lebaran holiday july 2019 - S.E.A aquarium and the maritime experiential museum

we were staying in singapore for a week for lebaran holiday, so i was running out of option about where to go. kids would just opt to go to pororo park, but we were (read: me) the ones that get bored going to the same place over and over. even all my friends asked me about pororo park everytime they were going to singapore with their kids. they were curious what is so special about pororo park that make my kids always want to go back there. anyway.. long story short, i thought it was a good idea to bring the kids to aquarium. last time we went there, it was only our first son that came along. it was still new so maybe right now there are some improvements. plus two kids that haven't been there is a good excuse to go there. at first i only wanted to see the aquarium, but my husband was in charge to buy the ticket. i don't know what changed his mind, but he ended up buying the joint ticket, the museum and sea aquarium. we brought along our nephew which was just baby and my parents so i would review it for small baby, kids and elder people.

one of the display in the museum

where to find: both sea aquarium and the maritime experiential museum are located in resort world sentosa. it was in the same area as universal studio. so from the center of the area you could find direction to go to the aquarium. the museum and aquarium are indoors, but the ticket booth is outside so if it is rainy, it would be a trouble to queue for the ticket. you could buy the ticket online or via klook or traveloka i guess.. but i can't say for sure since we didn't buy via third party mainly because we didn't have fix schedule.

this is the description from resort world website:
SEA aquarium - enter and explore the marine realm of SEA aquarium, home to more than 100.000 marine animals of over 1000 species across 50 different habitats, each one as fascinating as the next. it's a marine life experience you won't forget.
the maritime experiential museum - come explore the seas. go explore the world. relive the glorious conquest of the seas, as you return to the maritime silk route of eras past. be transported through time in 15 thematic galleries, journey in the tailwinds of renowned seafarers, and even flee pirate invaders aboard a burning ship.

since we bought the combination ticket, we went to the museum first then proceed to the aquarium. the entrance of the museum is near the ticket booth, and the aquarium is one floor below, so i don't know where to go if you only bought the aquarium ticket. everything is indoor and the walking space is pretty spacious so you can bring your stroller with you. however, there are some stairs, but they provide elevator for older people, disable people and people with stroller. at first you would see the replica of ships from long time ago, and there are some rope display. you can try to do the knots looking at the picture. there is some information video as well, but it was pretty long so we didn't stop to listen them all.

touching pool

the displays are well made and very clean. all the demonstration units are working well too. the videos work well as well. but during the pirate part, it was supposed to be scary and surprising, but it was dark enough so it wasn't that scary. kids love to see the videos, animation and touching the interactive display, though they didn't understand most of it. but it was a good place to show them the history of maritime life. they also put several famous maritime heroes story, so it would be a good place to learn some history as well.

then after we went down, we entered the aquarium. kids were excited to see all the fish. it was more crowded in the aquarium section, but still manageable even though you bring stroller. there's no seat or rest area in the museum but it wasn't that big, but if you bring older people with walking disabilities, it could be tiresome for them. as for the aquarium, i saw many people sit on the rim of the tank. especially in front of the big aquarium tank there are layers of sitting podium that people used to sit and take some rest. there's a vending machine and restaurant nearby, but it was pretty expensive restaurant. most people just sit in front of the tank and eat snack and drink.

i don't remember about the toilet in the museum but there's one near the big tank display. and it was very crowded. apparently, the placing of the toilet is on the spot with the timing people got the urge to go to toilet since entering the museum all the way through the aquarium. there's feeding show but when we were there, the timing was not right. we didn't see any feedings, but we did see the diver danced with the stingray and the kids loved it. there's also a touch pool but you can only touch the seastar and sea cucumber. kids love it and it was super organized since there were several staff watched the kids lined up and got in order to touch and then left the area. what i don't like is the amount of tissue trash. there's a washbasin near the touch pool so people can wash their hands before and after touching the creatures. but they provided tissue paper to dry their hands, and the amount of trash that i saw was a lot. it was a gigantic trash bag full of trash. i wish they change into electronic hair dryer or just towel. i think the one in osaka didn't provide tissue.

it took us about 1,5 hours inside and we got out just in time for lunch. let me remind you that we walk in very slow pace as we brought along a baby, 3 kids, and my mom had problem with her knees as well so we made a lot of stops. so it would finish quicker or probably longer if you made a lot of stops as well. will we be back? probably we won't since once is enough for us. but it's a good option since the kids can't enjoy the universal studio yet and one of my kids still can't enjoy kidzania.

anyway.. it is a good option for rainy day since it's indoor. you might get some shower while you were outside, but once you're inside the aquarium and the museum, you'll safe. kids from all age can enjoy it, but probably age 1-6 would appreciate it more. bigger kids might enjoy the museum more as they probably learn about history for a bit, but they might not enjoy the aquarium as much. for us, it's a good place as i have 3 kids ranging from 3-6 years old, so my oldest enjoyed the museum more as he is more curious and he could read stuff, and his brother and sister enjoyed the aquarium more since they couldn't read yet so they only see the display at the museum while they could see the fish and do some interactive in the aquarium.

lebaran holiday july 2019 - omakase burger

after all the family picture affair at jacob ballas was finished, we went to wisma atria to eat lunch. we arrived exactly around lunch time, so we had to rush because we were a big group so it was almost impossible to get one big table for all of us. my brother in law suggested we tried omakase burger at picnic, and luckily there wasn't any queue yet. but since there were a lot of us, we still need to split table. apparently when we were there, there was an indonesian celebrity holding an event for birthday party/baby shower, so it was very noisy.

where to find: picnic food park at wisma atria 3rd floor.

what we eat: they sold beef burger, chicken burger and vegetarian burger. since i had to look after 3 kids, i didn't know exactly what hubby ordered, i think he ordered the cheeseburger. but i did know he bought two kind of fries, the truffle one and the cheese fries one.

the place: picnic food park is pretty dark. it has this jungle/nature type decoration so sometimes the flowers and leaves cover the light so at places it seems dark. there are long tables and also round table surrounding the fake trees. there's also a private dining room that was fully booked when we were there for private event. outside the private dining room there was a stage and a small playing area. i didn't know whether it was only for the birthday event or it was there everytime. place wise, it was a good place to chill and talk with your friends. for children, it was okay considering there are baby chairs and playing area, but it doesn't necessarily baby friendly since the food are mostly western, like burger and pizza and taco. so unless your children could eat that menu, it's not too children friendly. no children menu either.

cheeseburger and truffle fries

the food: the cheeseburger is pretty big. it was so big that i couldn't bite it. i have to use knife and fork to chop it into smaller pieces so i can eat it. and since it's big, it becomes very messy. really not mom friendly. i usually eat in between feeding my kids. but since this is messy, sometimes they have to wait for me to clean up first before giving them food. the meat was bland, the vegetables was okay, but nothing special. the bun was soft and fluffy but there was a burger joint in my hometown that also sells similar burger and it was tastier. the fries were okay. the truffle one was seasoned well so i have to eat it together with the burger so i could taste something other than the bland cheeseburger.but compared to truffle chips that i've tried, this one didn't have the truffle aroma in it. the cheesy fries was salty and if you eat it by itself, it would feel too salty that makes me a bit nauseous. the fries portion was generous enough.

cheese fries

overall, it was an expensive cheeseburger that tasted bland but luckily it was saved by the fries. so don't forget to buy the fries if you bought the burger. there was a pizza joint in the same place, and we tried that one. it was okay, kids like it and it had hawaiian option which we love! the dough however, is the thin type, unlike pizza hut's that's fluffy and soft. but kids ate them anyway.. so win-win. wouldn't go back for the burger but probably okay for pizza, but.. it was expensive so probably unless we didn't have any other option, we would go back.

lebaran holiday july 2019 - jacob ballas children's garden

we went to singapore near raya holiday, and the whole family decided to get together in singapore to celebrate 3 consecutives birthdays, my mum's, my son's and my brother's. and my dad got the idea to take family picture again since we had more additional member since we took family picture couple years ago (even i only had one child back then!). so my brother in law suggested to go to jacob ballas children's garden. if you never heard jacob ballas, don't worry, i never heard of it until now either. apparently, it's a small part of singapore botanic garden that's dedicated for children.

this is the description from singapore botanic garden website: the jacob ballas children's garden is the first garden in asia dedicated to children. its theme of "life on earth depends on plants" aims to educate and instil a love for nature in children. the garden is a complete nature-learning environment, where children can delve deeper into the ecology of plants and our environment through discovery and experiential learning. the garden offers children a space for exploration, adventure and play, with a farm, an orchard, and a forest with its own stream and ponds. young adventure seekers can explore the suspension bridge and nature play areas, budding naturalists can walk along the stream and climb into the tree-houses, and our urban gardeners can observe how plants grow and pick up some gardening tips!
opening hours: 8 am to 7 pm (last admission at 6.30 pm). the jacob ballas is closed on mondays (except when it falls on designated public holiday). refreshments are available at the entrance of jacob ballas children's garden.
free admission. children aged 12 and below must be accompanied by an adult. adults are permitted entry only if accompanying a child. wheelchair accessible.

