August 2022 – The Wknd Travel

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 107 – Kuala Lumpur to Singapore – First Ever Flight on the Controversial Boeing 737 Max 8 Aircraft [July 2022]

After a week of walkathons exploring Kuala Lumpur, it is time for me to fly back to the Philippines. My Singapore Airlines journey from Kuala Lumpur to Manila had a quick layover at Singapore Changi Airport. It was similar to my route to Kuala Lumpur the week before where I first flew from Manila to Singapore, transited in Singapore, then took an onward flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur – all sectors with Singapore Airlines. Today’s flight report will focus on the first leg – Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on SQ 107.

This Singapore Airlines flight was special to an aviation geek like me. Why? This was my first ever flight on the Boeing 737 Max aircraft. For those of you who don’t know or don’t remember, the Boeing 737 Max was very controversial back in 2018 & 2019. The aircraft type had 2 commercial flight crashes due to control system problems – Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 & Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 roughly 6 months after in March 2019. This aircraft type was instantly grounded by aviation authorities worldwide after the 2 incidents. The aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, addressed all problems & concerns & got the recertification in 2020. Boeing 737 Max flew back into service in 2021 & has been flying on many routes around the world.

Join me in today’s flight report where I will talk about my experience with Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max aircraft on the flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Singapore. Is it safe to fly the max? How is it different from the previous 737 New Generation aircraft? Is there a change in passenger experience compared to the previous 737 aircraft? Find the answers to these questions in the flight report below.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. This award-winning world class airline is based in one of the world’s best airports – Singapore Changi Airport. The airline starred as Malayan Airways in 1947; it then re-branded & commenced operations as Singapore Airlines in 1972. The airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers & the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 60 destinations in more than 30 countries across 5 continents. Singapore Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot. The airline’s previous regional subsidiary, Silk Air, has been incorporated into SQ’s operations as of March 2021.

Singapore Airline flies a modern aircraft fleet consisting of Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 Max & Boeing 737-800 NG. The airline is the world’s largest Airbus A350-900 operator with 60 currently in service & 5 more on order. 7 of the 60 Airbus A350’s in service have the ultra-long range (ULR) premium (only business & premium economy class) configuration. These ULRs are mostly used in the North America routes.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities & services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals & in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance – one of the world’s biggest airline alliance networks.

Singapore Airlines is not a new airline on this website. In fact, it is the 2^nd most reviewed airline after Cebu Pacific Air.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I mentioned in previous Singapore Airlines SQ 915 & SQ 114 flight reports that I only paid US$146.69 for the return ticket from Manila to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore. The ticket initially cost US$199.70. I redeemed 7,665 KrisFlyer miles (which I earned back in 2019 from my trip to Europe) & got the ticket for the lower price mentioned above.

My bank charged me ₱7,926.12 including foreign currency conversion charges. This is definitely a great deal considering the ticket includes 25-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, 7-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance, inflight meals & snacks, inflight entertainment & 5-star cabin crew service on 4 sectors / flights. This ticket was even cheaper than those from low-cost airlines.

This ticket was a steal given I got all the benefits of a full-service airline. I believe I got more than what I paid for.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

Singapore is one of the first Southeast Asian countries to open to international tourists this year. The country still imposes entry requirements depending on a person’s vaccination status. Given these requirements can change anytime, I suggest that you check your airline’s Covid-19 Information Page or the country’s border control authority’s website for the updated protocols. Here are the links for Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority & Singapore Airlines’ Covid-19 Travel Information Page.

I flew to Singapore only to transfer to my next flight to Manila. During this flight, Singapore does not require anything for transit passengers. The Singapore Changi Airport transit experience is back to its pre-pandemic protocols as long as the passenger has an onward connecting flight under the same booking reference number. Those with split bookings will be required to fulfill the entry requirements of Singapore.

Before The Flight

Like my Manila to Singapore flight on SQ 915, I also received an email reminding me to check the entry requirements of my destination country. The e-mail arrived days after booking this flight & contained helpful links where I can find the said entry requirements.

I did not receive an upgrade offer for this flight (the business class cabin was full) but I got a check-in reminder from the Singapore Airlines mobile application 48 hours before this flight. I checked in for this flight together with the Manila to Singapore leg & had the chance to choose my seat free of charge.

Flight Information

This Kuala Lumpur to Singapore flight was operated by a 2.7-year-old Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. The plane was manufactured years ago but was only delivered to Singapore Airlines in March 2022. The plane has 10 flatbed business class seats (including 2 throne seats) & 144 standard economy class seats.

