As some of you might have known, there was an article on some journalist's same trip to Dangan City Mall on last Saturday's NST paper. What I find disturbing about the article is, it doesn't really reflect the whole actual experience of the trip at all. If the article had given a clearer picture of the trip, I might not have taken mine on 14th January 2009. So to save some of your the trouble of what I've gone thru, here is the exact account of my trip.
On Saturday morning, I made my way to KTM station to purchase a ticket for my Wednesday trip. The KTM officer told me that they
do not sell advance tickets to Dangan City Mall. So you plan to go, please purchase the ticket on the actual day.
Wednesday morning, we went to get our tickets at 10am for our 2pm train. The ticket is free seating, and we were instructed to take the last cabin. The train left the station on time, which was a good point. However, in the same cabin, some longer distance traveller actually has tickets with seat numbers. Thus there were a lot of chaos as people with free seating tickets were told to change seats. I saw an old lady who was told to vacant her seat 2 times before the train took off. And when the train reached Johor Bahru station, more people got on, and she was told to move again! The free seating ticket was obviously not very convenient at all! We had to move once as well.
The train arrived at Dangan City Mall at 3pm+, which is way below 90minutes that was estimated. We rushed to get out return tickets back, however the KTM officer again say, no advance tickets are sold. The only train back was at 8pm, and the ticket will be sold from 7:30pm onwards. That didn't go down too well for me, the fact that I couldn't secure my seat home was a minus points for KTM.
Next, Dangan City Mall itself. The verdict? Not worth going unless you plan to do the following: Get a Manicure or Pedicure (RM40 for a classic pedicure), get a traditional chinese massage (RM25 for 40minutes!), or get your hair done (I got a haircut for RM30 from a salon). There are no fast food in the mall, only 1 food court which was rather empty. Empty as in not more then 2 table occupied each time we walk in. There is however a decent Old Kopitiam shop in the basement which has a pretty decent version of Penang Fried Koey Teow. We had our lunch and dinner at the same shop.
Aside from Metro Jaya, there was not much shopping to be done as almost 70% of the shoplots there are vacant. There is an archery and a bowling alley there, but no cinema (which is another minus point). Even the supermarket at the basement was a disappointment. I felt that hype of Dangan City Mall was obviously very prematur as the retail market was obviously not prepared to receive the customer from Singapore.
We got out tickets at 7pm even though the KTM uncle told us earlier that he would start selling at 7:30pm. The train was scheduled to arrive at 8:08pm, but it arrived closed to 8:28pm instead. Again the ticket was free seating, and it seems there were no control on the tickets as some of the passanger from Dangan City Mall Station has to stand until other passager got off at JB Station. We reached Singapore at around 9:45pm.
The bad points were obviously the chaotic KTM train seat arrangements, and the train schedule. And Dangan City Mall needs to buck up if it plans on winning the Singapore retail market.
But the plus points are: very cheap massage and other services, cheap food and grocery shopping! And the train ride from Singapore to JB was very very relaxing! Would I go again? Yes! Why not! But maybe in another 6 months or so. There is also an hourly shuttle bus from Dangan City Mall to Dangan Bay which I am interested to explore. So there, hope you get all the info you need from this blog entry. Do let me know if you do make a trip there, and do share your experience!
