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

A month worth of activities is a lot of energy, and a hole in parents’ pockets. Why not earn back some savings with cashback cards like American Express True Cashback Credit Card, Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Credit Card or Citi Cash Back Card? Many little savings equate to another round of activities for free!

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

Happy Holidays Everyone! 🙂

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All photos, information and opinions, unless otherwise stated, in this post belong to Katong Kids Inc. Reproducing or copying them for use on third party sites without our written permission are strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

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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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Singapore Attraction – Time Out at National Orchid Garden

May 18, 2019January 5, 2020 katongkidsinc

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a 160-year-old tropical garden located at the fringe of Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping district and is the country’s first UNESCO Heritage Site.

A great place for family outings!

Why should you be here? Yeah, to explore the National Orchid Garden and take pictures of beautiful orchids.

This blog post will be flooded with many pictures.

Visitor Information

Opening hours

8.30am – 7.00pm daily (last ticket sales and entry at 6.00pm)

Admission Fee:

$5.00 for adults

$1.00 for students

$1.00 for senior citizens (60 years and above)

Free for children below 12 years

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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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California Travelogue – (Part 1): San Francisco Cable Car, Powell Street and Fisherman Wharf

May 2, 2019 katongkidsinc

After our New York trip, we took a 6.5 hour flight to San Francisco.

San Francisco, in northern California, is a hilly city on the tip of a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. It’s known for its year-round fog, iconic Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and colorful Victorian houses.

Our first impression of San Francisco was its cleaniness. The tram was really clean and a big contrast to NYC in which it was not crowded.

Thanks to our friends staying in California, we were recommended to take the BART train to Powell Street.

So clean and fresh!

We would be staying at Axiom Hotel, which was just located above the Powell Station. It took about 2 to 3 mins walk to the hotel.

The reason we chose Axiom Hotel was it’s close proximity to the train station. The place was centralised to every tourist activities but we were cautioned that it was near to the Tenderlion neighbourhood where the streets were shady and you wouldn’t want to bump onto people you wouldn’t want to meet. Glad that there was a right soul who walked up and told us not to cross the street, else we would be venturing into the neighbourhood. Yes, the google map did fail us at times.

Cute robot to attend to our needs.

Burger King was beside our hotel.

We were glad that the cable car station was outside our hotel. During peak hour, the queue could linger till late into the night. The ticket cost $7 each.

We are going to the Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf, on the northern waterfront, is one of the city’s busiest tourist areas. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls appear at every turn.

The streets of San Francisco was just amazing. It would take a lot of energy just to walk up the slopes and they were appearing at every junction we stopped.

Slopes again. How to survive without owning cars here?

No experience is more uniquely San Francisco than a ride on a cable car. A must-try experience here!

It’s convenient to travel here and we don’t really need to drive.

The Ross store is a great place to find cheap stuff.

Love these laundry buckets so much (only $13) but how to bring back home 😦

The crab meat and prawns were very juicy. It cost about US$70.

Spent the afternoon exploring the streets.

If In-N-Out Burger comes to Singapore, it will beat all the fast food restaurants hands down.

Our favourite pasttime. Buying a loaf of cheap bread when visiting the harbour to feed the birds.

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New York Travelogue – (Part 3): The High Line, Chelsea Market, Subway, Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square

April 6, 2019 katongkidsinc

This was our final day at New York City. Our main goal was to cover two attractions. Some say The High Line is a must-go attraction and we shouldn’t give it a miss.

The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.

Saved from demolition by neighborhood residents and the City of New York, the High Line opened in 2009 as a hybrid public space where visitors experience nature, art, and design.

Elevated 30 feet in the air, this former railroad has taken in a form of a beautiful stretch of pathway. The walk is about a mile and a half in length and takes you from Gansevoort Street up to 34th. We arrived just when the sun was setting and took some beautiful shots.

The Chelsea Market was near to The High Line. An indoor food hall, most of the shops in Chelsea Market were food related.

A suitable place for cafe hoppers also, not to mention there was a variety of shops selling gifts, spirits, groceries and more. The building was formerly used to be a biscuit factory, which was why much of the interior and aesthetic was a reminiscence of its past.

Intrigued to see the Youtube office here..

Not surprising to see the Google’s office here as Manhattan’s Chelsea Market building was bought over by them.

So, that wrapped up our New York vacation. We hope to have more time to visit Pennsylvania and Washington DC. Maybe we will do it next time 🙂

Ending our Big Apple vacation with some memorable pictures.

Definitely not to our liking, we were still figuring out how to take the subway in NYC before we left. Absolutely confusing.

Big M at the vibrant Manhattan’s Chinatown, where when you are in food hunt, you know you will never go wrong with dumplings, pork buns and hand-pulled noodles.

You have all the reasons to walk the famous Brooklyn Bridge. It is likely to be crowded but hey, who cares? We are talking about the epitome of Big Apple.

Who says you can’t find pockets of spaces to connect with others in one of the most densest cities in the world?

Dazzling with lights all day long, there’s a magnetic pull about Times Square. One of the most visited places in the world with over 360,000 pedestrians daily, we just loathe this place, wondering why Singapore can’t replicate it. This little adventurer was totally mesmerised. The next part of our journey would see us at the west coast of America – California where we would see San Francisco, Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

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New York Travelogue – (Part 2): Brooklyn Bridge, Charging Bull, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Washington Square, Times Square and Bryant Park

March 17, 2019 katongkidsinc

Our stay in New York City – Club Quarters Hotel at the World Trade Center. Beautiful view of the city’s skyscrapers at the skydeck. The hotel’s snack bar has unlimited flow of canned soft drinks, coffee, nuts and snacks for guests.

The hotel was located near to the 9/11 Memorial and the vicinity was not as congested with human crowds as Times Square. The skydeck overlooking the reflecting pools.

And so we took a 3km walk to the Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City. It connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, spanning the East River.

Popular pop-up food stalls in New York City.

The kids soaking themselves in the sights and culture on each stop.

Travelling to New York on a budget. It doesn’t have to be an expensive trip if you kno whow to avoid paying too much money. Avoid pop up stalls selling simple food we thought it was expensive. Instead of signing up for guided walking tours, we thought it would be better to explore by ourselves using google maps.

At the start of the bridge walk. The bridge is a quite popular tourist attraction the best time to be here is early in the morning so that we can avoid the crowds later in the day.

There was a bike lane at the bridge in which a steady steam of cyclists never fails to utilise that lane. We were blessed that the weather was about 15 degrees else we would be sweating by the time we finished our walk.

This is the best place to catch sunrise and sunset. Photo-taking was a challenge as the crowds began to build. We chanced upon a camera team recording MTV.

Just to note that the pedestrain walk is made of wood. Reality is often different from what you see from social media where tourists dressed in tip-top costumes and high heels just for sake of taking the insta-worthy pictures. Hope the heels did not get stuck! We would suggest to forgo vanity for practicality when walking the Brooklyn Bridge.

Charging Bull, which is sometimes referred to as the Wall Street Bull or the Bowling Green Bull, is a bronze sculpture that stands in Bowling Green in the Financial District in Manhattan, New York City. It is the symbol of the US Stock Market.

The jetty was a short walk from the Charging Bull. With the tickets we purchased from 9/11 Museum, we would be taking ferry to the Liberty Island.

It was freezing cold! Visitors could opt to sit at the balcony or the sheltered basement.

Getting closer to the Statue of Liberty..

It was not a wasted trip. We thought of the possiblity of viewing Statue of Liberty from the mainland but decided to pay a visit to the island. It wasn’t expensive and by getting near here would mean we could take decent pictures.

It was also a perfect place to view the Big Apple from another angle.

To our pleasant surprise, we did not know that our tickets also included a visit to the Ellis Island. The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration is located in the Main Building of the former immigration station complex and tells the moving tales of the 12 million immigrants who entered America through the golden door of Ellis Island. Today, the descendants of those immigrants account for almost half of the American people.

We learned about the history of early immigrants. Actually we were not big fans of museums.

Once we returned to the mainland, we hopped onto the subway to Washington Park.

This place was basically an outskirt from the busyness of the city. Not much attractions but it would be a charming place to immerse ourselves with the life of locals.

And we were being interviewed by the college students who were doing a social experiment.

We tried McDonald’s 🙂

Some said NYC is a city of endless possibilities. We were amazed upon reaching Times Square. It was so beautiful!

Located in the heart of New York City, Times Square is home to some of the most famous attractions New York has to offer.

We were just trying to find sweet spots for photo-taking.

Exploring the stores.

Macy’s Herald Square is the flagship of the Macy’s department store chain; it is located on Herald Square in Manhattan, New York City.

Big M got what she has been looking forward to.

Amazon Books located on 34th Street (Manhattan).

The prices were not cheaper than online. In fact they were priced the same.

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. We did not go up as that would mean paying for expensive tickets.

Located in Midtown Manhattan between 7th and 8th Avenues from 31st to 33rd Streets, the Madison Square Garden is situated atop Pennsylvania Station. If one were to wonder why it is so famous, this is the home ground of the famous New York Knicks.

Up next is the Bryant Park. Surrounded by skyscrappers, Bryant Park is Bryant Park is visited many people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in NYC.

The ice skating rink would come to life during Christmas. What an atmosphere!

There’s no better place to chill out other than Bryant Park.

Next to the Bryant Park was the Whole Foods Market which offered a full range of high-quality and natural food. It is overlooking the beautiful Bryant Park and the New York Public Library.

At 43,000 square feet, the store has two levels of retail space that will host a full range of high-quality natural and organic goods, as well as the “News Agency,” a coffee and juice bar, which will pay homage to the look and feel of the city’s classic newsstands. Here’s our order. Microwave ovens were provided for diners to warm up their food.

We love the Big Apple!

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New York Travelogue – (Part 1): 9/11 Tribute Museum and Memorial, Manhattan Chinatown and Little Italy

March 3, 2019 katongkidsinc

An experience like no other, we took an 8 hour flight and headed to the Big Apple. We were looking forward to bunches of cool attractions at the amazing NYC!

We heard it would cost about $70 to take taxi from JFK International Airport to World Trade Center. It was the peak hour when we arrived and it took us about 1.5 hr just to clear the customs which everyone had to undergo stringent checks. Nonetheless, we opt to take the airtrain.

Strangers to NYC, we were trying to figure out how to buy the airtrain tickets.

Using our Traveler Wifi Router, we googled how to make our way to World Trade Center.

Our stay in New York City – Club Quarters Hotel at the World Trade Center.

This was the Standard Room that we booked which was rather squeezy but we had to manage our expectations as hotel lodging did not come cheap.

One of the most important stops in NYC was none other than the 9/11 Tribute Museum. Before this trip, we had educated Big and Small M on the history of 911 and why it was such a big thing to visit NYC.

The 911 Tribute Museum was near to our hotel and it became our first stop naturally. Visitors could get to experience the events of 911 from artifacts to personal stories. A big plus over here was that we could also purchase ferry tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty.

The Museum offers visitors the ability to learn factual information about the events of 9/11, the unprecedented rescue and recovery operation and the rebuilding of both Lower Manhattan and of people’s lives.

Video clips of the terrorist attacks.

The day when the whole NYC come to a standstill. Many stories were left untold.

Down the streets was the National September 11 Memorial Museum. The Museum occupied about 110,000 square feet of exhibition space, telling the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts. The ticket prices were $26/Adults and $20/Young Adult. We did not enter though as we thought the exhibits were more or less the same.

The 9/11 Memorial is free of charge and open to the public daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Honoring the lives of those who were lost. Occupying eight of the 16 acres at the World Trade Center, the Memorial is a tribute to the past and a place of hope for the future.

The two reflecting pools are the center piece of the 9/11 Memorial’s design, a work titled “Reflecting Absence” by Michael Arad. The pools cover the exact footprints of the original Twin Towers. Each is about an acre in size and together they make the largest man-made waterfall in North America.

The names of every person who died in the terrorist attacks of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 are inscribed in bronze around the twin memorial pools.

We took a stroll down the streets of New York City.

This was our first day at the Big Apple and we seemed to have lost way.

We spent the evening visiting Manhattan Chinatown. This was the neighbourhood where Chinese immigrants brought their traditions and culture to the lower east side of New York City.

Manhattan Chinatown is a densely populated neighborhood that draws foodies and tourists to its many Chinese and Southeast Asian restaurants for dumplings, pork buns and hand-pulled noodles.

We really loved the peanut dumplings and soya bean milk here that we patronised twice.

Passed by this noodle house and we gave it a try.

Clearly, their noodles wasn’t disappointing. The bone broth soup filled with dumplings. Every dumping was meaty and packed with salty goodness to make it a homey meal in this winter day.

Always remember to include tips when dining in the States.

After our dinner, we headed down to explore Little Italy. Little Italy’s streets are lined with restaurants serving Italian staples on red-and-white checkered tablecloths.

It was pretty small and we covered the place within 15 mins. It was a long day but our hearts were full!

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London Travelogue – (Part 5): Stevenage and Emirates Stadium

February 26, 2019 katongkidsinc

We were greeted with light rain on our final day in London. The sky was cloudy but we were determined to end the day fruitfully.

With most of the main attractions covered, we took it easy today and googled for nearby places to explore.

The rain started to pelt and we took shelter at a train station.

Hopping onto the train with our Oyster cards, we had no idea where to go. Since we were not driving, taking a train ride to see the surroundings might be a good idea.

Thanks to the rain, the weather were freezingly cold and we were loving it!

The train took us into the countryside and we passed by hills, seen cattle grazing and lovely houses.

We were kind of lost and didn’t know where to alight. The train captain was surprised we had no destination in mind and recommended that we visit a little town by the name of Stevenage. Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 28 miles north of London.

Alas, oyster card is not valid here and we had to pay a fine of about $50. The staff was friendly and chatted with us while he prepared tickets for us to exit.

A lovely little town to explore. Maybe not that fantastic for sightseeing but it was an ideal place to buy cheap loots.

Stevenage was pretty much like Bedok neighbourhood where you could find rows of shophouses.

Delicious germany sausages..nice to try in such a cold weather.

Yes, everything’s $1!

A haven for shopping.

The Iceland store. Wait till we see how cheap the items were.

How we wished we were living over here. It’s near impossible to find such prices over in Singapore. These items were not junk qualities either.

At the other end of the town, there were restaurants and a large Cineplex.

Had our dinner here. The chicken looked kind of dry.

We headed back to our Airbnb but before that we suddenly realised our place was near to Emirates Stadium! And so we alighted from the train and followed the signs to Arsenal.

It took about 15 mins to walk from the train stadium. Along the way, we came across houses and they were so beautifully lighted and decorated with Christmas props.

The residents living in these houses were probably the most blessed of all. Just 20m in front of the Emirates Stadium, they could attend EPL match at their convenience every week!

They might not appreciate soccer but it was a worthwhile visit to the famous soccer club.

This capped off our London trip and we booked a Blackberry Car to the airport at 1am. No hidden cost and the driver was professional. The next time we visit London, we will definitely book with them again. Next up, we will travel over 3500 miles or 8 hours of flight time to New York City!

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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.