Hits Within MiaoLi

Miao Li was beautiful a laidback place which I really much needed. It is quite under-rated given the number of attractions it have there. 

1. Mountain Line Rail Bike

Someone should really give the tourism board a medal for this attraction. It transform the whole town to a place which the kids/ adults look forward to. It used to be be just driving to the Longteng Bridge for a quick photo. And now it is an whole attraction itself. The route is scenic and there are things to see. Also, it is intriguing to see how they "u-turn" the train. You can grab some souvenirs/ snacks as they are doing it. 

For parents with toddlers, they are extremely strict about the age/ height of the children at the ticket counter. They checked their height and passport multiple times when we were purchasing the tickets. To be honest, the ride isn't that dangerous. To avoid disappointment, come only when your children are older than 3 years old. Or buy your tickets through a day tour online here: Miaoli Day Tour

2. Remains of Longteng Bridge

The train ends near the bridge. And we ended up taking lots of photos there. Personally, architecture of such fascinates me so I tend to spend a lot of time there. Taking the rail bike to the bridge was a way better option than taking a taxi there because of how novel the rail bike is. I don't think you need to stay long (cos my kids were bored with me walking in, out and under), but it is definitely a must check out. 

3. XinShe Castle

XinShe Castle was a recommended place by the driver. When we reached, it was very deserted. Personally, I found it a beautiful place - great for DIY wedding photoshoots or any form of photoshoots. My biggest grouse was that I didn't know we would be going and hence I didn't even coordinate/ dress for the occasion. Also, he dropped me with less than 2 hours to the closing time. 

The compound was pretty vast. If you enjoy curated gardens, this is a pretty place to wander. I just felt my time was too short here. But I am sure you all will enjoy this gem. 

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** If you are travelling from Taipei/ not well-versed in mandarin, would suggest to book via Klook. Otherwise, to book direct from their official website for better prices. Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15. 

Personality Test: Lim Simi?

My obsession with silly personality test is real. Given that National Day is around the corner, it is no surprise that a new test is out. Basically, it means your go-to drink and mine is pretty accurate just that I take Siu Siu Dai. The questions are interesting enough and relatable. Graphics are pretty good too. Also, at the end, there is a link which links which let you view all the different personality. Singaporean or not, I think it is pretty fun -> Go try it out here! Be the first among your friends to share it hehe. 

Best Food at Katong (Part 2)

We ate so much during our staycation at Katong. But it defeats the purpose if I am going to write about every single one. Cheeky Bee Hoon is a must-go. You can read my past review here. This time round, my food tasting journey was equally eventful. I will focus on 3 other places that are equally good. :D

1. Chin Mee Chin Confectionery

This came under our radar because Ya Hui raved about it. And rightly so. Given its name, we tried its confectionery and they were really good. For an Asian breakfast, Ya Kun would be the gold standard  and most barely come close. This one is a gold standard Kaya Toast Set. The bread style is different from Ya Kun, so you can't compare them apple to apple. 

Usually there is a long queue and you can barely get anything by lunch. We were lucky because we went on a weekday. We even tried the lunch menu. The Hainanese Pork Chop was alright but the beef brisket was mind blowing. Love it. I might just come here just to eat it <3

2. Lim Cha

The last time we saw the smoking tea was during the Teo Chew Festival. The queue was so ridiculously long, it was sold out. It felt a little like a life regret. So when I heard about Lim Cha, I just had to check it out. It was as expected to be visually spectacular. This place is also very serious about the tea because there were quite a bit of variations available and they were all fragrant. 

We didn't expect ourselves to grab any snacks but ended up doing so because they just seem to go hand in hand. We tried the Orh Nee Chicken Floss Cake as it seems like a unique fusion. I don't particularly like the 2 together. Better on their own. I found the grass jelly tea desserts much more palatable. To be fair, I love this teahouse but the owner was a little on the rude side. (This was even before they went viral.)

