1st Day - From Tawau to Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur

Christmas Trip to Kuala Lumpur 2007

2007-12-09 SUNDAY - 1st Day - From Tawau to Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur

2007-12-09 Air Asia AK5633
1st Day - From Tawau to Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur


Leaving Tawau in the afternoon

Our Air Asia Flight AK5633 Depart Tawau at 4:05 pm arriving Johor Bahru at 6:50 pm. Departure gate No: 3.
The reason of flying to Johor Bahru instead of directly to Kuala Lumpur is that KL flight is fully booked during this school holiday seasons.
From Johor Bahru we took a taxi from the Senai airport to downtown Johor Bahru where we ask the taxi driver to drop us at Compact Hotel. We were not putting up at this hotel to-night yet. We only came to check up this hotel to confirm our booking on 18th Night which we book online month ago. We left our luggage at this hotel for an hour so that we could go for a dinner just behind this hotel.
Taxi from the airport to downtown is easy. (Do not just walk out and catch a taxi) Go to the Taxi Counter on the left hand side when you exit the terminal and purchase a voucher.
Bring the voucher to the taxi line where an officer will locate you a taxi.

We had some simple foods at Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Jalan Wong Ah Fook is a major one-way road in Johor Bahru, located in Johor Bahru's central business district and is also one of the busiest roads in the city.
Wong Ah Fook is a Chinese man who came to Singapore in 1854 and established himself in building construction and other businesses. The town of Johor Bahru was founded in 1855 by Wong Ah Fook and Temenggung Daeng Ibrahim.

After dinner we enquire the Compact Hotel staff where to get a bus to Kuala Lumpur. We early though there were buses available for boarding just beside this hotel and travel direct to KL, but this was wrong information.  
The hotel staff directed us to Marine Building which is a 10 minutes walk where we will 'find bus to KL'. 
After finding the Marine building we realize this is not place to board a bus but the place of several BUS agents who get passengers for bus companies and sells 'Bus Tickets' at a higher price for a few ringgits (Malaysian Dollars) as their commission. 
We paid Rm30.00 per person. (Actual fare is Rm24.00)   But in return this bus agent provide free transport from their counter to the bus terminal which is several kilometers away. 
Our family of 4 were this bus agent's only passengers that night. 

Leaving Johor Bahru Larkin Bus Terminal for KL at midnight

The bus left Johor Bahru Larkin Bus Terminal at 12:00 midnight. There are several bus companies plying between JB and KL. The bus we used was S.E. Ekspres. S.E. Ekspres  bus company is good for local Malaysian. But for foreign tourist who are unfamiliar with Malaysian, the bus may not have the much needed polite and helpful staff to provide you a smooth journey.
This was our first time to Johor Bahru and we are not familiar  on how to get around in the city.  
Merlin Tower is opposite the Train Station. At the ground floor of Merlin Tower are several counters that provides booking services for bus to all over Peninsula Malaysia and Thailand. From here these agencies arrange transport to bring you to Larkin Bus Station to board the bus.
Incase you do not know where the train station is , Merlin Tower is also opposite the CITY SQUARE shopping mall.
CITY SQUARE was where we spend the time when waiting for the midnight bus.  


Reaching Kuala Lumpur Bus Station at dawn time

The bus arrived Kuala Lumpur bus terminal early morning when the sky was still dark and all four of us were sleeping without knowing of arriving. The bus attendant shouted at us to get down. And the location the bus stopped was at the main road side and not inside the bus terminal. In the dark and by the road side of a big city I had to figure out where the bus terminal is. Fortunately it is a few minutes walking distance.


My wife and young daughter first time to visit a big city in Malaysia. I do not feel comfortable to take an express bus company like this the next time we come to Kuala Lumpur.