Thinking of a family holiday in Asia? Clean, safe and easy to explore, Singapore is packed with attractions to keep the kids entertained.
It’s also a true melting pot – Malay, Chinese, English and Indian culture can all be explored in just one holiday.
It’s the perfect place to introduce kids to travel.
1. Get up close to the animals
Singapore Zoo runs a daily buffet breakfast with the Orang-utans starting at 9am. It’s worth the money. Packed with local and international dishes, the children think they’ve hit the jackpot as they sit down with their plates – then they see the Orang-utans.
The distinctive orange apes swoop through the trees, getting closer and closer until they are sitting right in front of the crowd. Hungrily they gobble up their own breakfast using their oversized hands.
They squabble over whose turn it is to eat – the smaller ones often overstepping the line and copping a swat on the head. In between trips to the buffet families can have their photos taken with these cheeky creatures. Some even brave a photo with a snake.
What sets Singapore Zoo apart from other zoos isn’t just the expansive open spaces and the access to the animals. It’s also the quality of the keeper talks. The keepers are experts at holding kids’ attention with guessing competitions, crowd involvement, questions and interesting facts.
But be warned. When the seal show says you are in a splash zone – you really will get very wet.
2. Go back in time
Like a bit more space to relax? Palau Ubin offers a rare chance for families in Singapore to get back to nature. The island is located near Changi Village and can be accessed by boat for just AUD$2.
Once you’re there you can pick out a bicycle from the many different stores, add a child seat for the littlies and get riding. The tracks around the island take you through the jungle to wetlands, crystal clear lakes made from flooded quarries and past the homes of the few remaining inhabitants of this wonderful island.
Locals cut tracks through the jungle to collect the prized durian fruit. Loved it or loath it, this malodorous fruit is something all tourists should try at least once.
3. Eat like a local
Skip the fancy restaurant and head to Maxwell Road Hawker Centre for one of Singapore’s best dishes – chicken rice. This simple dish is one of celebrity chef Tetsuya’s favourites and the best part – it only costs AUD$4.
At this Hawker centre two rival stores compete for the title of the best chicken rice. One is the apprentice, the other the master. See if you can figure out which one is which.
4. Marvel at gardens by the bay
No picture can do justice to the scale of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. The kids’ jaws will drop when they gaze upon the 16 storey vertical gardens known as The Supertrees.
A lift inside one of the trees propels visitors 22 metres above the ground to the beginning of a 128-metre long walkway connecting these incredible structures. Looking down can be frightening for anyone scared of heights but little adventurers are sure to love it.
You can also take a break from the heat by heading into the Cloud Forest. The glass dome contains the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and allows visitors to literally have their head in the clouds as they climb to the top of the mountain.
5. Cool off
Like most of Asia, Singapore is hot. But this city has built an amazing array of water parks. From the Port of Lost Wonder on Sentosa Island to the simple water spouts at the Botanic Gardens to the dumping bucket at Singapore Zoo – there are dozens of ways to beat the heat every day.
For a place that has something for adults too, try Tanjung Beach Club on Sentosa Island. The sand on this part of Sentosa was shipped in from Australia to create a beach escape where the kids can build sandcastles, play beach volley ball and swim in the warm ocean.
There’s also a pool at the club where kids can frolic, supervised while mum and dad have a cheeky sunset cocktail.
6. Play explorers
Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens is the ideal place for the kids to stretch their imagination. And the best part? It’s free. The gigantic treehouse with inbuilt slides is larger than some inner-city terraces.
A felled tree cut into pieces becomes a great place to play a game of dragon chase while the suspension bridge is the obvious place to pretend you are trolls and billy goats. There are child-sized chairs and tables carved out of wood, edible and fragrant plants to examine and a maze that will take the children half an hour to explore.
In the shade of a fig tree a sandpit and a water play garden provide a chance to cool down and rest tired little legs.
7. Go fishing with the locals
Bottle tree park is a little out of the way for most tourist, and maybe a little run down, but it is sure to entertain the little ones for a couple of hours. The park contains a number of fishing ponds.
For AUD$10 the kids can grab a fish tank and a small net and scramble over the rock pond trying to collect goldfish. More adventurous children can join the locals fishing for prawns.
IF YOU GO:
Getting there
Singapore is an 8-hour flight from Sydney and Melbourne. There are plenty of options to fly direct from Australian ports.
Staying there
The York Hotel located near Orchard Road in the heart of Singapore’s shopping district has quadruple rooms available from around AUD$255 per night. The hotel is popular with families and business travels and has a pool and gym.
Playing there
Breakfast with the Orangu-tans runs daily at Singapore Zoo’s Ah Meng Restaurant from 9am-10.30am. It costs AUD$33 per adult and AUD$23 per child (6-12). Children under six are free.
Singapore Zoo is located at 80 Mandai Lake Rd, Singapore. Entrance costs AUD$28 adults and AUD$18 child (3-12).
Gardens by the Bay is located at 18 Marina Gardens Drive. Outdoor gardens are open from 5am until 2am each day. The Supertree skywalk and the Could Forest are open from 9am until 9pm daily. The Skyway cost AUD$5 per adult and AUD$2 per child.
Admission to the Cloud Forest costs AUD$12 per adult and AUD$8 per child (3-12).
Tanjong Beach club is open from Tuesday to Friday from 11am until 11pm and 10am until 12am on Saturday and Sunday.
Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden is located at Singapore Botanic Gardens and is open from 8am to 7pm daily.
Bottle Tree Park is located at 81 Lorong Chencharu and is open from 9am until midnight.