3. Dona Manis

Presenting one of the best banana pies I have tasted at Katong Shopping Centre. I have explored the place and it doesn't have much. So it was quite surprising to find 2 rivalling banana cake shops within. To be frank, both Dona Manis and Auntie Peng are really good. I prefer Dona Manis for the chunkier bananas. Not surprising, most people who visits end up buying from both. From what I kinda of figured, if you have tasted the original, you would sway towards Auntie Peng. But if you never tasted the original, you would prefer Dona Manis. In any case, this is now my go-to must-buy place!

Staycation at Katong (Part 1)

One of my favourite places to hang out is probably Katong. It has so much good food, I probably can eat there for days. Hence, it is my ideal place for a staycay. We were back at Village Hotel Katong because we really love the location and its spacious room. You can read our previous review here. For those who don't know, it is linked to Katong V mall. 

Katong V Mall itself has a good selection of food and most importantly - Fairprice Finest. For every item which we forgot to bring, we would just get it there. It was just so convenient. This time round, we did a 2D1N, mainly to eat around. Here's what we did: 

Day 1

• Lunch at Cheeky Bee Hoon
• Trial Classes for the children at The Music Circle (Katong V Mall) - Read our review here!
• Check-In at Village Hotel Katong
• Swimming
• Tea at Lim Cha - Read our review here!
• Coffee from June
• Dinner at Yun Ga (Katong V Mall)
• Cakes from Ree Connect (Katong V Mall)

Day 2

• Breakfast (Village Hotel Katong)
• Bubble Bath in Bathtub (Village Hotel Katong)
• Wan to Play (Read our review here) and shopping (i12Katong)
• Lunch at Chin Mee Chin Confectionery - Read our review here!

We will do our top 3 food finds and the activities we did on a separate post. Otherwise, this will be way too content heavy. As for the complimentary buffet breakfast at Village Hotel Katong, I found it to be really yummy. It even had a Japanese section and Tea Eggs. It doesn't have a huge variety, but I find the quantity at the sweet spot and has what everyone in the family likes and needs to start the day right. It probably serves one of the best breakfast in the hotel chain's Singapore operations.

This might now be my yearly staycation spot given how much I love the stay and the food. Unlike other staycations, this is not what I would consider a "recharging" session. It has a lot to do, look and see, for you to behave like a tourist at home. :D Next year, more food reviews. There is only that much I can eat each round. Haha. 

** Use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" when you book through Klook for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Peace of Art: Winged Barbie Creation

I wouldn't exactly consider myself growing up with Barbie. But a part of me always dressing and designing clothes and looks for my dolls (now my daughter). When Wings of Art popped up in my feed, there was quite a bit of excitement on my end. First of all, some of my favourite artists contributed designs to the auction collection. They all looked great in photos and I really wanted to check it out!

Secondly, these were all for charity. And so, I decided to do my part too and bought the family a doll to dress up. Each ticket was pretty hefty (cost about $85), it is definitely cheaper if you were to buy your own doll and materials. As they were an approved beneficiary, the donations allowed a tax deduction of up to 250% of the donated amount (the norm).  

At the event, we were basically given a doll (no choice) - I got a black unicorn doll which wasn't too bad cos my old collection (from the 90s) were not that inclusive. My son went to pick the fabrics and materials (which was quite varied in nature) and I was bossed around by the kids to create the "masterpiece". It was pretty hard because no thread was provided. We ended up bringing a good deal home for me to continue working on it. 

For the auction pieces, I thought it was interesting that the auction price was pretty much determined by the "artist perceived value" instead of the popularity of the artist itself or the actual design. Wonder what mine would be valued. But probably priceless and not for sale. Overall, I personally thought it was a nice event, just that it might be priced a little above most Singaporeans' budget. Even for if it is for charity, it is not that easy to folk out that S$85. Fingers crossed, let's hope they Peace of Art raise their desired funds!