Blue Seal Ice Park, Eat, Education, Food, Japan, Katong Kids Inc, Kids Activities, Kokusaidori, Okinawa, Orion Happy Park, The Idea Box, Travel, Travel Blog, Traveler Wifi, Urasoe Park, Vacation, Wifi Router

Okinawa Travelogue – (Part 6): Urasoe Park, Blue Seal Ice Park, Orion Happy Park and Kokusaidori Yataimura

December 19, 2019 katongkidsinc

The Urasoe Park has arguably the longest slide in Okinawa. Every kid who visited the place will definitely fall in love with the amazing slide that takes about over a minute to complete.

Urasoe Park

The speed was limited by rollers and we wished we could go faster. But nevermind, the fun part could not be taken away.

It does look fun and thrilling. Something that we can’t find back at home but a word of warning that too long a slide could hurt the buttocks.

Just a short drive up from Urasoe Park is another playground where kids can indulge in flying foxes and long slide, again!

Fun, fun and endless fun…

Address: 115-1 Iso, Urasoe, Okinawa 901-2132, Japan

Blue Seal Ice Park

Blue Seal Ice Cream originates in Okinawa and has now branches all over Japan. Beside selling yummy delicious ice cream and Japanese style crepes, we discovered that it allows visitors to join in ice cream making workshop.

The blue seal ice park is where you can experience making your own original popsicle. It’s a popular tourist destination close to Naha-city.

Beside ice cream making, they also provide soft serve for us.

Address: Japan, 〒901-2300 Okinawa, Nakagami District, Kitanakagusuku, アワセ土地区画整理事業区域内4街区

Orion Happy Park

We don’t fancy beer but it is still a good experience to watch how delicious Orion beer is made at Orion Happy Park.

The tour is free and starts every 20 minutes. We get the chance to enter the beer production site to see the manufacturing process.

Beer tasting is part of the take away.

Address: 2 Chome-2-1 Agarie, Nago, Okinawa 905-0021, Japan

Kokusaidori Yataimura

Kokusaidori Yataimura, otherwise known as Kokusai Street Food Village, is the must-go-to place to taste Okinawa’s authentic dishes.

At our final evening in Naha, we walked down the main shopping street Kokusaidori. The Yatai Mura has a nice atmosphere at night with all the lights and lanterns.

Several food outlets offering not too pricy food selections. Array of kanji characters scrawled across chalkboard signs and restaurant menus.

Kokusai Street paved the way for the revitalization of Naha as a cosmopolitan blend of different cultures and backgrounds.

Any reasons to love Okinawa? We found plenty of them.

Address: 3 Chome-11-16,17 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa 900-0013, Japan

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California Travelogue – (Part 4): Golden Gate Park, California Academy of Sciences, Facebook, Googleplex, Stanford University, Big Sur and Solvang Village

September 21, 2019 katongkidsinc

Time passes so fast, it would have been a year before we complete our US travelogue. We had a magical experience visiting the Golden Gate Bridge the day before.

And we were ready to leave San Francisco, but not before collecting our rental car.

We had 5 pieces of luggage and were told that we had to take a Buick Enclave to fit our family inside..

Wasting no time after the car collection, we hit the Golden Gate Park.

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park where it houses landscaped gardens containing over 8,500 different kinds of plants from around the world.

A short distance away is the California Academy of Sciences. We heard that it’s a must to check out this discovery centre as by far, it’s an educational experience that every kid will never forget.

The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park has three combined attractions where we could explore the aquarium, planetarium, and a natural history museum.

Our first time seeing a white alligator, one of the rarest in the world!

There was a school excursion and many curious kids are here at the rainforest exhibit.

The building just offers endless fun! We spent about 2 hours here which was rather short before hitting the road.

We drove along the Pacific Coast Highland where there are 13 incredible stops on your visit to California. Well, we tried our best but it was challenging to visit every single attractions.

We stopped by Silicon Valley to visit Facebook Headquarters and Googleplex.

Continue our journey and checked Stanford University.

Hit the road again..

We passed by Santa Cruz, Monterey and on our way to Big Sur, cattle feeding on the hills.

Taking a breather and had our lunch before moving to our next accommodation.

Finally arrived at our Airbnb!

The landlord provided instruction how to retrieve the keys.

A big house where we stayed together with the landlord.

The next day, we hit the road again (as usual) where we covered about 450km per day.

Stopped at rest points to have our meals.

After driving about 300km, we finally reached Denmark. Did we hear correctly? More than a 100 years ago, a group of Danes settled in a corner of this idyllic place.

The beautiful Solvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. This charming Danish village is nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley that looks and smells like Christmas year-round.

Every spot is so tempting for us to pause by to take photos.

Yummy! We were seized by the delicious scent of freshly-baked pastries.

Small M was thrilled to see the famous windmill!

Solvang town where visitors will see all kinds of shops and bakeries, as well as windmills, which everyone loves.

Just one of their growing up years.

It was a perfect day to sit out and map out our Solvang plans for the day.

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Cape Chinen, Diary of a Foodster, Eat, Education, Food, Japan, Okinawa World

Okinawa Travelogue – (Part 4): Cape Chinen, Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave and Lieta Nakayama

August 25, 2019 katongkidsinc

Okinawa is famous for its capes. We drove up to explore Cape Chinen, a well-known beauty spot in Okinawa which is located in the southern area of the main island of Okinawa.

Passed by lovely little villages.

Cape Chinen

Common to find free parking.

It can get very windy when visiting outdoor attractions in Okinawa.

Visitors can choose to walk further up to enjoy the beauty of nature.

It started to drizzle again and we decided to stay under the shelter.

Make a stop at Cape Chinen Park and observe panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. When comes to the night, it makes a clear spot for stargazing.

Okinawa World

Okinawa World (おきなわワールド) is a touristy theme park about Okinawan culture. The park’s main attractions are a massive natural cave, a craft village and a snake museum.

Okinawa World consists of Kingdom Village, Habu Park and Gyokusendo Cave. Expect to spend about 3 hours to discover the entire attractions.

Much attention was given to the Gyokusendo Cave as we arrived rather late. With a length of about 5km, this is the longest of the many caves in the south of Okinawa Island and the second longest cave in the entire country.

The cave is well-lit and cooling.

A natural museum beautifully carved over 300,000 years. Ceiling of the spears.

The blue fountain.

Within Okinawa World, we also explored the Kingdom Village and tropical orchards.

There are some 450 tropical trees that bear 100 types of fruits like mango, papaya, pineapple and such.

At the Craft Village, take a look on how the locals recycle empty bottles and transform them into charming Ryukyuan glass.

Walk a further in and we saw the Ryukyuan photo museum. Photo-taking in traditional clothing is popular among tourists. Recall that in the past, only royalty and the gentry wore them.

They loved it!

Lastly, the Nanto Brewery opened our eyes to see how they made habu snake liquor.

We had our dinner at the Food Market..

To stroll the tempting displays of food selection is to embrace Okinawa’s food culture.

We really like the way shopping malls put up these cooked food for customers to buy. The best part was the reasonable prices as one can see.

A microwave oven is placed near the cashier for us to warm up the food.

And this was how we settled our hunger pangs.

You need to pay toll fees when driving through Okinawa expressway. In fact, it cost more paying toll fees than petrol during the trip.

How not to make a pit stop when A&W appears.

Big and Small M are fans of American food!

We moved to our second hotel stay at Leita Nakayama. We booked this hotel as it is near to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and not expensive.

It was a pleasant surprise that the hotel room was really big and we didn’t realise.

It comes with 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets, 1 bedroom with 2 beds and a living room. Washing machine, dryer, fridge, microwave oven and cutlery are provided.

This is the beautiful view from the hotel’s balcony.

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Eat, Education, Food, Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, Growing Up, Japan, Kokusaidori, Okinawa, Photography, Tomari Iyumachi Fish Market

Okinawa Travelogue – (Part 2): Aeon Naha, Kokusaidori Night Street, Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, Kaigungo Park Playground and Tomari Iyumachi Fish Market

August 3, 2019August 3, 2019 katongkidsinc

Still on the first day. After a rest, we visited AEON Naha during the evening. The shopping mall is directly-connected to Monorail Koroku Station and this is the view from the monorail station.

What was fascinating was that the residential buildings beside the monorail station looked exactly like Singapore’s HDB flats!

A closer look.

Aeon Naha

A big fan of Aeon malls wouldn’t want to miss exploring them.

We were here to have our dinner at the foodcourt.

The foodcourt was filled with students hanging out here after their school.

The prices were reasonable and the quality of food wasn’t compromise in terms of quality.

This is our favorite section in the Okinawa shopping malls. At certain hours, they may have discounts off the racks, some as much as 50%!

Kokusaidori Night Street

We thought spending one full day in Naha city would be enough. A meaningful visit to Okinawa should involve driving out to discover the attractions which travelling along monorail would not be possible.

When night falls, Kokusaidōri comes alive. Restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and shopping malls will be packed with people.

People thronging the streets and traffic is slow moving, sometimes coming to a complete halt. And it’s good to take a pause and admire the city of Naha.

Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters

On our second day, we picked up our rental car (Toyota Sienta) from the hotel and drove to the Former Japanese Navy Underground HQ, which is about 3km from Mercure Naha. This hybrid car is fuel-efficient and we only filled the petrol twice (~SGD100) throughout 5 days of usage which allowed us to cover about 650km.

The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, a 450 meter tunnel complex which was served as an underground headquarters during the Battle of Okinawa was established in 1944.

Best part of our visit here was the underground tunnel.

A reminder of the tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa.

The Chief Commanding Officer’s room.

Kaigungo Park Playground

At the exit of the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, we get to see the Kaigungo Park playground. Sob sob, it was raining most of the time in Okinawa and the kids were unable to play the slides.

However, we must say Okinawa definitely bring their playgrounds up to another level. Imagine this is where kids can slide for more than a minute and enjoy excitement to the fullest.

Tomari Iyumachi Fish Market

The Tomari Iyumachi Fish Market located at Tomari Fishing Port. It is a medium-sized seafood market with shops selling fresh tuna, salmon, grilled lobster, scallop, unagi, squid and many more.

