We visited Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Shoppes. We went to Singapore Flyer, Universal, Sentosa, SEA World and Trick Eye Museum. We went to Legoland Malaysia for a whole day of fun. Then we watched The Little Big Club's Barney & Friends at the newly opened OneKM mall. We stayed in one of the newly opened hotels in the Joo Chiat area. It was tiring but rewarding. Johan was all aglow and that was the most important thing for this trip. It was a challenge to bring a 3 yr-old child miles away from home but the experiences and our bonding as a family made it all worth it and priceless.
We left Manila at around 9pm via Cebu Pacific NAIA Terminal 3 (late as we were supposed to depart at 830PM) and arrived at Changi airport Terminal 2 1220am. Johan slept during the flight and woke up when we arrived at the airport. As it was too late to take the MRT and to ride the bus, we just hailed a cab and gave the driver the direction to our hotel. As with our past trips to Singapore, they have the most efficient, safest transport system and the drivers are well mannered, respectful, accurate. They never fail to amaze me as even up to the last centavo, they will give your change and you can use your credit card to pay for the fare.
Champion Hotel (formerly Gateway Hotel)
They say that our hotel was once the Gateway Hotel but it was renovated so the result is just like a brand new hotel now named Champion Hotel. It is located at the Joo Chiat Road area, close to the Joo Chiat Complex and the within the vicinity of the Malay village. You can feel the old world charm of Singapore yet the hotel is a modern artsy rendition, very simple and fuss-free in the civic district of the city.
I booked it online and availed of the Trip Advisor's promo on their website. The transaction was fast and hassle-free. We got the Superior Twin room for 2 adults and 1 kid. It was spacious. Although it doesn't have windows, the cleanliness and big space make up for that. If you are claustrophobic or if you want a view, you may want to request or get a room with windows. Most of the time we were out so it didn't matter to us. It was also favourable that we have no windows because we were able to really sleep without the outside noise. The check in/out was very fast and easy. And the receptionist was very accommodating and helpful both checking in/out. There was this one time when we need a cab and it's raining hard and the receptionist offered to call one even without asking her. That was good customer service. They also clean our room every day.
Facilities inside the room include twin bed, working aircon, phone, safe, bedside button for all the lights so you won't have to stand up to turn it on/off, LED TV, coffee and tea pot, mini-ref, hair dryer. They also provide 2 complimentary bottles of water which they replenished every day. They also provide coffee and tea and toiletries which they also replenished everyday. They have a 24-hour front desk reception and customer service. They were also fast when it comes to responding to your needs. I reported a defective tea pot and they promptly replied and replaced it. They have free WIFI which was really strong during our stay there. And we didn't have any problems. It was consistent throughout our stay there.
The area is 20-30 minutes away from Changi, around 20 minutes away from the city. We have specific itinerary so we know where we want to go so the location is not a problem for us despite being a little far from the city. And Singapore is one of the world's most child friendly cities so despite having a kid in tow and despite being a little far from the city, it was never a problem. The nearest MRT is Paya Lebar of the East West Line (Green Line). To tell you honestly, it was not so near meaning it's around 10-15 minutes of real walk. But it was manageable and not a problem. There was a construction in front of the building while we were there. I think it was for another hotel but we didn't hear a single noise from that. Perhaps we are not facing that road. The lobby is so cute. The design very contemporary and youthful, clean and minimalist. All in all, it was a great stay and given the chance, we will stay here again.
DAY 2
We had breakfast at OneKM mall, a newly opened mall near our hotel. We tried the local restaurant -- Toast Box.
Toast Box
Let's toast to the good times! We always try local goodness whenever we visit a place. Although we have Toast Box in the Philippines, it's different when you try it in their country of origin. Toast Box is a recreation of the coffee shops in Singapore from the 60s and 70s, where the common practice for breakfast was a cup of Nanyang Coffee and freshly toasted bread. It started as a food stall unit in the Food Republic Wisma Atria in Singapore but now has expanded in different countries. It's hard to miss this place as they have 66 outlets all over Singapore. We tried their Kaya Toast, Chicken Curry, Mee Siam with Meat Loaf, Barley Drink, Brewed Cold Tea. It was all delicious. The Chicken Curry was just too spicy for my husband's taste.
