Christmas at Kiztopia

This year, we spent Christmas at Kiztopia because they had such a great deal. We have been to Kiztopia (Marina Square) before and I can safely say this is probably the biggest indoor playground in Singapore. This is one place I always tend to lose the kids. Somehow they will hop on to the indoor slides and I can't seem to find them anywhere. 

I am most impressed by them not just by their sheer size but also by the effort to keep maintaining the space. The area still looks new and relevant. There are new games such as the "floor is lava" and similar sort of game. It is not just fun for the kids, but also for the adults. Even I look forward to a day out there.

Ideally, a 3-hours slot should let you enjoy every single area, but by 2 hours in, we were all exhausted. This place has very kids' dream under the sun - unlimited train rides, exciting slides, hinoki pits, ball pits, trampolines, foot-to-floor-rides, extensive pretend-plays and even floor is lava games. Because we were there during the holiday seasons, we ended up managing to redeem $10 off some of their merchandise. We ended up going home with a passport holder and wallet each for the kids. Super lovely!

F&B-wise, each ticket also allow parents to purchase cheap coffee from Kith. Very thoughtful gesture, but we already had our coffee fix. The ice fruit popsicles were also very reasonable priced such that we always get to schedule a treat during our session. Our overall damage was around S$80 for 4 pax with 4 merchandise. :D Super pleased with how the day was given how much fun it was. 

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Kiztopia (Super worth it when you are buying passes) : https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/31617-kiztopia-ticket-singapore/

** 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.

Pacific Emporium - Festive High Tea

We have been to their high tea before and really enjoyed it. Usually, we would go in the weekdays because it is easier to get a "spaceship". This is the first time we tried a weekend slot and I really enjoyed the "buffet style". Unlike before where we will basically be served one of each item, there was no cake tower and we could more of the items we really liked. 

Because it was the Christmas season, we got to enjoy special treats such as the beef wellington, roasted turkey breast and pork roulade. To be quite frank, I never quite fancy these dishes. But maybe it is because I never tasted anything astonishing. The serving here was so good, I ended up having 2 plates of them. 

For those who are particular about presentation, you might be slightly disappointed because there is no fancy cake stand. But I think the quantity of food really make up for it. It is a high tea that fills you up. Also, I love that they had a stand that served prawn noodle soup to warm the tummy. It was actually a great way to chill, and catch up during the festive season. If you want an more affordable buffet, this is a nice place to check out. 

S$78++ per person

S$39++ per person

Wishing all my readers a very blessed and wonderful Christmas!

Family-Friendly Trip at IHG Bintan

We did a 4D3N at Bintan. It was pretty long for Bintan's standards. We decided to take a longer trip because the ferry there is really expensive and we wanted a really good break. It was around S$60 for a one-way trip. To be quite frank, we were initially pretty worried because the reviews online about Bintan as a whole wasn't fantastic - mainly on how expensive it was. 

Now that we have been there done that, I would say that the resort you choose is very important. We picked IHG Bintan and we absolutely love it and had a great time there. There were lots of things to do there to keep you busy. Price-point was rather reasonable at ~S$150 per night.

IHG Bintan allows guest access to their private beach and also to their sister hotel - Hotel Indigo. You probably can't do any sea sports within the compound. But the kids had lots of fun building sandcastles, hunting seashells and chasing waves. For the adventurous, you can even visit a mini island when the tide is low. Insider tip, this is really the best time to catch interesting marine creatures in the sand and collect the pretty shells. 

Apart from the beach, we enjoyed the complimentary scenic boat ride within the hotel. The children also enjoyed the buggy rides when they were too lazy to work. Within the hotel, there was also the very popular Sunjivva Spa. My only mistake was not booking early and we ended up having to split up the sessions (with me not having any). While waiting, we will play foosball, playstation etc. at the games road. Wake up early enough and you will get to join the fish-feeding sessions.

