Monkeys love juice boxes

Less than a month in Singapore and we went on our first overnight family field trip!  We've gotten to know a very nice family from New Hampshire, and when they asked us to accompany them to Singapore's Sentosa Island (nicknamed Singapore's Playground), we were totally up for the adventure. We packed a bag, booked a taxi and headed to Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort.

When we arrived, we were immediately greeted with a smile in the lovely open-air lobby. While Jason checked in, the kids and I headed out to the pool overlook. Wow. Between the beautiful pool and the view of the beach, the kids were ready to strip down and run to the water! 

We had heard that monkeys are regularly seen on the balconies, but weren't prepared for the sign on the patio door. I knew that crime in Singapore was almost non-existant, but I didn't realize that this did not apply to monkeys!

The pool did not disappoint. From the multi-level entries to the three water slides for the kids, there was more than enough to hold the interest of kids and adults alike. The lounge chairs were plentiful, as were the umbrellas. What sets apart hotels in Asia, and this one is right there with the best of them, is the service. The staff is friendly and will accomodate almost any request...with a smile. The best example I can give is this: I stumbled out of the ladies room and stubbed my big toe really badly (if you know me, you are in no way surprised, I am SUPER clumsy!). A member of the staff saw me and offered to help. I told him I was fine, but he came to where I was sitting THREE times. Once to bring me a band-aid, once to offer me ice and a third time just to check that I was better. How often does that happen?

The kids cozied up to the bar!

The beach was also lovely. Singapore is the second-busiest port in the world, so inevitably you're going to be looking at a lot of container ships. The Shangri-La is located on Siloso Beach (most of which is public, but the resort has a private area), which has a man-made wall built up so that it is shielded from the main waterway. This keeps most of the garbage from the South China Sea out, but of course not all. But it wasn't an issue, the water did not feel dirty at all, and Jason and kids had a nice time playing in the water (I played camaraman). My favorite moment was when our friends dug a hole in the sand....they said they were "digging a hole to the US".

Since we were there for such a brief visit, we didn't get a chance to sample too much food. We did, however, eat (and drink) a good amount off the pool bar menu. The spring rolls and fish and chips were great  and the draft Tiger beers were less expensive than many Singapore hotels. That night, both families ate together at one of several restaurants, the Silver Shell Cafe. They boasted a huge buffet, and they have every reason to boast.  Western, Indian, Singaporean, Chinese...all cultures were represented. There is also an a la carte menu, from which I chose.  My crab fried rice was "okay", but my friend Jody's laksa (a spicy noodle soup popular in Singapore and Malaysia) was really great. There was also a separate area of the buffet for the kids, offering traditional Western kid fare such as chicken nuggets and a chocolate fondue fountain. The marshmallows dipped in chocolate was a huge hit with all four kids! All in all, it was an enjoyable dinner.

View of the stairs up to the second floor lobby

At night, the resort was really beautiful. The lights are gorgeous and the pool is luminous. We hung out on lounge chairs while the kids swam until the 9pm closing time, and then the four of them spent quite a while catching toads in the grass (while us parents sat at a table with many more Tiger beers!). Once we forced them all into bed, it was nice to have the patio outside the room to relax on.

The next morning, the kids were delighted (that's actually a really weak word to describe them) to find that there really were monkeys in abundance. Not only did we see about eight monkeys hanging out on the balconies, but our friends said they woke up to two monkeys on their patio. One was eating out of a bag of potato chips, the other drinking out of a juice box!  Sophia saw one pull open a cracked balcony door and go into a room!

The following day, we decided to go zip-lining as a family.  We headed to the Mega-Zip Adventure Park and prepared to pay a crazy amount of money.  Our wishes came true!  But seriously, it was amazing to introduce the zip to Sophia and Cooper. We ziplined over Siloso Beach to Palawan Island and it was short but exciting.  I only say short because Jason and I have been really, really fortunate to have done ziplines in Hawaii and this was just one.  But the experience of taking young children made it absolutely worth it.  It would also be really exciting for adults who have never ziplined. 

So all in all, our first trip to Sentosa was fabulous.  There is just so much to do on this island, and we will be back many times.  I already know we will be here in August to review the new Universal Studios Sesame Street attraction - can't wait! (I am writing for a new travel blog...more on that later!)

Thank you Wes, Jody, Gunnar and Cassie for inviting us to go with you.  Many, many fun times ahead!