Dining Like Royalty at the Shangri-la

I was lucky enough to spend lunch time at Singapore's Shangri-la Hotel.

Feeling fancy in the entrance hall.

Here, my family and I stuffed our faces. By memory (let's be honest) I think I had around 8 courses.
There are 16 kitchens that offer a variety of international cuisines. It has been listed as one of Singapore's favourite destinations to wine and dine. I can confirm that it is a MUST DO on your list of places to eat in Singapore.

Desert.

Deserts.

More Deserts.

I highly recommend the all you can eat buffet - please note that we used vouchers to score a discount.

The food quality is exquisite and offers more food than you can think of, so there is definitely something for everyone! Even the picky member of the family will be satisfied.

Milly's Tip:

Men should wear stretchy pants - you will thank me when the top button of your jeans hasn't busted.

Women should wear something flowy - nobody will see the food baby bulging from your waistline.

Mid-Autumn Festival of Mooncakes and Lanterns

In Singapore our hotel overlooked Clarke Quay, where the Mid-Autumn Lantern festival was in full swing.

Pubs and bars were packed along the river early evenings and late at night.
The atmosphere in the heat of mid-autumn was positive and all locals and tourists were friendly.

Clarke Quay river lantern Festival lights and floats.

Dad and I leaving the Festival

Tall lantern light displays.

My Nan and Pop are well known for wandering astray from the pack. Early in the evening I turned around and realised my Pop was missing.
So, the 5 of us split up.
My dad and I took the right side of the river while my mum and aunt took the left. I sprinted over towards the bridge. I knew pop would be standing idly by, enjoying the sights and smells of the Lantern festival.
I was right. There he was, not even aware we were searching for him.
"Oh there you are pet!" He smiled kindly in my direction.
I dragged him back to where my nan sat. (Nan always picks on pop) She bickered at him, but gave up mid sentence.
This little story shows proof that the positive atmosphere in the mid-autumn festival makes it difficult for families to bicker. The peaceful surroundings distracted us all from telling pop not to wander off.

The family and I at a bar having ice-cream and cheap beer.

Mooncakes are funny little things. A bit of an odd taste. A taste my palette did not acquire whilst overseas, yet worth trying during the Mooncake festival.

I hope this blog post inspires travellers who have booked a Singapore trip during mid-September to check out Clarke Quay's lantern festival and enjoy it as much as I did.

Happy Travelling!

Quenching Your Thirst in Singapore

Indulging in Singapore was easy. We found many little nooks and crannies that had lots to offer.
At one small japanese restaurant off Orchard Road, we were offered cold green tea for just $1 with our meal.

Before.

After.

Need I say more?

How you doin'?

After huffing and puffing through the Singapore Zoo late in the afternoon, we stopped off at Bongo Burgers before puttering around the Night Zoo.

Can't go wrong with an iced tea in a jar.

Note to travellers: Insect repellent and a small can of deodorant will come in very handy after a long winding walk in and out of the animal enclosures.

Handy Tip:

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel Sky Deck has very expensive Singapore Slings.
HOWEVER, my family and I found a sneaky way of getting around this dilemma. Instead of paying for the sky deck tour AND for the Singapore sling, we paid for the lift to take us up to the sky deck, and using our passes, we scored ourselves a free Sling.

Marina Bay Sands Sky Bar

Downstairs later that night I treated myself to a delightful cocktail in one of the Marina Bay Bars. I don't usually 'rate' cocktails, but I highly recommend this one.

Unfortunately I have forgotten the name of the Bar

I hope that some of these tips come in handy when you are plodding around Singapore in the 30 degree heat in late September.
Happy Travelling!

Singapore in September

In 2012 my family and I took a trip overseas that began in Singapore.
I found the cleanliness and structure suffocating.
The majority of our time in Singapore kept me confined to the walls of shopping centres, which is not my preferred way of exploring a foreign country.
Luckily, we were flying to Borneo after a few days in Singapore, before wrapping the trip up in Singapore again.

good times.

Just a few days in, I still had my thumbs up exploring Little India.

a map of little india.

The architecture in Singapore is intricate and impressive to say the least. But I could find that anywhere in Sydney.

Borneo was my cup of tea, and exploring the alleys and back streets of Singapore showed a different side of tourism to what is promoted in the brochures.