The plane left Kuala Lumpur International Airport a few minutes behind schedule at 11:36am & landed at Singapore Changi Airport at 12:19pm. Like my SIN to KUL flight, this flight also took 43 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

AIRPORT CHECK-IN

Singapore Airlines divided the check-in counters by class & frequent flyer status. Business class passengers, PPS Club members & Star Alliance status holders have dedicated check-in counters. Economy class passengers also had their own assigned check-in counters. Singapore Airlines has multiple daily flights between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur; check-in schedules for these flights tend to overlap.

I queued at the Economy Class check-in counters at 9:09am & finished after 30 minutes at exactly 9:39am. The check-in agent checked my entry requirements for the Philippines & issued the boarding pass for both my Kuala Lumpur to Singapore & Singapore to Manila flights. I asked the check-in agent if I could change seats for my SIN to MNL flight, but I was told that the system doesn’t allow her to do it. I was advised to request for the seat change in Singapore, right before boarding. I was happy that she still tried to accommodate my request.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I went through immigration & airport security check before heading to our assigned boarding gate. Most international flights depart from KLIA’s Satellite Terminal. This terminal can be accessed through the airport sky train. Unfortunately, the sky train was under maintenance on the day of this flight. The airport provided bus services for passengers flying out of the satellite terminal. I took the bus service & headed to Gate C23. I submitted myself to one final security check near the gate then took a seat, enjoyed the arrival of the Boeing 737 Max 8 & waited for boarding.

BOARDING

Boarding started at 10:57am, 27 minutes behind schedule. Business class, PPS Club members & Star Alliance status holders boarded the plane first. Rear economy class passengers followed the first batch. Forward economy class passengers boarded the plane last. The plane doors closed at exactly 11:18am. The whole boarding process only took 21 minutes – probably one of the fastest of all Singapore Airlines flights I previously took.

Inflight Product & Experience

SEAT FEATURES

This Kuala Lumpur to Singapore flight was operated by a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. The plane has 10 business class seats on a 2-2, 1-1 (throne seats) & 2-2 configuration & 144 regular economy class seats on a 3-3 configuration. According to SeatGuru, each business class seat has a seat pitch of 49 inches (way bigger than those from the 737-800 NG) & a seat width of 22 inches. On the other hand, economy class seats have a pitch of 30 inches & seat width of 17 inches.

Each economy seat features a personal entertainment screen with audio jack & USB port, a decent legroom, an adjustable headrest, a tray table & a seat pocket with the aircraft safety card & a passenger sickness bag. Economy class passengers also have access to individual air vents, individual reading lights & cabin crew assistance button above each seat. Pillows & blankets are not provided on this short flight.

INFLIGHT DRINK SERVICE

Singapore Airlines mentioned in the ticket that this short hop from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur does not have a meal service. The airline only offered refreshments / drinks to all passengers. After the seatbelt sign was turned off, the cabin crew went around & offered apple juice, coffee, tea & water. Special drinks such as soda & beer & crackers were only available by request.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

All seats on this Boeing 737 Max 8 are equipped with personal entertainment screens. These touch-screen entertainment screens have Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system called KrisWorld. This entertainment system has hundreds of movies & television series to watch, thousands of tracks to listen to & games to play with during the flight. It also has some local Singaporean content which can be beneficial for someone’s stay in Singapore.

The touch-screen personal entertainment screens were responsive & easy to navigate. It also showed some details about the flight was well as the flight path. The airline provided earphones which did its job. It was not noise canceling but it was alright.

What I particularly like about KrisWorld is its option for frequent flyers to personalize their entertainment experience. The system asks for the passengers KrisFlyer membership number & then shows the passenger’s favorites or the last song, movie to television show he/she watched / left unfinished.

Their Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft that I flew with from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur does not have personal entertainment screens. Passengers access KrisWorld through their personal devices. The personal screens were definitely a good addition to the Max 8 seats.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Singapore Airlines offered Wi-FI services on this modern aircraft. PPS Club & business class passengers were given a certain data allocation. Economy class passengers who are KrisFlyer members were also given free messaging service. Those who do not fall on these 2 categories can either sign up with KrisFlyer to enjoy free messaging service or avail of the inflight Wi-Fi plans which comes with a cost.

I did not bother connecting to the inflight Wi-Fi on this short flight. I enjoyed playing with the personal entertainment system which took most of the time.

LAVATORY

The flight went by too fast to the point where I didn’t have the chance to check out the 737 Max 8’s lavatory. The aisle was most of the time occupied by the crew giving out the refreshment service & by the passengers going to the lavatory. I didn’t bother joining them.

Cabin Crew Service

I had minimal interaction with the crew on this flight but I noticed that they were all attentive & genuine throughout the flight. The crew welcomed all passengers with their best smiles & attended to all the needs & requests of all passengers during the flight.

