Singapore Slings and winging it


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Asia » Singapore
July 3rd 2017
Published: July 3rd 2017
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After an emotionally tough start to the year, an escape from our Perth winter was the medicine needed to regroup, revitalise and refocus. (After all, winter in Perth is a ridiculously cold 15-20°C) So, where to go was the big decision – we came up with three options between us – Broome, Bali or Singapore. Webjet found us an incredibly cheap deal to the Mandarin Orchard in Singapore, so combined with our family need for sun, food and adventure it was a clear winner. As Bob becomes a fully-fledged adult in eight months time, we embarked on a five hour flight to what was potentially our last family holiday. (Who am I kidding? She’ll still be blagging free holidays when she’s thirty!)

Arriving at our hotel following a death defying taxi ride, and strict instructions to the girls not to follow in their mother and uncle’s footsteps and drink the entire mini bar in their hotel room, we hit Orchard Road for beers and local cuisine. Unfortunately for Little Miss Foodie, her dumplings didn’t quite live up to expectations – her friend’s mum is Chinese and her homemade dumplings take some beating. This is the first trip in a long time that I haven't relied on the expertise of Lonely Planet for food recommendations, so following Boo's disappointment I became a little apprehensive about winging it.

It took us a day or two to move our body clocks forward a few hours. Having a swimming child, we are early risers but Singapore doesn’t wake up until after 11am. I happily adjusted – after seven years of being a swimming parent I’m still not a morning person. The number one tourist attraction on Trip Advisor was our first port of call. Gardens by the Bay is a stunning horticulturalist’s dream. Immaculately maintained blooms of colour and creativity, the temperature-controlled domes are able to house a range of species from around the world. The Cloud Forest dome boasts the world’s highest indoor waterfall. At 35 metres, it is an impressive sight visible from viewing platforms at both the top and bottom. The Supertree Grove was my personal favourite, a garden of manmade treelike structures, some reaching 50 metres in height, each containing vertical gardens and environmentally sustainable functions. The evening light and sound show was a little overhyped, although the gardens are beautifully lit up at night, the show lasted only nine minutes. Boo turned out to be the highlight of the gardens for a family of Japanese tourists, each member sitting next to her for a photo op!

A walk around Marina Bay led us to the Merlion – probably the most photographed attraction in Singapore. Standard stock photos were taken of Bob and Boo catching the water from the Lion’s spout in their mouths, as we navigated the throng of tourists trying to produce their perfect selfies. Smith Street in Chinatown quickly became our go to for the best food – sizzling mixed mushrooms and sizzling beef with black pepper, washed down with a 633ml bottle of Tiger beer. Delicious!

Anyone who knows me, knows that drinking coffee is pretty much near the top of my list of favourite things to do, so imagine my joy at finding a Melbourne coffee roasting company in the mall attached to the hotel. Not having to rely on the generically substandard international coffee chains was a sure mood booster. After day two, we were all itching for adventure when our adrenalin junkie selves took over. Mega Adventure was the answer, with a treetop high ropes course followed by a 75m high, 450m long zip wire over the lush trees and golden sands of Sentosa Island. Starting on level two of the treetops, we tackled the crazy obstacles, walking on wires, beams, rope nets, and swinging boards. Heading up to level three, Bruce pulled a sickie and returned to the ground level to act as official photographer. My girlies and I pulled up our ‘big girl pants’ and seized the hardest level with fervour, sweat pouring off us as we got to grips with the toughest challenges under the blistering hot sun. Moving on to the zipline, Bob and I flew through the air at 60kph, followed by Bruce and Boo. A couple of hours in the harness, ending in a painfully abrupt halt at the bottom of the zipline saw me having to remove my undies from my ovaries, in a procedure more painful than childbirth.

The Singapore Flyer, which was until recently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, gave us a stunning night time view of Downtown Singapore, Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay. An Indian buffet saw Boo’s eyes popping out of her head as she sampled the spicy, mouth-watering flavours of a variety of dishes, the chilli fish being a particular favourite.

