48 Hours in Singapore - Our Family Travel Itinerary

Due to some last minute flight cancellations, we ended up with only just over 48 hours in Singapore.  We had never planned to spend too long there as after Thailand and Vietnam we knew it would be expensive, but we had hoped for a little more time to explore.  Singapore was the last country we visited before heading home so we were all getting tired and there is so much more to see and do that we had to just pick a couple of things and be content with that. If you want to catch up on the first parts of our trip, this is our Thailand Itinerary and our Vietnam Itinerary.

We arrived in the evening and left the airport to find our hotel.  After we had settled in, we went for a walk around the local area and to find some dinner.  We stayed at five/6 Splendour Hotel in the Geylang district and were delighted to have safe flat pavements after the crazy Vietnamese streets.  The hotel was unfortunately 3x as expensive as what we were used to and nowhere near as nice, but this is what we had expected from Singapore.

For our full day in Singapore (which also happened to be my birthday), we headed over to colourful Chinatown to check out the world's cheapest Michelin Starred food at Hawker Chan.  The children were really excited to try it, although none were that enamoured by it in reality.  Definitely something to tick off the bucket list though!

After lunch, we wanted to explore Gardens by The Bay and we decided to walk there so we could take in more of Singapore.  You can really see a city when you walk through it and the buildings had incorporated trees and nature in so many amazing ways, it was fascinating to see such a built up city trying to be green.  Singapore feels like such a safe place to walk around and I wish we had more time to explore on foot.

Gardens by the Bay is a huge area of nature and art.  Much of it is free to enjoy including the children's gardens and splash zone and the Supertree Grove, but there are areas you can pay to go in as well.  We bought tickets for the flower dome and the cloud forest and both were incredible to explore.  The iconic structures are full of colour and nature in engaging and beautiful ways and we loved the man made waterfall in the centre of the cloud forest as well as the walkways high up.  The closest I can think to describe it is Singapore's version of the Eden Project. 

We spent all afternoon exploring and as the evening set in, there was a light and music show in the 

supertree grove celebrating the multicultural aspect of Singapore's history.  It was fantastic to watch and completely free with the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background. To leave the gardens we actually ended up walking through MBS and we headed to a Singaporean restaurant for a birthday meal.

Our final day in Singapore was also the final day of our Asian Adventure and I wanted to get to the Haig Street Hawker Market.  Hawker markets are the cheapest way to eat in Singapore, they are like a huge food court full of individual vendors and I had watched an episode of a street food documentary on Netflix about a stall selling the traditional dessert of Putu Piring. We headed over there to get some lunch and try the dessert before heading back to the airport to check in our luggage.  We still had many hours until our flight but one thing on our holiday list that we didn't want to miss out on was the Jewel centre in Singapore's Changi Airport.

Singapore has one of the most incredible airports and we all wanted to see the waterfall in the centre.  Not only is there a climbing nets centre, a cinema and a swimming pool in the airport, there are also so many interactive exhibits and so much to see and do.  Our top priority was the Pokemon Centre where there were exclusive games to play and limited edition merchandise to buy. It did not disappoint and was one of the highlights of the children's trip.  We spent all afternoon exploring the airport, eating at the food court downstairs and watching the light show on the waterfall.  As we had already checked in our suitcases, we could enjoy the Changi airport until an hour before our 11pm flight home.

It was a very quick stop in Singapore and I found it so hard to choose what to spend our time on.  I would have loved to do the Night Safari, visit Universal Studios or the water park over on Sentosa Island, spend more time walking the colourful and quirky streets and have a Singapore Sling at Raffles hotel.  It was a great way to end our adventure and hopefully we can visit again in the future.

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One in The Morning

It feels like you have only just arrived, I still think of you as a little baby in most ways, but life without you seems so distant a memory too.  You are the baby we didn't know we needed to complete our family and tomorrow my tiny boy, you turn one.

You may have no idea what a birthday is but your siblings definitely do.  Cora told everyone we saw in the supermarket today when we were out buying party food that it was your birthday tomorrow.  The boys ask about what you want, who your friends are and whether you will be allowed some cake and every one is is getting excited whilst you remain oblivious.  Being the youngest of five means there are a lot of people delighted about your milestones.