There is a processing plant screened with glass for viewing. Workers are working hard to bring the freshest catch out for sale.

This is the best and biggest fish market in Okinawa where you can get same-day-fresh seafood and other marine products.

We had our breakfast here.

Freshly grilled and juicy lobsters.

She must be very happy!

Visitors come here for a taste of great Okinawa seafood!

Highly recommended to come here as the prices are reasonable.

As there are lack of sitting places, most of the time people would need to stand eating.

Tomari Iyumachi is the direct sales fish market in Naha with tuna specialty vendors from the Okinawa Fishing Cooperative and mozuku vendors in addition to wholesalers. The best time to visit Tomari Fish Market is in the morning.

Our gripe was the frequent rain but this has been a great trip so far!

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Coffee, Concubine Lane, Eat, Education, Food, Ipoh, Malaysia, The Idea Box, Thean Chun, Vacation

Ipoh Travelogue – (Part 4): Coffeeshops, Street Food and Sights

July 13, 2019December 16, 2019 katongkidsinc

Walking around Ipoh and can’t help but fall in love with these buildings and street scene. Nevermind about some of the charming but yet crumbling architecture; they only seemed to add to the allure.

Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong, a name synonymous among the locals, where a cup of white coffee and wanton mee would fill your soul. Located next to it is Kedai Kopi Sun Yuan Foong which offers one of the best chee cheong fun in town.

Many came and testified that Restoran Ipoh Kong Heng 怡保光興茶室 serves one of the best popiah, Kai si Hor fun and egg custard in town.

It is common to find Thean Chun being packed with customers throughout the day. From shredded chicken meat with hor fun, thick beans sprouts, caramel custard to chee cheong fun, everyone will be spoiled for choices.

Touted as one of the top 10 must-try confectionery shops in Ipoh, Biskut Lam Fong 南方饼家 freshly served Tambon cake, horseshoe cake, salty danwei, pork lotus cake, glutinous rice cake, and other varieties of biscuits.

A traditional convenience store still plying its trade in the wake of online shopping.

Located next to Concubine Lane is the 90’s Classic, a local barbershop!

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Ipoh Travelogue – (Part 3): Ming Court Hong Kong Tim Sum (明阁香港点心), Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong, Mural Arts Lane @ Jalan Masjid, Chang Jiang White Coffee (長江白咖啡), Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah (奇峰豆腐花), Gunung Lang Recreational Park, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh Parade Shopping Centre, Instant Noodles World and Ipoh Bubble Tea Street

June 29, 2019December 16, 2019 katongkidsinc

An inexpensive way of exploring Ipoh is by way of eating. For some well-establishments, diners need to be there early or else be prepared to wait.

Ming Court Hong Kong Tim Sum (明阁香港点心)

Famed for their dim sum, Ming Court comes to life the moment it is open at 6am. Customers from all walks of life will flock to Ming Court and the crowd within the restaurant will build in no time.

To avoid the crowd, I was already there at 6:05am. The restaurant’s business was so good that you might find homeless people sitting outside for handouts.

It was about 6am and customers were already inside.

Get your dim sum fix here. The restaurant adopted an old school style where waiters would serve classic dim sum selections in aluminium trays.

I noticed the portions were pretty small. Disadvantage it might be, but that meant that I could get to try more dishes before I am full.

Char siew bao.

Delectable Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Beans, one of my favorite.

Siew Mai (Shrimp and Pork Dumpling). There were 4 pieces but did you notice their size?

Just make sure you need to taste their Muar Chee, steamed glutinous flour dessert wrapped in finely grounded peanuts. It melts in your mouth!

Hearty breakfast! Ming Court Dim Sum restaurant is unmistakably a must-go-to eatery in Ipoh for breakfast.

Address:

36 Jalan Leong Sin Nam | 30300 Ipoh, Malaysia, Ipoh, Malaysia

Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong

Some of the best street food in Ipoh could be found in a coffee shop. Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong serves one of the best Ipoh white coffee that is more aromatic than other places.

Serving the best thick and creamy white coffee since 1937.

One of the best breakfast on earth – toasted bread spreaded with homemade kaya (coconut jam).

The coffee shop operates from 6am to 5pm.

Address:

15A,Jalan Bandar Timah Ipoh, Perak

Street Art in Ipoh – Mural Arts Lane @ Jalan Masjid

Street Art exploration is one of the fun activities in Malaysia. After the last trip to Penang, walking around the streets to be mesmerised by street art was actually fun.

These masterpieces were the brainchild of Eric Lai, a local art teacher. He initiated the street art project after being inspired by Ernest Zacharevic’s art.

It’s about building and celebrating our cultural differences.

Address:

Jalan Masjid, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

Chang Jiang White Coffee (長江白咖啡)

Chang Jiang White Coffee in Ipoh was the next stop. The Coffee place was opened back in the 70s by the proprietor Mr Kong Wing Kheong.

Ipoh Chang Jiang White Coffee is also one of the Instagram-worthy locations. While retaining their high quality signature coffee, the place had also been refurnished with a rustic charm.

Customers can choose to sit outside or inside, whichever their preference.

Nice atmosphere and great coffee over here. On daily basis, many tourists would stop by here for coffee breaks. When the place is packed (usually in the afternoons), customers will have to take a queue number to wait for their turn.

Pure coffee is known as “white coffee”. The white coffee was thick and creamy. Would recommend to taste their coffee instead as the food were so so.

Address:

7, Jalan Windsor, 30250 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fah (奇峰豆腐花)

The most famous tau fu fah shop in Ipoh is over here. Apart from walk in customers, cars were streaming in by the roadside to make their orders.

Choose to savour the delectable bowl of tau fu fah in your car or slurp it up on the spot. Soft, smooth and refreshing!

The prices are reasonable too.

Address:

49, Jalan Theatre, 30300 Ipoh
10:00am – 7:30pm or until finished. Closed on Tuesdays.

Gunung Lang Recreational Park

Gunung Lang Recreational Park is located off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (formerly Kuala Kangsar Road). It is developed around a scenic backdrop of limestone hills of Gunung Lang and Gunung Bilike.

To reach there, one must pay RM3 (adult) / RM1.50 (Senior Citizen) for a boat ride from the jetty.

Over here, there are lookout towers, children’s playground, campsite and a mini zoo.

Beware of mozzies whenever you visit a park. Spending an hour here would be sufficient.

Address:

Taman Rekreasi Gunung Lang, Off Jalan Kuala Kangsar, 30010 Ipoh, Perak

Open Time:
Monday to Thursday – 8am – 12noon / 1.30pm – 7pm
Friday – 8am – 12noon / 2.45pm – 4pm
Saturday, Sunday, Public holiday – 8am – 6.30pm

Boat Ride Fees:
Adults – RM3
Children (3 – 12 years old) – RM1.50
Senior citizens (above 55 years old) – RM1.50

Cameron Highlands

If you have a day or two to spare, you can consider exploring Cameron Highlands. A two hour journey by car from Ipoh, Cameron Highlands is the most popular of the highland retreats in Malaysia. Located at almost 2,000 meters at its highest point, it offers visitors cooling climate.

What to do in Cameron Highlands? I explored the Boh Tea Plantation.

The Lavender Garden, floral theme park with a small field of lavender.

Honey bee farm to learn a thing or two about bees and understanding the health benefits of honey.

Strawberry picking where kids will fall in love with it.

Ipoh Bubble Tea Street

Ipoh’s Bubble Tea Street is opposite the WEIL Hotel, a short walk away.

A new concept of dining, I tried the Instant Noodles World. Instant Noodles are served in home brewed base soup.

You can choose from the wide selection of instant noodles from all over the world..

Piping hot bowl of noodles will be served to you.

Address:

BLOCK C G-6,
IPOH SOHO 1,
JALAN SULTAN ISKANDAR
30000 IPOH, Perak

Ending our Ipoh trip at Bubble Tea Street, where there are galore of over 10 bubble tea outlets! You will be spoiled for choices.

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Asia, Burps and Giggles, Cafe, Coffee, Concubine Lane, Diary of a Foodster, Eat, Education, Food, Growing Up, Hotel, Ipoh, Ipoh Booth Cart, Kong Heng Square, Malaysia, Photography, Review, Singapore, Thean Chun, Tong Sui Kai 糖水街, Travel, Travel Blog, Vacation, WEIL Hotel

Ipoh Travelogue – (Part 1): WEIL Hotel, Concubine Lane, Ipoh Booth Cart, Thean Chun Coffee Shop (天津茶室), Kong Heng Square, Burps and Giggles, Yum Cha Tea Bar and Tong Sui Kai 糖水街

June 20, 2019December 15, 2019 katongkidsinc

Think of Malaysia, think of Ipoh. Located within the state of Perak, Ipoh took our breath away and we were just drawn by its slower pace of life as we took a short break away from Singapore.

This trip was so impromptu that we only had a couple of days to come up with the itinerary and we thought the trip went pretty well! In this blog series, we will cover some of the best cuisines in Ipoh, well-preserved historical landmarks and quaint cafes that make you fall in love with this town.

Instead of hopping into a dreaded 8 hours journey by coach, we took the budget airline and arrived at Sultan Azlan Shah Airport after an hour flight.

The airport was relatively small and you would probably be visiting these two booths – Car Rental and Purchase of SIM Card.

I bought a 6GB plan for RM35, which was more than sufficient for a 3-day use.

We rented a MPV which cost about SGD100/day. The car park was just in front of the airport so picking up the car was a breeze.

We would be staying at the WEIL Hotel. Apart from just 6km from the airport, this beautiful hotel is adjoined to the Ipoh Parade Shopping Centre and had so many reasons why visitors should be staying there.

Concubine Lane

Our first stop was exploring the Concubine Lane, which was along Lorong Panglima and is the busiest among the three lanes today with shops and restaurants. As cliche as it may sound, one of the must-do activities in Ipoh is the heritage walk around the old town area.

It was no surprising that the street was packed with tourists since it was a weekend.

Brightly colored umbrellas.

It might sound sinful, but what a shame it would be if a visit to Ipoh was completed without trying some of their unique desserts!

We sampled the Honey Ice Ball (RM5 per ball); an ice ball bigger than the size of a fist shaped with shaved ice then drizzled generously with gula melaka (palm sugar syrup).

Kuma Brand‘s rainbow cheese toast (RM13 per toast) certainly captured our hearts! Brushed with butter on the surface, the bread was being toasted to golden yellow.

The fun part of it? Stretching the cheese to your heart’s delight.

We tried the cold dessert at Tau Fu Fa, which was a great respite from the sweltering heat. To create the traditional atmosphere, long and squatting stools were set up for dine-in customers.

Their bean curd literally melts when you eat it. A must-try dessert shop at Concubine Lane.

Panglima Dua Lima, a charming little cafe housed in an old shophouse serving freshly prepare Ipoh white coffee.

The cafe was coated with attractive interiors. Old wall, wooden furnishing and displays of old school items added a rustic charm to this place.

Address:

30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Ipoh Booth Cart

Situated on the upper floor of the corner shop lot Restoran Sun Yoon Wah was Ipoh Booth Cart. We wouldn’t know of this place (opposite Concubine Lane) if not for the banners placed outside.

This place catered to a few booths or kiosks selling souvenirs and drinks.

Hey, admission is free!

Thean Chun Coffee Shop (天津茶室)

Thean Chun Restoran is highly recommended in the media and they are famous for their “Kai See Hor Fun” aka Chicken Kuey Teow Soup, egg caramel custard, chee cheong fun and satay.

We were very full but capturing pictures is a must!

Address:
73, Jalan Market, Ipoh, 30000,
Ipoh, Perak, 30000, Malaysia

Kong Heng Square

Nestled amidst Ipoh Old Town colonial buildings is Kong Heng Square Artisan Market (KHSAM).

An area rejuvenated with rustic blend of old and new architecture and shady trees, has been given a new “life” with burgeoning local arts, crafts and eateries. It is a hub where passion meets creativity.

I fell in love with photography few years ago and felt that Kong Heng Square actually was a good spot for photo-taking.

Previously a decrepit and abandoned space, Kong Heng Square has been rejuvenated into one of the cool hangouts in town.

Can you believe on top of this building is actually a hotel?

New Star Salon, an old school barbershop that have stood the test of time.

We heard much about Burps and Giggles and glad that it was conveniently located at Kong Heng Square.

Customers are greeted with great ambience and the cafe is furnished with eclectic decorations.

Address:

93 & 95 Jalan Sultan Yussuf | beside Container Hotel., Ipoh 30000, Malaysia

Yum Cha Tea Bar

The Bubble Tea world is on a rage. We heard that Yum Cha Tea Bar is selling White Rabbit Bubble Tea here.

Traditional Tea House / Wood Craft Workshop

As evening beckoned, we chanced upon this interesting tea house as we went to collect our car.

The friendly owner invited us to tour his premises.

Every bit of the interior was lovely and filled with charm.

According to the owner, this place was used to host wood craft workshop and corporate sharing sessions.

Tong Sui Kai 糖水街 or “Dessert Street”

Tong Sui Kai 糖水街 or literally “Dessert Street” is one of local’s famous food spot with many stalls selling local delicacies such as rojak, cockles, noodles and many others.

Chicken Wings at RM2.70 per piece.

Wanton Noodle (Stall 44) at RM10 and Ice Kacang at RM5.

Memories of Ipoh on our first day.

Why not try Ipoh when planning your getaway? I am in love with Malaysia. Looking forward to explore this beautiful country again.

Address:

Jln Sultan Ekram, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

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California, Chinatown Gate, Christmas, Diary of a Foodster, Eat, Education, Food, Growing Up, Katong Kids Inc, Kids Activities, Las Vegas, Lombard Street, Photography, San Francisco, Shopping, Travel, Travel Blog, Traveler Wifi, Uncategorized, Vacation

California Travelogue – (Part 2): San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Maritime Museum, Ghirardelli Square, Lombard Street and Chinatown

June 12, 2019 katongkidsinc

Soak into the sights, sounds and smells of San Francisco. We did a tour of the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The Park includes a magnificent fleet of historic ships, a Visitor Center, Maritime Museum, Maritime Research Center, and Aquatic Park Historic District.

It was an easy tour as the place wasn’t huge.

A short walk further down was the Maritime Museum which was located in the Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building.

Ghirardelli Square is a convenient stop for chocolate and ice cream while already visiting at Fisherman’s Wharf.

No trip to San Francisco is complete without tasting sweet chocolate from those chocolate dream-makers at Ghirardelli. Ghirardelli’s sundaes are real special.

We did not drive during our stay in San Francisco. Instead, we walked, walked and walked.

As you can see, the roads here were steep and it was a test of endurance and good form of exercise.

This picture is a good example to get a sense of how steep the streets were.

We did have the chance to see the splendor of the West Coast, here was what San Francisco looked and felt like.

Strolling down one of America’s crookedest streets in the form of Lombard Street is a blessing! The steep, hilly street was created with sharp curves to switchback down the one-way hill past beautiful Victorian mansions.

Lombard Street is definitely one of the most photographed spot in San Francisco. Tourists just couldn’t resist its charm and uniqueness.

