Purchasing Tickets at Melaka Sentral
It was very convenient to get a direct bus back to Singapore since it would be troublesome to go look for transfers in an unfamiliar place. There were several stalls selling tickets to Singapore but you might need to get there early since there are not a lot of them. I believe the last one leaves Melaka at 6:30 in the evening. The prices are all the same anyway. Now that I know this I can probably plan my trip better next time.
I also had a look at the other regional destinations and some of them interested me. However, I think it would make more sense for me if I took one from Larkin at Johor Bahru or maybe Singapore itself. The waiting area of the Melaka Sentral wasn’t really that interesting. It was spacious and clean though. I just wonder how busy it gets here. There were a few shops in the terminal but none of them really interested me. The buses were parked outside the building, while the passengers wait in airconditioned comfort inside the terminal.
Waiting Area at Melaka Sentral
You need to watch out for your bus though, as there is no electronic system to inform passengers. The person who sold you the ticket will inform you which gate to look out for and what the number of the bus is. Our bus driver called out to us and we quickly boarded the bus. It was a full bus, I was lucky to get a slot. It only goes to show you how popular Melaka is for Singaporean tourists.
The trip was uneventful and we quickly got back to Johor Bahru and then through Malaysian Immigration and finally Singapore Immigration. At this point, our driver told us to board another bus which will bring us to Lavander area. I had no idea where they would be bringing us, but what concerned me most is that they broke the promise to bring us to Bugis which was more convenient. Irritated but left with no choice, we went along and they dropped us at a parking lot which the nearest MRT station was Lavander. It wasn’t very near at all. However, I know my way enough to take a bus to get me elsewhere which would be more convenient for me.
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