A year ago I had no idea you were about to arrive, I thought I had a few more days still. You were born on Saturday evening after a very quick labour and you were just perfect.  7lb 13oz of healthy baby boy, you looked like all your siblings and completely unique at the same time.  You were alert, you took me in as I memorised every part of you and I remembered how quickly a heart can grow.

This year you have changed from that tiny baby who just needed to be held to a much bigger baby who still needs to be held.  You feel safest in my arms and we still haven't spent more than about 3 hours apart.  You still rely heavily on breastmilk and you have no intention of sleeping anywhere other than in my bed for the foreseeable future. You are a complete Mummy's boy, although your love for music means Daddy is becoming much more interesting.  You press all the buttons on the speakers to let us know you want a tune and then bounce up and down dancing in delight when we turn something on.  You are inquisitive, cheeky and determined. 

I thought you would be early to walk as you were crawling and cruising by 9 months old but you have no interest in taking unaided steps yet.  You are much more interested in crawling up the stairs as fast as you can, giggling all the way and making sure someone is chasing you up.  You say Dadada and Mamama and something that sounds a lot like no.  You love music with your Daddy but with me you love books (two very happy parents if this continues).  You have 8 teeth and the dribbling is starting back up again so I am sure there are more to come.

As your birthday falls on a weekend, we are having a party on the day.  After your siblings have helped you explore your birthday gifts, we will head to the same hall where Archie and Finn had their first birthday and we will share cake with the people that love you.  I can't wait to celebrate what a little boy you are becoming, but before that moment I need to stop and take in everything you are now. The tiny boy curled up beside me as I write this is only going to get bigger, smarter and more independent and whilst the days might seem long at times, I know how lucky I am to get to spend them with you in my arms.  On your last night as an 11 month old, I want to give you an extra cuddle, a bonus kiss and let you know how loved you are.

Tomorrow my tiny boy, you will be one! 

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Hoi An, Vietnam with Kids

If I had to choose just one place to recommend in Vietnam, it would be Hoi An. Situated around the middle of Vietnam, it has a beautiful blend of culture and colour and is within 30 minutes drive from a big city, a beach and an airport. The City of Lanterns is an incredible place to visit as a backpacker, couple or family.

We decided to explore this area  with three different bases on our recent trip, so we spent a few nights in An Bang beach which is a very laid back beach town around 15 minutes drive from Hoi An ancient town.  We spent time in Hoi An and then a few days in Da Nang, the city 30 minutes away that also has an international airport.  You can read our 2 weeks Vietnam itinerary here for more on this.

I took so many photos in Hoi An and we loved it so much that I wanted to give it a separate blog post to share a bit more about three things we loved there, the ancient town, the lantern boats and the cookery class that we did.

Hoi An Ancient Town.

Vietnam is well known for the fact it is more motorbike friendly than pedestrian friendly.  The pavements are uneven and narrow with obstacles making it almost impossible to use a pushchair.  The ancient town however is car and motorbike free zone and it was lovely to not worry about traffic for a little while.  You can still use pushbikes and there were people cycling around passenger bikes too .  It is a very touristy area and the streets are lined with souvenir stores, art shops and tailors offering to custom make anything you can think of.  There are plenty of restaurants and cafes too and the children got very used to the fact that they all sold Oreo milkshakes.

All the walls are yellow and there are pink flowers popping up everywhere.  It makes for a beautiful place to wander. The mornings are quiet but as the sun starts to set and the lanterns start to shine, the town comes alive.  You can buy street foot or eat at one of the restaraunts looking out over the river.  We found a stall who made necklaces which had your name written on a piece of rice - a brilliant souvenir! There is a wonderful atmosphere and whilst it is very busy, it also felt welcoming and safe and very family friendly. 

There are shops where you can take part in lantern making workshops and across the river from Hoi An is An Hoi, famous for its silks.  The Japanese covered bridge is a famous landmark in the centre of the ancient town and worth a walk over, although it was so busy that I didn't take any photos.  

