Hello gorgeous!
Continuing from my
last blogpost about sharing my travelling stories, today I would like to write
about my family short holiday to Singapore. I already posted about my beauty
haul in Singapore last month here and now it’s time to know more about where we
went last March.
It has been 5 years
since the last time I visited Singapore. The last time we went there as a
family is when Ryu was 7 months old. We spent our 2010 Christmas Eve there.
Even though the Christmas decoration was splendid, we decided that we will not
coming back to Singapore during high season such as Christmas and New Year
again. We just cannot handle the packed and crowded Singapore at those times.
Everywhere we go we have to queue, riding MRT, restaurants, and shopping malls.
I even have to stand a long queue at the bookstore’s cashier. A bookstore for
God’s sake!
This time we travelled
there on March and spent 4 days in Merlion City. My hubby had a business
meeting there, so I thought that we could tag along. We invited my mother in
law too to join us because we wanted to check a specialist for her there. The
flight was smooth and now Ryu is older, he is able to entertain himself well
with his Ipad and Ultraman action figures.
Where we stayed
We stayed at Hotel Jen
Tanglin at Cuscaden Rd. Its previous name was Traders Hotel but got rebranded
on the late 2014 into Hotel Jen. It is the first Traders Hotel that gets
rebranded globally by Shangri-La Group, who managed the hotel. They changed it
due to changing demands of today's more independently
minded travellers; who seek simple pleasures, easy efficiencies and the
opportunity to indulge their sense of adventure. That’s why the design of the hotel also transformed into more modern minimalist, apartment
style furnishing. You can see the below picture of its interior. I love what
they did with it, even though the design is modern but it is still keep the
warmth and comfortable vibes that suitable not only for single or young
travellers but also for family traveller like us.
The bedroom is complemented with a bay-window sofa that overlooked the swimming pool area across it. The bathroom doesn’t has a bathtub but the shower runs well and the water temperature is fine. The bed and pillows are comfortable and I personally love the goldfishes drawing above the headboard. Overall we were satisfied and pleased during our stay there.
The hotel is located
at the end of Orchard Rd, so it is definitely a walking distance to Orchard. They
even provide an hourly shuttle service from the hotel to Orchard Rd that you
can enjoy for free. The hotel also has a direct connection to Tanglin Mall next
door.
One interesting thing
that I found at the hotel was a ta bao (takeaway) bag at the breakfast buffet
table. So you can actually pack some muffins, pastries, or even bacons to go if
you don’t have time to sit and eat or maybe for a snack between breakfast and
lunch. That is so cute! I wish more hotels could provide ta bao bags too! Sorry
for no pictures of the breakfast buffet, I somehow always forgot to take
pictures while having breakfast because usually I’m very hungry in the morning
hehehe
Where we went
I wouldn’t explain
about the shopping malls or Sephora here because you definitely know that the
malls are pretty much the same and I did not have the time to explore a lot at
Orchard Rd too. Love love loveeee to spend some time at Sephora ION though. My
wonderful wonderland I call it.
Universal Studios Singapore
By the request of Mr
Boss aka Mr Ryu, we spared one day to go to Universal Studios Singapore. The
last time we went there, Ryu was still a baby, so we did not get a chance to
try most of the rides. The crowded USS also made us leave the place early so
Ryu will not be too tired and got smushed by the crowd. You might want to buy
the ticket in advanced because usually buying the ticket from your local travel
agent can save you some money. Usually you will need to show your e-ticket to
the ticket counter and they will exchange it with the physical ticket.
We were very excited
to try the rides and ready to be amused like children again there. Don’t forget
to get the studio’s map nearby the entrance gate to see the list of the rides
and their location along with the explanation about the rides (age and height
limits). There are 7 zones inside, Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient
Egypt, Lost World, Far Far Away, and Madagascar. Each zone has their rides and
attractions that you can enjoy. If you visited USS on high season or long
weekends, I would recommend you to purchase the Express Pass that will allows
you to go to a special queue line and save 30-80 minutes time of queing. But
the Express Pass can only be used one time per rides. If you finished early at
USS, you can spend some time exploring Sentosa World next to USS.
We spent around 6
hours there, and rode 8 rides in total. Our favourite has to be Transformers
Ride. It was so cool! Unfortunately for
young children like Ryu, the 3D effect and the motion during the ride might
give them motion sickness. Luckily he did not throw up! He only complained that
his tummy feels hurt but immediately fine when we reached the Transformers
souvenir shop at the exit hahaha.. My hubby and I did not have the courage to
ride the big rollercoaster, I supposed when you’re getting older, there are
things that your gut not up to anymore.
The food sold in the
Studio is just okay in my opinion, even though I enjoyed Goldilocks Fried
Chicken a lot. If you want more dining options, you can go out from the studio
(don’t forget to ask for the stamp that will allow you to come back inside) and
select from the various restaurants at Resort World Sentosa.
To know more about
what you can experience at Universal Studios Singapore, you can check their
website here
Sentosa – Wings Of Time Show
We decided to check on
the award winning outdoor night show aka the magical fountain called Wings Of
Time at Siloso Beach, Sentosa. There are two shows daily, at 7.40 pm and 8.40
pm (Singapore time), so make sure that you buy the ticket for the right time slot.
Arrive early at least 15 minutes before the show starts because the seating
isn’t numbered, so, first come first serve. When you buy the ticket, you will
get a complimentary of plastic fan and a bag of popcorn that you can exchanged
nearby the show entrance.
We bought the the
ticket at the Sentosa Express Station and then ride the Sentosa Express and
stop at Beach Station. The show claimed to be an epic
experiential fusion of the latest multimedia effects, including 3D projection
mapping, state-of-the-art lasers, robotic water fountains and giant water jets,
pyrotechnics. The show lasted for
around 30-40 minutes and they are not kidding with their claim. The effects are
amazing! Especially when the pyrotechnics (fire burst) went up, you could feel
the heat on your cheeks! (We sat at the 3rd row from the show area).
Wings of Time is a story about Shahbaz, a pre-historic
bird-like creature, and along with his friends, Rachel and Felix, they travel across beautiful landscapes
and the mysteries of time. Their journey brings them through artistic
interpretations of the British Industrialisation Revolution, the Silk Road era,
Mayan Pyramids, Underwater World and African Savanna. The lasers and the water jets managed to awe us
with its colours and movements and my favourite part is the Silk Road Era, the
music and the movement of the fountain is really beautiful.
For 18SGD per person,
the show is worth to see. But I would only see it once in my lifetime
unless one day they have a new story to perform. This show is also suitable for
children, from age 3 and older, and adults.
Gardens By The Bay (Marina Bay Sands)
After enjoying fun
time at the amusement park, it’s time to unwind ourselves in the middle of
plush greenery. Gardens By The Bay is a 101 hectares garden comprises of
several area such as the Flower Dome conservatory, Cloud Forest Dome
conservatory, Children’s garden, etc. Located at Marina Bay, this beautiful and
soothing garden is a must see when you visit Singapore.
We were amazed by the
beautiful and lovely flowers and plants there. Took a lot of pretty pictures
too! When you enter the Gardens By The Bay area, you will be greeted with
several small outdoor gardens, such as Indian Garden, Chinese Garden, and Malay
Garden. Then you will need to choose where you want to go next, the Flower Dome
or Cloud Forest. The Flower Dome is filled with beautiful flowers and the best
part is that they have cherry blossom trees! Visiting Japan on cherry blossom
season is in my bucket list, so at least I got to taste a little bit on how it
looks like. They are so lovely! I actually wondered how they take care and
groom all of those flowers. In Flower Dome, they keep the temperature to
replicate the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions
like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy. Now that explains how those flowers can bloom beautifully.
The next stop is Cloud
Forest. If Flower Dome climate is cool-dry, Cloud Forest has a cool-moist
climate where you can find plants from tropical
highlands up to 2,000 metres above sea level. When you enter it, a
35-metre-tall mountain covered in lush vegetation, shrouding the world’s
tallest indoor waterfall is the one that you will see. When the sunray comes in
and touches the mist of the water, you can see little rainbow.
You can take an
elevator to the top of the mountain and stroll around it to experience the
cloud forest and its tropical inhabitants. If you are afraid of heights then
you might want to consider to go up there because again, its 35-metre tall. I’m
quite confident of the safety though, looking at how wonderful they have been in
maintaining the garden. The experience is quite ethereal and dreamy because the
mist around you. It felt like you really are in a tropical jungle (thank God minus
the heat) on early morning or after sundown.
My son’s favourite
part is the Children’s Garden. It has a waterplay area for kids. If you bring
your kids here, you better bring your kids’ bathing suit and towel because they
will not be able to resist the waterplay temptation. So, I would suggest to visit
the garden on the afternoon around 3 or 4 pm. Spend around 2 hours to stroll
around the domes, 1 hour at the children’s garden (if you have kids) or enjoy
your afternoon tea/coffee or early dinner at the café or restaurants in the
garden, and then wait for the light show at the Supertree Grove that starts at
7.45 and 8.45 pm (daily).
The light show is
soooo pretty! The light played gracefully along with the music. There are no
seats so usually people would just sit on the floor while enjoying the light
show.
What we eat
Ok, I have to admit
that I always forget to take a picture of my food because usually we are so
hungry and just dig in (that’s why I’m a beauty blogger instead of food
blogger). But, I would like to share some of the must have food that you need
to try when you go to Singapore. So here are the list:
Balestier Bak Kut Teh – ION
Orchard Food Opera
Devour the delicious
pork ribs and its tasty soup accompanied by yu tiao, salted veggies, and of
course rice. This is my husband’s favourite food whenever we go to Singapore.
It might not be the most tastiest Bak Kut Teh in Singapore (I personally like
Song fa better), but the location is very convenient compared to the other Bak
Kut Teh.
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| picture from thesmartlocal |
Hai Di Lao HotPot – Somerset 313
This hotpot restaurant
is always packed on lunch and dinner time. We went to the Clarke Quay branch
and were told that the waiting time is 90 minutes to get a table. We opted it
out that night but went to the Somerset 313 branch for lunch the next day.
Thank God that we did not need to wait to get a table because we went there
early, around 11.30 am. When we finished eating, we saw a queue already there
in front of the restaurant. The restaurant even has some snacks as a complimentary
for the customers that are waiting for a table.
The soup is wonderful
and the ingredients are all fresh. They have an array of condiments where you
can mix your own sauce to complement your hotpot.
 |
| picture from hazeldiary |
Jumbo Seafood – Clarke Quay
Jumbo Seafood is one
of the famous restaurants in Singapore that serves Singapore Chili Crab (and
other scrumptious seafood). The price might be a bit hefty but it totally worth
it. You will leave the restaurant with an extremely happy tummy.
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| picture from singaporeair |
Cheers,
Stef
