Top activities to do in Singapore with children, from the eyes of an Australian

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http://www.news.com.au/travel/holiday-ideas/top-activities-to-do-in-singapore-with-children/story-e6frfqf0-1226650047018
By writer, Elizabeth Meryment, news.com.au

When I told my friend that I was taking my children to Singapore for a holiday, she pursed her lips.

“Singapore? How boring,’’ she sniffed. “I’m taking my kids to Borneo next holiday.’’

Well, I don’t know how much adventure her children need but my children do not need to go to Borneo.

Adventure and new experiences are one thing, but when young children are involved - mine are five and eight - safety, order and services are just as important.

Which is why, for our first big overseas family trip (not including Fiji, which hardly counts) we decided to try Singapore. A seven-hour flight away -- long enough without it being too long - Singapore is Western enough to feel safe for kids but eastern enough to still be exotic.

It has enjoyable and not prohibitively challenging food, luxurious hotels with big swimming pools, plenty of attractions aimed at children and teens, lovely, humid weather and excellent infrastructure.

Cabs are cheap, public toilets are clean and people are friendly. The city has that energising hustle and bustle that makes Asian cities so attractive, as well as quite a lot of remnant colonial charm. For families, it’s an excellent taste of Asia without the stress and difficulties many other Asian cities present.

And while it’s certainly not as cheap or as colourful as some destinations, we were prepared to trade that off for having a great holiday free from drama. And our children loved it. We stayed four days and that was about the right amount of time.

Here are some of the best attractions of the city-state, with kids or without.

Night Safari

This truly excellent zoo is a major drawcard for families visiting Singapore, mostly because it has the added allure of being a night-time destination.

You can go to the zoo during the day, it’s true, but the steamy weather would make that almost unbearable. The zoo is an hour or so bus ride (depending on the traffic) from most city hotels, and visitors arrive on dusk at about 7pm.

Inside, there are mini trams that cruise through the animal exhibits at a slow pace, stopping at all the attractions so you can get a good view of the creatures.

There is quite an array of animals we don’t have in Australia, too, including hippos, cheetahs, Malayan tigers, tapirs and plenty more.

If you’re lucky, you might hear the lions roaring into the inky sky.

Tickets are $S35 for adults and $S23 for children.

Singapore Flyer

No self-respecting global city can apparently get away without having a giant ferris wheel these days and Singapore is

no exception.

The Singapore Flyer is this city’s version, said to be the world’s ``largest observation wheel’’, and is a 30-minute gentle ride with soaring views of the city and harbour. Our kids loved it, even if it was a bit scary at the top. Tickets are $S33 for adults and $S21 for children.

Marina BaySands

This famous new building, which looks like three skyscrapers with a boat, or a snake, positioned on top, is a tourist attraction in its own right. At the base is a large, roomy and mercifully airconditioned shopping centre, complete with a very good food court, and the European designer stores that are prolific on every Singaporean street. Go through the hotel and you can pay a fee ($S20 for adults, $S12 for children) to visit the rooftop observation deck. 10 Bayfront Ave.

Sentosa

Almost everyone who goes to Singapore with kids comes back with a recommendation for Sentosa, a man-made island off the Singaporean mainland that houses a number of resorts and attractions.

The main attraction is the Universal Studios theme park, although with tickets at $S74 for adults and $S54 for kids, we decided to skip it. Also on the island is the Underwater World Aquarium, which, with its small pools and faintly dilapidated amenities, I found a bit depressingly ‘70s-like. The children, however, enjoyed the dolphin show, which features a number of pink dolphins that can be seen really close up. (Tickets for Underworld are $S25.90 for adults and $S17.60 for children). There are some other things on the island, including a bit of a beach and a cable car, and lots of people enjoy these; they didn’t do much for us.

Hawker Markets

Singaporean cuisine is basically Malaysian food with a few variations. It is the food of roti and laksa, of chicken-rice and, my favourite, otah-otah (fish cooked in banana leaves).

There is some spice involved, in sambals and laksas, but you can get away with never encountering curry if you don’t want to. An atmospheric way of sampling the city’s cuisine is to try the hawker markets for an early dinner. We visited the Newton hawker markets on the recommendation of our hotel staff. It was perhaps a bit sedate and there are cheaper hawker markets around, but it was a satisfactory experience with good food. Catch a cab and be warned the Singaporeans eat late rather than early.

Newton Hawker Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave.