Bali, Phuket, Bangkok and Hong Kong, been there, done them all? Consider Ipoh. Recently named one of the Top 10 Places To Visit In Asia by Lonely Planet, this sleepy former mining hub is slowly but surely coming into its own.
There is plenty for families to do. The adventurous will enjoy exploring the massive limestone caves and trekking in virgin forests. Kids will love Sunway’s Lost World of Tambun, where there is also a water park, a small petting zoo and hot springs. Everyone will love the delicious hawker fare, such as Ipoh hor fun, famous Ipoh white coffee, and local chicken rice with fat and crunchy beansprouts.
Inns and hotels are sprouting up in Ipoh, but we say splurge on a five-star property like The Haven Resort Hotel and Residences Ipoh – room rates start from RM522.83 (S$169.88). It is 15min away from Ipoh town but boasts an out-of-the-world experience as it is nestled amongst limestone hills. A yoga session or a stroll around a freshwater lake, plus facilities like a seahorse-shaped swimming pool, tennis and badminton courts, will help you rest and relax.
Getting there: Drive, book coach tickets from bus companies like Sri Maju and Konsortium (check out www.easybook.com to buy tickets online), or take a direct Tigerair or Firefly flight from Singapore to Ipoh.
Image: 123rf.com
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If you haven’t visited Legoland yet, you really should. It’s just 15min away from Tuas Checkpoint and is such an affordable experience, you may even decide to sign up for annual passes, which cost from S$79.60 for a kid’s pass and S$103.97 for an adult’s pass so you can make Lego pilgrimages. The exhilarating slides at the Water Park are great for tweens and teens.
If you are staying overnight, there is Legoland Hotel (room rates depend on when you go and how far in advance you make your booking), where rooms are decorated according to Kingdom, Pirates or Adventure themes. Otherwise, head to cheaper alternatives at one of the nearby hotels, such as Hotel Granada at Bukit Indah or KSL City hotel, where you can get a room for under RM$xxx a night.
If Lego is not really your thing, check out the Sanrio Hello Kitty Town and Thomas Town, which are more suitable for younger kids. Both are about a six-minute drive from Legoland.
When you’re done with theme park-hopping, don’t forget to schedule some shopping time at Johor Premium Outlets. These are all accessible via Causeway Link buses too.
Getting there: Drive, or book coach tickets from WTS Travel (from $24 per person) for a two-way transfer, which departs from Singapore Flyer or Big Box at Jurong East. Or board a yellow Causeway Link bus (from $4 per person) from Jurong East Bus Interchange to take you to the respective attractions and mall.
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Save the air ticket costs and travelling time, and check into a fancy hotel in town instead. Our favourite is Raffles Hotel. Singapore’s grand dame currently offers a Multi-Generational Travel package.
It includes accommodation in two inter-connecting luxurious Palm Court suites, Singapore Slings for adults and mocktails for the children, daily buffet breakfast at Tiffin Room, a historical tour of Raffles Singapore (so educational for the kids!) and a half day private guided tour to the Singapore Kranji Countryside, where you will explore Hay Dairies, Jurong Frog Farm & Bollywood Veggies with lunch provided at Poison Ivy Bistro with return transfers. Kids also get their own toiletries.
If you have teenagers, you may prefer the newly refurbished Hard Rock Hotel at Resorts World Singapore for a music-themed weekend.
W Hotel is another great option, well-known for its quirky touches (check out the giant sweet and bulldog sculptures) and top-notch service. The pool has plenty of cute giant floats to keep everyone bopping around happily. The weekend champagne brunch is another draw for parents!
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Declare a ‘kampong weekend’ and wean your kids off their gadgets. Stay at D’Kranji Farm Resort and spend your weekend visiting the many interesting farms at Singapore Kranji Countryside. Shop for organic greens, slurp down goats’ milk or haul home a plant or two.
There are other kampong activities in Singapore to enjoy too. Pocket Greens at Bukit Panjang Hill, for example, is an urban farm that grows and sells herbs and greens. Kids will love its eco pond, mini rice plot, and grapes and wild strawberries grown there.
Inspired to start a vertical farm? You can also buy vegetable seeds, seedlings, herbs, growing kits, compost, fertiliser and other garden supplies to start your own urban garden. For information on farm tours, visit www.pocketgreens.com.sg.
Image: D’Kranji Farm Resort
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Sail into the sunset with your family on a private yacht. There are many private cruise operators, like Neo Yacht by the Neo Group, which offers short cruises. You can book a four-hour private cruise to nearby spots like Lazarus, St John’s, Kusu or Sisters islands, or simply do a city cruise around Marina Bay.
Rates start from $1,500 for a four-hour weekday cruise; overnight cruises are also available. If you’re planning a party on board, they can also take care of the catering from $20 per person, or fire up a BBQ from $35 per person. To check out the fleet of yachts and pricing details, visit www.neogroup.com.sg/ny/about_neoyacht.html
Image: Neo Yatch
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You’ll be surprised how kids can discover new things at touristy areas like Chinatown or Tiong Bahru – places you think you’re already familiar with. Grab a map – there are plenty of free ones at the airport or at hotels – and check out the recommended activities, and embark on an excursion of a district for the day.
Get the kids to take photos of interesting things they spot and be amazed at the details that little ones pick up, which we may miss. Don’t just let the photos disappear intoyour camera roll. Pick out the favourite ones with the kids, and put together a simple photo album. You can easily use Microsoft Word to create a short photo story and don’t forget to include interesting observations in the captions. This is not only a great way to remember your family day out, it also helps your kids expand their creativity and writing skills. You can check out a different area the next long weekend – there are lots to explore!
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Did you know that since 2013, Singaporeans and permanent residents enjoy free admission to 10 museums and heritage institutions managed by the National Heritage Board? Most of us check out the main ones like the National Museum of Singapore, but there’re plenty of other goodies you may have missed out. Make 2017 the year you truly explore all of them.
Here is the full list: National Museum of Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, Peranakan Museum, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Our Museum @ Taman Jurong, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Malay Heritage Centre, Indian Heritage Centre and Heritage Conservation Centre
You probably won’t want to spend three whole days at the museums, but we recommend you devote at least a day at each one. Then take the rest of the weekend to ‘live’ the museum theme.
For example, if you’re visiting the Peranakan Museum, check out Peranakan eateries and hawker stalls serving affordable nonya favourites, like Popo & Nana’s Delights (#01-70, Maxwell Market) that serves up pretty good ayam buak keluak and babi assam. Have high tea with nonya kueh – we like Bengawan Solo for its variety and consistent quality. End the long weekend with a great meal at the Michelin-starred Candlenut (17A Dempsey Road, tel: 1800-304-2288) or National Kitchen by Violet Oon (#02-01 National Gallery Singapore, tel: 9834-9935).
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You can also have your long weekend getaway coincide with a major celebration happening around the world. Here’s what to look out for:
CHINESE NEW YEAR: JAN 28-29: Tennis fans, luck is on your side. Chinese New Year on Jan 28 and 29 coincides with the Australian Open finals in Melbourne. Finals weekend tickets (both days) for adults start from A$601 (S$640), available at event.ausopen.com/tickets.
GOOD FRIDAY: APRIL 14: The first weekend of Coachella, one of the world’s biggest music festivals, takes place from April 14 to 16 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. If rumours prove to be true, the 2017 edition is set to be a festival-goer’s dream, with a power-packed headlining bill that includes Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead. The advance and general sales are sold out but additional tickets are expected to be released next month when the line-up is confirmed. For more information, visit splash.coachella.com
April 13 also marks the start of Thingyan and Songkran celebrations in Myanmar and Thailand respectively to celebrate their new year. Water festivals are par for the course so prepare to get very, very wet.
This long weekend will also give Star Wars fans plenty of reasons to rejoice. A four-day Star Wars Celebration starting April 13 promises plenty of fun activities and surprises for fans, as part of the Star Wars celebration in Orlando, Florida. The events are yet to be confirmed but one can expect to rub shoulders with directors or stars from the movies, engage in panel discussions, marvel at iconic costumes and props and perhaps, catch a teaser of the much-awaited Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is slated for release next December. For more information, visit www.starwarscelebration.com
HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI: JUNE 25 (SUNDAY): This is something both you and your little ones can look forward to during the June holidays. Pandora – The World of Avatar, a new attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort, will come to life in summer next year. Fans of James Cameron’s 2009 fantasy flick, Avatar, will get to experience the land of Pandora and life of its Na’vi inhabitants as they cruise on a boat ride through a bioluminescent rainforest, dine at a themed restaurant and more. This is the perfect way to gear up for the release of the sequel in December 2018. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.disney.go.com
CHRISTMAS: DEC 25 (MONDAY): Finland celebrates its centennial in 2017. One can expect a flurry of activities in the country throughout the year, and especially so in the city of Rovaniemi during Christmastime. After all, it is famously known as Santa Claus HQ. Experience the magic of Christmas by going on husky sled or reindeer rides, meeting the elves at the post office, basking in the warmth of festivities and, of course, popping in to say hello to Father Christmas himself. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, visible from mid-August to early April. For more information, visit www.visitrovaniemi.fi
Image: The New Paper
This segment is partially adapted from The New Paper.
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