This street has eight tight hairpin turns through the neighborhood where guests can either drive, or walk, down for an interesting adventure.

After exploring Lombard Street, we walked to the Chinatown.

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest one in North America (surprisingly well maintained) and covers 24 city blocks.

Trying out the delicious and yummy dim sum!

We finally found the the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory after getting lost! Located in Ross Alley, formerly called the “Street of the Gamblers”; the little factory here makes fortune cookies.

We had no idea why it was so popular among tourists. In fact, we don’t think there is anything special about fortune cookies. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant sight watching the lady sitting at the assembly line, folding and filling the cookies by hand.

Big and Small M at the Dragon Gate, the official entrance into Chinatown on Bush Street, where Grant Avenue takes you into the heart of Chinatown.

Another Macy’s in San Francisco 🙂

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Air Zone, Aquarius Cove, Asia, Buds by Shangri-La, Busy Tables, Clip 'n Climb, Cool De Sac, Education, Fun N Laughter, Future World Exhibition, Go go bambini, Growing Up, Happy Castle, Houbii Spot, Kaboodle Kids, Katapult Trampoline Park, Kids Activities, Kids Amaze @ SAFRA Jurong, Kids Amaze @ SAFRA Toa Payoh, KidsSTOP, KidZania, Kidzland, Let 'Em Play, Little Planet Playland, My Little Climb Room, Parenting, Playeum @ Gilman Barracks, Playground, Pororo Park, Splash @ Kids Amaze (SAFRA Punggol), T-Play, The Artground, The City, The Joy of Toys, The Polliwogs, Waka Waka

Top 30 Places in Singapore to Bring Your Kids During the Holidays!

June 7, 2019 katongkidsinc

It’s the time of the year where school-going children unwind from the highs of the examinations,
and parents are able to take a break from the mad rush of time juggling between work, school and
extracurricular activities.

While some of us make plans for travel, many of us still spend a fair amount of time staying put in our
sunny island, where there is much to do. But whether you are travelling or staying, kids will be kids, and
they are energizer bunnies bursting with excitement on what their next activity will be.

We can imagine many starting to Google on where is the nearest and most convenient places to bring these
rugrats. If this stresses you out, no fret! Here we provide you a location based breakdown of the top 30
places to bring your kids (to burn off their seemingly endless bouts of energy).

North

#1 Katapult Trampoline Park

Where

81 Lorong Chencharu

#01-11

Singapore 769198

Opening Hours

Monday: 12pm – 9pm

Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 9pm

Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday (PH): 9am – 9pm

Tickets

Weekday: From $15/hr

Weekend: From $19/hr

#2 Kidzland

Where

81 Lorong Chencharu

#01-11

Singapore 769198

Opening Hours

Monday: 12pm – 9pm

Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 9pm

Saturday, Sunday & PH: 9am – 9pm

Tickets

Toddler (1-3 yo): From $16

Child (3yo & above): From $20

1 Accompanying Adult: Free

#3 Kids Amaze @ SAFRA Toa Payoh

Where

293 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh

SAFRA Toa Payoh

Singapore 319387

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 1pm – 7pm

Friday: 1pm – 9pm

Saturday, Sunday & PH: 10am – 7pm

Tickets

Child (18 months – 18 years): From $7.50 (Member); From $12.70 (Non Member)

Adult: $2.15

#4 My Little Climb Room

Where

183 Jln Pelikat

#B1-101

Singapore 537643

Opening Hours

Thursday, Friday: 2pm – 7:30pm

Saturday – Sunday, PH: 10am – 7:30pm

Tickets

3 and above: $22

Below 3 years old: $11

Additional adults: $5

North East

#5 Air Zone

Where

180 Kitchener Road

Level 2, City Square Mall

Singapore 208539

Opening Hours

Daily

11am – 9pm

Tickets

$20.00 (1 hour session)

There is no age restriction but all guests must be able to climb and walk on the nets unassisted. Children who are below 7 years old must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

#6 Fun N Laughter

Where

180 Kitchener Road

#B2-32, City Square Mall

Singapore 208539

Opening Hours

Daily

1030am – 930pm

Tickets

Toddler (Under 2yo): From $12

Child (2yo & above): From $18

#7 Happy Castle

Where

Seletar Mall

33 Sengkang East West Ave

#03-K1/2/3

Singapore 797653

Opening Hours

Daily

10am – 10pm

Tickets

$22 for 3hrs

$78 for 10hrs

$140 for 20hrs

#8 Splash @ Kids Amaze (SAFRA Punggol)

Where

9 Sentul Crescent

SAFRA Punggol

Singapore 828654

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 10pm – 8pm

Friday – Sunday, PH: 10am – 9pm

Tickets

Baby (Below 18 months): Free

Child (18 months – 13 years): From $8 (Member); From $16 (Non Member)

Adult: $2 (Member); $5 (Non Member)

East

#9 Clip ‘n Climb

Where

HomeTeamNS Tampines

1 Tampines Walk

#03-03 Our Tampines Hub

Singapore 528523

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 12pm – 9pm

Every first Monday of the Month (i.e. 4 March 2019): 2pm – 9pm

Friday, Saturday, School Holidays and Eve of PH: 10am – 11pm

Sunday and PH: 10am – 9pm

Tickets

HomeTeamNS Member: $18

PA/SAFRA: $22

Guest: $25

#10 Kaboodle Kids

Where

88 East Coast Road

#02-05 Katong Square

Singapore 423371

Opening Hours

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 10am – 6pm

Friday, Saturday: 9am – 730pm

Closed on Tuesdays

Open on Public Holidays

Tickets

Toddler (Below 3yo): From $15

Child (3yo & above): From $20

#11 The Artground – A Curious Place To Be

Where

90 Goodman Road

#01-40 Block J

Singapore 439053

Opening Hours

Wednesday & Thursday: 930am – 5pm

Friday – Sunday & PH: 930am – 6pm

Tickets

Free

#12 The Polliwogs

Where

3 Simei Street 6

#04-07 Eastpoint Mall

Singapore 528833

Opening Hours

Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 830pm

Friday & Saturday: 10am – 9pm

Tickets

Toddler (Below 2yo): From $13

Child (2yo & above): From $20

#13 The City

Where

112 East Coast Road

#03-31 i12 Katong Mall

Singapore 428802

Opening Hours

Daily

10am – 7pm

Tickets

Under 12 months (with accompanied paying sibling): Free

Under 24 months: $18

25 months & above: $22

Adults: Free

West

#14 Let ‘Em Play

Where

18 Boon Lay Way

#01-100 Trade Hub 21

Singapore 609966

Opening Hours

Monday – Friday: 10am – 730pm

Saturday, Sunday & PH: 10am – 830pm

Tickets

Child: $25

Adult: $29

Parent/Child Bundle: $48

#15 Kids Amaze @ SAFRA Jurong

Where

333 Boon Lay Way

SAFRA Jurong

Singapore 649848

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 1pm – 7pm

Friday: 1pm – 9pm

Saturday, Sunday & PH: 10am – 7pm

Tickets

Child (18 months – 18 years): From $7.50 (Member); From $12.70 (Non Member)

Adult: $2.15

#16 T-Play

Where

2 Bukit Batok West Ave 7

Level 2 HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok

Singapore 659003

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 1pm – 7pm

Friday: 1pm – 9pm

Saturday, Sunday, School & PH: 10am – 9pm

Tickets

Below 18 months: From $2

Above 18 months: From $4

Adult: From $2

#17 Go go bambini

Where

Blk 8 Dempsey Road

#01-15 Dempsey Hill

Singapore 247696

Opening Hours

Daily

9am – 7pm

Tickets

Monday – Thursday: Unlimited Playtime

Babies (below 6 months): Free

Toddlers (6 – 23 months): From $10

Children (2 – 12 years): From $20

#18 Houbii Spot

Where

80 Mandai Lake Road

Singapore Zoo

Singapore 729826

Opening Hours

Daily

10am – 6pm

Tickets

Mini Course (Kids below 110cm): $20

The Real Thing (Kids above 110cm): $25

Central

#19 Playeum @ Gilman Barracks

Where

Block 47 Malan Road

#01-23 Gillman Barracks

Singapore 109444

Opening Hours

Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 6pm

Closed on Monday

Tickets

Child (1 – 12yo): $22

1 Accompanying Adult: Free

Additional Accompanying Adult: $10

#20 Buds by Shangri-La

Where

Shangri-La Hotel Singapore

22 Orange Grove Road

Lower Lobby, Tower Wing

Singapore 258350

Opening Hours

Daily

9am – 9pm

Tickets

Toddler (Under 4yo): From $28

Child (4-12yo): $48

#21 Cool De Sac

Where

3 Temasek Boulevard

#02-379/80, Suntec Convention Centre

Singapore 038983

(West Wing, above H&M and Uniqlo )

Opening Hours

Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 8pm

Friday & Saturday: 10am – 9pm

Tickets

Monday – Friday

Under 6 months: Free

Under 3yo: $12.80

3-12yo: $22.80

Saturday, Sunday & PH

Under 6 months: Free*

Under 3yo: $14.90

3-12yo: $28.70

*Adult rates apply for children under 6 months for Weekends and Public Holidays

#22 Future World Exhibition

Where

ArtScience Museum

Marina Bay Sands

6 Bayfront Avenue

Singapore 018974

Opening Hours

10am – 7pm

(Last admission at 6pm)

Tickets

Enquire at Counter

#23 KidsSTOP

Where

Science Centre Singapore

15 Science Centre Road

Singapore 609081

Opening Hours

Daily

930am – 130pm (1st session)

2pm – 6pm (2nd session)

Tickets

Child: From $10

Adult: From $5 per adult

#24 The Joy of Toys

Where

6 Eu Tong Seng Street

#03-51 Clarke Quay Central (Yellow Zone)

Singapore 059817

Opening Hours

Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 8pm

Friday – Saturday: 10am – 9pm

Tickets

Child: From $10

Adult: From $5

#25 Busy Tables

Where

35 Rochester Drive

#03-22 Rochester Mall

Singapore

Opening Hours

Daily

10am – 730pm

Tickets

Single Entry: $10 (Less than 1 yo); $18 (1yo & above)

