There is an admission fee to go up the Supertrees, but you can freely walk around the surrounding park. There are plenty of vantage points to take photos of these impressive structures.

Along with the Supertrees, the other places requiring admission is the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.

The Flower Dome is the largest glass greenhouse in the world and has a continually changing display of flowers and plants.

The Cloud Forest recreates a tropical forest in a highland environment, in sea-level Singapore.

Back out in the park there are walkways passing by wetlands, with sculptures of animals native to the region.

And some animal sculptures not so native to the region.

Look out for the “Planet” sculpture, which is not a planet but a baby that looks like it’s floating in mid air, like a planet. The size and detail of the sculpture alone is remarkable, then you realise that the whole thing is delicately resting on the baby’s hand.

[Planet: White painted bronze, stainless steel. Sculptor: Marc Quinn (UK).]

From the installation description:

Beautifully balanced on a languid arm of a sleeping boy child, this seven ton, 383cm by 353cm by 926cm bronze cast sculpture floats like a heavenly body above a verdant earth. Renowned sculptor Marc Quinn (b. 1964) created this work in a depiction of his infant son, Lucas. Quinn delays an assortment of materials and techniques to explore nature under human influence in themes that include the changing human body and the dual meanings of human life, between spiritual and physical, surface and depth, cerebral and sexual. This piece is the second of three editions, and is gifted for permanent display in the Gardens by the Bay
– By Putra and Imelda Masagung, January 2013

You are free to wander around most of the park, and there is an admission for two conservatories and the skyway connecting the Supertrees. I was short on time on this visit so I plan to visit those on another Singapore visit. The gardens would have to rank as one of the best gardens in the world so a revisit is an easy choice for me.

One thing I didn’t get to see is the Garden Rhapsody show, which is on every night. The Supertrees are lit up like, um, Christmas trees, and the photos I’ve seen inspires me to plan my visit in the evening the next time I visit Singapore.