Disembarkation

Passenger disembarkation on this flight was done in an orderly manner. Business class passengers left the aircraft first, followed by those in the forward economy cabin. Those seated in the rear economy cabin disembarked last. I did not claim my baggage in Singapore since I had a connection to Manila the same day.

Final Thoughts

It was an ‘okay’ flight with Singapore Airlines. The airline’s hard product & onboard experience remains superb. There are certain aspects where they can further enhance & improve on.

I personally liked the very modern cabin on this Boeing 737 Max 8. All seats have personal entertainment screens & adjustable headrests. The cabin felt spacious because of how the overhead cabins were designed. The hard product is simply excellent. I also appreciate that the airline provided refreshments for this very short hop to Singapore.

I believe the airline can further enhance the check-in process at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Given they have daily multiple flights leaving KLIA, I hope they can improve the process & make it more efficient for both the check-in agents & the passengers. Also, I hope the ground staff make sure that the passengers are always updated with the flight & boarding status. We did not get any advisory that boarding for this flight will be delayed by almost 30 minutes. The announcements started when they called for the first passengers to board.

Lastly, I mentioned this in my Singapore to Kuala Lumpur flight report & I will say it again here. I hope the airline considers improving their snack service for short flights like this. I’ve flown with airlines who serve snacks like nuts (Malaysia Airlines) & cookies (Philippine Airlines) for flights less than an hour. I hope they can also provide snacks on top of the refreshments offered on board.

Putting these comments aside, I think this Singapore Airlines flight is still far better than many short haul full-service flights out there. Honestly, I can’t wait to fly with them again in the future!

Here are some more details about this short Kuala Lumpur to Singapore flight with SQ:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 7 July 2022
Flight Number: SQ 107
Route: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore (SIN)
Duration: 43 minutes
Seat Number: 61K
Aircraft: Boeing 737 Max 8
Aircraft Registration: 9V-MBN
Engines: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 2.7 years old
Delivered: March 2022

This sums up my first ever flight with Boeing 737 Max 8 on Singapore Airlines from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Singapore Changi Airport. There’s only one thing I’d like to say – it is definitely safe to now fly with the 737 Max 8. It may have had problems & issues in the past, but these have surely been addressed by Boeing. The recertifications by many aviation authorities around the world back the 737 Max 8’s safety.

Do you have any questions about this flight to Singapore or anything about the Boeing 737 Max 8? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. If you’re shy to post them, you may also send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report! Don’t forget to check my previous flight reports under the said category. Please also look forward to the next flight report – my onward flight from Singapore to Manila on the Airbus A350. In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Hostel of the Day: Z HOSTEL PHILIPPINES – Makati’s Prime & Best Value Hostel in the Heart of Poblacion

The hostel businesses, together with the whole hospitality industry, are one of the worst hit sectors by the pandemic. The hostels were not allowed to operate the way they used to be. Fun get-to-know conversations inside dormitory rooms, communal room games & activities plus the use of shared hostel facilities were all banned since the pandemic started.

With the relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions, these activities & fun experiences are starting to happen again. Hostels are re-opening & starting to recover from the hardships they experienced during the early & uncertain days of the Covid-19 era. One of Makati’s prime hostels – Z Hostel Philippines – has re-opened to Filipinos, foreigners & to the public.

Recently, I got invited by our friends at Z Hostel Philippines to stay with them for a few nights. I’ve been to Z Hostel’s rooftop bar a few times before but not really stayed with them, so I gladly accepted the invite. Today’s hostel of the day feature will be about my Z Hostel Philippines experience. Join me as I share with you details about the hostel’s features, room types, amenities & the perks of being a hostel guest.

Z Hostel Philippines

Z Hostel Philippines is a high-rated & well-featured hostel property in the heart of Poblacion, Makati. It opened in January 2015 & has welcomed guests from all over the world. The hostel is managed by a group of friends who have a common interest in traveling & backpacking. Since it opened in 2015, the hostel managed to keep its place as one of Makati’s best – placing number 1 on Trip Advisor during its first 4 years, getting top ratings in Hostelworld & Booking.com & even getting endless features in magazines, television shows, newspapers & blogs.

The hostel building has 6 floors & 2 upper decks. The property has 121 beds in 30 private & dormitory rooms. It also has a café on the ground floor & a café / bar on the roof deck.

Location & Access

Z Hostel Philippines is located at 5660 Don Pedro St in the center of Barangay Poblacion, Makati City. It is not located along the main road, but it’s still easy to get a ride. The nearest main road is Kalayaan Avenue; it is about a minute walk away from the hostel doors. Makati Avenue comes next & is about 5 minutes by foot from the hostel. The nearest shopping malls (Century City & Powerplant Malls) are within 1 kilometer from the hostel. The international & domestic airports are about 20-30 minutes (10-14 kilometers away) away without traffic.