Drop off: $18 per hr

Playgroups: $35 per session

#26 Waka Waka

Where

407 Havelock Road

#05-01

Singapore 169634

Opening Hours

Monday – Friday: 930am – 7pm

Sat, Sun & PH: 930am – 8pm

Tickets

Starter (6 visit pass): $158

Explorer (12 visit pass): $248

#27 Aquarius Cove

Where

29 Carpenter Street

Level 5

Singapore 059923

Opening Hours

Monday – Friday: 1130am – 6pm

Sat, Sun & PH: 1030am – 630pm

Tickets

11 mths & Below: Free ($5 per adult)

12 mths – 29 mths: $10 (2 accompanying adult per paying child)

2.5 yrs & above: $18 (2 accompanying adult per paying child)

Weekdays (excl. PH & School Holidays) – Unlimited Playtime

Weekends, PH & School Holidays – 2 hrs playtime

#28 Little Planet Playland

Where

176 Orchard Road, #02-21

The Centrepoint

Singapore 238843

Opening Hours

Sunday to Friday: 10am – 7pm

Saturday & PH: 10am – 8pm

Tickets

11 mths & Below: Free (per accompanying paying child)

12 mths & Above: $25

Weekdays – Unlimited play

Weekends & PH – 2hr play

#29 Pororo Park

Where

6 Raffles Boulevard

#02-29 Marina Square

Singapore 039594

Opening Hours

Sunday to Friday: 1030am – 8pm

aturday: 1030am – 9pm

Unlimited Playtime on School Holidays

Tickets

Child

Non Members: From $24.50

Partners: From $23.50

Annual Members: From $19.50

Adult

Non Members: $6

Partners: $4.50

Annual Members: $2.50

Weekdays: 3hr playtime

Weekends: 2hr playtime

#30 Kidzania

Where

31 Beach View

#01-01/02 Palawan Kidz City

Singapore 098008

Opening Hours

Daily

10am – 6pm

Tickets

Toddler (under 3yo): Free

Child (3-17yo): From $58.90

Adult (18-59yo): From $33.25

Senior (60yo & above): From $23.75

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Finty provides you an array of cashback cards to choose from, drop them a note if you require more personalised recommendations!

Happy Holidays Everyone! 🙂

Just a local blog. Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next post.

Cafe, Dads for Life, Eat, Education, Food, Growing Up, Kallos, Kallos Magazine, Kids Activities, Parenting, Photography, Singapore, Teen Girls

Kallos – (Empowering teen girls to live out their faith in a relevant way): Dinner With Dad

May 20, 2019January 5, 2020 katongkidsinc

When was the last time you had a relaxed dinner alone with your teen daughter? Come, go on a fun dinner date with your teen daughter.

‘Kallos’ means beauty in Greek.

1 Sam 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Hope to get hold of this lovely T-shirt soon for Big and Small M, as a reminder that they are beautiful inside.

And that’s all that matters.

Everyone had a taste of the popular Nasi Lemak, served in local buffet style at Old School Delights.

Organised by Kallos, which mission is to help young girls to live out God’s purpose in their lives, I thought this would be a meaningful occasion to have a personal dinner with Big M.

Very often, we as parents are guilty of letting grades to define our kids. It is a timely reminder not to allow our children to define their worth solely in terms of academic achievement.

This simple box of memories.

It is personal, old school, childlike, and will not break the bank. Everyone took a walk down memory lane as we shared stories about our school days.

As fathers, we have been shown the brutal truth of how life operates on in many occasions.

Life can be tough when the rubber meets the road. But each time, we try our best to take the lessons we are being taught, dust ourselves off and stand back up as tall as we can.

Sometimes we have been successful, sometimes we have not been, but isn’t that just a part of life?

What was your biggest reality check when you became a father or daughter?

Jason Wong, founder of the Dads for Life movement, sharing with us on ways to build up our daughters’ self-worth and how to support them during stressful times.

Create regular conversations with them make parents aware of what they are experiencing in school and their lives. This is not just about asking their grades or whether they have done their homework.

When parents create an environment where our children can share his/her successes, failures and anxieties, they will be a step closer to fulfilling their calling.

One memorable sharing by Jason was when he was sharing about his late father. When it came to the end of his life, he would make sure there were two books near to him every day – the bible and photo album.

The bible would draw him closer to God (knowing he would be meeting his Creator soon) while the photo album would bring back beautiful memories of how he had spent his life with his family.

Shiwei Quek, Director of Kallos, shared about the undeniable salience of fathering. The role that a father assume can be trying and challenging.

As father, we learn to celebrate the good days and venting about the tough ones – the throwing up by our little ones, tantrums they are creating, and disapproving of the boys they are going out with, amongst others.

Create happy memories for our daughters, that they will internalise and grow up to be healthy adults who are able to deal with life’s curveballs.

Continue to give them the reassurance, to let them have a sense of self worth.

As daughters, tribute our love for our fathers by way of words and actions. It can even be a simple phone call.

This means even after my father has placed my hand into the groom’s hand and I am no longer staying with my parents.