The Lantern Boats

As I said above, as the sun sets, the city comes alive and the lantern boats are part of the reason for this.  The row boats hold between 2 and 6 people and start sailing as it gets dark.  For your fee you get a 20 minute ride up and down the river and under the lantern bridge and it is something not to miss.  It felt like a moment of calm in a busy city and the colours lighting up the water are magical.  

We spent the first night just watching them all and you can buy paper boats with a candle to send out your wishes (There is a photo of this at the very top of this post).  It might look like some kind of festival, but these boats sail every night.

The Cookery Class

There were several experiences you could book in Hoi An but we sat down as a family to decide and the outcome was a unanimous vote for the cookery class.  There were plenty of options to book either through websites or your hotel and we found one that had reviews from other families as we hoped it would be the best option for our gang.  

Most cookery classes include drop off and pick up from your hotel or hostel and we were collected by mini bus and taken along with the rest of the group (there were 4 other people in our class) to the market. We walked through and then were taken to a food stall where our guide explained what foods are important in Vietnamese cuisine and how they choose which ones to buy.  We saw the meat and fish being sold as well as all the vegetables before heading back to the bus to be taken to a river.

We went out on traditional basket boats on the river and there was entertainment further down with men making the boats dance and spin as music played (offering tourists a chance to sit in the boat as it span too).  We were shown how to cast a net and the children each had a go, then on the way back we went along the river banks catching small crabs.

Once the basket boat trip was over, we went to the restaurant where we would learn to cook four different meals.  As we had booked for four children, there were extra staff around to help them and there were people desperate to hold the baby too so Ed and I could both have a go at cooking.  The instructors spoke great English and had everything ready to make it an easy experience for us. The first two dishes we ate immediately after cooking but the last two we ate along with some other Vietnamese food that the instructors had cooked, so there was a huge spread on the table.  They were happy to modify recipes for me to make sure there was no egg despite the fact I hadn't declared the allergy when I booked.

The children all loved learning to cook and we took away a sheet with all the recipes on so we could make them again at home. It was a fantastic trip and I am so glad we booked it. I think it worked out around £22 per person for the day which included all food, drink and transport.

There is so much more to do in Hoi An and the surrounding areas and my Vietnam Itinerary shows you what we got up to in An Bang and Da Nang, which could both be just days out from Hoi An.

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Five Things to do in Great Yarmouth this Halloween Half Term

Paid Collaboration with Visit Great Yarmouth

Half term has arrived which means a whole week of keeping the children entertained.  Great Yarmouth has so much to do for the whole family and some spooky specials this week, so here are five of our favourite family Halloween activities this half term.

Halloween Spooktacular at the Hippodrome Circus

The Halloween Spooktacular is a circus meets pantomime meets Halloween and it was a hit for our whole family.  There was humour to make the adults smile, silliness that had the kids laughing out loud and incredible acrobatics as well as a Halloween dance party at the end that had everyone on their feet.  Jack Jay and Johnny Mac were hilarious and I am still trying to work out how one of the performers bent her body the way she did!  On twice a day until Halloween this is a show you don't want to miss.

Fire on the Water

Located on Great Yarmouth main sands is Fire on the Water, a mixture of fire installations, sculptures and displays as well as a designated crafting tent.  Come dressed for the cold and feel free to bring a chair as there are four different fire shows on each hour.  We loved wandering amongst the lit up song lyrics, watching the giant christingle and listening to the music.  At the art tent, we could decorate CDs and attach candles before letting them float.  There are tents to grab food and drink and plenty of space to move around (as well as disabled/buggy friendly pathways.  It's only around for a week so book your tickets now!

The Lost World Adventure Golf

If the weather is a bit nicer and you want something outdoors this half term, then check out The Lost World adventure golf in Hemsby.  With a dinosaur theme it is fun for everyone, and there is a bonus Halloween challenge as you go round that keeps the children entertained (and a prize at the end if they complete it).  If you visit on Friday 28th then head to The Lacon Arms afterwards for their family Halloween party.

Fairground Frights

Right on Great Yarmouth seafront is The Pleasure Beach (read our review of it here), a theme park with fun for all ages.  This Halloween they are running 5 nights of Fairground Frights - unlimited rides and unlimited thrills, still for only £15 per person.  Best suited for over 10s, there is an end of season firework display on the 30th too. This is bound to be a half term highlight for older children and a great reason to come to the seafront.

Merrivale Model Village

Not only is there now a pumpkin patch in Merrivale model village and a Halloween theme, it is open longer during the Halloween half term so you can see the model village lit up.  We loved our visit in the summer (my review is here) and the price of entry includes being able to come back throughout the day so make sure if you visit in the morning that you come back to see the lights at 6pm. The fairground is our favourite part of the village and you exit via a penny arcade so bring some cash as you will definitely want to play.

It is a great time of year to visit this seaside town with something for all the family!

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2 Weeks in Vietnam - Our Family Travel Itinerary

We spent nearly five weeks in South East Asia with our five children and I have had lots of requests to share our itinerary so this is the second part, our 2 weeks in Vietnam.  You can read the itinerary for our 2.5 weeks in Thailand here.  Our trip was a mix of lots of research and plenty of flexibility as we made decisions on the road about what we would do and what pace we would move at.  When we were thinking about doing a bigger activity or trip, we sat down as a family to look at the options and we decided together which one we wanted to do. I will note some other activities that we missed in some locations that I would have loved to do if we had more time! 

Ho Chi Minh City

Also known as Saigon (and referred to in the rest of this post as HCMC), Ho Chi Minh City is the second biggest city in Vietnam and in the south of the country and this is where we flew into from Thailand.  We had decided to stick to the southern half of the country as the weather was supposed to be better during August and whilst it was still monsoon season, the rain didn't get in the way at all.  HCMC isn't know as a classic holiday destination but it is a city unlike anywhere we had been before and crossing the street is an experience in itself!  

We stayed in an airbnb apartment with three bedrooms which was on the 32nd floor with incredible views over the city.  We were in district 5 which wasn't touristy at all but we were less than 10 minutes walk to the centre of district 1 and felt like we had the best of both worlds.  Our airbnb had a swimming pool and small playground. 

We spent three days in HCMC which was plenty. We visited

• Tan Dinh Pink church. We didn't go inside but it is fun to admire from outside
• A walk through the fabric market opposite and around the local area
• Saigon Mall which is a huge shopping mall with everything you could possibly want.
• The cinema (make sure you opt for films in English with Vietnamese subtitles.  This was a welcome bit of normality for the kids).
• Nguyen Hue Walking Street - This comes alive at night with street performers, music, street food and vendors selling light up toys.
• The Cafe apartments on Nguyen Hue walking street.  This is a classic apartment block but each apartment is a different cafe with views out over the walking street. The kids highly recommend Dosh Donuts.
• If you are vegan then check out Rawberry who do incredible desserts and offer delivery for around £1 (message through Facebook). The banoffee mini cake was incredible.

If you have longer in HCMC then there are plenty more areas to explore. The war remnants museum and Cu Chi tunnels are fascinating for anyone interested in the history of the war, Notre Dame Cathedral and the central post office are incredible buildings to admire the architecture and for a longer stay with children, I was recommended Tinker Play in District 7. I followed Becky at Good Honest Travels on Instagram who is an expat living in HCMC with her children and she has lots of recommendations.

We hadn't planned out our time in Vietnam properly and so had no travel within the country booked before we arrived so we actually ended up booking flights from HCMC up to Da Nang the night before we travelled.  Prices are very reasonable and there were multiple flights per day to choose from.

I had thought that we would head up the coast and use the sleeper trains but we made the decision instead to fly up to Da Nang and explore three different areas nearby and spend less time travelling. 

An Bang Beach

We flew into Da Nang and got a taxi from the airport to An Bang beach, a seafront town around 40 minutes away. In contrast to the built up city, An Bang was quiet, small and laid back and we absolutely loved it.  We had found a few places online that looked good but not booked accomodation so we turned up and asked to look at some rooms.  We ended up choosing Blue Alcove and had two sets of connecting family rooms that led straight out to the small pool.  The hotel was connected to Aira boutique hotel where we ate our breakfast buffet and could use the facilities.

Most of our time in An Bang was spent eating, drinking and swimming.  The beach was beautiful and quiet and there was a strip of restaraunts along the front serving freshly caught seafood and with play areas and swings to keep the children happy too. There was something about the atmosphere here that we all loved.  It is easy to visit from Hoi An or Da Nang for the day but we enjoyed spending a few days relaxing here and having everything so close.

Recommendations are all food based for here and include:

•  Ken Vegetarian and coffee - we visited several times for food and the coconut coffee is well worth a try.
• Cosy Corner Cafe did a great brunch and was full of interesting expats
• Fisherman's Place did delicious vegan food and a great vegan burger 

Hoi An

Hoi An is an ancient town and the town centre is a car and motorbike free zone which is very refreshing.  Famous for its lanterns, the main town has painted yellow walls and a river runs alongside it. It was one of our favourite places to visit and whilst it is very touristy, it is somewhere not to miss on a trip to Vietnam. It is quite quiet during the day but it comes alive at night.  It was only 10 minutes drive in a taxi from An Bang beach but it felt like a very different place.

We stayed just outside the ancient town in Phu Thinh Boutique hotel with two sets of interconnecting rooms again.  Here are some of the things we did in Hoi An

• Walk around the ancient town looking at the shops and cafes
• One of our favourite experiences was a cooking class.  We did a local market tour followed by an excursion on a traditional fishing boat and practiced throwing a net.  We caught some crabs on the river banks and then were taught how to make 4 different Vietnamese dishes before sitting down to an incredible meal.  The experience was child friendly and there were extra staff to help my younger children.  This is the experience we booked and it included pick up from our hotel too.
• Hoi An is known for its tailors and if you want anything custom made, you can't walk more than a few metres before finding a shop that will do it.  I had an idea of a skirt I wanted and got it made but you can have anything from party dresses to suits.
• In the evening lantern boats sail down the river and it is a really special experience.  We aimed for sunset and it was so beautiful. There are longer boat tours on bigger boats but the little ones are brilliant.
• We were cycled around the old town on bikes with what looked like a large wheelchair on the front.  It wasn't the cheapest experience but the children loved it.
• If you want Vegan food then check out Nourish who did incredible lunches and was very close to our hotel.

You can read more about why we loved Hoi An and what we got up to here.

Da Nang

Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam, located about half way down and has an international airport.  It is also situated on the coast and has a white sand beach.  We had heard that Da Nang was somewhere you could easily skip but we decided to explore for ourselves and spent a lovely couple of days here.  We stayed at the Grand Sunrise Boutique Hotel which was about 5 minutes walk from the beach.  We arrived via taxi and it was around 30 minutes from Hoi An. 

Things we did in Da Nang:

• Hired inflatables and swam in the sea at My Khe Beach. We were the only people at the beach other than the ladies hiring out sunbeds, inflatables and selling drinks and the sea was a similar temperature to a bath I would run for the children!
• Drank smoothies in quiet cafes and people watched.
• Fly Burger for amazing burgers (very close to our hotel) and Loving Vegan for incredible vegan food (get the cheezy chilli chips)
• Asia Park/Sun World (I am not sure what the official name is as it uses both).  This is a theme park on the river front that you can spot from a mile off because of the huge big wheel. The theme park is only open from 3pm-9pm (thewheel until 10) and has different areas based on different Asian countries. There are plenty of rollercoasters and rides but also statues and buildings based on different styles of architecture and a replica version of Ankor Wat you can wander around in the Cambodian part.  We went on a weeknight and it was pretty empty. Wristbands were £8 for adults (over 140cm) and £4 for children and covered everything including the big wheel. 
• Eat at the Helio Centre opposite Asia Park.  There are lots of stalls for food and live music to listen to whilst you eat. 

In total we spent two weeks in Vietnam and we only explored a very small part of it.  There is so much to see and Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in the north would be top of my list when/if we are able to go back.  We flew direct from Da Nang to Singapore at the end of our two weeks and I will write our Singapore itinerary up soon!  Please get in touch either on here or through social media with any questions! Click here to read more about planning a family backpacking trip.

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