The Mark of Jurong Bird Park

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Explore Singapore - Day 5, Part 1

It's my Day 5 in Singapore and still my sched is pretty packed with exciting activities and places to check out!

First in the in the itinerary is the third in Singapore's wildlife triad, the Jurong Bird Park!  And since it's my friend Jandy's birthday that day, his entrance fee in the facility is totally free!  =)  We arrived at the park at around 11 am and we were lucky to catch on the time the Birds n Buddies show!

Singapore by Night

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Explore Singapore - Day 4, Part 2

Singapore by Night may first ring the thought of bars, beers and party animals but this post talks about another kind of commune and creatures of the night.  =)  This is about Singapore's famous attraction Night Safari and its animals that wander in the dark and gather under the moonlight.  Well, it's quite similar sans the loud music, alcoholic drinks and people who gets helplessly drunk at night. =)

When I heard there was a plan of having a trip to Singapore, the first thing I thought of not missing is the Night Safari.  Well, the primary considerations for the trip then were the opening of Sentosa and Universal Studios, but for me, Night Safari shouldn't be out of the list.

After that tiring but fulfilling walk at the Singapore Zoo (and after having that big meal in KFC!), we headed to the Night Safari.  And what welcomed us is the fascinating Thumbuakar Performance featuring fire-eating, acrobatic and roaring stunts!

The Wild Side of Singapore

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Explore Singapore - Day 4

We've always known Singapore for its tall buildings, cosmopolitan cityscape and urban lifestyle. 'But have you seen the city's wild side?  Wait, wait, don't get me wrong.  This time, am not being figurative.  And being literal is a good thing this time around hehe.  When I said wild side, I didn't mean about the dirty secrets of the city I fell in love with.  The wild side I'm talking about is Singapore's wildlife triad, the 3 Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) parks - the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park. And this post focuses on my trip to the Singapore Zoo!  =)

The other tiger of Singapore, the white tigers in Singapore Zoo =)

More of Singapore

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Explore Singapore - Day 3

The Tiger of Asia =).  This is what I got in Saint James Power Station - Singapore's Tiger Beer. =)

Day 3 - We were scheduled for a City tour from 9 am to 12 noon but since we will be checking out at 1 PM, Neil, Henry and I decided to cancel the tour and cherish our last hours at the hotel hehe. 

So right after breakfast, I went back to bed and had a luxurious sleep, Neil took a swim, and Henry, I think, strolled the malls.

The Hunt for Good Dinner

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Explore Singapore - Day 2, Part 2

We arrived at Pan Pacific Hotel from Universal Studios at around 7 PM.  So right after freshening up, we started thinking what a good dinner will be.  Well, of course, we didn't join the Night Safari so we need to compensate the evening with something equal or better.  And, the verdict, we decided to go to Chinatown to hunt for a good dinner (instead of Bugis)!

Fan and Fun in Universal Studios

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Explore Singapore - Day 2, Part 1

Hong Kong and Singapore have been rivals in economy, in regional operations location, and in tourism.  So when Hong Kong got Disneyland a few years ago, I just thought HK got the upper hand. =) 'But Singapore did not take this sitting down and fought back big time with the opening of Universal Studios early this year!  =)  And as always, it's us, customers who benefit from this healthy competition. =)

Alas, Universal Studios! =)

The world is in my hands!

So after touring HK Disneyland in 2008, it's SG Universal Studios this time around!

Day 2 - Our call time is at 9:15 am so my room mate and I made it a point that we take the breakfast at the hotel at 6:30 am and then gear up for the tour afterwards.  So, we were definitely on time, and as we walk towards the bus assigned to us, Bus 3, we were already surprised without even arriving at Universal Studios yet as we will be riding a double deck bus!  Haha, we can be surprised and made happy that easily. =)

Anyway, it was about 20 to 30 minute ride.  Our guide gave our tickets so as the 15 SGD meal stub and 5 SGD retail stub.  And when we arrive at the place, the first thing we did is take photos with the Universal Studios globe ad the backdrop!

Click!  Click!  Click!  We were just so excited to take our photos in every fascinating corner that we saw.  My companions and I take the counter clockwise route so we first hit the Hollywood street!  And being a big fan of popcorn movies, one of the biggest surprises in the tour for me is the Lights Camera Action studio!  There was a short spiel by film great Steven Spielberg but the the biggest highlight is a showcase of a disaster movie shot in a studio!

