Looking for the perfect head and neck support while you sleep? From the creators of the award-winning Origin Mattress’s, Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow, with its breathability, comfort, and design could just be your top choice if you need to improve your quality of sleep.

Why Natural Latex

Most of us don’t give much thought to how our pillows are produced or knowing what materials that they are made from. Origin Mattress uses natural latex, which has the following benefits:

Suffice to say, latex foam has a denser material as compared to memory foam or fiber
Brings you quality sleep, as latex pillow can mould to the shape of your head which provides the ideal balance between softness, comfort, firmness and support
For people with allergies, it has extreme durability with hypoallergenic properties that have lesser dust, bacteria or mould issues. This means you don’t have to replace a latex pillow as often as you would a more traditional pillow

Unboxing Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow

Instead of simply grabbing a traditional pillow off the department store, deciding which kind of pillow that is most suitable for you is important. Choosing a latex pillow, with its health and comfort benefits, can go a long way toward making sure your body gets the right level of rest.

We like the way Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow is being packaged. It comes with a lovely sky-blue box that looks super clean, neat and aesthetically-pleasing that could also be a perfect gift for loved ones.

Just like the right partner, the perfect pillow should meet all your essential needs. A product of Germany, Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow comes with dimension of 60cm x 40cm x 13cm, cooling gel that dissipates heat, and 2-years warranty, amongst other features.

In extending the pillow’s life in the long run, the pillows comes with a removable Tencel fabric pillow cover.

Quality sleep only comes with quality pillow.

Origin Mattress also offers super fast delivery where you can receive within 2 hours, 30-Night trial and money-back guarantee. Delivery is free of charge and you can make your booking here.

Thank you Best In Singapore for recommending another amazing product. Check out Best In Singapore, a lifestyle website with the goal to sieve out the best choices from a range of topics from food to entertainment! .

Origin Mattress:
Website | Facebook

Best In Singapore:
Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Guangzhou Travelogue – (Part 2): Baima Clothing Wholesale Market, Beijing Road, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Baiyun Mountain and Pearl River

January 8, 2020 katongkidsinc

Guangzhou is safe and suitable for family to travel. We visited the bustling Baima wholesale market and the items were, but not overly cheap.

Baima Clothing Wholesale Market

This wholesale market is located at the Guangzhou Railway Station. You will know it’s the right place when you see people lugging big plastic bags of clothing.

The whole place was made up of various buildings/malls and basically they are selling clothings and accessories at wholesale prices.

With such a big crowd, food stalls will inevitably exist to cater to the hunger pangs.

We felt the weather at 22 degree was warm but still, the locals were out in their thick coats.

Try shopping in the wholesale markets and find good bargains. New stock arrivals…a common sight.

The prices are marked up when quoted to you so spend your time bargaining in your shopping spree.

Address: No.16, Zhannan Road, Yuexiu District; close to Guangzhou Railway Station

Opening Hours: 8:30 – 17:30

How to Get There:

1. Take metro line 2 and line 5, and get off at Guangzhou Railway Station.

2. Take bus Business Line 1, 2, 3 and bus line 5, 238, 290, 301a, 518, 543, Gaofeng Rapid line 25, Night 88, and get off at Zhannan Road Station. Then walk to the north for about 250 meters (260 yd).

Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street

Beijing Road is located in the center of Guangzhou and is probably the busiest street. The whole stretch is about 1.5km so can imagine there are so many attractions to explore.

Not even peak hour but look at the crowd!

Big and Small M trying out the Christmas special soft-serve.

Eating is an important part of Chinese culture. The street foods sold by the operators were better than we expected. Not only they are clean, super yummy as well!

But street food is the way to go and to satisfy the taste buds.

1. Take metro line 6, and get off at Beijing Road Station. Leave from Exit B.

2. Take metro line 1 or line 2, and get off at Gongyuanqian Station, and leave from Exit D and then walk to east for about 800 meters (880 yd).

3. Take City Sightseeing Bus Ancient City Line and Xiguan Style Line and get off at Beijing Road Station.

4. Take bus line 10, 183, 190, 1, 219, 3, 541, 544, 66, B8, Night 1, Night 32, Night 36, Night 39, Night 69, Night 8, and get off at Beijing Road Intersection Station.

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall or Chen Clan Academy is an academic temple in Guangzhou, China, built by the 72 Chen clans for their juniors’ accommodation and preparation for the imperial examinations in 1894 in Qing Dynasty.

It is situated near to our Airbnb so it is a must-go attraction. We are not big fans of museums so didn’t spend much time there. However, the wood carvings and paintings are examples of super workmanship and certainly present an eye-opener to tourists.

But it does offer good spots for photo-taking.

Had our lunch here at this restaurant near to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall.