IHG Bintan is extremely great for young families because of the Mangrove House Kids Club which allows drop-off. There is a daily activities schedule and should the kids choose not to join, they can also enjoy the indoor and outdoor play facilities.  No photos of the external play area, but I can ensure you they were extremely fancy with flying fox, climbing structures and kids bike etc. !

Another favourite of the kids was the pool. IHG Bintan is filled with pools, but we kept going back to the same area because of the lazy pool and its proximity to the kids waterplay area. We picked the pool access room near the Kids Club and it was so convenient for them to run in and out. Don't worry about the sound of screaming kids, soundproofing was awesome! Check out our next post for a full itinerary on a trip out to their city area. 

IHG Bintan: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/hotels/detail/1431586-holiday-inn-resort-bintan-lagoi-beach-by-ihg/

IHG Indigo Hotel: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/hotels/detail/1431598-hotel-indigo-bintan-lagoi-beach-by-ihg/

** 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.

Great Christmas Village 2025

With the kids, Christmas is never really complete without a bit of carnival fun (like how the Caucasians celebrate it). And Great Christmas Village does it best. This year, Kiztopia is the main vendor. It was split between outside Ngee Ann City and Shaw House (like prior years). In terms of affordability, this year is much better priced at 6 credits per ride/ game. If you get it via the right platforms groupbuy, each credit is around $0.50

Even if you are not there to spend, there is quite a number of free photo areas which you can stop by to catch some photos and christmas spirit. My little girl was so impressed with the realistic fireplace, she almost tried to touch it. Haha. Both areas either have a tentage up or is within sheltered area. So it's a rain or shine event.

Every year, they would split the attractions between the areas. I prefer the selection at Ngee Ann City. The kids were crazy about the Bouncy Castle and the rides such as the Turbo Twister and Rudolf's Express were really more of my thing. I went around the early afternoon. There was a lesser crowd and because there wasn't anyone mending the rides (I thought they weren't open and went home empty handed).

There were also an area for food and lots of game booths. There were some obvious will-win booth (which are my favourite). I just can't bear going home empty-handed. At the other end, the jolly cruisers and the jolly jumps were favourites with my kids. For the claw machines fanatics, you will find them there. I had great fun and so did they, I might just hit another round there because I've got a great deal (and I will be sharing with you too!)

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Great Christmas Village 2025: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/182104-great-christmas-village-2025/

** 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.

Food Tour 63: Yums in the West

One of best thrills in life is finding out hidden gems. Here's 3 spots which you can consider visiting (with 2 being at NEWest.

1. Eden Cafe

If you are going to visit the Chinese Garden, this is a place you can drop by for a nice view. Located outside the pagoda, it has a scenic outdoor view. If you prefer indoor seatings, reservations are necessary. Also, this place is halal so it is great hangout for groups. The food was also very delicious and affordably priced. It is one of the spots which I will visit when I need some me-time to chill and watch the world go by. Thumbs up, not to be missed. I was very pleasantly surprised because the F&Bs before Chinese Garden was refurbished couldn't stand its ground. 

2. Simple Cafe

Simple Cafe ranks high on my list of bakes. To be quite frank, NEWest is such a ulu place, it is rarely enroute to anything. But Simple Cafe is a landmark on its own. I will go there for it. I had one of their cakes there and I was so blown away by the taste. I have never tasted anything like this. And even at off-peak hours, it was still packed. I just can't wait to go there and try their other stuff (which are all seasonal in nature). And maybe because of its poor location (and lower rent), their bakes and drinks are really affordably priced. You need to visit this!

3. Mochi Mochi Cafe

This place is a survivor (survived covid). Some of my friends have recommended this place to me, so I decided to try it out. It is very affordably priced for its food quality. The grilled chicken set was extremely tasty. Also located at NEWest, you probably can grab lunch/ dinner here and head over to Simple Cafe for a dessert fix. The food served is also very kids-friendly and it was packed to the brim mostly with young families while we were there. If you live in the vicinity, I can imagine you patronising once every 2 weeks. It is that good.