With mixed reviews of Universal Studios Singapore, we were undecided as to whether to add it to our itinerary or not. The adrenalin won out and we decided a Jeminson family holiday wouldn’t be the same without a roller coaster or two. Joining the 80 minute queue for the Transformers ride, we waited two hours for the 3D thrill of helping save the planet. It didn’t live up to expectations but eased us into the day. We quickly learned that the park is a tiny, unorganised version of its American siblings. Built with all the organised systems of the American parks but obviously with zero staff training, the wait times were plucked from thin air, and the express pass owners were often waiting as long as us cheap folk. Impeccable timing reaching the dual rollercoaster just as it was re-opening after a thunderstorm closure allowed us several rides on Battlestar Galactica. Hands down the best ride in the park (Bob even went as far as to say one of the best rides ever – possibly because the comfortable harness appealed to the Nanna in her) features two coasters battling between good and evil. The twists and turns, corkscrews and 360° loops got the blood pumping before a lunch of Singapore chicken and rice – the food here is definitely an improvement on the over-processed crap pumped out of the American parks. The Mummy ride, always one of our favourites, didn’t disappoint and surprisingly we ended up staying in the park until it closed.

Bruce had his eye on The Luge, described as a wheeled gravity ride down a track, and decided it would be more fun in the dark. A quick trip on the Sentosa Express to ride the chairlift to the start of the track, we were kitted out with our helmets and given quick instructions on how to work the cart. Four people, four carts, one track – it’s a race right? I’ll leave you to guess who won!

Two busy days were followed by a lazy morning with breakfast in bed from The Providore – the home of the Melbourne coffee co. Almond croissants and Pain au Chocolat all round, with coffee and freshly squeezed juice was the perfect start to a relaxing day. A visit to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown for some spiritual serenity was right up my alley. The girls and I donned our sarongs, and shawls to cover our shoulders and we all explored the different levels of the temple, finishing with the tranquil orchid garden at the top. We followed this with a wander through the streets to our own personal family ‘church,’ Central Perk – a replica of the café from Friends. Eating a Rachel ‘Green’ salad, drinking a ‘The One with Grandma Tribbiani’s Tiramisu’ iced coffee, and watching re-runs of Friends on a huge screen was the perfect way to escape the midday sun. I even got the chance to bring out my own inner Monica with a photo op in her kitchen!

A trip to Singapore must include a visit to the iconic Raffles Hotel. This beautiful colonial building first opened her doors in 1887 and became a popular establishment for visiting writers. The likes of W. Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, and Noel Coward have all whiled away the hours, creating their masterpieces within the grounds of Raffles Hotel. The world famous Singapore Sling was created here in 1915, currently served in the Bar and Billiard Room, a round of three of the esteemed cocktails, plus a Shirley Temple for Boo garnered little change from $115. Gulp! (No we actually sipped them very slowly) The bar is decked out like a traditional gentleman’s club, and the only establishment in Singapore where it is legal (and encouraged) to litter the floor with peanut shells. The complimentary peanuts are provided in hessian sacks as a centrepiece of each table. I think we managed to eat $50 worth between us!

Our final day was one of relaxation on the tropical beaches of Sentosa Island. Making our way along the shore to Tanjong beach, we floated in the peaceful waters and soaked up the sun on the golden sands, followed by lunch at the Tanjong Beach Club. Palawan beach was our next stop, with a trip over the rope bridge to the southernmost point of continental Asia. Idyllic islands were the perfect opportunity for Bob and Boo to get their Instagram pics, and photobombing others doing the same.

Back to Orchard Road for a last minute mooch, we stumbled across Marks & Spencer, my mind immediately conjuring up a coffee & walnut cake. Alas, my hopes were shattered. Percy Pig & Pals made an appearance though, much to Bob’s delight. Bruce spotted my friend's brother (or so he thought), which led to me doing a Usain Bolt impression down Orchard road, only to catch up with some random dude as he crossed the road!

We had promised Boo all week that we would take her to enjoy her ultimate favourite experience – a hotel buffet breakfast! It didn’t disappoint – English, Asian, cheese, meats, fruit, yogurt, cereal, bread, croissants, pastries, pancakes, and a special egg station with an egg chef with extremely special skills! After five courses eaten in her specified order – full English; fruit, cereal and yogurt; pancakes with maple syrup; toast and pastries; and then back to her favourite, (which was more bacon and eggs) we eventually rolled her out on a trolley at closing time!

Arriving back in Perth at 10pm to 9°C, two colds, a giant sized mozzie bite, deafness from an unpopped ear, Delhi Belly and a full set of cankles between us wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences so I look forward with anticipation to our next (as yet undesignated) trip.


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