While the rest of the dishes were so-so, the steamed fish was fantastic.

Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain

Baiyun Mountain (also known as “white cloud mountain”) offers spectacular views.

You can either choose to walk/hike, take a buggy ride or cable car. We chose the latter.

We spent half a day at Baiyun Mountain not because of enjoying ourselves but time wasted in taking the buggy rides at different points to reach the cable car station. You have to alight from the buggy at one point and queue up again to buy tickets to hop onto another buggy.

Our advice is to take the cable car from the ground instead of going up the Baiyun Mountain to find the cable car station.

Opposite the Baiyun Cableway is a food street.

Freshly made Guangzhou-style rice rolls.

Chee cheong fun or rice noodle roll. The stuffing of the salty rice noodle roll mainly includes pork, beef, shrimp meat and pork liver.

A walk in the neighbourhood after our dinner.

Guangzhou Pearl River

One can not be considered to have visited Guangzhou if he hasn’t cruised the scenic Pearl River. We wanted to try the river cruise where during the ride we could catch attractions such as Haiyin Bridge, Canton Tower and such but too bad we didn’t make it in time.

But still, walking around the Pearl River wasn’t that bad either.

What a beautiful Guangzhou.

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External Hard Drive, Seagate, Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive, Singapore, Singapore Products

Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive with 2-year Recovery Services

September 29, 2019December 15, 2019 katongkidsinc

Recently we had a chance to try out the awesome Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable drive that fits easily into any pocket, and it’s super fast and stores a full terabyte of data.

We are well aware that it is inevitable to use computers these days, especially that now Big M is in Secondary school. The way to solve lack of storage space within laptop is to rely on an external USB hard drive. The Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable drive is reliable and perfect for being used as the preferred backup for mass storage.

Having a portable hard drive is one essential, and it would be good protection when it comes with Seagate Rescue Service (SRS). Seagate experts would be able to retrieve the data and return to us! The thousands of photos of Big and Small M’s travels, school materials, and birthday milestones are just too important to be preserved.

The SRS can be purchased separately and is available @ Popular at an additional cost.

The SRS cards for Singapore is currently available based on pricing below.

Standalone Purchase
2-year – $29.90
3-year – $39.90

Purchase with Purchase with Seagate drives
2-year – $11.90
3-year – $19.90

Only @ Popular bookstores
https://www.popular.com.sg/store-locator

For more information on Seagate Rescue Service (SRS), visit https://www.seagate.com/as/en/services-software/recover/ .

The unboxing moment is always a thrill and fun experience for us.

Some pros of Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable drive :

1. Built in an ultra-sleek and stylish design, the Backup Plus Slim is light (about 160g), thin and extremely convenient to carry around. Big M can use it to transfer files among her friends’ computers.

2. It has a sturdy body that is not easily breakable and is designed to keep your data safe.

3. It can be used in both the USB 2.0 as well as the USB 3.0 connectivity options and the hard disk can be connected to all your USB 2.0 devices to transfer data. The USB 3.0 lets you connect and transfer data at ultra-high speeds.

4. It can be complemented with a 2-year Seagate Rescue Service (SRS).

Thanks to beautiful innovation, the Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable drive is not clunky, easy to carry around, fits into Big M’s bag easily and allows her to transfer files back and forth with a degree of speed. What a way to offer the best balance of performance, features and price. We couldn’t ask for more!

Website : https://www.facebook.com/seagatesin/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/SEAGATE

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/SeagateTechnology

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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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Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert 金玉满堂甜品 – The Flow @ East Coast

May 26, 2019January 5, 2020 katongkidsinc

Katong’s little known world of desserts is quietly gaining popularity. Just when you thought the area is all about the famous 328 laksa and Katong throws out a little surprise.

Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert 金玉满堂甜品 which serves up local Chinese, HK, and Taiwan-style desserts is located at The Flow.

As it is facing Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn Express, it is a convenient place for tourists and locals to check out.

Customers can choose to dine at the second floor.

A cute little swing for photo-taking.

Apart from desserts, Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert 金玉满堂甜品 also serves light food in the likes of snacks and noodles.

Their menu includes:

Snacks 小吃

Noodle

Double Layered Milk Pudding Series (Cold / Hot) 双皮奶系列（冷/热可选）

Peach Gum Series (Cold / Hot) 桃胶系列 – 孕妇慎用（冷/热可选）

Gum Tragacanth Series 雪燕系列 – 孕妇慎用（冷/热可选）

Fried Custard Series 炒蛋奶 ( 新鲜美味 / 即点即炒)

Sago Milk Series (Cold / Hot) 西米露系列（冷热可选）

Chinese Herbal Jelly Series 龟苓膏系列

Grass Jelly Series 凉粉系列

Taro Ball & Grass Jelly Series 芋圆仙草系列

Mango with Mini Rice Ball Series 芒果小丸子系列

Milk with Clear Jelly Series 牛奶水晶系列

Hot and Cold Desserts Series 糖水系列（冷热可选）

Tea / Drinks Series 茶 / 饮料系列

The Flow

66 East Coast Road 01-03

Singapore 428778

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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.

My best bud.

Affirmation time through writing letters for each other before we closed with prayers.

Kallos

Website: https://www.kallos.com.sg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kallosmag

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kallosmag/

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Traditional Nyonya Food – Peranakan Inn @ East Coast Road

May 18, 2019January 5, 2020 katongkidsinc

The Peranakan Inn Restaurant located at East Coast Road.

Despite being newly renovated, we could still feel the artistic touch and reminiscence of the rich and cultural Peranakan heritage. Diners will be immersed in sophisticated comfort and plush interiors.

Developed by Chinese-Malay Peranakans, Nyonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with various distinct spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay/Indonesian community.

A treasure trove of Nyonya cuisine that you should scribble onto your must-eat list.

This is a beautiful, historic-rich neighbourhood that is widely adored for its colorful rows of Peranakan shophouses. So take your taste buds on a culinary adventure, Peranakan Inn is the place to get your fix.

East Coast Road
Singapore 428909
Tel: 64406195
Open Daily 11am-3pm, 6pm-10pm

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Sleepwiz ErgoLush™ Gel-infused Memory Foam Mattress Topper

March 10, 2019January 5, 2020 katongkidsinc

In one of the earlier blogs, we shared about the usefulness of SleepWiz™ eye masks which has become one of our must-bring essential items during travel especially for long distance flight to London and United States.

This time round, we have an opportunity to try out ErgoLush™ mattress topper which has a positive effect on allevating back pain.

The first of its kind in Singapore, ErgoLush™ mattress topper is a gel-infused memory foam mattress topper that does not retain heat like traditional memory foam. Small M tried and it made her such a happy girl by giving her a soft comfortable feeling akin to sleeping on a giant marshmallow, which molds into the shape of your body like a supportive cradle.

So we realised there are actually air vents promoting airflow within the memory foam to let your body remains relaxed and cool for a good night’s sleep.

ErgoLush™ provides other great benefits:

With the viscoelasticity of our memory foam, it absorbs kinetic energy from movements, so you remain blissfully asleep when your partner climbs into or out of bed.
Relieve bodily pains as it molds into a supportive cradle in the shape of your body, preventing excessive load-bearing by your hips/shoulders and diffuses this supportive pressure evenly along every square inch of your body.
Protects your existing mattress from everyday wear and tear, and cost a small fraction to replace

Direct purchase of The ErgoLush™ mattress topper can be made here. Apart from FREE shipping within Singapore, they even offer a 7-day free trial for all our customers!

ErgoLush™ Gel-infused Memory Foam Mattress Topper

Website: https://mattresstopper.sg/shop/memory-foam-mattress-topper-gel-infused-ergolush/

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London Travelogue – (Part 4): Camden Market, Stables Market, Oxford Street, Hamleys and Harrods

February 25, 2019February 26, 2019 katongkidsinc

When searching for quality markets to visit in London, the name of Camden Market will inevitably appear in the most recommended places to explore. We heard there were few hundred stores here and thought it would be a nice place to have our breakfast in the morning.

We walked about 15 mins from the London Tube to reach Camden Market.

Anything that is colourful and bright will capture the kids’ attention. Camden High Street is lined with shoe stores, leather shops and vintage clothing and vintage vinyl.

Being a tourist attraction, do not expect to find cheap stuff here.

Finally reached the market!

The labyrinth of shops led us to various food vendors.

Craving for Asian food, Thai delicacies were just so yummy.

It didn’t take long before these furry friends were in front of us yearning for little treats. Bad idea to toss some crumbs, only to invite more of them to come.

Next to Camden Market lies the Stables Market. Over here, there were many boutiques and pop up shops.

Venturing into the narrow alleys was fun in itself as we browse through the apparels and home goods.

An interesting spot for photo-taking. We had a hard time waiting for the right moment to take pictures 🙂

The popular Pret A Manger sandwich chain that are scattered all over London. This time trying it and we ended up dining there for at least three times during our stay.

We found ourselves at Oxford Street, a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is the Ochard Road of Singapore and jam-packed with people everywhere we went.

Where you can find the sleek lines of Apple’s products here.

Hamleys is the oldest and largest toy shop in the world and one of the world’s best-known retailers of toys. With Christmas round the corner, they were showcasing all performance to bring in the crowds.

The streets were awashed with buskers singing or playing musical instruments.

Finally we had the opportunity to take a photo here at the main Oxford street.