The hostel is basically near everything. It is near a convenience store & near to almost all restaurants, cafes & bars in Poblacion & along Makati Avenue. You can literally walk to every establishment from the hostel’s doors. Its location is an easy 10 out of 10. It may not be along a main road, but it surely has access to practically everything a guest needs & wants during his/her stay.

Private & Dormitory Rooms

Z Hostel Philippines caters to every type of guest. The hostel has private rooms for guests who want their own space during their stay. It also has dormitory rooms for travelers who are on a budget & who are keen on meeting new people during their stay.

The hostel has 4 types of dormitory rooms – 4-bed mixed, 6-bed mixed, 6-bed female & 8-bed mixed dormitory rooms. All these dormitory rooms have in-room toilets & showers, air conditioning, in-room desks & counters. Every dormitory bed has a pillow, a blanket & a console with a private reading light & power socket. Dormitory room guests also have access to lockers where they can put their bags & valuables. Please note that guests need to bring their own padlocks. Nightly dormitory room rates are as follows as of August 2022: ₱1,065 per guest in an 8-bed mixed dormitory, ₱1,1100 per person in the 6-bed mixed & 6-bed female dormitories & ₱1,150 per night in the 4-bed mixed dormitory room. All these room rates include breakfast. Z Hostel also offers room rates that don’t include breakfast – ₱760 per guest in an 8-bed mixed dormitory, ₱840 per person in the 6-bed mixed & 6-bed female dormitories & ₱880 per night in the 4-bed mixed dormitory room

The hostel has 2 types of private rooms – the bunk bed room & the double room. The private bunk room features a bunk bed for 2 people, with each person having his or her own bed. The private room has a queen bed in the middle of the room. All these beds include pillows & blankets. These private rooms also include a private toilet & bath (with toiletries), a desk, a storage area, a large mirror & a safety deposit box. Hair dryer, flat iron & board are also available by request. These private rooms cost ₱2,550 per night for 2 people. The rate already includes breakfast. Room only (no breakfast included) rates are also available for ₱2,000 per night for 2 people.

Guests who want a mix of socialization, fun & comfort may request to stay on the Fun Floor. The fun floor is located 1 level below the hostel’s roof deck. Guests staying on this floor have the easiest access to the hostel’s nightly parties. The room configurations available on the fun floor are the 4-bed mixed, 6-bed mixed & private rooms. The room rates are the same as mentioned above.

I stayed for 3 nights in the 4-bed mixed dormitory room located on the fun floor. The room has enough space for 4 people; it has a window & has air conditioning. It also features a clean in-room toilet & shower, a useful desk, storage space & individual lockers. The noise & sound from the hostel’s roof deck did not bother my sleep in all 3 nights.

This is the 4-bed mixed dormitory room located on the the Fun Floor – where I stayed for 3 nights.

The hostel also runs promotions once in a while. They offer dormitory beds & private rooms on discount. Feel free to check out the hostel’s socials (see below) or reach out to them to know more about these promotional offers.

Guest Facilities & Amenities

Free & Fast Wi-Fi – All guests have access to a free, fast & work-from-home friendly Wi-Fi connection. Please don’t forget to ask for the password during check-in.

Excellent Breakfast – Guests who book rooms & dormitory beds that include the free breakfast add-on can experience an excellent breakfast meal. It may not be a typical Filipino rice meal, but it includes toast with butter & jam, fruits of the day, cereals, eggs (sunny-side up, scrambled or omelet) & coffee or tea.

Z Hostel Café – Guests who did not book or avail the breakfast option can order food from the café. The café is open from morning until night time & has a long list of food options to choose from. Check out the menu below.

Z Hostel Roofdeck Bar – Guests staying at Z Hostel have access to the hostel’s famous roof deck bar. The bar is open daily from 5:00pm to 3:00am. Non-guests can access the roof deck bar by buying an RFID bracelet (worth ₱100) per group & loading ₱500 consumable credit per person. The roof deck bar also offers food & drink options – see menu in the images below.

This RFID also allows holders & guests to enter & access Z Hostel’s partner establishments – The Green Door & The Apartment.

Nightly Hostel Roofdeck Event – Z Hostel Philippines hosts nightly events in their roof deck bar. Crowds don’t start until around 10:00pm-11:00pm. Check out the hostel’s socials for the daily events.

Z Hostel Sundeck – The newly-constructed sundeck is the hostel’s pandemic project. They built a sundeck on top of the roof deck bar. The sundeck has amazing views of the Makati & Rockwell skylines & is the perfect place to sip your drink while watching the beautiful sunset with your friends. People can access the sundeck by paying ₱5,000 consumable credits per table.

In-room Shower & Toilets – All dormitory & private rooms at Z Hostel feature in-room toilet & shower areas. These toilet & shower areas come with bath gel, shampoo & hand soap.

In-room Amenities – All dormitory & private rooms have air conditioning & desks or counters. Each dormitory bed features a private reading light, a small bed console & power plug. Private rooms include drinking water with glasses, lamps & bed-side consoles. Guests in private rooms & 6-bed female dormitory rooms are also given bath robes to use during their stay.

Safety Deposit Boxes & Personal Lockers – The hostel has safety deposit boxes in private rooms & personal lockers (with in-locker power plugs) in dormitory rooms. Those staying in dormitory rooms need to bring their own padlocks.

Hostel Essentials Shop – For those who forgot to bring padlocks & other hostel essentials, you may head over to reception & buy these from the hostel shop. They also sell Z Hostel-branded goodies such as bags, shirts & bags.

Communal Lounge Space – The hostel has a large communal space near the entrance & reception area. There are comfortable couches where guests can hangout & talk.

Communal Shower & Toilet – The hostel has a communal shower & toilet on the 2^nd floor. Guests who have already checked out can still use these amenities before leaving the hostel premises for their next trip.

Tour Desk – Z Hostel offers guided tours & bookings to whatever the guest needs. Feel free to ask reception about the tours available during your stay.

Games Area – The hostel has a games area where guests can play with other guests. They have a pool table near the café. They also have board games that can be borrowed from the hostel.

Luggage Storage – The hostel offers free luggage storage for incoming & outgoing guests. Those who are waiting for room check-in or an evening flight or bus trip can leave their bags near the reception at no extra cost.

Drinking Water Refill – Z Hostel Philippines has a water dispenser in the cafe which guests can use to refill their water containers.

Seasonal Hostel Activities – The hostel also offers seasonal activities to its guests. Pre-pandemic, Z Hostel had Poblacion walking tours, sunset sessions at the roof deck & traditional dinners for those who want to feast on Filipino food. These activities are currently on pause because of the pandemic.

24-Hour Reception – Z Hostel Reception is open all day & all night. There is always a staff in the reception area 24 hours a day & 7 days a week.

Printing Services – The hostel also offers printing services for those who need it. Make sure to check the updated printing rates with reception.

Friendly & Approachable Staff – Z Hostel’s staff have been one of the friendliest & approachable hostel staff I’ve dealt with. Everyone greets you with their best smiles – from the security guard, to the waiters, bouncers, café staff, receptionists & even those from housekeeping. They make sure that they provide their best service to the hostel guests.

Secured Hotel Access – Hostel guests are the only ones allowed inside the hostel rooms. Each guest is given a key card that only works on your assigned room. Visitors are only allowed in the lobby, café & the roof deck bar.

Lift Access – Guests who have large bags need not to worry about going up & down several floors. Z Hostel has a lift which every guest can use.

24-Hour Security – Z Hostel is a secured hostel. The hostel always has a guard by the hostel doors. The hostel is also equipped with security cameras all over the property.

Hostel Experience

I stayed with Z Hostel Philippines for 4 days & 3 nights & I can say that I really enjoyed my stay. These factors made my stay enjoyable & memorable. First, the hostel’s location is superb. It is located in the busy street of Don Pedro & has many food & drink options nearby. It is not along a main road, but everything you need is nearby. Second, the hard product is excellent. The room I was assigned to was spacious & clean. The air conditioning worked well & the bed was comfortable to sleep on. The room had everything a hostel guest needs. The dormitory room windows & in-room toilets & showers were a big plus. I’ve stayed in many hostel rooms which don’t have windows & in-room toilets & shower.

Third, the café & roof deck bar has good food & drink options. My personal favorites were the Butabara (grilled pork belly sticks with kimchi), Pork Adobo Flakes Rice Meal & their best-selling signature cocktail drink – May Forever. I seriously lost count of how many May Forever’s my friends & I ordered in those 2 party nights. Fourth, the nightly roof deck events & parties add so much fun to the guests’ experiences. The hostel became well-known because of these events & parties. I am very happy that these are back & happening again. Lastly, the hostel has some of the friendliest & most guest-oriented staff I’ve encountered in a while. The staff always greets you every time they see you in the hallway & even join you in the elevator.

I honestly can’t think of anything Z Hostel could further improve on. However, I have 2 wishes for the hostel. First, I hope the hostel crowds – both local & foreign – start to go back & stay with the hostel. The guests contribute a lot to the hostel vibe & experience. Second, I hope that timing & regulations allow the daily hostel guest events to operate again. Personally, I am a traveler who also considers hostels as destinations aside from the place I am traveling to. It would be nice to experience the sunset sessions, walking tour & traditional dinner with co-hostel guests – just like how it was before.

Will I stay again with Z Hostel? It’s definitely a yes! I will even bring my friends next time if time & situation permits. One day, I will bring my friends to the sundeck & watch the beautiful Makati sunset from the awesome deck.

I said it above & I will say it again. Don’t look anywhere else. Z Hostel Philippines is the place to be! It is Makati’s prime & best value hostel in the heart of Poblacion.

Do you have any questions about the hostel & its facilities? Are you planning to book your next hostel stay with them? You may reach out to them in the following platforms:

Z Hostel Philippines
Address: 5660 Don Pedro St. Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City, Philippines 1210
Phone Number: +632 8856 0851 / +63 917 316 9362
E-mail Address: zhostelreservations@gmail.com / reservations@zhostelph.com
Website: www.zhostel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zhostelph
Instagram: www.instagram.com/zhostelph

This pretty much sums up everything about my 3-night stay with Z Hostel Philippines. I’d like to specifically thank Cao, Rommel & the whole Z Hostel Philippines management & team for accommodating me during my stay. I had so much fun working with you; I will surely be back!

Do you have any questions about my experience with Z Hostel? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send those questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature! Watch out for the next hostel feature. Before you go, can you visit my social media pages –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

3-Day Kuala Lumpur Weekend: Do-It-Yourself Below 20K Trip Around Malaysia’s Modern Capital City [July 2022]

Last July 2022, my friends & I took advantage of the relaxed border requirements & flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a quick 3-day trip. We decided to fly to Kuala Lumpur since it was the cheapest international destination from Manila at the time of booking our air tickets. It was also my friends’ first-time visiting Malaysia. Allow me to share details of this quick & affordable 3 days around Malaysia’s modern capital city.

Airfare

I flew with Singapore Airlines to Kuala Lumpur a few days before my friends did & only paid US$146.69 return. The ticket initially cost US$199.70. I redeemed 7,665 KrisFlyer miles (which I earned back in 2019 from my trip to Europe) & got the ticket for the lower price mentioned above. My bank charged me ₱7,926.12 including foreign currency conversion charges.

The full-service ticket includes 25 kilograms check-in baggage allowance, 7 kilograms carry-on baggage allowance, inflight meals, personal entertainment system & 1.5 hours layover / transit (both ways) in Singapore Changi Airport. This Singapore Airlines ticket was definitely a good deal considering the ticket was booked a month before the scheduled flights & the airline provided full flight service.

My friends flew with Cebu Pacific Air to & from Kuala Lumpur & paid around ₱9,800 return. The ticket included 7-kilograms of carry-on baggage allowance. They opted to fly with Cebu Pacific Air because they found the airline’s flight times perfect for their schedules.

Want to know the difference between full-service carriers like Singapore Airlines & low-cost service airlines like Cebu Pacific Air? Check out this Flight 101 post about these 2 types of airlines.

I wrote separate blogs about my flight experience with Singapore on these flights to & from Kuala Lumpur. Head over to these flight reports to know more: Manila to Singapore, Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur to Singapore & Singapore to Manila.

Entry Requirements

Malaysia still imposed entry requirements at the time of this trip. Fully-vaccinated passengers were exempted from pre-departure & on arrival testing requirements & quarantine but were asked to provide & verify vaccination status prior to their flight. We were also asked to register & obtain the Digital Travelers Card (Blue Traveler Card) at least 3 days before the scheduled flight. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated passengers were asked to provide pre-departure test results, take on arrival testing & isolate / quarantine for a few days. They were issued the Home Surveillance Order (Red Traveler Card) that was checked during the check-in process.

As of 1 August 2022, Malaysia has removed all entry requirements for all incoming international passengers. All travelers are allowed to enter the country regardless of vaccination status & are not required to provide negative test results & undergo quarantine. All quarantine orders related to Covid-19 have been lifted by the Malaysian government.

Please note that these entry requirements may still change from time to time. Make sure to check the Malaysian government’s website, MySafeTravel, days before your trip for any changes in the entry requirements. You may also check these requirements on your airline’s Covid-19 travel information pages.

KLIA to Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is located in Sepang District, about an hour away from the main city of Kuala Lumpur. There are several ways to go to Kuala Lumpur from the airport & vice versa. The fastest & most expensive way is via the KLIA Ekspres. This train service takes about 40 minutes & costs RM55 one-way or RM100 return.

The cheap & more affordable option is via the hourly bus trip to & from KL Sentral. The fare costs RM15 one-way & the trip takes about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. Private transfers are also available via Klook & KKday for a little over ₱700.

I took the bus from KLIA to KL Sentral & paid only RM15. On the way back, I booked a private transfer from my accommodation back to KLIA. I paid ₱736 for this private transfer & was picked up from my hostel.

Accommodation

My friends & I stayed at Hotel Westree KL Sentral. My friend Junelle & I booked 3 nights in their superior twin room & only paid ₱2,633.93 for the whole stay. We took advantage of Traveloka’s 20% off promotion & got a ₱650+ discount. We paid the hotel ₱878 per night – that’s ₱439 each per person per night. That is almost the same rate as some hostels in Kuala Lumpur.

The hotel is located at 142 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, right at the back of NU Sentral Shopping Mall. It is close to the KL Sentral Monorail Station & a few minutes walk to the KL Sentral bus terminal & KL Sentral train station. The property is also near a number of convenience stores, shops & restaurants. Its location is a 10 out of 10.

Hotel Westree KL Sentral’s room was just right. It has 2 single beds, air conditioning, a big closet, a desk & a large mirror. It also has a private toilet & shower with complete amenities. The hotel doesn’t offer a breakfast option but has a small shop near reception. They also have a water dispenser near the lounge area where guests can refill their water containers free of charge. The property allows guests to leave their luggage before check-in or after check-out.

Transportation Around the City

Going around Kuala Lumpur is easy. Almost all of the places to visit are accessible by train, monorail, or by bus. My friends & I were lucky because train & bus rides during our visit were free of charge. The government announced free MRT, LRT, BRT (bus rapid transit), monorail, Rapid KL bus & KTM Komuter rides in Klang Valley for a month from 16 June to 15 July 2022. This free ride service followed after the launch of the new MRT Putrajaya Line.

Outside these trains & buses, visitors can also book ride-hailing applications such as Grab & Air Asia Ride. You read that right! Air Asia has a ride-hailing subsidiary operating around Kuala Lumpur. My friends & I used Air Asia on selected rides during our visit. They have cheaper rates compared to Grab.

Places Visited in Kuala Lumpur

My friends were only in Kuala Lumpur for 3 full days. We visited as many places as possible in this short span of time. We also met one of my friends, Geof (from my Siquijor, Siargao & Myanmar trips before), who’s now based in the city. Check out the places we’ve been to in these 3 days.

DAY 1 – BOTANICAL GARDEN, MERDEKA SQUARE & CHINATOWN

Day 1 started with a train ride to Pasar Seni Station & a breakfast meal at a local hawker place. We had our chicken & rice meal for RM8 & a glass of cold the Tarik for RM2.50.

After breakfast, we headed to the bus stop & found out that the old bus route to the botanical garden is no longer operational. We then decided to just walk for 30 to 45 minutes to the Perdana Botanical Garden. We walked around the botanical garden for about an hour. Entrance to the botanical garden is free.

From Perdana Botanical Garden, we took an Air Asia Ride to Suria KLCC. We walked around the shopping mall & then checked out the Petronas Twin Towers from the outside.

After going around KLCC Suria & the Petronas Twin Towers, we took the train from KLCC Station to Masjid Jamek Station. We walked a bit & decided to have a late lunch at Secret Recipe near the Central Market. I got their vegetarian fried rice satay meal for around RM20.

After lunch, we walked to Masjid Jamek Lookout Point @ River of Life, then to Masjid Jamek Pedestrian Bridge & back to the Masjid Jamek station area. We didn’t bother to go inside Masjid Jamek Mosque because we were in wearing shorts.

We then went to see the Sultan Abdul Samad Building from the outside & walked around Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square) – the country’s Independence Square.

We dropped by the KL City Gallery to have our photos taken in the iconic I ❤️ KL sign, then headed to the Central Market to meet my friend Geof.

We walked along the Petaling Street Market & headed to Kwai Chai Hong to take photos of the murals.

We had our dinner in the famous Lan Zhou Mee Tarik Restaurant. I ordered their beef daoxiao (knife-cut) noodles paired with their beef barbecue stick & a can of Sprite. The whole meal only cost me RM22.

After dinner, we had our first round of drinks at Pik Wah Restaurant. We then headed to Bukit Bintang to meet with my friends from Couchsurfing for another round of drinks.

We missed the last KL monorail trip so we took the last train to Muzeum Negara Station & walked back to Hotel Westree.

DAY 2 – BATU CAVES, BUKIT BINTANG & KL SKYLINE

Day 2 started with breakfast at McDonalds KL Sentral Station. After breakfast, we took an Air Asia Ride to Batu Caves.

My friends & I went up the 272 stairs to see what’s in the cave. The whole trip up to the cave & back took us around 30 minutes. We left Batu Caves before 11:00am & took the KMT Komuter train back to KL Sentral.

