Singapore and Phuket Adventure
What a busy year it has been travelling.
So my updated blog is on my latest travels to Singapore and Phuket with the family.
First stop was Singapore for 3 nights. What a beautiful place this is. So clean, safe and friendly! We stayed at the Mandarin Orchard. This is a 5 star property smack bang in the middle of Orchard road. The rooms are quite large with big bathrooms including a bathtub.
This hotel also includes a FREE phone your entire stay. Yes a free phone. It’s an amazing offer. The phone includes free international and local calls, daily updated information on what’s on around the area, international times, maps and anything else you need. You can take the phone out with you, it’s not just to be used inside the hotel. Anyone wishing to head to Singapore for Business or leisure, I cannot recommend this property highly enough. There is plenty of great shops and shopping centres right along Orchard road, all walking distance. Food and drinks I found quite cheap where ever we went.
Singapore has so many things to offer, including for families, the things to do really are endless. My favourite things were:
- Morning at the Zoo which included a transfer from your accommodation out to the zoo and breakfast with the monkeys then free at leisure and then return transfer back to your accommodation
- Water World at Sentosa Island. They seriously have the biggest lazy river. Lots of slides and activities for the kids with lots of eating areas
- Cable Cars. Cable cars leave from both Singapore and Sentosa Island and go across and go over all of Sentosa Island. There is 3 different runs that you can go on with one of them finishing in Singapore.
- Vitto City- it’s a great big shopping centre on the waterfront before you head over to Sentosa Island. It has everything in here is one place and at reasonable prices.
- Gardens by the Bay. This is an incredible set up with two different garden houses you can visit. It winds up to the top with waterfalls coming down the side. Its quite amazing. I am not really into Gardens but was great to see how amazing it all is.
There is also what they call “Satay by the Bay” it starts at 5pm and it’s a little eatery area where all different nationalities of food are served from little food stall. Be sure to organise a taxi to pick you up from here otherwise you have to walk back to the start of the entrance, which is a fair way. - Universal studios is also on Sentosa Island. I didn’t go here as we ran out of time but heard its worth visiting.
- Clarke Quay. This is a hip and happening place at night with lots of bars and restaurants in one area. Its right along the water and a great atmosphere at night time.
Taxis are extremely cheap in Singapore. From Orchard Road to Sentosa Island it’s about 20 minutes and only costs roughly $12.00.
Next stop was a quick flight to Phuket which only takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
We stayed at the Centara Grand in Karon. What an amazing resort this is. I can highly recommend to absolutely anyone. Its perfect for families as they have 2 small water slides and 2 large water slides, lazy river, swim up bar and it is right on the beach, walk out from the restaurant and pool and you are on a beautiful white sandy beach. All of the rooms are very large with Large bathrooms and balcony. Some have your own private plunge pool on the balcony. All rooms face the ocean.
There are many bars throughout the resort as well as three restaurants to choose from which are open every day. These include buffet, A La Carte, seafood and Italian.
Drinks and food are slightly on the pricier side but nothing extravagant.
Into Patong where all the shops bars and restaurants are. You can pick up some pretty good bargains along your way, although I must say, it is starting to get expensive after speaking to some people who go there every year, they have noticed the prices increasing every time, its really not that cheap anymore.
Tours are quite expensive as well. The only thing we did was go and see the elephants and monkeys. We did this on our own and not with a tour. We didn’t ride them as I don’t believe in what they do to the Elephants and monkeys is right. They are chained up all day, every day!!
Phi Phi island we did not do as Rubi is only 4 and it’s a massive day. Leave at 7.30 and arrive back at 5.30pm. This tour was also very expensive even when you book it over there.
Relax and kick back was the aim at this resort!