A Perfect 24 hours in Singapore, but I'm not talking Zoos or Shopping!

I adore Singapore - it has the best of everything, with a little preparation you can have an exceptional time (you do need to make bookings). We had a 24 hour window to enjoy it's delights before our next flight, so I was determined to not waste a minute. The kids were equally excited, as they still remembered their favourite activities from our week long visit last year.

courtesy of iFly

We arrived at the hotel close to midnight, so went straight to bed as we were all excited about our 10am check in for iFly on Sentosa. iFly Singapore is a way to experience free-fall sky diving from 12,000 to 3,000 feet, but within the safe conditions of a wind tunnel. We had done it last year, and it was top of everyone's list for a repeat visit - children as young as 7 can safely at iFly. Our 4 year old could only watch, but her turn would come later in the afternoon.

After a leisurely breakfast, we headed to Sentosa to check in for our iFly flight. As we'd checked in a little early, they told us to come back in 40 minutes, so we decided to make the most of the time and have two quick races on the luge next door. The luge is great fun for the family, racing each other down the track, and our youngest could ride with me, so we all delighted in the thrill of the sophisticated 'billycart' style racing...

Courtesy of iFly

Rushing back to iFly, we made it just in time for our training session to start. I still got a little nervous as I kitted up, but really, the minute you lean into the wind tunnel, you feel euphoric. It's hard to describe the elation of the experience, but after our two sessions, when the instructor asked if we wanted to do an 'extra' turn at a reduced rate, we all put our hands up simultaneously! On this last go, the instructor went up with you to take you higher than before and spin you around, so I thoroughly recommend accepting the offer if there's time.  Sadly, all to soon, all that was left to do was to pick up the DVD of our flying (which you can pre-order at a reduced rate - my advice, get the still photos and the DVD, you will want both!).

After our adrenaline rush, we headed over for a great lunch at the Tanjong Beach Club - the funky restaurant and bar has beach access and a pool so it's a great spot to while away an hour or two, and the kids won't mind at all. The best part, the food is excellent and the ambience is cool, relaxed yet sophisticated. As with all the bars and restaurants in the Lo & Behold group, you know you won't be disappointed.  Alas, all grown up fun must come to an end, and our youngest was champing at the bit for 'her turn'.

She and I headed over to the Port of Lost Wonder - this is a waterplay ground with educational shows, including live animal encounters, craft, gardening and so much more. This had been her favourite thing last year, and she spent much of the last 12 months asking to go back.  It's the perfect way to escape the heat, and for the adults, there is also a proper restaurant and wifi, so for those making a day of it, it's quite a civilised affair if you aren't splashing down the slides with your child. It's perfect for the 0 - 7's, though our older boys didn't seem to mind splashing about for an hour before they went off to hit the Segways.

Go-Green Segway offers a number of tours, and the boys took off round the island after the safety training session. There are some age and height restrictions - Minimum age 10 years old (For Segway® Eco Adventure) and Minimum height 90cm and above (For Segway Fun Rides). The maximum weight is 120kg. They're simple to use but a lot of fun, and older kids are just thrilled at the prospect of zipping around on a Segway.

The sun was setting when Port of Lost Wonder closed and we all met up again, so we happily headed back to the hotel to change. Everyone was bubbling with excitement, and we all were aglow with happiness as we wandered up the road to Loof for drinks. After our big lunch, we'd decided that bar food would suffice, and the menu at Loof has plenty to tempt you. I was keen to go there and see their famous Mama Shop for myself. We settled into the lounges, while the city lights dazzled us and the kids were intrigued by the traditional toys for sale in the bar! My husband and I enjoyed a couple of cocktails, pretending we were part of the hip crowd despite the other half of our table merrily playing with the Singaporean jacks.

Just because you travel with kids, doesn't mean you have to settle for a lessor experience. Singapore has so much to offer for families, and not necessarily at the expense of the enjoyment for the adults. I'll admit we spent a small fortune, but I took that out of the budget of the following week, where there was much lying around on the beach, barely spending a cent. Of our whole two weeks away, this day is the fondest memory for us all - the crazy decadence adding to the appeal

.
We all agreed we'd had a perfect 24 hours, and if there was one thing I could change, I would have made it longer...

Practicalities:

iFly Singapore http://www.iflysingapore.com/main.html

Skyline & Luge http://www.skylineluge.com/luge-singapore/skyline-luge-sentosa/

Tanjong Beach Club http://www.tanjongbeachclub.com/index.php/main

Go Green Segway http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/attractions/beaches/gogreen-segway-eco-adventure/

Port of Lost Wonder http://www.polw.com.sg/

Loof http://www.loof.com.sg/

Other Singapore posts:
Sentosa Island - Something for Everyone
Magical Marina Bay Sands
Hidden Gems - Singapore
Singapore Grand Prix on the Cheap
It's Singapore, but not as we know it.

Linking with #TravelTuesday