As night fell, we were treated to a magnificent Christmas lights extravaganza with a dazzling array of fairy lights and decorations. Everyone was soaked in the joyous mood, holiday spirit of London.

London underground station Marble Arch, Bond Street & Oxford Circus, Central Line, Zone 1
At Oxford Circus station you can also use Bakerloo Line and Victoria Line.

Next, we explored the Harrods. This is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London. It is owned by the state of Qatar and no wonder everything here was so, so expensive!

Our favourite section was the food halls on the ground floor which were the most popular departments at Harrods. This is where you can find a wide range of fine delicacies is offered in 4 huge halls.

Although items were way too expensive, the effects of Brexit weren’t felt at all. The mall was filled with so many shoppers that one would not see any spirit of recession.

To get here, look out for London underground station Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Line, Zone 1.

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London Travelogue – (Part 1): Gatwick Airport, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Chinatown Gate and Trafalgar Square

December 25, 2018December 28, 2018 katongkidsinc

This is our first trip to London and we were told that it is an extremely expensive city for vacation. All this while, we thought it wouldn’t be possible until we discover some London hacks that made our trip a reality.

For once, we realised apart from travelling with the usual prominent airlines there are actually options to travel with budget airline to London for an affordable price of $1.1K in total for 2 adults / 2 childs (one way) – Norwegian airline.

Journey to London

Norwegian airline offers a direct flight from Singapore to London without any stopovers. To ensure further comfort, inflight entertainment are available. Ear phones were not provided.

The inflight meals were simple and nothing fanciful.

As we booked the flight early, we managed to get the best seats which gave us more room.

The 14-hour flight was surprising smooth without any turbulence and we arrived at London Gatwick airport by 5:40am.

If you are travelling to London Zone 1 or 2, we would recommend you not to take the express train which cost about $20 per adult. Our travel from Gatwick to Islington/Highbury was horrid as we needed to change platforms during the morning peak hours.

Towing 4 big luggages with us up and down the subway stairs without elevators and waiting for multiple trains before squeezing in was no joke. The weather was about 10 degrees but we were already perspiring. We would recommend booking the airport transfer (Blackberry cars) instead as the price was almost the same with no hidden charges.

The train ride brought us to the Victoria station where we would need to buy Oyster cards to travel in the London Underground, or the “Tube”. In simple terms, this is a version of our MRT. London is segmented by 9 zones with the touristy areas being in Zone 1 and 2.

The morning crowd at Victoria station were beginning to build up.

We had our breakfast here before continuing our journey to the Airbnb.

This was already the third train ride. We were tired.

Finally arrived at Highbury & Islington station.

But not before taking a 5 min bus ride and another 2 min walk to our Airbnb apartment. For all the hassle, it would be wiser to take Blackberry cars next time.

Covent Gardens

Covent Gardens is one of the ultimate Instagram spots in London. An iconic area with thriving street arts, we heard that it is usually crowded with tourists. However, it was not that bad.

The streets were easy to explore and it was not uncommon to take a pause every now and then to soak ourselves in the historic architectures. Covent Garden is a popular tourist spot such that Din Tai Fung has recently established an outlet here.

Something similar we have seen back home.

The locals love coffee so much and very often cafes would be packed with people. The scent of fresh coffee permeated the cafe and we couldn’t help but to order a cup.

Address: 13 Floral St, London WC2E 9DH, UK

Leicester Square / Piccadilly Circus

As Covent Garden is located centrally, it is near to Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. Google maps may not be reliable. Having these street directories made it easier for us to find our way around.

We were in for a treat during winter as Leicester Square Christmas Markets was up and running.

Not a fan of shopping but food tasting was our theme during this trip. Unlike the States, Christmas markets are common throughout Europe and UK.

Didn’t stay too long in the Christmas markets as some strangers kept looking at our belongings. We decided to leave and go into M&Ms World for safety reasons.

Address: 1 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7DE, UK

Have you been to M&M’s World? It is situated directly opposite Leicester Square Christmas Markets.

The bright, colorful storefront would inevitably draw anyone in. The staff were friendly and helpful, even if you are not buying anything.

Abbreviation familiar to a tween.

Address: Leicester Square, 1 Swiss Ct, London W1D 6AP, United Kingdom

London Chinatown is close to Leicester Square. The nearest underground stations to Chinatown are Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. Bus available are 14 / 24 / 27 / 29 / 134 / 168 / C2.

Eat all you can for $10.50.

We dined here over the next 2 days as the price was cheaper compared to other restaurants. Some restaurants open till 3am.

Address: 10 Wardour St, London W1D 6BZ, UK

Our jet-leg started to kick in. One final stop at Trafalgar Square before we ended the day. The attraction here is surrounded by museums, galleries, cultural spaces and historic buildings.

Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars with France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar.