Jakarta - Gig-Trip (3D2N)

I did my first gig-trip to Jakarta. Have never been there, but still I found it pretty exciting amidst their jams. Here's a 3D2N itinerary which I think you can follow too if you are going for a concert. 

Where to Stay: The Sultan Hotel & Residence Jakarta

I tried to do a money-saving by booking last minute (I booked a day before by the way). The strategy didn't work and it fell flat. There was a price surge and all the cheaper rooms were sold out. I ended out not getting the hotel we initially wanted - Artotel Gelora Senayan Jakarta or a cheap luxury option - Fairmont. 

The Sultan Hotel & Residence Jakarta is really convenient and within walking distance to the concert and the nearby shopping district. The compound is huge, I didn't even finish exploring the whole place. The exterior is a little worn, but the interior is clean. My favourite was their breakfast. It was delicious and had a massive selection. I even found ice-cream <3 Glad we ended up there!

** 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.

How to Travel: By Gojek, By MRT (during Jam)

Gojek is really cheap there and is generally the preferred option because the pedestrian roads isn't very friendly. We ended up walking in circles a few times. Good thing we knew locals who swear by MRT. During desperate times, we gave it a try. We had to purchase the card (S$3) which is so expensive for their standards. Every top up had an administrative fees. However, it is really fast and was the best mode of transport during the peak hours. It still doesn't get you right at the doorstep though.

What we observed during the peak hours was that the Gojek driver would stop moving in the map and we would be leave in limbo. MRT was definitely the best option. Either that, we considered the pillion rider on bike option, which many of their locals seems to be taking. Fun fact, there are women cabin and we had to be educated by the commuters. :P

Day 1: Kota Dua / Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption/ Hutan Kota by Plataran

We went to their top attraction. Honestly, there isn't any much there and seems like we mainly went for food. Most of the people were locals and attempted to speak to us in Bahasa. For lunch, we had Pandang Merdeka instead of the highly instagrammable cafe - Cafe Batava. No regrets because their food was super good. We struggled a little on the language, pointing and translating the menu. I stuffed myself silly. Their pop chicken looked really unappetizing but is amazingly delicious. Do not miss it!  We chilled a little at Kedai Seni Djakarte to try their Poffertjes. Ok, but not a must-go!

As I had a bit of spare time, I decided to head to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, the one place I really wanted to check out. We ended up hitting peak hour and had problems catch a gojek. From there, we learnt that you need to give yourself buffer time. After debating for half an hour, we decided to take the metro (pretty convenient as it walking distance from the metro station!) and arrived at the beautiful cathedral. It doesn't beat anything you see in Europe. If you love architecture like me, you would enjoy a short visit. 

Ended the day with Dinner at Hutan Kota by Plataran, a recommendation by their locals. It is a little of a fine dining place and I love the attention to details they showered on us. (It started way before we arrived, from the day I made a reservation). As it was a special occasion, the waiters even came their a full assemble to sing us a song. Food is fusion style, but very tasty. It is pricey for the local standards, but worth every penny. The view and ambience was great. Highly recommend!

Day 2: Blok M Square Enclave

It is a very youthful place and I love it. It is a trending hang-out and I can understand why. We got a lot of caffeine fix here. Check out how many cups we had in total. Ranked according: Tuku (love their gula aren in their coffee), filosofi (typical good cup of Western Coffee), Matchaman (ok cup of matcha). It was a great shopping area. My best find being Ingood- a place which sold really cute merch and had  the most decorated photo booths with movable props and nice photo templates. We struggled a little with the payment instructions but the shop owners were kind enough to assist. Another nice find was a tee from Shrotam. 

Lunch was at Sarang Oci, which served another type of Indonesia cuisine. Another satisfied meal which I would highly recommend. We left the place soon after by metro again because the jam was crazy and I needed to collect my tickets for the concert. Would have loved fitting a massage session in, but I love shopping more!

Day 3: Last Minute Shopping - ASHTA District 8

Wasted a little bit of time exploring the Car-Free-Day booths. It is mostly street food which I had no courage to try. (I prefer shopping). ASHTA District 8 is my favourite shopping mall thus far. It has character and lots of interesting local brands. But too bad, I had so little time. I could only squeeze in a coffee stop at Fuglen and a grocery run. And it was to the airport. I surprisingly enjoyed Jakarta and can't wait to be back already. Can't wait to go there again for another concert!

Off the beaten track - Shanghai Wild Animal Park

As you can tell by now, I stayed really long in Shanghai and explored some really good attractions that are not usually on most people's itineraries. For young families or even anyone, Shanghai Wild Animal Park was surprisingly fun and memorable!

You could feed literally every animal in the Shanghai Wild Animal Park which was awesome. As long as you paid around S$5, you would get a packet of food to feed the animals. We arrived in the late morning and missed a great deal of feeding sessions. Unlike our Mandai Zoo, the Shanghai Wild Animal Park had lots of animals of the same species. It was quite a sight watching the kangaroos fighting with another pair trying to mate in the background. 

The whole area was huge, we couldn't finish within the day. In addition, there was even a themepark nested within it. Truly regretted not arriving earlier. The children enjoyed it thoroughly and I think their mandarin might have improved, learning the names of all the animals there. If you love Pandas, there are even a pair of toddler twins there!

Our favourite was definitely the VIP ride that allowed you to feed ferocious animals up-close. I have never got to do that in my whole life and it was exhilarating. You had to pay around S$20 extra for the VIP experience and would be given some food. Depending on luck (which side the animals choose to stroll pass), you might not get to feed all. 

We were pretty lucky and got to feed the lions, white tigers, brown bear and a pack of hungry wolves. I took this ride the first thing when we arrived. But I think it could have been saved for last and I could focus feeding more animals in the park in the morning. In any case, this beats Mandai (Sorry Mandai!) For lunch, I would suggest having the Lanchengxiang Lanzhou Beef Noodles (if you can take beef) and get something separate for the children. The rest of the food selection was just meh!

Based on our research, best price is via Klook and there are occasional bundle options (1A + 1C, 2A +2C). Buy at least one day ahead for the best price!

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Shanghai Wild Animal Park: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/29808-shanghai-wild-animal-park-ticket

** 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.

Must-Buy of Shanghai

I love Shanghai, and I have to admit, I love shopping there even more! Here are some of the places that I suggest to drop by to purchase awesome souvenirs home! 

1. Park Hotel Bakery

This is a must-buy. I love their butterfly pastry so much that I would beg anyone who go there to bring some back. The queue is insanely crazy, so tips would include getting someone to queue/ buy for you. (Any sort of service is available in China!) Or simply just staying at the hotel itself - you are entitled to purchasing a huge box of the original without queueing. 

That's what we did, it is close to a lot of shopping malls and the room was huge. The design was a bit dated, but honestly I could leave with that. Also, every day I come home, I would monitor the queue, if it is not as long, I would quickly hop in to buy the other flavours/ varieties. The hotel itself is also a historical monument, making it an attraction itself. 

2. Tianzifang

Although some people may deem it to be too touristy, but I actually enjoyed shopping the most there because it consolidated a number of popular Shanghai brands there. One of my favourite is Qingzi's Hand Cream. The packaging is so pretty with free engraving and it makes an amazing, customised gift for friends back home. Also, you can find the white rabbit sweets and I bought a whole bunch of flavours which I couldn't find at home for my coworkers.

Within, we also found a bathbomb shop (quite affordably priced) and bought 3 home. Though I regretted not getting more cos the quality is super good and very fragrant. Yi Ben Hao Su was very popular with the Gen Z, they had a very beautiful set of photograph postcards, but I just didn't have any use for them. Blan Bunny's Plant Kingdom had amazing tea sets too, but I just didn't know how to bring back. I also helped to bring back Lu Shanghai Tees back for a friend. There was also this shop that sold metal products - like scissors/ knives etc. which we bought quite a bit from. 

3. Feiyue Shoes

The husband saw an article on them and we decided to just hunt it down to purely check it out. We tried them and found they were affordable and comfortable. We bought home 7 pairs of shoes. There were a lot of designs. Personally, I feel they will eventually trend. But before they do, you can get them cheap and lead the trend. I thought I would be the only one interested at the shop, but was surprised to find 1-2 other foreigners there as well. Remember, you heard it from me here :P. I know it is crazy, but once I spoil my 2 pairs, I am flying back to shop for more. 

4. Songmont

A lot of people were talking about it already. So I decided to go to their flagship shop to take a look. Honestly, you can buy online. It is slightly cheaper there. And also, I didn't get any tax refund. (It was so difficult to do the Chinese VAT refund. To date, I still don't know if I am not entitled or I didn't fill up enough funds.) 

I guess it is always good to see before buying, because I totally could not pull off their more popular series. I ended up getting an exclusive coloured bag instead. I use it and I like it. It is not very loud and a well-designed bag. Does it look its price? Probably not. But I own a few of such quiet luxury items already, so maybe that's my thing. Most people do walk out with something. But I have done more researches on the Chinese bag brands after and I feel like next round I will check out other bags, maybe as an investment. :D

Off the beaten track - Shanghai

Shanghai was awesome. Believe it or not, we spent a total of 7 days within the city, without travelling out. There was so much to do and I am not even done. Not gatekeeping so here's 3 places that most people would have given a miss, but it is so worth visiting. 

1933 Old Millfun (Free!)

This used to be an abandoned slaughterhouse that have been revamped. Unfortunately, despite revitalisation efforts, this place still remained rather empty. There was very low take-up of spaces by shops and restaurants. As such, it was one of the most serene attractions which you could take photographs to your heart's delight. We saw some people modelling there as well.

For fans of architecture, this is not a place to be missed. I came with 2 kids in tow and we explored for more than an hour (which was way longer than what we initially planned). The whole place was like a concrete maze and there is something really pretty/ amazing about the design. It is a bit out of the way and not close to other attractions but it was 100% worth the detour. 

Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre

Another hidden gem in an office building, you are not really supposed to take photos of their posters. So here's one photo of a poster which I bought. To be frank, this place is not huge but it was really interesting watching how the government pivoted the people to certain beliefs and careers. If you can read mandarin, there will be more appreciation on the captions and quotes on the posters. To a certain extent, it also gives you a flavour of the old China. 

The entrance ticket is not expensive. As this is a private museum and the owner is getting on in age, I would really recommend you to get something for yourself at the souvenir shop to support it. Although most of the items there are pretty fairly affordable, another foreign lady and I each bought down some of their more pricey items. Perhaps he just wants to share his love and collection, but I am thankful he allowed us to buy a piece of history home. 

Marriage Market (People's Park)

It was so exciting to hunt this down. For the Shanghai market, it only happens on the weekend. It was raining that day and I was very anxious that the people will not gather. Fortunately, there was still an authentic crowd there with little curious foreigners. If you can read mandarin, you would be able to better understand the description of the notices and understand how materialistic the dating society is at the moment. 

I had the good fortune to chat with some of the matchmakers and candidates there. They explained to me they prefer this to dating apps because of the scams and onboarding fees of online apps. The matchmaker/ candidates would usually bring a bunch of profiles, some belonging to their other single friends/ relatives. For the profiles I read, their age tend to be on the higher side and most are very well educated. Very interesting and give you a good peek to the Chinese dating market!

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Activities mentioned above are either free or not on Klook at the moment. If you are booking any other experiences via Klook, you can use the discount code "BABYNFAMKLOOK" for a 5% Discount. Applicable to All Klook Activities with min. spend of SGD50. Discount capped at SGD15.

Mandai Rainforest Resort Review

After lots of hype, we decided to make our way to the Mandai Rainforest Resort too. It was located right in the heart of Mandai Zoo, with lots of greenery, away from the bustling city life. First impression wasn't too bad. We were welcome by random monkeys. Check-in was very prompt and service was top-notch. Kids amenities/ room slippers were provided. You could even loan a stroller from the concierge. 

Our room was the Family Sanctuary. It was well decorated and spacious, and could possibly sleep up to 4A + 2C comfortably. The children were particularly excited about the bunk bed. For me, it was about the thoughtful, tiny details in the room that made it memorable. Plus, the room was really new :)

Each night cost a whooping S$400+ and we could only afford 2D1N on staycation budget. The first place we checked out was the pool. I thought it was pretty disappointing. It has an infinity pool but there isn't much to see. There was a half-hearted lap pool and kids pool. At 5pm, there was free ice cream distributed. But that was pretty much all. The kids had fun, but I expected more. 

There was a good amount of eateries within walking distance, but the queue could be really long during dining hours. I thought there should be at least discount for hotel guests. But nope, the same went for Mandai tickets (apparently, Singaporean citizens could get better prices if you buy via the websites.) During our 2D1N, we visited the Night Safari (read our review here). By the time we were done, it was nearly 10pm+ and the kids were dead tired. I was so relief that we only lived nearby. 

There is a kids club within the resort, but I thought it was ridiculous that they were charging S$10 per child per day given the limited and quite off the mill activities they had for them to do. (This should really be a free service). The playground look great, but couldn't really entertain the kids more than an hour, half an hour if you are lucky.

For those who wonders what is the catch, I think it is the complimentary breakfast. It was super impressive. The variety was huge (and the biggest I have ever seen in all my vast hotel/ staycation stays), including machines for you to create your own juice concoction, pancakes etc. There was even alcohol. Apart from that, non-typical breakfast menu such as ice-cream, chocolate fondues were available. I was so stuffed by the end. S$400+ is still quite a stretch for me, and I didn't even went for the most extravagant treehouse. Great for an one-time experience, but my pocket just can't do it again. 

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Mandai Rainforest Resort: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/hotels/detail/1752819-mandai-rainforest-resort-by-banyan-tree/

** 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.

Day out of Bintan Resort

Bintan have truly changed quite a bit since we have last visited. There is now more man-made sites to visit, making the place more interesting. Here's our itinerary should you be considering a trip out!

1. Dharma Shanti Temple

Do not be deceived by the photos, but this area is really quite small. It is at the the top of a small, modest temple. But this area is pretty impressive. I don't see anyone possibly spending more than 30 minutes here. It is quite a hidden gem. 

2. Blue Lake

This was the highlight for me. If you have a budget, you can just walk around to take photos. As the weather was good (and the kids really wanted to take the ATV), we decided to take it here. For info, most places are stricter and won't allow toddlers as pillion riders. It is market rate - around S$50 per pax, but the ride was really long and scenic. The guide would also help to take photos and videos. His photos are ok, but video skills can be improved LOL!

The weather was seemingly cloudy that day but we still ended up sunburnt. Remember your sunblock guys! No worries about insects cos it is pretty sterile. Strongly recommend this place as a pitstop. After this, we had lunch at a kelong recommended by the driver. I feel it is just a convenient tourist stop, nothing much to rave about. 

3. 500 Lohan Temple

I saw so many photos about it, I was pretty excited. This is quite far-flung and also actually a small area with humble temples around it. If you are not into buddhism, I think you can finish the place within 45 minutes max. As it is a man-made attraction, it is pretty curated. But kudos to Bintan tourism, for making the island more interesting. 

4. DeCliff Cafe

This is really quite remote. Honestly, I feel the photos look better than the actual place cos it is a little run-down. May have mozzies. But the food is really good. I think this should be shortlisted as a lunch/dinner spot. To go for tea-time is not the best use of time. To go during dinner and catch the sunset would probably make this a more memorable experience. 

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Private Day Tour: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/127779-bintan-private-car-charter-driver/

Our driver was pretty good. We could negotiate on the day on the actual itinerary and make minor changes here and there. He even gave us an hour extra. 

** 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.

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.

Surviving JB during the school holidays

Back to JB again with the kids this time round so that it gives a better bang for our bucks. Don't be surprised but being novice we went during the school holiday...and survived it. Much to contrary beliefs, you SHOULD NEVER TAKE A CAR in. We took public transport and the wait was actually within acceptable standards. By the 5th bus (with 2 coming together), we were up and going. 

If you taking the train in, you would need to book way in advance. I heard it is at least 2 months. But for us, it was really a spontaneous decision. Although there were still train tickets, the timing just wasn't desirable. We decided to check out something off the beaten track - Eco Palladium. 

Lunch at The Courtyard Place

Though not fully occupied by tenants yet, Eco Palladium has lotsa of eateries. We settled on this because it seems to have more options for the kids. I really enjoyed this place because it serve a very healthy take on everything and some of the food was not something I could find outside. There was a kids menu available and also a mini play area to entertain the children as the adults have their own meals/ conversations. It is not very expensive too!

2. Work in Progress Studio

Next up, we went to get some crafts done! At Work in Progress Studio, you could make a moru doll or a silver ring. For the kids, we decided to go for the former because it was just easier for them. At Rm 88 (~S$30), you can make a doll with 10 tokens, a mystery accessory and unlimited beads. There was a lot of variety of apparels and accessories to pick from. My son being quite decisive, didn't use his full 10 tokens for his more simplistic doll. 

My daughter used his remainder to bring home cute little mini charm accessories to place in our mini house display (not all has to be attached to your doll). I really love their accessories cos some were really relatable like starbucks coffee and chagee bubble tea. The children had a lot of fun and it took around 1.5 hours in total to fully complete their moru doll. 

3. Kacha Kacha Studio (S$28)

Next up, we went to take some prints because the children were always badgering me about it and it is just way cheaper to do this in Malaysia. We only had 20 minutes to take our unlimited shots and 10 minutes to make the selection. It was pretty intense, given the toddlers had to be carried and dictated. We got to bring home some prints and digital prints for memories. It is a very popular place and some people travel to Eco Palladium just for it. 

4. Cuddle Co

The children needed a place to exhaust their energy so we decided to pop by Cuddle Co. Given its more outskirt location, I expected to be cheaper than the indoor playgrounds near the causeway malls. It turned out to be slightly more expensive. The staff, whom I initially thought to dislike children, turned up to be just anti-Singaporeans. They refused to speak to me in English and were basically very cold to us. The next family who popped by were Malaysians and they were absolutely charming. 

The indoor playground is very new and well-maintained. The kids had lots of good fun in an hour. There were cars for rent, photobooths services and also a top floor which sells overpriced kids clothings. You could also order food and drinks while you wait for the kids. However, the service was so deplorable and unwelcoming, I would 100% never step in again. 

After which, we headed back to the causeway malls for a quick meal and a pet cafe visit before we headed back home. No jam once again :D

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** 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.

Best Food/ Snacks of Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnam was a quick stopover for me. But boy did I enjoy some of the food and snacks I bought there!

Breakfast at pho ga nguyet and egg coffee at Cafe Giang

Generally, I am not much of a fan of chicken breast even if it is teared. But pho ga nguyet does it so well. It is so tender that I can understand why they got their Michelin star. It is a must-go, I have never tasted anything similar. Egg Coffee is really not for everyone. I love the taste, but I got a feeling my stomach is not very accepting of it. Cos after, my tummy felt rather queasy. Good to try on the last day :D

Pizza 4P's

If you have a little budget, this is a place to go. I have tasted pizza and pasta, but 4P's is great at enhancing the familiar flavours. Four Cheese has always been my favourite flavour, but do you know it taste better with honey (as per 4P's recommendation)? If I had a bit more budget/ time in Hanoi, I might have tried more on their menu. It is definitely a place I wouldn't mind visiting twice. 

Banh Mi 25

My friends forgot to send me the photos for these. But I absolutely love the Banh Mi here. I can come here twice just to try the different items on their menu! Easy on the pockets too, you cannot miss this place.

Top 3 Must Buy Snacks (ranked accordingly):

The snacks are quite easily available and can be found in all leading supermarket. Nearly half my luggage was packed with snacks. My only grouse was I should have had a bigger luggage and more cash at hand to purchase all the snacks I wanted. 

1. Cha Bong: Is like Wang Wang with pork floss. It was a huge hit with both my kids and the people I bought back for. 


2. Vinamit Jackfruit Chips: I am absolutely obssessed with it. And so is my mother, but I think it is for people who absolutely love Jackfruit. 


3. Top Coco: If you like coconut, this is something you should really buy back. 

There are a few decent coffee brands - G7 and Legend. They are cheaper in Vietnam, but no longer exclusive there, so I am not sure if they make as good souvenirs. I was so shock when I saw Legend at Fairprice haha. I bought chocolates from Maison Marou. Personally, I don't find everything being good - only some. It is also very expensive for Vietnam standards and ok for Singapore standards. It is local, so I decided to get some home.  

If you like pate (the spread you find in their banh mi), you can try cot den hai phong. I feel it taste better with lots of butter. To end my trip, I had a nice coffee from Gau. Ended up buying their beans back too. If I had another day, I would probably hang around their cafe to enjoy their pastries. 

Goodbye Hanoi, I had fun. Feel free to let me know where are some nice food haunts and coffee place. I am definitely coming back. I love Vietnam!

Best Food of Sa Pa

 During my trip at Sa Pa, I had some of the best food. To be frank, I really enjoyed all my meals there. 

O Quy Ho Restaurant, Sapa

The Hmong Black Chicken Pumpkin Soup was a must-try. In most reviews, people enjoy it. I absolutely love it. To be honest, I don't really remember what the names of the other dishes are. But show these photos to the staff. The food were all good, but the steamed and fried bamboo rice were not really our thing. We prefer our sticky rice better. The vegetables were divine (caveat: I love vegetables). It was a close second after the soup and it is something I can't find at home. I would really come back for the soup if I could :'( 

Món Ngon Tây Bắc

Took me a while before I found what this place was called as it was a recommendation from our driver. We love this restaurant so much we came back twice. The first time we had the sturgeon steamboat because it was rainy and cold. I love their pork and banana blossom salad (not for all). We had a portion of the Ca-Nach pork here and it was delicious. you have to book in advance for some of the whole banquet (which we probably can't finish). 

Best of all, this place came with a flute player who serenaded us with pop songs throughout. <3 So much love for him, we tipped him heavily. Also the waiters here could speak both English and Mandarin which made ordering a lot easier. 

Chusu Kitchen

If you would like to try Sa pa's fine dining, you got to check this place out. We chance upon this restaurant and the food was so good. I think it is fusion but the taste is something we don't really find on the streets and back at home. I wouldn't deem this to be cheap (nearly SG restaurant prices, but not fine-dining price), but it was definitely worth the money. I can't wait to be back with my husband so I can show this off to him :P

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Cafe Spots

Viettrekking Cafe

This is quite a tourist-known place and it has great view. The drinks are really good too and it serves decent food upstairs. I would have hung out here everyday cos it is so near our hotel. You can just sit at their al-fresco seating and watch the funicular railway go up and down. 

De Mong

Sa Pa has quite a bit of nice cafes - cheap with awesome view. The only problem is that there is just that much coffee I can drink a day without getting insomnia at night. Sa Pa is a great place to take a more relaxing pace and just do some cafe-hopping. Apart from De Mong, there are many similar cafes with breathtaking views or themed photo-areas. The only problem is that it is crowded by domestic tourists, dressing in a specific style, taking countless photos. 

** Travel Hacks: 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.

3D2N Tour at Sa Pa

Finally, I made a trip out with my friends (without the kids) and it was so fun and relaxing, just to basically follow the crowd. 

Transportation to/ from Sa Pa: Night Sleeper Bus (~S$20 per trip)

This was very exciting for me because I have never taken anything like this before. There are a few operators and we went with HK Buslines. The cabin was really clean and decently furnished with blankets, pillows, charging pods, massager and TV. I recommend them highly because I left my phone on my ride back and the team managed to retrieve my belongings within 4 hours. 

Ideally, this can help save a hotel night stay (which is not very expensive to begin with). But, if you are a light sleeper, this would be terrible for you. When you reach Sa Pa, it would be in the wee mornings and you have to stay sharp the entire day. They don't really wake you up at your stop, so you would need to set your own alarm. There were toilet breaks but I slept soundly through them. Hehe. 

Where to stay: Pistachio Hotel Sa Pa (~S$25 per pax after dividing by 4)

This is not the fanciest hotel in town, but is definitely clean and luxurious enough for me. Also, breakfast is complimentary. It is well located at the city center and we could walk up and there for our daily needs/ exploration/ meals. It has an infinity pool and you can catch this breathtaking view when the clouds clear. There is also a gym and massage services in-house. It is much cheaper at the streets (but gosh the hygiene is questionable). 

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Day 1

Sa Pa Market

Day 1 started really early, way before the dawn crack. The first place we explored was the old town, along with the Sa Pa Market (which I insisted on going, thinking it was a supermarket). You can do a bit of shopping there, but the stuff sold was not what we were interested. You could find the must-tries there. Due to sanitary reason, we ended up only trying the Chestnut cake (banh hat de). It was not as sweet as we expected. I really love it but I find it difficult to bring home. My friends found it "ok". 

We also bought their chilli (without trying) as a local strongly recommended as their staple. Now that I am back home and have tried it, I have to admit it is not really my thing. Too sour. If you are intending to buy tea, this might be a good place. Around the area, there is quite a bit of cafe, we just hopped in to the fanciest one for a nice cup of drip coffee. 

Glass Bridge (~$25)

Our driver bought the tickets for us. But I felt if I had bought it at Klook ourselves, we would have gotten a better deal. Personally, I don't find this a must-go. We only came here because Day 1 was rainy and cloudy. Going to Fansipan was not advisable. The view was fantastic (but similar to Fansipan) and very different because of the mist. I couldn't see much beyond. It was like living in heaven. 

For the adventurous, there were zip-lining, cycling on a zipline and crossing through a zipline and bridge crossing between mountain peaks. It is not very expensive, but I wouldn't think it is a experience only unique to Glass Bridge. If you like cheap, realistic counterfeits apparels, the retail is not to be missed. 

The driver bought us to other places as well, but we were unimpressed and decided to have an early night instead. 

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Day 2

Fansipan

Day 2 was nice and sunny and we decided to scale up Fansipan. Fansipan is actually a 2D1N hiking route, but we decided to go against it because we are not that fit. And being spoilt ladies, my friends and I probably wouldn't survive the outdoor dirty toilet. The whole Fansipan has been tailored for tourists. There was a lot of photo spots and the monorail was really cute too. 

For people who are not as fit, you can also purchase the monorail + cable car tickets but climb mid-way. Also, be reminded to dress appropriately! It was pretty cold at the top, especially when the wind blows and I ended up wearing a winter jacket and tights within. 

Fansipan is just here to catch all the tourist money. At the mid-point, there is also a cultural village with some cultural folk show. But we stayed focus. For me, I am just impressed with the height and how crazy people are to build a buddha and a mountain top. Just going up to pray (when the cable cars were not built) is just insane! The photos that I post are just a fraction of what I saw.

For me, Fansipan really lives up to its name as the must-visit of Sa Pa. Some of my own friends have hiked up. I think the view as you scale is not that impressive. There is also biking options. If you are a city dweller, just climbing up would exhaust you and you might not be able to fully enjoy the view or the little details of their structure. So, I am glad I picked the easy way up. 

Cat Cat Village

This is a favourite for me. It is basically dressing up as a tribal princess and living to my "Xiang-Fei in Huan Zhu Ge Ge" dreams. I didn't get the deal from Klook, just trying to make our guys' life easier. We just walked in and negotiated a deal for a pretty dress/ head gear and basically just went around taking lotsa photos. Our male friend was literally our photographer throughout. It is probably a guy's nightmare, though the whole place was really pretty in a curated way. 

I paid a bit extra (US$5) to get a photo with the horse. You could also pay around US$2 to do a bow-and-arrow on the horse pose. No regrets on it for me, because I doubt I will ever have a chance to do it next time. And beauty fades...not sure if I will even look as good in the future. We stayed so late, we literally had to take their paid service out (~US$0.50) 

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Day 3

Alpine Ride

Day 3 was pretty free and easy with a lot of cafe hopping (read all about the food we ate here!). This was a thrill ride we decided to throw in. This was not in our must-go list, but I absolutely love it. I went on it twice. And the second time (at half price) in the poring rain. I would suggest going through it at the fastest possible speed. Just tell the staff, so that they will make sure there is no one infront of you to block you. Not much scenery to see, cos beside it is just construction works. But the thrill is there. One of my friend freaked out. Well, I guess it is not for all :P Locals can enjoy a free ride!

Red Dao Experience

I did a massage and red dao bath at a random street massage. And kinda of regretted it because of sanitary reason. There was a pungent smell on its massage bed. The lady boss kinda barged into my bath when I was stark naked. (Thank god as a Mum, I have no body shame now. In the past I might have cried.) So here's one experience I found on Klook which I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed and so would you if you are into herbs and having a local guide. :) In any case, I think the red dao shouldn't be missed. We thought it was an experience that could be easily found on the streets of Sa Pa. But apparently not, I wanted a Red Dao Soap as souvenir, but couldn't find any in Sa Pa City. And then it can sleeper night bus back to Vietnam :)

** 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.