Border Crossing into Singapore 跨境进入新加坡
March 3, 2026
Instead of flying directly from Shanghai to Singapore to start our cruise, ……
原本我们可以从上海直接飞到新加坡登船开启邮轮之旅，。。。
March 3, 2026
Instead of flying directly from Shanghai to Singapore to start our cruise, we decided to add a little adventure to the beginning of the trip. We first flew to Kuala Lumpur and then took the train south to the border town of Johor Bahru. Normally we prefer to arrive at the embarkation port a day in advance, but rather than crossing immediately into Singapore, we stayed overnight in Johor Bahru, where hotels and food are significantly cheaper.
This morning we took a Grab to JB Sentral to catch the shuttle train to Woodlands Station in Singapore. In the past, we had crossed the border from Laos into China by train, which took nearly two hours and required us to get on and off the train twice with all of our luggage. The process was inefficient and not a pleasant memory, so we were a little anxious about how this crossing would go.
About 30 minutes before departure, the gate opened and passengers checked in using their passports. We then quickly cleared Malaysian immigration and customs. Five minutes before departure, we boarded the train. The train slowly crossed the Johor Strait, and just five minutes later we arrived at the Woodlands checkpoint in Singapore. Passing through Singapore immigration and customs was also quick and smooth.
Overall, the entire experience was efficient and uneventful—a pleasant surprise compared with our previous border crossing.
Afterward, we called a Grab to take us to the cruise terminal to board our 10-day voyage through the South China Sea.
By this point, we had already spent nearly 100 days sailing with Crystal Cruises. The ship felt familiar, and we even recognized some of the crew members. In many ways, it felt like returning to a home away from home.
2026年3月3日
原本我们可以从上海直接飞到新加坡登船开启邮轮之旅，但这次我们特意给旅程增加了一点小小的冒险。我们先飞到吉隆坡，玩了几天，然后乘坐火车南下到边境城市新山（Johor Bahru）。通常我们都会提前一天抵达登船港口，但这次没有直接进入新加坡，而是在新山住了一晚。这里的酒店和餐饮价格都比新加坡便宜得多。
今天早上我们叫了一辆 Grab 前往 JB Sentral，乘坐开往新加坡兀兰（Woodlands）车站的跨境接驳火车。以前我们曾从老挝坐火车进入中国，那次过境花了将近两个小时，还需要带着行李两次上下车，整个过程既低效又令人印象不佳。因此这次过境前我们多少有点担心，尤其是因为中东地区开战，这里的就闻报到说新加坡收紧边境检查，从JB进入新加坡要排队。
在列车发车前约30分钟，闸门打开，乘客凭护照办理登车手续。随后我们很快就通过了马来西亚一侧的移民和海关检查。发车前5分钟开始登车。列车缓缓驶过柔佛海峡，大约5分钟后就抵达了新加坡兀兰关卡。入境新加坡的移民和海关手续同样非常快捷顺利。整个过程高效顺畅，与我们之前的边境经历形成了鲜明对比。
之后我们叫了一辆 Grab 前往邮轮码头，登上即将展开为期10天的南中国海航线。
到这个时候，我们在水晶邮轮（Crystal Cruises）上累计已经航行了将近100天。船上的环境对我们来说已经非常熟悉。某种意义上，这艘船就像是远方的另一个家。
Travel Day to Bangkok 前往曼谷
Oct 19, 2024
Today was a travel day……
今天早餐后我们去到了充满活力的小印度。。。
October 19, 2024
Today was a travel day. Before heading to the airport, we took the subway to Tekka Centre, accompanied by the cheerful “Happy Happy” announcements on the train, to explore vibrant Little India. Indian culture plays a significant role in Singapore’s diversity, and Little India was bustling with life, its streets adorned with colorful ribbons swaying in the breeze. Chenggang visited the historic Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, observing people praying and celebrating in a vibrant atmosphere.
