Category: fun

Slides and HugE Aquariums, Pandas, Manta-rays and Dolphins are all fighting for families’ wallet attention. We are talking about River Safari, Marine Life Park’s Sea Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark.

SengkangBabies are fortunate to enjoy the latest new attractions in Singapore, let us share our experience and recommendations with you. If we can only choose one attraction, which one will SengkangBabies prefer?

1. River Safari (河川生态园)

Highlights :
* Pandas (go early to catch Kai Kai and Jia Jia roaming around)
– we can view 7 River systems from around the world
– the giant creatures, Manatee, Catfish and Stingray
* Amazon Flooded Forest
* Mekong river tank
– Amazon Square (12pm animal show)
– River Quest (Preview in 2013Dec)

Experience :
– Interaction with rare mammals and fishes
– Pandas are too cute for everyone (if crowded, visiting time might be limited to 15mins)
– amazing experience to watch the Giant Manatee and catfish swim in their tanks !
– Kids learn about life-cycles and how animals survive in their ecosystem
– The information counters at each exhibit gave us extra knowledge about the animals
– River Safari is shaded offering visitors a relax experience
– Path is friendly for strollers
– We need a shelter at Amazon Square, it is too hot to watch the animal show at 1230

Entrance Fees : (Adult $25, Children $16 (3+).
When River Quest is ready, Adult $35, Children $23.

Click for our review or more Panda photos.
– River Safari website

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Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)’s Marine Life Park (海洋生物园) has two new attractions.

2. Adventure Cove Waterpark (水上探险乐园)

Highlights :
* Rainbow Reef !
* Adventure (Lazy) River
– Bluwater Bay waves
* Slides, try all the Slides !

Experience :
– Daddy and boys’ best experience is snorkeling among 20,000 fishes at Rainbow Reef!
– Grab a tube, and go around Lazy River a few times, there are exhibits (like Rays) to entice swimmers
– simply sit on the slope and let the waves push you (Bluwater)
– Smaller kids will love Big Bucket Treehouse 🙂
– You will need minimum 4 hours to enjoy all the slides
– AVOID weekend. You do not want to queue 30min for a 1min slide
– “Lightning” will shutdown Adventure Cove, with no refund policy. Management might wish to consider some goodwill (partial) refund

Entrance Fees : Adult $29, Children $20 (4+)

Click for our review and more Snorkeling Photos.
– Adventure Cove Waterpark website

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3. S.E.A Aquarium (海洋馆)

Highlights :
* Dolphins are ever friendly
* poke a few starfish at “Discovery Touch pool”
* Open Ocean’s Manta rays (Daddy can linger here for hours)
– Jellyfish (are cute!)
– Sharks
– all sorts of fishes swimming everywhere !

Experience :
– Look Left Right Up Down, there are so many exhibits fighting for attention
– Get up close with the sea creatures (maybe not Sharks)
– Play with the friendly dolphins
– Get hypnotised by the bobbing jellyfish
– kids are bewildered by the colours from the fishes
– Peep into the Open Ocean with some amazing Rays !
– The only bad thing is the crowd, kids will find it difficult to squeeze infront

Entrance Fees : Adult $29, Children $20 (4+)

Only (part 1) of review is ready, catch all the Jellyfish Photos on our Fanpage.
– SEA Aquarium Website

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If we can only choose one attraction to visit, which one do we prefer?

In order :
A) The Adventure Cove waterpark
B) Sea Aquarium
C) River Safari

Video : Want to know why they chose slides over Panda? Catch this video.

But if kids are looking for fishes, Daddy thought the exhibits at SEA Aquarium would be more alluring. The game changer could be River Safari’s River-Quest 🙂

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Now, we know Singapore’s attractions are world-class but how many families can enjoy the Fun? This is the entrance fee breakdown for SengkangBabies (2A + 4C) :

– River Safari – $114
– Adventure Cove – $118 (under 4years old free)
– SEA Aquarium – $118

All receipts are above $100, not exactly cheap and affordable, and we have not factor in carpark and F&B yet. We are fortunate as we get to enjoy River Safari and Sea Aquarium for free, and Adventure Cove tickets were discounted.

We always try to feedback that the fees can be more affordable:
– we know gardens and parks are nice (and free), but families might want to enjoy some Singapore attractions occasionally
– We are not expecting $3 entrance fees like Taiwan’s Zoo, but $20 is on the high side
– Singapore attractions might be able to provide pro-family promotions once a year (per family), with up to 50% discount
– Singapore’s attractions can definitely go out to target residents, besides the tourists
– This discounts mean a drop in profits, but companies’ bottomline should still be healthy
– More affordable tickets must mean more family-bonding opportunities, Yes?

What do you think? Do you believe Singapore attractions are too expensive?
If Yes, Help to feedback through your own channels, MSF, Reach, Newspaper forum, chat forums, or even blog about it.

We would be honoured if you share our article :p

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Not every attractions in Singapore is costly, just pop by our “Places of Interest” recommendations. We do lament the lack of time (and sometimes energy) to bring the kids out. And from 2013 May onwards, a few Museums will waive entrance fees YES ! (Fanpage I ♥ Museums)