We went to the Gardens by the Bay, Cloud Forest and Flower Dome
The Flower Dome
The Flower Dome is simply spectacular. The Flower Dome replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy. Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it shows the adaptations of plants to barren environments.
The changing theme at the Flower Field reflects different seasons and festivities. When we were there,it's winter wonderland. For someone who grew up in a tropical country, it was a sight to see their recreated gardens with snow.
We saw some baobabs and bottle trees, drunken trees and ghost tress, succulent garden, the 1000-yr old Olive tree from Spain and other amazing plants and flower from around the world. Not to miss when going there. The temperature inside is well below what we used to so if you get easily cold, bring a jacket with you.
The Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay.
As you enter, you'll be amazed by the world's tallest indoor waterfall and a 35-metre tall mountain covered in abundant vegetation. It shows plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level.
There are different levels where you can appreciate the unique biodiversity and geology of cloud forests.
From top to bottom, you have the following attractions: Secret Garden - if you start from the top, you will end your journey here at the foot of the mountain. It is a chasm that will bring you closer to plants that were once abundant on earth, but are increasingly rare today.
+5 Degrees - This is where they show you a mini AVP about the effects of temperature increase in the planet. This virtual experience allows you to see the world from a different perspective.
Earth Check - This is a place of facts, figures and statistics of the state of the earth today and the threats that we will have to face due to climate change.
Tree Top Walk - the walk that will take you closer to the forest
Crystal Mountain - this part we just walk over and left not because it's not interesting but because the Philippines has a lot of this amazing caves in Sagada, Cagayan, Palawan and Bohol and I have seen the real stalactites and stalagmites up close so I'm kinda bias. But there's a lot to learn here about geology, continents formation, earth's age, and the importance of fossils in understanding our planet’s past.
Waterfall View - This is where you see the grand waterfall. Steep and a little slippery because of the water droppings so be careful. If you're like me who is slightly afraid of the heights then a minute would suffice.
The Cavern - Another walkway where you can learn life forms of cloud forests around the world.
Cloud Walk - Up close view of the other side of the mountain.
Lost World - This is the highest point of cloud forest. They say it replicates the cloud forest vegetation at around 2,000m above sea level. This is where you can also enjoy fantastic views of the Marina Bay waterfront.
We enjoyed this a lot. I am slightly afraid of heights but it helped that the walkway bridge and suspension looked very safe and strong. I hope so. The cool-moist conservatory helped us enjoy the place more.
After that, we went to Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Shoppes where we had our late lunch at the famous Din Tai Fung.
Din Tai Fung
Michelin star awarded and ranked as one of the world’s Top Ten Best Restaurants by The New York Times, Din Tai Fung started in Taiwan 40 years ago. I heard about it thru word-of-mouth from friends who have tasted its famous signature xiao long baos or steamed pork dumplings. So we checked it out at the Marina Bay Sands and ordered their famous xiao long baos or steamed pork dumplings traditionally contain minced pork wrapped in a delicate dough skin, which is then pleated, twisted at the top and steamed. Din Tai Fung’s signature rendition consists of juicy meat filling wrapped in a melt-in-your-mouth skin with a minimum of 18 exquisite folds according to their site. True to their word, it is fresh and simply steamed, it's not too rich or heavy.
We also ordered their noodle soup, pork buns and chili crab and pork buns which I enjoyed more than the xiao long baos. I guess it really is a matter of taste. Btw, they also have an open kitchen where you can see how your dumplings are made.
Then we walked around Marina Bay Sands and went out to check out the bridge outside. We had dinner at Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen at Singapore Flyer. We went there because we were supposed to buy ticket from WTS Travel for Legoland but we were too late as it was closed already.
DAY 3
We went to Singapore Flyer again so we can buy the tickets to Legoland Malaysia for Dec 4. I found the information about WTS Travel on the net. We were early because we were afraid they might run out of slots for the next day. WTS Travel is located at the Singapore Flyer main entrance. They have tour packages for different trips. We got the Legoland Package . The package includes roundtrip transfers (Singapore Flyer-Legoland Malaysia-Singapore Flyer) and Legoland tickets for 2 adults and 1 kid. Total cost: SGD 194. They accept cash and credit card. Their office is right at the Singapore Flyer so you won't get lost. I had a really nice time transacting with them. It was very fast and efficient. We used the MRT going there with a kid in tow.