We admired the lively surroundings and also stopped by the famous, colorful Tan Teng Niah house, one of the last surviving Chinese villas in the area near Tekka Centre, with its vivid, kaleidoscopic facade standing out among the shops and eateries. We then enjoyed a flavorful Indian lunch at a nearby restaurant.
A Grab ride took us to Terminal 2 at Changi Airport, where we asked about the famous waterfall. An airport staff member pointed to a large screen displaying a digital version, but knowing that wouldn’t satisfy us, we took the airport shuttle to Terminal 1. The breathtaking waterfall (Jewel) set amid a stunning mall, was awe-inspiring—it felt like more than just an airport. Afterward, we walked back to Terminal 2 and relaxed in a lounge, enjoying a smooth latte and light snack before boarding our flight.
Our flight to Bangkok was smooth and comfortable, and after checking in at the hotel, we ventured to Chinatown for dinner at the lively night market. Though hesitant to try street food from the vendors, a sudden downpour led us to a cozy, albeit pricier, restaurant where we enjoyed our flavorful first Thai/Chinese meal in Thailand.
With an early tour scheduled for tomorrow, we were ready to settle in for the night.
今天早餐后我们去到了充满活力的小印度。印度文化在新加坡的多元文化中占有重要地位，小印度充满生机，街道上悬挂的彩色缎带在微风中飘扬，增添了几分节日气息。成刚参观了历史悠久的维拉玛卡里雅曼庙，在浓厚的氛围中看到人们虔诚祈祷、热烈庆祝的场面。我们也被这片充满生机的街区吸引，接着参观了德卡中心附近著名的彩色陈东霓雅屋。这栋中国传统别墅是该地区幸存的几栋之一，其鲜艳多彩的外墙在周围的商铺和餐馆中尤为亮眼。随后，我们在附近的一家餐厅享用了地道的印度午餐。
午餐后，回酒店拿了行李便叫了一辆Grab车前往樟宜机场的2号航站楼。特意询问了机场内那座著名的瀑布，一位机场工作人员指向一个显示屏，上面展示着瀑布的数字影像，但我们想看真实的瀑布，于是乘坐机场穿梭车前往1号航站楼。那瀑布（Jewel）坐落在一个令人惊叹的购物中心中，场景美不胜收——这里更像一座景点，而非普通的机场。欣赏完后，我们步行返回2号航站楼，在休息室候机并且享用了些许小食准备搭乘航班，继续我们的旅程。
也许我们对新加坡的期望过高，狮城并未给我们留下特别深刻的印象，整体感觉就是一座物价偏高的大都市。
我们的曼谷之行从一次平稳的航班开始。搭乘新加坡航空不到三个小时就抵达泰国曼谷。到达酒店办理入住后，我们前往热闹的唐人街（Chinatown）夜市享用晚餐。突如其来的大雨把我们带进了一家温馨的小餐厅，尽管价格不便宜，但我们品尝到了一顿美味的泰式中餐，开启了在泰国的美食之旅。
Singapore 新加坡
October 18, 2024
We had a packed sightseeing day in Singapore……
经过二十几个小时的飞行和转机。。。
October 18, 2024
We had a packed sightseeing day in Singapore. After a generous breakfast buffet at the hotel, courtesy of an American Express travel booking by our daughter, we explored the mall and took a stroll across the Helix Bridge. Our first major stop was the stunning Gardens by the Bay. Both the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome were impressive and meticulously maintained, though the tickets were quite pricey. We walked by the Supertrees without heading up to the observatory, as the humid weather didn’t quite agree with us, which dampened our overall experience.
Our next stop was Chinatown, where we tried the famous Hainanese chicken rice from Tian Tian at the Maxwell Food Centre. Luckily, the queue was short today. The chicken was very tender and flavorful, though we didn’t feel it entirely lived up to its reputation. The only vegetarian stall at Maxwell was closed so Christine had a bowl of sweet dessert. As we continued exploring Chinatown, mother and daughter had more food at Yixin Vegan Restaurant while Chenggang enjoyed a yinyang coffee—a blend of coffee and tea.
