When I was young, whenever my parents wanted a family trip to Malaysia, we would always drive up, or rather, my dad would always drive up. Sometimes there would be an extended family trip, so I would follow in my uncle's car.
I remember driving up to Genting Highlands (twice), Fraser's Hill (once) and Malacca (twice). The rest of the times we went by plane, coach or train. For instance, that time when we went to Cameron Highlands, we took a train from the old railway station, then someone came by to pick us up and brought us up the hill.
When we went to Penang, we took a plane and then a coach. The last time we went to Genting Highlands, we also took a train then a car. And the last time we went to Fraser's Hill, we took a coach ride all the way as there were four families in all.
After I got older, ironically I did not go to Malaysia for a very long time, until a few years back when my mum's company organised a day trip and she brought me along. After that I did not have a chance to go, until last year, when I had to go to Kuala Lumpur on transit. I took an overnight coach ride all the way.
The same thing happened when I went to Malacca last year. It was another night time coach ride. Recently when I went to Redang, I took another overnight coach ride to Kuala Terangganu, which was fine but my poor back was aching after that!
This time round, when I went to Johor, I took the express bus. The coach I took to and from Kuala Lumpur was called Starmart Express Air Asia Liner. It has the most regular services to and from Kuala Lumpur. In fact, there are coaches leaving every hour or so back and forth. I boarded the coach at Golden Mile Complex, and it brought me direct to Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur.
The coach I took to Malacca was called Delima Express. It is one of the few coaches that gives regular services to Malacca and back, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night. The coach would leave City Plaza and go all the way to Malacca Sentral bus terminus.
The coach I took to Kuala Terangganu is called Transnasional. So far it is the only coach that goes regularly to Kuala Terangganu and back, with regular schedules, one in the morning and one at night. The coaches leave everyday as well, from The Plaza all the way to the Kuala Terangganu bus terminus.
So far all these coaches have comfortable seats, air-conditioned and the rides are pretty smooth, no jerking and shaking of the bus. Hence I managed to get quite a good sleep on the bus despite the journey and long hours of sitting.
This time since I would just be going across the Causeway, I see no sense in booking a coach. After all, there are public buses going to Johor Bahru. Intially, I thought of taking a public bus there, but it would not be express and would stop at every stop. So in the end, I decided to take the Singapore-Johor Express, which would go from Queen Street Terminus, direct to JB Sentral Larkin.
So I took the express bus around one in the afternoon. The bus has quite a regular schedule, it departs everyday and the interval is every fifteen minutes to half an hour. One has to buy tickets first before boarding the bus, but the whole system is an old-fashioned system where you buy the ticket from a booth, then you show the ticket to the driver and you are allowed up the bus.
It is on a first-come-first-served basis, no seats can be reserved. There is no standing on the bus too, you just take whatever empty seat you find. Once the bus is full, the bus would leave. When it reaches Woodlands, we get down to go through customs, then go up the bus again by showing our ticket. After that the bus will reach JB Sentral and we would then get down to go through the JB customs, before going on our way.
It is pretty refreshing taking the express bus. Since it goes direct to Johor Bahru, we were able to reach there in less than an hour. What I like about the bus is that it still issues the old-fashioned type of ticket that I used to see when I was very young, but has since phased out when I reached upper primary or so.
Who else can remember this kind of bus ticket?
A pity I did not take buses that much when I was younger. I was one of the "priviledge" ones who got driven around by my parents. If only I collect them, now I think these should be antique collector's items already!
So for anyone wanting to shuttle across the causeway and do not wish to drive, the Johor-Singapore Express is a great way to go there in the shortest time possible!
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