Here is the direction going there:
Take the Promenade Station (Circle Line, CC4).
Take Exit A and look out for blue pedestrian signs to Singapore Flyer.
Or you can take a taxi for a fuss-free, walk-free trip.
After that, we had our lunch at Vivo City's Food Republic. Then off to Sentosa's Universal (picture-taking), The Maritime Experiential Museum, SEA Aquarium and Trick-Eye Museum.
The Maritime Experiential Museum
The only museum in Singapore where visitors can experience Asia’s rich maritime and cultural heritage and discover Singapore’s past as a trading port. This is an interactive museum showing the ancient Maritime Silk Route, with recreated sights, sounds and scents of the bustling bazaars, fascinating trove of precious artifacts from the Maritime Archaeology Gallery, life-sized ship replicas of Asian sailing vessels from the docks at the Historic Ship Harbour.
SEA Aquarium
S.E.A. Aquarium™, home to more than 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species, across 49 different habitats. Johan had the best of time here. He was exploring, asking questions, and really enjoying every single aquarium. At first, we thought he'll just sleep throughout the tour but surprisingly he was active and enthusiastic. Even with the not-so-pretty species, he did not get scared. He was dancing in front of the big aquarium and was even running after the school of fish.
We were supposed to go Universal, Imbiah and Beach stations of Sentosa but Johan fell asleep so we decided to call it a day. We had dinner at the Saizeriya Ristorante inside the mall near our hotel.
DAY 4
Legoland Malaysia
Woke up early to catch the bus going to Legoland Malaysia. We got our package from WTS Travel which includes roundtrip transfers and tickets. The package is hassle-free and worry-free. We were asked to be at the Singapore Flyer at 9am for the assembly time and left at 915 am. They were very strict with the schedule and we don't mind. The trip was a breeze and the instructions very simple. Johor Bahru Malaysia where Legoland was located is just an hour away from Singapore sans the traffic and the lines in the immigration. Fortunately for us, there was no traffic and no long lines at the immigration.
It was raining then and we had to drop off some passengers at the Puteri hotel and Legoland hotel that's why there were some delays. We arrived at Legoland at around 11am.
We took the 630pm trip back to Singapore so we were told to be at the pick up area which is just across where we were drop off at 6pm.
Legoland Malaysia Resort is a combination of Legoland Park, Water Park and Hotel in one themed location. Legoland Park has 7 themed areas of attractions namely The Beginning, Lego-Technic, Lego Kingdoms, Imagination, Lego City, Land of Adventure and Miniland where Asian landmarks have been recreated using
more than 30 million lego bricks.
Legoland Water Park has more than 20 slides and water-based attractions and 70 lego models while the Legoland Hotel, a lego-themed hotel for those lego fans out there.
For this trip, we got the Legoland Park ticket because our son is such a fan of lego. And truly when he stepped into Legoland, his reaction was priceless. He enjoyed every minute of it all.
We had lunch at the Asian Deli and dinner at Pizza Mania. Personally, I find the food prices very affordable but the souvenir items expensive. Although their lego sets are still way cheaper than Manila. We had to buy lego-themed raincoat for RM 12 each as it was raining then and because it was cute.
Some of the activities we did are:
Legoland Miniland
The centrepiece of every LEGOLAND® Park. This took three years and more than 30 million LEGO® bricks to recreate some of Asia’s famous landmarks in miniature. They have 17 Asian countries, including the Petronas Twin Towers, the Merlion Statue and the Taj Mahal.