We then took the subway back to the hotel for a short rest. Singapore’s subway system is clean and uncrowded, even during rush hour. Each stop is announced with cheerful “Happy Happy” messages, adding a pleasant touch to the journey.
Recharged, we walked to Merlion Park, popular among tourists. The stone lion with the Marina Bay skyline as a backdrop was beautiful. We continued to the city center for dinner at Lau Pa Sat, sampling a few satays and noodles (Christine found a hawker with vegan Chinese food). While the food was decent, the lack of air conditioning made it uncomfortably hot and humid, and overall, the experience fell short of our expectations.
After dinner, we returned to Gardens by the Bay to enjoy the light show, followed by a quick walk to catch the Spectra Light Show. It was truly spectacular—one of the best light shows we’ve ever experienced.
In one day, we managed to cover most of Singapore’s top tourist attractions, and by the end, we were happily exhausted.
狮城游
2024年10月18日
经过二十几个小时的飞行和转机，终于来到向往已久的新加坡，先一步来到的女儿在机场接机。深夜入住Conrad Centennial Singapore（康莱德酒店）好好睡了一晚。第二天早餐后，我们漫步穿过了酒店附近的螺旋桥来到今天的第一站。令人惊叹的滨海湾花园，云雾林和花穹都给我们留下了深刻的印象，花园维护得非常精致，但门票价格不菲。我们经过超级树，但由于天气太湿热，登上观景台的计划也就放弃了。
接着我们前往牛车水，在麦士威(Maxwell)熟食中心品尝了网红店天天海南鸡饭。今天运气不错，排队的人不算太多。鸡肉十分嫩滑美味，但我们觉得不太值得排长队。整个熟食区也显得简陋且并不怎么干净，与我们所期待的有差距。之后又在中国城走了走，我们便搭地铁回酒店稍作休息，享受凉爽的空调。新加坡的地铁系统干净整洁，即使在高峰时段也不拥挤。每站都会播放充满活力的“Happy Happy”信息，为旅程增添了一丝愉悦的气氛。
短暂休息后，我们步行前往游客必去的鱼尾狮公园。以滨海湾的天际线为背景，鱼尾狮的景象格外壮观。随后，我们继续前往市中心，在老巴刹（Lau Pa Sat)享用晚餐，这里可选的东西实在太多，我们品尝了烧烤，沙爹和米粉条。食物味道都不错，环境比中午的麦士威要好许多。不过新加坡闷热的天气，没有空调的环境让用餐体验稍显不足。
晚餐后，我们再次回到滨海湾花园观看灯光秀，接着步行前往光影水舞秀Spectra。这场表演确实令人惊叹，堪称我们见过最精彩的水上灯光秀之一。
Zipair to Singapore
October 16, 2024
We left home at 10:20 AM, ……
We left home at 10:20 AM on Oct. 15, and a friend dropped us off at Sky Harbor Airport for our Southwest flight to LA. While waiting to board, we enjoyed a chili soup at Panera Bread. The flight to LAX was smooth and on time. Once we were settled in at Four Points by Sheraton, we craved Mexican food and found a well-reviewed food truck nearby. The food was excellent.
On October 16, we took an early shuttle to the airport and boarded our Zipair flight to Tokyo, followed by a transfer to another Zipair flight to Singapore, with a 2.5-hour layover. The total flight time exceeded 17 hours, making it our longest flight ever. During the 24-hour travel period, we either ate airplane food or lounge food, which was adequate for filling our stomachs. Passing through customs and immigration in Singapore was quick and uneventful. Our daughter, who had arrived earlier that morning, met us at the airport to join us on our journey through Southeast Asia.
We took Grab, a ride-hauling service like Uber and Lyft to the Conrad Hotel. By the time we settled into the hotel, it was already past midnight on Oct. 17, more than 24 hours since we left LAX. We were all exhausted.