as i've stated before, this is a small part of gigantic singapore botanic garden. we went there using grab, and it was quite a long trip to reach the jacob ballas one, so i suggest you take public transportation like taxi or grab so you can arrive exactly at jacob ballas. i'm not suggesting you to use car either since the car park slot in jacob ballas one is quite small. when we were there, my brother in law drove his car twice circling the parking area and he failed to find a free spot. he had to park in the botanic garden parking area. so if you wanted to get parking space, probably arrive earlier.

there's a small lobby area with a receptionist desk and one or two vending machines. a toilet and a baby changing table inside the toilet. there are few benches outside so you can wait there. as stated, the entrance fee is free if you bring kids along. so the receptionist will just glance whether you bring a kid with you or not. at that time, we were a group of 9 adults, 3 kids and 1 baby, and we could go in just like that.

luckily (or probably not), when we were there, it was sunny. once you got inside, there were two road, one to your right, one to your left. but no matter which path you take, you will go back to the original spot. if you chose to your right, you will come to the bridge over the lake. the bridge was quite wide so we could take picture there. furthermore you would come to a big space of green grass. there were no bench, but you could sit on the grass. a bit further again, there was a big field with several flowers bushes around it. there were couple benches but it was open, so it was pretty hot. my son got bleeding nose because it was too hot. so don't forget to bring water bottles and some snacks.

it was quite a lovely small park. if you long for nice outdoor activity with plenty of space for your kids to run around, then it would be a good option. i've seen several nannies brought their kids for a picnic day in the park while i was there. i don't know about eating there, but i could give my kids snack and drink without any problem. just don't forget to throw the trash in the trash bin. again, if you do decided to go there, bring a lot of water bottles and hat to cover your hair especially if it was sunny. oh, you could also take picture here too for free. from what i heard, you'll need permission if you take picture in the botanic garden, but it's still free in jacob ballas garden. i hope it remained that way.

lebaran holiday july 2019 - superpark

we were supposed to go to jurong to play at some indoor playground at the science center area, but husband thought we should just play at some indoor playground at the mall. it's easier to find something to eat at the mall rather than at the science center. we could go there by grab, coming and going, so we don't risk getting drenched by the rain. we saw this playground when we were on our way to pororo park from suntec city, so husband think it's a good idea to just go there and play and if the kids are still not tired yet, we could go back to pororo park which is nearby.

this is the description from their website: designed with finnish heart and finnish know-how, superpark is a unique, purpose built, indoor activity park. people of all ages and sizes come here for movement, friendship and fun.

location: it is in suntec city mall #02-477 (north wing). if you travel by MRT, again, the nearest station would be promenade or esplanade.

ticket: it has two types of ticket, regular (weekday only) and superday (for weekend, public and school holidays). and there are 3 allocated times, morning mayhem (9am to 1pm, superday only), middle session (1.30 - 5.30 pm, superday only), after 6 pm (6-9pm, superday and regular), one day ticket (superday or regular). you can also check their calendar for superday or regular ticket here. we were there during school holidays, so we had to pay for the superday ticket, and we chose morning mayhem. price is the same for adults and children above 3 years, below 3 years is free. but it means that your kids won't get the band and you have to bring your own socks.

armband that you should wear all the time to get in and out the park as well as opening the locker

important details: you should fill the waiver form before getting into the park. there were ipads available there so you can fill the form and then the counter staff would check when you paid the ticket. there are two types of waiver period, for one time visit only or for a year.
under 8 years old must always be accompanied and supervised by guardian (18 years and above). and you can only use their grip socks while you are in the park.

the superprk socks

once you fill out the waiver form and buy your ticket, they will give you the band to open the gate to go inside the park and to certain play areas. you can also use the band to unlock the locker to keep your shoes. there's a toilet near the locker area but you have to use your shoes inside the toilet. there are some restrictions guide like height restrictions inside the park.

one of the mini games inside, feels like arcade inside playground

activities: the park is a two-floors area, so you can go wherever you want inside the park as long as you have the band. it has 3 different areas, the game area, the adventure area and freestyle hall. please note that not all things in the same area is located on the same floor. for example, flying fox and freestyle area are both on 1st floor but the kid's gym and pedal car track is on 2nd floor.