It also includes the beautiful temple built on a rock formation on the coast of Bali, Indonesia - Purah Tanah Lot, Indonesia, the beautiful royal mosque and the largest dome covered in pure gold of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, the largest religious building in the world -- Angkor Wat of Cambodia, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China, Johor Bahru, the largest airport in Malaysia -- KLIA, the federal and most populous city in Malaysia -- Kuala Lumpur, the monument to victory --Patuxai of Vientiane, Laos, the gigantic barge on the shore of Kandawgyi Lake in Yangon Myanmar -- Karaweik Hall, the thriving fishing town on the Coast of Luzon in the Philippines, the Church of St. James the Greatand the colorful fishing boats of Bolinao, the fictional cluster based loosely on the Pirates of the straits of Malacca, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, the planned city of Putrajaya where the seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas, Singapore city, the Buddhist temple on Chao Phraya River Bangkok -- Wat Arun and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vietnam -- Hoi An.
It was mesmerizing and elaborate. Not to be missed when you visit Legoland.
The Beginning
We bought souvenirs from this store. There are a lot of stores around the park but this one is closer to the entrance.
Imagination
Observation Tower
Where you can see the aerial view of the whole of Legoland as well as the history of it.
Lego Technic
Legoland Academy
Lego all you can/want. It was fun and educational. We had all the lego bricks we want. Johan enjoyed getting the bricks and hoarding it. While we had fun doing our pieces. Because it was still raining, we started with the indoor activities like the Lego Academy where you can play and build all you can.
They have sample creations and simple instructions so you can build your own masterpiece. I particularly like this because it's fully air-conditioned, the staff was very accommodating. We had fun doing our own lego creations. After 48 years, we finally finished our masterpiece. It's a dog for Chris and a snowman for me. They even displayed our creations on the table beside the entrance. Johan had the most fun getting unli bricks, playing around, and hoarding the lego sets. It was fun.
Lego Darth Vader came in and greeted everyone. Johan doesn't have any idea who he is but he gamely posed for a picture. Chris had fun with his fave toy.
Lego Kingdoms
Castle Stage
They have a show here about a princess, prince, clown, dragon and a Lego vampire. It was entertaining for both kids and adults. The songs were catchy and singable.
They also allow you to have your pictures taken with the crew after the show. There was a lot of interaction among audience and kids are invited to join the song and dance routine.
Merlin's Challenge
Johan enjoyed this very much. He requested for a round 2. After the ride, Johan was happy while daddy was dizzy.
Lego City
Rescue Academy
This was so much fun! It was a race among the riders to put out the fire and stop the robbers. And being competitive, we won the race! No prize though.
Junior Driving School
This is a Nissan sponsored ride where toddlers are allowed to drive a single pedal car for the driving school experience. Johan as usual had fun. He did this twice.
Legoland Express
They have this also at Disneyland. It's a tour around the park aboard a life-sized Lego train.
Those are the activities we tried inside the park. Some we were not allowed because of the age and height restrictions for Johan and some requires getting wet so we opted not to ride those as Johan developed colds and cough during our stay there.
We weren't able to try the Legoland Hotel also as we have only one whole day to see the park. Perhaps in the future we can stay there and enjoy the park for more days.
The shuttle back to Singapore was on time. We were required to be at the pick up point at exactly 630pm for the 645 trip back to Singapore. The process was the same. Board the bus, get off at the Malaysian border to exit and then board the bus again and get off at the Singapore immigration to enter. We were supposed to be drop off at the Singapore Flyer but they had to drop off someone at Suntec City so we decided to get off there also which is more convenient as the MRT is just around the bend.
DAY 5
We woke up late so that Johan can also rest because we had a full day yesterday. We checked out at 12nn and left our luggage in the hotel at no cost. Then we went to the nearest mall and had our lunch at Old Town White Coffee. We also watched The Little Big Club's Barney and Friends show at OneKM mall and had some last minute shopping.
From the mall, we hailed a cab and asked the driver if we can just pass by our hotel which is very near the mall to pick up our luggage and then to bring us to Changi Terminal 2 airport. The driver was very accommodating and he didn't even ask us of additional fee. We had our early check in for for 630pm flight back to Manila via Cebu Pacific.
