NSun's 2025 Adventures in Asia

NSun · 2025-12-13T19:21:51+1100

I'm reporting on the latest trips I've done. Since going to America in July, I visited Japan in August, then Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in November.
This trip report will include:
- Visiting a friend in the least populated prefecture of Japan
- Having the meal one always has in Japan...(butter chicken)
- Flying Qantas First class for the first time since the pandemic
- Dining in front of a >30 year old A310 flying for Iran Airtour
- Encountering elephants up close.
Let's go!

AIRwin · 2025-12-13T19:35:58+1100

Looking forward to the report from the Land of the Rising @NSun and beyond!

NSun · 2025-12-13T20:15:08+1100

I managed to book First on QF1 prior to the devaluation for 102.6k plus $272 in taxes. It was my first time on an A380 in a couple of year and it was VH-OQK.

We boarded from Gate 10 which is good for the views you can get...near Gate 9. But Gate 10 is under construction so it's a zoo when you've got an A380. As I was in first I had a dedicated lane and aerobridge where someone was standing to ensure only eligible people entered the cabin. We ended up leaving nearly 2 hours late (we took off at 5.44pm when it was 3.50pm scheduled departure time).

Bollinger champagne.

Up, up and away.

NSun · 2025-12-13T20:18:33+1100

So I started with the 'caviar course'. Obviously nothing on Emirates. Had cognac as a kind of first class tradition, having drunk it with Emirates just because it was highly vintage there. Qantas sells Hine Rare VSOP Cognac from France which is just over A$100 a bottle.

Bread, white and garlic.

Margaret's Thai style salad of crab and sweet pork, chilli, green papaya and cashews

Crumbled lamb cutlets. Yum.

Coke and Negroni.

And affogoto.

Steak sandwich prior to arrival.

So this was the second time I flew first class as first class on a Qantas A380, not counting another 2 times from Hong Kong where I flew it as J. The first time I flew F as F in 2019 I was blown away. Then in 2023, I flew Emirates First CHC-SYD and was blown away.

This time I can't say I was blown away. I liked the crew, the food was a cut above business class - I loved the lamb, as I love lamb but know it can be hard to get right. One of my biggest irritations is service being dragged out especially as a quick eater and this was not the case here, dishes were removed quickly. But if you want to be blown away like on Emirates (i.e. bottomless caviar, a shower and $1000 cognac) you will be disappointed. I probably won't go out of my way to fly F on the A380 again but will see if I can fly F on the A350 somehow, someway.

NSun · 2025-12-13T20:24:21+1100

Landed in Singapore at 10.45pm, 1.45am Sydney time. As we left late, I slept for about an hour and a half then would sleep 3 hours in my hotel in Singapore. We were held on the plane for 10 minutes due to some altercation in the economy cabin so the police could come onboard and escort someone off.

This was my 10th visit to Singapore (i.e. entering the country, not counting transits where I didn't leave the airport but am counting separate entrances and exits in the same trip like this one.

It was that late in Singapore that the Jewel waterfall had stopped and there were no tourists around.

Caught a Grab to the Holiday Inn Serangoon which was one neighbourhood away from Little India.

Woke up the next morning for a sunrise walk to the Merlion.

NSun · 2025-12-13T20:25:29+1100

Continued...

I love to travel · 2025-12-14T08:04:15+1100

Loved your sunrise walk in Singapore - I did it a few years ago and it is the best time of day there imho

Major · 2025-12-14T12:55:19+1100

I agree. Sunrise is a good time to be out and about in SIN

NSun · 2025-12-14T15:01:15+1100

I love to travel said:
Loved your sunrise walk in Singapore - I did it a few years ago and it is the best time of day there imho

Major said:
I agree. Sunrise is a good time to be out and about in SIN

It is awesome, a tradition of mine whenever I visit.

NSun · 2025-12-14T15:06:24+1100

The next stop would be Kuala Lumpur and while I could've flown direct or crossed the border into Johor and flew up, I decided to go by bus from Johor. So I caught the train to Woodlands. I ended up taking the Brown line which seems to only be a few years old (this part was opened in 2021-22).

One picture I didn't capture is an interesting thing the tunnels had instead of traditional lights - some metal pieces that would give off extra light from the trains' lights.

Got off at Woodlands and got some 'brunch' not knowing how long it'd be before my next meal. I forgot the franchise but it was one of those Hong Kong-style bread shops.

They don't muck around with law & order there.

So from Woodlands, you get on a bus that takes you to the border facility. The exit is seamless as it is all digital these days. Then you get on a bus that takes you across the river/Strait. I was stuck at a red light for some reason but then went on.

But Malaysia does not have e-gates and has so few manual points open so it ended up taking 50 minutes. Apparently there is an arrival map but there was no wifi network to download the app and even activating roaming didn't work to download the app.

So this is Johor Sentral which is a major shopping centre. I had no time to check it out as I had to get to a bus terminal 20 minutes drive away.

NSun · 2025-12-14T15:09:18+1100

Made it there with purportedly 10 minutes to spare before boarding, but the bus did not show up until 10 minutes after scheduled boarding time and left half an hour late. What was marketed as a 4.5 hour trip ended up being 7 hours and there was no wifi. Next time I'll just fly Johor to KL as it's not too much more expensive.

At 9pm, I reached the Kuala Lumpur bus terminal then jumped in a Grab to my hotel which was to Mercure.

AIRwin · 2025-12-14T15:09:33+1100

NSun said:
Then you get on a bus that takes you across the river

It's a strait to be exact

NSun · 2025-12-14T15:12:39+1100

My hotel was only about A$100 for the night but great value for money. It had a rooftop pool, a decent gym and good hotel views.

From the atrium of my floor.

Look closely and you'll see my 'gift' for being a Gold member. I am, but only because I was gold in 2023 when Accor just offered all QF WPs gold status. I was not able to keep it, failing to get anywhere near close to 30 nights...but only demoted to silver and then was given an offer to try gold for another year...so there I was.

This was the view from my room.

The rooftop which had a cafe and a pool.

The Starbucks in the hotel lobby.

AIRwin · 2025-12-14T15:13:08+1100

NSun said:
Next time I'll just fly Johor to KL as it's not too much more expensive.

Or try the new electric train between JB and KL?

NSun · 2025-12-14T15:16:55+1100

In the morning, I went on a walk to the Petronas Towers and back. I wouldn't go up this time, but did on my last visit in 2019. Was intrigued to see KL had a monorail.