Neil and Henry are lucky to have me as their photographer!  They got a good shot in the studio and I didn't! Grrr... Hehehe

We then moved to the Sci-Fi City but the Battlestar Galactica is not yet open so we end up trying the kiddie ride The Accelerator.  And all I can say is, I'm not young enough to do this kind of ride anymore.  =)

After walking a few meters, we then saw the gates of Ancient Egypt, the theme park for the movie "The Mummy"!  And as usual, it's photo taking once more!  =)   We deposited our bags at the locker room and lined of the Revenge of the Mummy Ride.  We lined up for about 30 minutes and then experienced the ride of our life!  =)  We bumped to a wall, turn around, and then ride in cyclones in dark.  I cannot help but think if we are already spirits inside the ride! =D  And then in our most awkward facial expressions, the studio camera betrayed us once more. And still, we bought the photo! =)

After the ride, we were all hungry then so we ran towards the Lost World and had lunch in Discovery Food Court which is in Jurassic Park setting, just like in the movie!  I was amazed with the replica of the T-Rex skeleton and of course, had my photo taken there. =)  I ordered a 3-piece wing chicken meal and big big coke!

That's the T-Rex in the movie!  Wait, what movie, Jurassic Park or Night at the Museum?  Hmmm... =)

Forgive me for the shot, I'm so hungry at this time and I just made a quick click and ate this meal at once! Yum! =D

After lunch, we then lined up at the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure.  And goodness, it's the longest line in any theme park I've visited.  I think we waited for 1 1/2 to 2 hours so we spent a lot of time in the line.  Anyway, we just realized that we will get wet in the ride, and unfortunately, we were not able to bring our ponchos.  So we what we did was borrow the ponchos from our colleagues who were just soaked in water! =D  Then the ride went on, with the dinosaur robotics at the side of the water, and some splash every now and then.  That's until we entered a tunnel and experienced another surprise we cannot forget! =)

This is not the rapids!  These are just kids enjoying the water in Jurassic Park.

We were running out of time, as we need to go back at the assembly area at 6 PM, so right after the ride, we proceeded to Far Far Away instead of the canopy ride.  When we entered Shrek's castle, we all thought that it's just an ordinary film showing, but after the long preambles, we were lead to a bigger theater, the Shrek 4D Adventure.  We then immediately took the best seats.  Honestly, I'm not a Shrek movie fan, but this 4D show gave me one of the best, if not the best, cinema experiences of my life!  Let me have a little spoiler because I can't help but share that cinematic experience.  As we watch the film, we also experienced a thrilling horse ride, being sprinkled by a sneeze (yuck haha) and being touched by spiders!  After that awesome cinematic experience, we bought souvenirs at the Fairy Godmother's Potion Shop.  And as I was amazed with a drink in a magic potion container, I immediately bought one, not realizing that I bought a guava shake!  And goodness, the drink I got very sour but I can't help but finish the drink since it's about 12 or 14 SGD I think!

We arrived in Far Far Away! =)

foydi versus puss in boots!  And I got the magic potion (at the side of my waist) I bought from the Fairy Godmother's potion shop!

Well, anyway, that's not the end of the tour yet as we made sure that we'll be able to catch the Waterworld show.  We first sat at the middle row not realizing that those who will sit there will get wet, not because of accidental splash but intentional bombs and beams of water!  We were hit as we took our seats!  So we decided to move to the last rows or we'll end up very wet again. =)  Anyway, the show is another spectacular experience as we witness reenactments of the actual movie, death defying stunts and awesome explosions.

My favorite shot in Universal Studios

This scene is more than hundred meters away but I got a good shot!  Thanks to my Olympus camera! =)

After that, we just took photos in Madagascar and then rushed to the Universal Studio Store to make the last purchase of souvenirs!

Woody Wood Pecker insists on having a picture with me! =)

And that's how the fan (that's me!) and fun meet in Universal Studios in Singapore. 

More of Day 2 in my next posts! =)

The New Thing in Baby Care!

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The New Thing in Baby Care!

This photo was taken on Day 4 of my "Explore Singapore" mission but I can't wait to share this with all of you.  =)  Actually, you already saw the sneak peek in my Facebook but here's the rest of the details.  I saw this scene as we entered the Singapore Zoo on October 3.  I was amazed with this scene and immediately took a photo of it! 

The first question went into my head was, how could a parent put his baby or toddler in this cart??  'But as I analyze the situation, touring Singapore Zoo indeed takes long walks so I guess the dad in the photo found a perfect way on how he and his kid enjoy the zoo.  It may seem odd or unconventional but as long as the baby's safe and comfortable, I am for any innovation in baby care.  And that's what you call Uniquely Singapore.  =)

Explore Singapore! (Day 1 -- The Magic of Sentosa)

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Explore Singapore - Day 1

Merlion, the symbol of Singapore

First, in 2008, our tour was an Asian Cruise via Star Cruise Virgo that sailed the South China Sea and brought us in Sanya City in China, Halong Bay in Vietnam and Hong Kong.  Then in 2009, we all flew to Shanghai.  And for 2010, we decided to invade no less than the lion city, Singapore! =)

And when people heard about it, I got questions like "Why Singapore?".  And my response is, "Why not?".  Singapore is such an amazing city, a fusion of different Asian cultures.  It's a progressive city that balances technology,culture, environment and of course, fun =) -- things that really capture my interest.  And in my 7 days stay in the city, I never ran out of things to do.  So I planned somehow what will happen in my 7 days in SG and called this mission as "Explore Singapore"! =)