The flight was delayed as usual. There were some air pockets and turbulence on our way back because there was a coming storm. But all in all, it was an ok flight. We arrived a little past 12am. We parked at Park 'n Fly so there was a shuttle waiting for us to bring us to their garage. We came home at a
Some tips when traveling with a toddler:
1. Strollers made life easier for us while going around Singapore as the city is one of the most child friendly cities in the world. Thank God for that! This is specifically for Singapore and Legoland Malaysia only. The stroller served as a place for him to rest and sleep and sometimes we put our shopping bags so we won't carry it anymore. I suggest you bring the umbrella type, the smaller, lighter and durable ones.
2. This is very important. Bring your child's prescriptions and all his medicines and provisions if he gets sick like colds, cough, flu, fever. Make sure that it is enough for the whole duration of your trip. We had Johan's medicines and vitamins with us except the cough medicines which he did get on our first day. On the first day, he had cough then on the 2nd day, the cough had phlegm already. We didn't anticipate that so we don't have antibiotics. Singapore is very strict when it comes to medicines. You won't be able to buy medicines over the counter. You have to see a doctor and the doctor will give you the medicine you need. So you have to be ready with any eventualities or sickness your son might get or prone to develop and please get a prescription from his doctor just in case the immigration checks it. Or you can bring his baby book or medical records just in case he gets really sick and needs to be hospitalized.
Worst case scenario when in Singapore and you don't have medicines and your child got really sick. You can go to Raffles Hospital at Bugis MRT station. Consultation and medicines usually cost minimum of 30 SGD. Of course that is depending on the diagnosis or sickness.
3. Do not experiment with food for your kid. If he is not into spicy foods, don't attempt to let him eat it there. This is just a precaution. You'll never know what he might experience or he might get sick because spicy in Singapore is really spicy. When eating out, we also consider sanitation and hygiene. We eat at places we feel are up to at least an international standard. If you can't find one, just observe and check the place and people dining in.
4. Singapore's tap water is considered potable so you can drink it. But when in another country, we always drink bottled water especially my son to be on the safe side.
5. Keep your tickets and IDs where you can get them easily and I suggest buy the transparent ones so it's easier to see where you put your documents. This will save you time and extra effort when going in and out of the immigration/airport.
6. Bring plastic bag for barfing. We can never be sure when our kid will feel like he wants to puke or be in discomfort so I always carry this whenever we go out on tours. Include wipes and tissue, alcohol and sanitizer.
7. When taking off/landing, we always give our kid his milk to reduce the pressure on his ears. We always make sure he doesn't drink milk before boarding.
8. We are very wary of street foods even back at home because we don't know how clean it is so it is just common sense that we don't let our kid eat street foods when traveling no matter where.
9. There are places in Singapore where the temperature is being managed in a certain way so I always bring extra jackets for my kid.
10. Bring your own milk just enough for the trip especially if your child has specific milk formula or brand. Don't expect that the country you are going has it all even if it's an international brand. The formulation might be different and your kid might end up getting sick. They have diaper there but if you want to make sure that your kid will not develop any rashes or will have no allergic reactions to it, please bring your own just enough for the trip.
11. Be very flexible. For this trip, prepare an itinerary and make sure it's just right. Plan for a slower pace and pick up from there. We take into consideration the schedule of our kid. Our going out/home will depend on our son. We didn't pack our day with different activities to give time for my son's resting and sleeping. We also made sure that he has plenty of rest because we don't want him to get sick due to a very tight itinerary. We also choose what activities he will participate in, we wanted it to be well rounded but not too much.
12. Do not take unnecessary risks. We are not single anymore and we have to consider the welfare first of our child. When we're traveling with our kid, we always go with the safest route/transport system, eat at a clean restaurant and make sure we choose to stay in a safe hotel/area. We also go home earlier than usual and we avoid the areas where we feel that it's not suitable for kids.
13. Prepare to get tired. When I was traveling with my friends, we really maximize the day and then we get really tired at the end of the day. Moreso with a kid in tow, you're not just thinking about yourself anymore but also the safety of your kid. But lighten up and enjoy the trip.
14. You both need lots of patience and plenty of sense of humour. If your son becomes fussy and you're tired already, take a rest and replenish. You can take turns taking care of your son so you'll have at least time to breath and enjoy the scenery. Good luck!
15. You all need a lot of prayers for your safety and the safety of the place you have chosen.