the augmented wall climbing

things you can do in adventure area:
- flying fox: minimum 100 cm in height to play. our eldest pass the height measurement but our daughter didn't, but she was quite stubborn and kept waiting in line, so somehow the staff there got pity at her and let her play. usually, the staff would just push the line so your kid could slide to the other end, but this time he hold the line along the way up until the end for our daughter. i was totally grateful that he did that for her. she fell at the end when the line stopped, and it made her realized that she was not tall enough and didn't ask for more when my son wanted to go the second time.
- freestyle area: it has trampolines, foam pit and climbing walls. no height restriction. unfortunately, when we were there, it was closed for maintenance.
- kid's gym: maximum height is 100 cm. this area contains fun and educational games for whole family, like small ball pool, blocks and small wall climbing.
- kid's adventure city: this is a small play area, it has climbing equipment, towers and tunnels. there's some digital activities as well. no height restriction. when my kids play here, i have to make sure they go the same way, or i might lose one kid or two. in fact, i even lost my daughter for several minutes since there are some exits from this area, and i was there alone without husband. totally a bad idea. so i didn't see when she slipped outside the area. fortunately, we found her after a while. oh, and totally accompany your kids since the slides might be too tall for them.
- pedal car track: minimum 100 cm to ride the pedal car. since i only have one kid that pass the criteria, we didn't play that one. though my son was very grumpy when i told him perhaps next time we could try.
- sliding mountain: basically it's a small mountain so your kids can hike and then slide back down. my kids love playing here, even my little one.
- tube slide: height restrictions minimum 100 cm maximum 200 cm. the slide is not that high, but you have to bring your tube up to the top yourself and then the staff on top will help you getting in your tube and slide. this one is quite popular so make sure your kids are patient enough to be in the queue.
- ninja track: minimum 100 cm. though there's a staff guarding this place, my kids could play there, all of them! my youngest is not even 100 cm. he just made sure that i kept my eyes on him. and let me tell you, it was a mess there. kids played all over the place, even though there was a sign that it was supposed to be one way, but kids went all over the place and the staff was helpless.

super pinball 

things you can do in game arena:
- baseball: minimum 140 cm, but it was closed for maintenance that day.
- hot stepper: no height restriction. basically it's just a small game. somehow it was different with the one picture in the website. when we were there, the game was to step on the the path that got lit as quick as you can. like some arcade game.
- street basketball: minimum 95 cm. it was a mini basketball field, but when we were there, there was a group playing and my kids were not patient enough to wait, so we skipped. i totally can't say anything about the rules.
- superball: so, this was a group play. two groups tried to shoot the screen behind the opponent group using the balls. there was 3 minutes limited time play. if there were no other people waiting in the line, then you could play for some more. but if there were people lining up, you should finish the game after 3 minutes and give turn to others.
- superbowling: basically it looked like a game in arcade, just bigger. you used ball as big as basketball and tried to knock all the pins on the screen down. again, this was limited and it was exactly like an arcade. three balls and you're out.
- superhoop: this was supposed to be like basketball play in arcade, but i didn't remember seeing this one. no height restrictions though.
- super pinball: no height restrictions. this was a pinball play, but much bigger. you got to kick the ball to hit the target with poin. just remember not to step over the restrictions line or you'd get the game over instantly. this had limited play time just like the super ball. and the ball was quite heavy. even i got hurt kicking the ball wrong. so keep in mind when your little kids tried to kick the ball.
- robo keeper: height restrictions minimum 100 cm. you had to kick the ball passed the robotic goalkeeper. it was crowded so we didn't play.
- iwall: no height restrictions. it was an interactive game and exercise game at the same time. it had two players.
- valojump: couldn't say much because i didn't see this one.

things you can do in freestyle hall:
- augmented climbing wall: this was a virtual climbing wall. so there were several types of game you can play, but the kids didn't get it. they just chose whatever they like and play all they want. you're supposed to take turn to play this, but kids were just scrawling around the "screen wall" and play together. some would get bored and leave eventually. supposed to be minimum 95 cm.
- gymnastic area: again, couldn't say much because i didn't see this one too.
- skate and scoot world: skateboarding place, minimum 100 cm.
- trampoline platform: minimum 120 cm. this was very popular too, it was very crowded.
- superclimb: minimum 100 cm. quite serious wall climbing.
- street soccer: the name is pretty obvious. and no, we didn't play there.

this was a good place for your kids to get some exercise and fun, but i can't say that it was for all ages. i think the place is more suitable for kids 7 years and up. they would probably pass almost all the height restrictions, so they would have more fun. and they would get the rules. while young kids will most likely to just play all they want and not obeying the rules. plus the height restrictions will make them couldn't enjoy the whole park. again, since this is indoor, it's a great option for rainy days. and it is located inside a shopping mall, so if you're hungry after playing here, there are lots of food option nearby. i would like to go back here when the kids are older though so they can enjoy the park more. and probably with friends.