Day 1 - Sentosa (Luge, Sky Ride, Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon, Songs of the Sea)
Day 2 - Universal Studios, Chinatown, Clark Quay
Day 3 - Siesta in Pan Pacific Hotel, Marina Square, Vivo City (National Geographic Cafe, Golden Village Cinema, Botejyu) and St. James Power Station
Day 4 - Clementi Holy Cross Church, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari
Day 5 - Jurong Bird Park, Asian Civilizations Museum, Merlion Park, Jandy's Birthday
Day 6 - Orchard Road, Lucky Plaza, Mint Museum of Toys, Chinatown, Sri Mariamman Temple, Raffles Road, Laupasat
Day 7 - West Coast Plaza, Nike Factory Outlet, Singapore Changi International Airport

foydi in singapore zoo

foydi in chinatown

Wheh!  And in fact, I think 7 days aren't enough as there are still places and things I weren't able to check out.  Do you know what else I need to see in SG? =)

Actually, our trip was just from September 30 to October 2 but i extended until October 6 because as you already know, 7 days aren't enough to fulfill my mission "Explore Singapore" =).  And besides, I haven't had a real long vacation so I think this is a pretty perfect opportunity to make it all happen.

Day 1 - Our flight was  at 7:30 am so we were told to be at the airport at around 4 am.  And from work to packing the day before September 30, I decided to skip sleep to fix all the things I need and not to miss the flight!  So come 4 am, I saw nothing but familiar faces at the entrance of Centennial 2 terminal! =)  And as soon as we checked in, the airport seemed like our employee lounge because we are around 100 from the company.

As expected, I was mesmerized by the Singapore Changi International Airport, just like Hong Kong's and Shanghai's.  'But as we went out of the airport, heavy rains (like a typhoon!) welcomed us!  Our first concern was, how can we play in Sentosa, Singapore's favorite playground (Sentosa play is first in our itinerary)?  Well, we parked that thought for a moment and moved immediately to our buses to catch lunch.  And Deborah, our tour guide (up to now, I don't if she's a she or a he but who cares =), made us all comfortable during the ride.

Team CaPRI in SG

our tour guide Deborah

Romsy and the City - road trip from airport to hotel

We then checked in at the Pan Pacific Hotel, and I was again caught in awe with the spectacular view and great amenities of our room!  In fact, sleeping in our hotel room became a rival of going out at night for us! =)

We had a free wi-fi! =)

Well, after unpacking and changing clothes, we then went straight to Sentosa!  And since it's raining hard, we were given ponchos to protect us from getting wet.  We first tried Sentosa Luge, and goodness, it just brought back the child in everyone!  The ride was fast and we were all shouting hard as we move from one point to another, avoiding to hit each other's cart!  And while we were in our offguard moments, there's the camera who captured our shots and ready to take our Singaporean dollars away =).  'But since it's a priceless moment, buying our photos didn't give us any second thoughts. =)

My colleague Jiejie Jane.  Is she excited or scared? =)

Ferdie, Neil and Henry ready to take the Luge challenge

We then moved to the Sentosa Sky Ride to see the tree tops of Sentosa.  It's a pretty slow paced activity than the Luge, but it somehow dried up our ponchos and put us in a relaxing moment.  And of course, there's the camera again!  And again, we just hurried to see and buy our pics! =)

Neil, Henry and Ferdie at the Sky Ride

After the Sentosa Luge and Sky Ride, we were then picked up by the Sentosa Bus and brought us to the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon.  Well, this is the 4th oceanarium I already saw (first was the Hong Kong Ocean Park, then the Ocean Adventure in Subic and then Manila Ocean Park), but still, as I am somehow a marine life fan, I was excited to see what's in store in this marine facility.  I think the people who created the Sentosa Underwaterworld and Manila Ocean park are the same, so there are many similarities I noticed.  'But still, visiting a marine facility is always a welcome treat for me.  In fact, I've visited Manila Ocean Park for 3 or 4 times, and I never get bored checking it out.  =)

That's what you call Underwater World

The Diving Trio of Dolphin Lagoon.  These are Indo Pacific Humpback dolphins which are commonly known as pink dolphins. 

Pink dolphins doing a ball trick.

They are just natural performers!

After the visual treat in the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon, we had dinner near the Sentosa train station.  And right after dinner, we all witnessed the popular Songs of the Sea show.  The show was beside the bay.  At first, I thought it was just an ordinary show, but after the dragging singing part, I was just fascinated with the spectacular display of lights, theatrical pyrotechnics, computer effects and thrilling flame bursts.  It was simply awesome!

It was a long day and with zero sleep and sticky feeling (due to humidity), we were all dying to go back to the hotel and take a shower.  'But my day didn't end when we get back to the hotel as my high school best friend, who's now based in Singapore, treated me for an initial city tour. =)

The day was pretty long but it was just Day 1!  Watch out for more in the next posts in a few days! =)