Kusu Island – Singapore’s Pilgrimage Site

I was looking forward to going somewhere different in Singapore so i found an Island not usually on the list of Touristy Places. 
Kusu Island is a Pilgrimage Site. During the Ninth Lunar Month Every Year thousands flock to the little island to request for good health, peace, happiness, good luck & prosperity.
The Island of Kusu (St John’s Island) can be reached from the Marina Bay South Pier. Tickets are SGD18 for Adults & SGD12 for Children. 

  
  
Ticket is already Round Trip.  We arrived past 10am and we thought we already missed the boat. 

Around 15 Minutes into the journey you will already see St John’s Island and a different Singapore appears before you. The Trip to St John’s took 30 Minutes then a wait around 10 minutes before the boat headed to Kusu. 

  
At Kusu we went to the Dai Bo Gong Temple. While there we made an offering at the Temple of Success for success and prosperity. Then we went to the Tortoise Sanctuary.

   
    
    
    
   
What Else is there to do at the Island? You can have a picnic, go swimming or just sit back & relax. Be sure to bring your own food as there are no food sellers there if its a regular day.

   
 We went back around 12pm. Trip back just took 30 minutes.

To Get to Kusu Island, go to Marina South Pier and look for the Island Cruise table to get your tickets.

Udom Suk Market (BTS Udom Suk, Bangkok)

This Market is located beside the Udom Suk BTS Station. Use exit 5 to go to the Market. You can buy fresh fruits, seafoods, meat, chicken there.  There are also cooked meals which you can buy from there.

  
  
  
  

Hua Lamphong Railway Station (Bangkok, Thailand)

The Hua Lamphong Railway Station or the Bangkok Station was built in 1910 but opened for business in 1916. It can be easily reached via MRT (Hua Lamphong MRT Station). This is where you should go if you want to take the train to northern, eastern, northeastern and southern Thailand.

The Train Station has a very simple layout. It will be Impossible to get lost as when you enter the Ticketing booths will greet you and the Platforms to the trains are just beside it.

There is an Electronic Signboard above the ticketing booths showing the departing and arriving trains. To the left is a Signboard showing all the destinations available and their frequencies.

Below are the Six Types of trains available and their differences (from Bangkok.com)

Special Express: long-distance trains connecting major destinations, such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Yala, Bangkok-Surat Thani, Bangkok-Sawankhalok (Sukhothai) and Bangkok-Butterworth (Malaysia)
Types of seats: First and second class air-conditioned sleepers and non-air-conditioned second class sleepers

Express: long-distance trains connecting major regional hubs, such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Ubonratchathani, Bangkok-Nongkhai, Bangkok-Trang, Bangkok Udonthani
Types of seats: First and second class air-conditioned sleepers, non-air-conditioned second class sleepers, second and third class seats (either air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned)

Rapid: long-distance trains connecting major regional destinations, making more stops than Express trains, such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Pitsanulok, Bangkok-Nongkhai, Bangkok-Ubonratchathani, Bangkok-Yala, Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat, Bangkok-Sugnai Kolok
Types of seats: Second class sleepers (either air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned) and second and third class seats (either air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned)

Ordinary: long-distance trains connecting regional destinations, making every stop, such as Bangkok-Nakhonsawan, Bangkok-Suphanburi, Bangkok-Hua Hin, Thonburi-Ratchaburi, Thonburi-Nakhonpathom, Bang Sue (North Bangkok)-Nakhon Ratchasima
Types of seats: Non-air-conditioned second and third class seats

Bangkok Commuter: short-distance commuter trains running between Bangkok and the outskirts (within the 150km radius), making every stop. This is the train you would take to Don Muang Airport. Other destinations include Bangkok-Lopburi, Bangkok-Ratchaburi, Bangkok-Kaeng Khoi (Saraburi), Bangkok-Ratchaburi, Bangkok-Suphanburi, Bangkok-Prachinburi
Types of seats: Non-air-conditioned third class seats

Rural Commuter: short-distance commuter trains running between rural provinces, such as Lopburi-Pitsanulok, Nakhonsawan-Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya-Lopburi, Surat Thani-Sungai Kolok, Chomphon-Hat Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima-Ubonratchathani, Nakhon Ratchasima-Udonthani, Kaeng Khoi (Saraburi)-Khon Kaen
Types of seats: Non-air-conditioned third class seats

Please Visit the Thai Railways Website, the Official State Railway of Thailand Website for more detailed information including Fare Prices. Do also visit A Man In Seat 61’s Guide to Train Travel in Thailand.

  
  

Amulet Market (Maharaj Road, Bangkok)

I alighted at the Maharaj Pier. The alley going to Maharaj Road is already lined with Amulets. More Amulets greeted me as i went to the right. The street was lined with Vendors and Shops selling Amulets.

   
    
 

Chatuchak Park (Bangkok, Thailand)

Located just beside the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This Park is full of people during weekends when the Market is Open. It features greens where you can relax, eat or sit down after a tiring day of shopping at the nearby Chatuchak Market. It has a Lagoon in the middle. It is also frequented by Birds and there are a lot of vendors selling Bird Food and I guess fish food too.

  

Chatuchak Weekend Market

How to Get to Chatuchak: To get to Chatuchak take the BTS (Skytrain). The Station of Chatuchak is MO CHIT. or you can also use the MRT and go out at Chatuchak Park Station or KAMPHAENG PHET. If from MO CHIT Station the Market is just a 5 Minute Walk. You can also take the MRT after getting out of MO CHIT. Fare is Baht 16.

You can find EVERYTHING at Chatuchak. Shop to your heart’s content hear. After doing some major shopping go to the Main Street of Chatuchak to grab something to eat or refresh yourself with some Coconut Juice after a hot day.

This is also a Plant Lover’s Heaven as they have a variety of Plants not usually found in the Philippines. They also have a lot of seeds for sale.

 
  
  

  

Shrine of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish (San Miguel, Manila)

  

The Church of Tanay (Tanay,Rizal)

The Church Of Tanay is dedicated to San Ildefonso. It is located in the Centre of Town. In front of the Centuries Old Church is a Century Old Acacia Tree, beside it is a Sculpture made from the Remnants of the partner of the Acacia Tree. The sculpture was made by sculptors from Laguna.

The Church Boasts of a beautiful retable with an image of San Ildefonso. Aside from the retablo it also boasts of Century Old Relleves which are now covered in glass. A must Visit if you are in Tanay.

Salcedo Community Market (Salcedo Village, Makati)

If its Saturday it usually means Salcedo. Of all the markets this is probably the easiest to navigate together with the Greenhills market that i have been to.

I bought Bangkok Duhat and lokwat st the fruit stand. Duhat priced at 175 a kilo while lokwat 125 a kilo.

Also got Longaniza. Calumpit and Negros Recado at 130 a pack.

Also bought Pork Loin in Apple Sauce at a French Food Stall P330 for a small portion!

And lastly got Shawarma to feed my hungry tummy. It was just so so though. There are a lot of other shawarmas sold that are better and cheaper.