We went back to Hotel Westree to freshen up. Just before lunch, we walked to Little India to check out the area & also drop by the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Fatima.

We took the KL Monorail from KL Sentral Station to Bukit Bintang Station & had lunch at Lot 10 Hutong – a food court / modern hawker center at the lower ground floor of Lot 10 Shopping Mall. We bid our goodbyes to my friend Geof & then went to order food for lunch.

I got char siu pork rice meal & char kway teow (stir fried noodles) with chicken for lunch. I also shared hokkien mee with one of my friends. I can say I ate a lot during that meal.

After lunch, we walked around Bukit Bintang. We’ve been to Jonetz by Don Don Donki (their Donki store originally from Japan) & mostly around The Pavilion Mall.

Around 4:00pm, we took an Air Asia Ride to KL Tower. We bought our tickets (RM110 each on site – I suggest that you buy ahead of time from Klook) & went up the Sky Deck & Sky Box. We took photos with the glass boxes & waited for sunset & night time.

At 7:30pm, we went down from KL Tower & walked to Suria KLCC. We again took photos of the Petronas Twin Towers at night. From Suria KLCC, we walked to the Bukit Nanas Monorail station & took the monorail to Bukit Bintang Station.

We dropped by Jonetz by Don Don Donki to buy some stuff before heading back to Hotel Westree again via the KL Monorail.

DAY 3 – GENTING HIGHLANDS & CHINATOWN (AGAIN)

We checked out from Hotel Westree at 7:00am & walked to the KL Sentral Bus Terminal to take our 8:00am bus to Awana Bus Terminal. We bought the return bus tickets in advance from this website & paid RM18 roundtrip.

The bus trip took about an hour. Upon arrival at Awana Bus Terminal, we had breakfast in one of the convenience stores. Most of the restaurants were still closed. Minutes before 10:00am, we went up to the cable car station & took the regular cable car up to Genting Highlands. PS. We bought the cable car tickets ahead of time & only paid RM31 for a one-way standard gondola & one-way glass bottom gondola.

We walked around Genting Higlands shopping malls & theme parks for a few hours. We had our lunch in the food court. I had chicken char siu rice for the main meal & cendol for dessert.

Around 1:30pm, we took the glass bottom gondola down to Chin Swee Station & walked to the Chin Swee Caves Temple. This Chin Swee Station stop is a free stop on the return gondola tickets.

After an hour, we took the cable car again back to Awana Station & went around some premium outlet stores beside the bus terminal.

At 4:00pm, we took the bus from Awana Bus Terminal back to KL Sentral Bus Station. We went straight to Chinatown to buy some last-minute pasalubong & to have dinner. Around 7:00pm, we took the train back to KL Sentral, walked to Hotel Westree to get our stuff.

Junelle & friends walked to the bus terminal to take the 8:00pm bus to KLIA Terminal 2. Meanwhile, I booked an Air Asia Ride to my next hostel – The Beds KLCC.

Summary of Expenses

I mentioned in the title that this 3-day trip cost below 20,000 all in. This total cost does not apply to me since I stayed in Kuala Lumpur for 8 days. However, it does apply to my friends who went there for 3 full days. Let us look at the breakdown of expenses below.

My friend paid ₱9,758.27 for the Cebu Pacific Air roundtrip ticket to Kuala Lumpur on Cebu Pacific Air. Prior to flying to Kuala Lumpur, she paid her share on the following: 3-night accommodation at Hotel Westree (₱1,316.97), Genting Highlands return bus tickets (₱227.83), roundtrip cable car tickets (₱396.74) & KLIA to Hotel Westree transfer (₱410.34). On the day of the flight, she paid the required travel tax worth ₱1,620.

She brought a pocket money of RM500 (conversion rate of ₱12.50 per RM1 = ₱6,250). This pocket money was enough to cover 3 meals per day (averaging RM10-RM20 per meal including drinks), all Air Asia Rides we took, bus ticket back to KLIA2, KL Tower Sky Deck & Sky Box entry ticket (RM110) & treats (pasalubong) she bought from Jonetz by Don Don Donki & Chinatown.

She spent ₱19,980.15 all in for this 3-day weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I believe this total trip cost is affordable & acceptable given the following reasons: (a) this trip was booked a month before the intended travel dates, (b) high fuel prices which resulted to higher fuel surcharges in air tickets & (c) current inflation rate. Gone are the days (at least for now) that return international tickets with Cebu Pacific Air were below ₱3,000.

That sums up our recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The pandemic & the current world crisis may have changed a lot of things, but our love for discovering new places, investing in experiences & traveling on a budget remains. Do you have any questions about traveling around Kuala Lumpur or anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send in your questions & comments via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s trip to Kuala Lumpur. Please look forward to the next one! Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you.

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.