Wednesday, March 12, 2014

What's child friendly in Singapore? Any islands with beaches?

I was recently asked, 'What's child-friendly in Singapore? Are there any islands with beaches?
   Yes, Singapore is an island and there are lots of beach areas along the East Coast with nearby restaurants, cycle hire and other activities.
   On the south side of Singapore is a traffic free island called Sentosa. It's like a giant Disney park with a couple of hotels and lots of attractions. Look for all-inclusive tickets. You may want to go early in the day to get your moneys worth, have time for everything, and arrive in time for attractions which are fully booked, crowded or closing before you leave if you are staying late or staying overnight.
   A ferry ride takes you to the islands of Bintan or Batam, popular for weekends away. Take your passport.
   To make use of time in Singapore, go on the Night Safari and perhaps have dinner there. Check out bookings as you may be able to get a discount or a combined ticket with the Singapore Zoo or Bird Park. 
   To get an overview of the city, ride on one of the hop on hop off buses.
   Children would also like a boat trip. These range from a short trip along the river, an amphibious Duck vehicle tour, or a historic elaborate Chinese style ship for a day tour to a tiny island where you can hike to a temple, or a little motorboat which zooms off.
   Another idea is the equivalent of the London Eye, a giant wheel called the Singapore Flyer.
Discounts
Look for coupons on line and in the local free magazines and booklet you pick up at Changi airport on arrival. You sometimes get discounts with your airline ticket or hotel booking, and from maps in the hotel foyer, so check on these sources too. If you have time, check out the Singapore tourist boards websites and offices in the UK, Singapore and other countries in English or other languages.
   You might want to include Universal Studios.
   Look for a City Pass, Riverboat Pass, Sentosa Pass. You can buy tickets for one, two or three days.
Look for beaches and boats on sites about Bumboat tours, River cruises, Tripadvisor, and YouTube.

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