The next Price Family Adventure begins. A much shorter trip and wiill be a very different experience as we travel South east Asia together for the first time. I have been to Singapore in previous years as a single girl on buying trips but it’s been a long time!

Unfortunately Andrew has been feeling unwell with covid like symptoms and he tested but thankfully it’s not covid. Still, hope he feels better when we land in Singapore.

Early start as my body clock had me up at 4.45 so I was up doing kids lunch boxes. Packed sandwiches for both as not sure what delights the plane will bring that it two will eat.

Mila has woken feeling unwell. Likely a side affect from too much sun yesterday and sweet treats in the afternoon. She seems better by the taxi journey to the airport.

Flight in Premium economy is comfortable and we all watch movies for the length of the flight.

Arrive in Singapore, it’s humid. We take a quick taxi to our hotel. We have been upgraded and the kids have a cool teepee and bunk beds each with a cubby underneath. I reckon a year or two and the novelty wouldn’t be so much fun!

We have arrived in time for our included afternoon tea at the hotel. An offering of sandwiches, scones and sweet cakes. Not much for the kids but they enjoy the chocolates on offer.

After we change for a swim in the roof top pool. It’s ok but lacking ambience and needs a good refresh not enough beds to cater for the many guests.

We have dinner booked at raffles so we head to our room to shower and change. We walk to raffles and on the way admire the interesting buildings and street art. Raffles is an impressive and iconic hotel with a lot of history in Singapore. It’s a fancy meal but the kids can only really eat pasta for an excessive $45 per child. We decide to find something a little less fancy and by now we are all waning. We walk around the famous bar with peanut shells on the floor but can’t get in as there is a line. The gardens are lovely, we take some photos and walk back to our hotel where we eat Italian food. Thomas order burgers but they come with a sliced tomato and even after removing he won’t eat it. I take the kids up to bed as they are falling asleep at the table. Jet lag has kicked in.

Andrew follows us and we have done well staying up as late as we have.

Breakfast is served at the club lounge and kids are really enjoying the benefits of eating the waffles on the menu! We can order from a fairly good mix of western dishes and there is also fruits and cereals, pastries on offer.

We sit down with the hotels concierge after much waiting and make a plan for the day to take a big bus tour and get our bearings in the city. We have done these in a lot of cities around Europe and aka ways found it useful. We also have a night zoo planned for evening so we make a plan to eat locally before we head to the zoo. We discuss universal studios option and some hawker markets too.

We catch the bus near the hotel and start our tour and I’m impressed by the amazing architecture around the city. They use gardens and green within buildings to break up all the steel and hard lines and materials. There is still a lot of decoration around for Christmas and of course rabbits to celebrate the up coming year of the rabbit CNY.

We decide to jump off at gardens by the bay and explore for the afternoon unfortunately Andrew still not feeling 100% and his energy levels are fading. Kids have a shake from shake shack and we buy a pass to allow us into the gardens and the various areas. We take the cloud garden tour and inside it’s magnificent. We are greeted with a massive waterfall inside a domed glass house. Greenery surrounds us. There is a new avatar themed exhibition throughout and characters are interspersed with the greenery. We create our own avatars which is fun. We take lifts up to higher levels, kids ride a virtual dragon.

When we finish we walk to a nearby hawkers area and order some satay sticks to share Thomas loves them albeit without the dipping sauce. Mila has a bowl of chips and so begins the very limited diet on this trip.

Jet lag catches up and she is half asleep at lunch. We decide to walk to the children’s play ground with water play. Thomas is eager to get int swimmers and try it while Mila decides to sit and watch on. When she finally does decide to join in she loves it and doesn’t have long as the water gets shut down for maintenance. We pack up the kids and jump back on the bus where Andrew heads to a dr for medication. Kids and I get to drive through Botanc Gardens and down Orchard Road which is the famous shopping strip. It looks great and I am excited to spend some time there if I can fit it in.

Mila falls asleep on the bus home and we miss our stop so end up walking further to our hotel but it’s not too far and we get back in time to shower and have some snacks at the evening drinks in hotel. Order room service for kids in the lounge which works out well.

We head out via cab to night zoo. It’s late and kids already tired so not sure how we will get through. It’s a good 40 minute drive and Thomas is busting so the driver has to stop for us.

When we arrive it’s busy and we line up to take a cart style train around the night zoo. It’s interesting as the animals are up and about. We see deer, elephants, lions. The animals don’t seem to have a lot of space to roam. I was expecting something bigger perhaps more like Dubbo zoo.

On completion there is a show with animals but the 9pm is sold out so I am annoyed we have come all this way and the only show left is 10pm which is super late now for kids still on Sydney time. We wander around the gift shop and Thomas gets a tiger Lego. I approach the staff at the show about letting us in if there is room and by luck the supervisor lets us in just as it’s started.

The show is very well done, animals come out onto stage and perform little tricks including a porcupine and birds in flight with an owl showing us his amazing 250 degree head turn

After we got tail for a taxi and straight to hotel for a well earned rest. Bed. Tired

A day exploring China Town. Loving the breakfast options. Pancakes and cereal!

Early bus ride to China Town where we explore the street markets full of cheap souvenirs. See lots of local delicacies, duck and dried meats, icecream on bread sandwich and a fried meat compounded together like bacon in taste with a maple sweet flavour. Thomas loves this. Thomas and I have a coconut. We buy a few bits. Explore a temple before we decide to find lunch. Kids are hot now and over walking now so we find a little Japanese which is ok.

After we walk through a mall full of Chinese new year displays so we have a read what’s in store for all of our Chinese Animal Symbols. We catch a cab back to our hotel for an afternoon by the pool. It’s warm and humid but overcast. We have booked dinner at a Greek restaurant on the bay. We head down via cab. The cab driver tells us this area will be knocked down and redeveloped and it’s evident why. It’s old and looking run down. Our restaurant is on the water and looks ok at first site but opposite what looks to be a loud nughtclub. The music at our restaurant is loud and heavy rap which seems strange for a Greek restaurant! We are seated for sometime before offered drinks. We decide on meals, Thomas has chicken souvlaki. Mila calamari. Andrew and I share some octopus and saganaki. It’s ok. Not the most amazing dishes, heavily salted.

After dinner we can to gardens by the bay for the Christmas Display we have paid entry to. It’s underwhelming! It’s nice to see the big lit up tree like structures. The Christmas display is mostly tacky and aimed at people keen to post photos on social media.

There is a light show to music but it’s not all that exciting. Even the kids comment!

The most exciting thing is climbng to the top of the trees for a great view over the gardens by the bay where we get some great photos.

When we come back down we walk back to the indoor garden display to see Avatar exhibition at night which is amazing lit up.

Our energy is fading by the time we are done and we find it hard to get out of the exhibition quickly (kind of like IKEA). A cab gets us back to hotel where kids are keen to see the balloon drop at midnight. It’s already close to 11pm and we start to watch the fireworks from our room and a drone display. Thomas goes to sleep but mila stays awake until midnight. We wake Thomas just before midnight and we all walk in pyjamas to the mezzanine to see the band playing. Balloons drop and we ring in the new year together.

Lazy day. Sleep in post late night ringing in the New Year.

Early start as we are travelling to Siem reap today.

A morning with the elephants in kulen.

Flying to Singapore today - brekkie but not before leaving my luggage behind in the room. Thankfully only just left hotel before we get the call. Scatter brain me. I was busy checking the room under bed, in bathrooms and forgot one important thing!