[Periphrasis]

A chick I was banging in Japan a few months ago recently moved to Singapore and asked me to visit her. She was really great and I've never been to Singapore before, so I told her I'd head over in June and stay for at least a month. But then I did some research and realized that Singapore is really goddamn expensive.

So my question: Right across the border in Malaysia is a city called Johor Bahru. I could get a nice apartment all to myself for the price of a shitty bedroom in someone's house in Singapore. I'm wondering, has anyone tried staying in Johor Bahru and commuting into Singapore? I wouldn't mind grabbing private accommodation one night a week in Singapore while making my base in Johor Bahru. That plus her visiting me in Johor Bahru on the weekends would easily be enough time to see her.

[CodyB]

You're looking at about 90 minutes each way.

That's a fairly hefty commute, but if you don't mind it and you have work you can do (on the bus), it might not be such a terrible burden.

[jayko]

the immigration entry points for both countries are the choke points. unless you are expecting massive jam every time you leaving or entering this check point, good luck!

[Going strong]

(04-28-2016 10:28 PM)CodyB Wrote:  

You're looking at about 90 minutes each way.

That's a fairly hefty commute, but if you don't mind it and you have work you can do (on the bus), it might not be such a terrible burden.

But soon enough, you'd run out of space on your passport pages, for the entry-exit stamps...

Unless, I guess, if you manage to get a (Singaporean? Malaysian) plastic permanent-residency card?

[DrugAdvisor]

Why not stay in a cheaper accommodation in Singapore, then spend weekends of getaways in Malaysia to splurge on the cheap(er) high end hotels?

For the 1 month you're staying in Singapore, I would think you like to explore the place, not spend time travelling between the causeway.

[Zerdame]

Echoing CodyB on the commuting time but yes, that would be something I do too since it save you serious bucks in the long run.

Cross the borders early on weekends. Customs have lesser crowd at 6am on a Saturday and midday would be best for weekdays.

Hotels in Singapore are really expensive and even though its troublesome, its worth it if you're keen on saving money. Alternatively, just stay in Singapore for a day and spend the rest of your trip gaming Malaysian girls

[T and A Man]

What else are you doing in SG besides banging the Japanese chick?

If its the early stages of building a business, you're better suited in JB

[jj90]

This is interesting. Japanese girl goes to SG instead of SG girl goes to Japan.

The JB causeway to SG is a massive chokepoint, hope your ready for it. It'd be easier if you got her to go to JB instead.

[Periphrasis]

Thanks for everyone for the help and suggestions so far.

(04-29-2016 06:07 AM)Zerdame Wrote:  

midday would be best for weekdays.

What time are you thinking, specifically? Like 1 or 2 PM?

(04-29-2016 07:31 PM)T and A Man Wrote:  

What else are you doing in SG besides banging the Japanese chick?

If its the early stages of building a business, you're better suited in JB

Mostly just banging the Japanese chick. I'd love to explore the city and also do some other pickup, but for that Johor Bahru is no less intriguing to me than Singapore.

When you say "early stages of building a business", do you mean meeting potential business partners in person? I am in the early stages of a business plan, but it's online work.

[T and A Man]

Yeah, I mean the latter.

Unless your job involves showing up to a cubicle in SG, there's no need to be in SG.

Your online stuff can be done in JB, and Malaysia is a decent place for expanding your ancillary stuff... logistics, English speakers to handle grunt work, etc

Your commute to SG is just arriving for a bang. You gotta be there when she returns from her cubicle, so you can go ahead of peak hour, and return either late at night or the next morning...

Have a late breakfast, and go back over the causeway after peak hour

[worldtraveler3]

Why not just find another chick in Malaysia instead of all the hassle.

[Svoboda]

Does the Japanese have her own bedroom?

[ucla4]

Maybe stay with the japanese chick?

[Phazlenut]

Oop, can't believe I missed this thread.

For the record, there are TWO causeways linking Singapore to Johor state, the southernmost state in Peninsula Malaysia:



In RED is the original Singapore-Malaysia causeway (aka "The Causeway", "Woodlands", "Iskandar") connecting Woodlands district in the North of Singapore to the city of Johor Bahru/Baru, capital of Johor/Johore state (blame the British for the nonstandardized Romanization of the Malay place names).

It is older and (usually) more crowded than the other option...

In ORANGE is the SECOND Singapore-Malaysia causeway (aka "The 2nd link", "Tuas", "Abu Bakar") connecting Tuas district in the West of Singapore to the city of Nusajaya, a very (<10 years) new development and developmental region in Johor.

It is newer and (usually) less crowded than the old causeway.

In GREEN is Johor Baru city aka "JB". It is a lawless border town almost exactly analogous to Tijuana, with the expected massage parlours, illegal gambling, overcrowded streets, dilapidation and urban decay, and violent crime, but much less weed. Generally not a pleasant place, it does have some very expensive and extremely nice parts rivalling other rich areas in the region.

In BLUE is Nusajaya, the Sultan's very clever (IMO) attempt to parlay some of his billions of personal wealth into more billions of personal wealth by draining swamps and cutting down palm oil plantations to throw up shopping malls, condos and amusement parks to handle spillovers from overcrowding and refugees of pricetag-shock from Singapore. The area is significantly overbuilt, and there are plenty of bargains to be had housing-wise. Basically a Malaysian Hoboken to the Singaporean Manhattan.

WRT to OP's original question, the easiest and most hassle-free option for travel between the countries is the Causeway Link bus from Jurong and Boon Lay in Singapore to Gelang Patah and Bukit Indah in Malaysia, via the BLUE Tuas link from 6 am to 10 pm daily. It is SGD$4 SG->MY and 4 MYR MY->SG, takes 45 min in light traffic, up to 4 hours in jams. There are of course many other buses, coaches, taxis, trains and private car services which WikiTravel is a good resource for, but I find the CL bus cheap, fast and hassle-free.

Jams occur during all commuter rush hours, 6am-9am heading into Singapore, and 4pm-8pm on weekdays heading into Malaysia. On weekends there is a perpetual jam into Malaysia. Most of the jams are due to Singapore, which not so subtly attempts to discourage Singaporeans from living in Malaysia by only running skeleton crews at the immigration checkpoints. Typical traffic scenario as I am writing this post Friday AM:



It will be the inverse this evening as people leave work in Singapore and go to Malaysia.

Make your travel outside these times.

If OP is just staying a month and not needing to work, I would strongly recommend STAYING IN MALAYSIA. (I realise this is already past his June date, but hopefully this post is useful for people in the future).

I personally have to spend ~4 days a week in Singapore. I leave Nusajaya Saturday afternoon, come into SG, then leave SG Wed or Thu at 2 pm exactly. If you have to work in Singapore daily for a contract or something, it might be better to stay there in terms of psychic damage.

Disclaimers: I HATE Singapore, as only a native son and world traveller can. I believe that all of Fathom's excellent points about the Chinese in China he wrote here:

thread-3678-...#pid230685

Apply just as much to the Chinese in Singapore, with the added "bonus" that they imagine themselves able to speak English, which adds another layer of completely unjustified self-aggrandizement.

I really enjoy Malaysia, especially since as a foreigner I am outside their utterly corrupt and morally outrageous political system.

I have some properties in Nusajaya I am trying to move.

Always happy to talk to RvFers with any questions they might have about this part of South-East Asia for free. Don't fall for scams! Both MY and Singapore are awful for this and view white people as targets ripe for plucking.

[Cyclone]

How amazing is the Japanese girl exactly that you want to live in Singapore for a month for her?
IMO staying in JB is a terrible idea. It is far better value for you to snag a $800 USD/mo airbnb room in the suburbs of Singapore (no one is forcing you to stay in the city center) than to stay in a shithole like JB. Also, if you're already banging this girl, why would she not let you stay with her?

And finally SG is heaven for doing online work. There's tons of beta Indian programmers to befriend and learn from and your long-term gain from it would be easily worth it.
.

[Phazlenut]

(07-30-2016 06:36 PM)Cyclone Wrote:  

IMO staying in JB is a terrible idea.

I agree about JB₁=JB City, an atrocious hole with incessant murder, rape and robbery.

I disagree strongly about JB₂=Nusajaya, a nouveau luxe development ordered into being by the Sultan's diktat, bristling with golf courses, full sized swimming pools and superior restaurants, all with armed security. Perhaps more pertinently, Nusajaya also possesses the following critical features which will be wholly absent from Singapore within 10 years:

-clear highways
-free parking
-clean air
-cheap booze
-fun clubs

For anyone who is not Singaporean (most readers of this thread), there is the added benefit of paying sane Malaysian prices for cars, which can then be driven into Singapore should you really, really want to (Singaporeans obviously forbidden from doing so under pain of imprisonment to keep the COE scam going).

IMO the only reason to live in Singapore would be if you needed to work regular Singapore office hours daily. Even so, plenty of my neighbours in the Ledang Heights/East Ledang/Leisure Farm developments who actually do have that as a work commitment still stay up this side and force themselves into a 5 am commute daily to avoid living in Singapore. A lot of those guys had housing allowances from their employers and preferred to get front and back yards and pools out of the deal. The rest make their own money and spend 80% of their time this side, only going in for meetings and dinners 2x/week.

[Agreddor]

Yes on saving money and capitalising on the weak Malaysian Ringit

No to doing this just to see a japanese girl.