Volvo invited us for some Cross-country Adventures

[Media Invite]

We did not ask Yi to pose Victory, but he automatically flash a V for Volvo!

Last week, Volvo has sent a First-class ticket for SengkangBabies to indulge in Scandinavian adventure, on their cross-country V40.

Adventures start early for our kiddos, kids were eager to dismantle the bikes for some cycling fun πŸ™‚

V40 is a handsome hatchback, the side and rear profile offers an eye-catching rugged exterior. No, we do not need the scenic Scandinavian landscapes to imagine the Fun Factor.

*image credit

Video : ..but in case you need to experience the Scandinavian lifestyle on a V40…

Volvo’s product specialist Robin, highlighted some of the features of our V40. Daddy is most impressed with the safety features (look under this page 4 & 5 about “Safety”). The Swedish designers are so passionate about safety they even engineered a pedestrian-airbag, so that nobody will smash into your windscreen!

Volvo’s IntelliSafe (Radar and camera system) will detect impending collision with cyclists and e-brake automatically. Read more about Volvo’s IntelliSafe Technology.

After learning more about the V40, off we go to attempt a 0-100km in 8.5s seek our Adventure. Kids are chirpy and they love their panoramic roof πŸ™‚

All too soon, we reach our destination S.E.A Aquarium (RWS’ Marine Life Park), shall we take a photo before we embark on our fishy Adventure πŸ™‚

Pirates and Starfish ambushed us.

Kids are beaming non-stop, every fish tank got some surprises πŸ™‚

Did you see the friendly Dolphins? We wonder whether the dolphins are checking us out, or the other way round? Love the bobbing Jellyfish, cute and mesmerizing !

With so many variety of fishes, no wonder Boon Yee is learning how to scuba.

We have heard so much about Open Ocean. But when we stand infront of the paranomic Glass Wall and peep into the deep blue…. [speechless]

Video : Majestic Manta Rays gliding around. So Graceful !!

Shark Seas, get up close to the top predator. Kids ask whether our diver friend is safe?

Need we ask Boon Yee and Boon Xin whether they enjoy themselves?

More photos (total 192!) are available on our Fanpage. Do pop by Twitter #VolvoAdventure to find out who else were having fun with their Volvo πŸ™‚

Thank you Volvo for the adventures, we had a fun family morning. In case you need additional manpower to review your XC90, keep SengkangBabies in mind :p

More information :
– Volvo website and Fanpage
– Marine Life Park Sea Aquarium

*disclaimer – some of the Volvo features listed above might not be available on a V40, please check with your friendly Volvo sales.

** Do you wish to compare Adventure Cove Waterpark, Sea Aquarium and River Safari?

River Safari ζ²³ε·η”Ÿζ€ε›­

Think Animal Planet and River Monsters. Now imagine all these monsters appearing right infront of you. Man-eaters, menacing, powerful, 1 ton monsters, razor sharp teeth, these freshwater fish are the perfect casts for a nightmare!

Daddy ask Yi to pose below a real-size stingray. This fellow originates from Mekong, has a 2m wingspan and maybe weighs 500 kg (not our Bbq variant)

Last Friday, Daddy grab his company’s corporate card and we troop to Mandai. River Safari is in between Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

River Safari is not only about the Pandas, but woe betide the parents who skip the Panda enclosure. What we wish to say is the giant fishtanks from Mekong to Amazon are cool, and should captivate everyone’s attention.

Talking about water tanks, a few are making splashes (the biggest, the tallest) in Singapore recently. River Safari, Marine Park (Sea Aquarium), and we even snorkel in the Rainbow fishtank at Adventure cove !

Kang loves the Alligator Gar (not related to alligators, adults around 2m and 100kg). Watch them feed with lighting speed (1st Video below)

Did you know River Safari is Asia’s first and only River-themed wildlife park? We get to identify 7 of the World’s river systems.

The cute Red Pandas greeted us at the Giant Panda forest. We saw his cousin in Hong Kong’s Ocean Park last year.

If you are going on a weekend, expect long queue for the pandas. We recommend that you book the earliest timeslot, and proceed straight to The Giant Panda Forest (15min walk)

Panda’s menu.

Video : Kai Kai(ε‡―ε‡―) and Jia Jia(ε˜‰ε˜‰) caught on video + various exhibits

In an earlier story, we knew how the Pandas (Very Important Pandas) took Singapore Airlines from Chengdu (China) to Mandai (Singapore).

Hello Panda, SengkangBabies are here to visit πŸ™‚

Ironically, not many people will have the opportunity to photograph the Pandas together.

The hugh bamboo wallpapers outside the Panda enclosure is ideal for Panda portraits.

At every corner, information billboards allow us to learn about the habitats, ecosystem, and the animals or fishes. Daddy did not even know crocodiles exist in China’s Yangtze.

The information provide an immersive experience for the kids to learn through fun and interaction.

We cross Upper Seletar Reservoir to reach Amazon basin.

Looking at the map below, almost half of River Safari is dedicated to the Amazonian system! A pity the Boat ride (River Quest) down Amazon is not ready yet.

No Xena here, but we did caught a lot of cute animals ! (1230 at Amazon Square)

Eagles, Pelicons, Snakes and cute hedgehog thrill the audience. Those kids sitting infront get to touch the creatures, an unforgetable experience.

Squirrel monkies are so cute, and sometimes friendly. We still have to remind kids monkies are wild animals and we have to keep a distance πŸ™‚

See, Hear, speak no evil, although we got some coordination problems πŸ™‚

The Giant otters play hide and seek with us, Daddy told us these otters can be 2m long !

Not all monsters are carnivorous, the 1 ton manatees are herbivores, but some catfish (Goonch) has a reputation for feeding on human remains !

The amazing Amazon Flooded Forrest is Daddy’s favourite ! Imagine the 1000kg manatees cheek to cheek with yourself on the glass wall! Avoid their feeding time, as we found out the manatees will all be crowding around the diver haha πŸ™‚

Video : Awesome Mekong and Amazon Fish tank

Random photos. There are too many to showcase, pop by our Fanpage for more photos.

We have completed one round (clockwise) of the River Safari, and we went through the earlier Rivers again. Basically it is the other six rivers Mississippi, Congo, Nile, Ganges, Murray and Mekong (we had skip them for the Pandas earlier).

Along the way, we had our Fun moments too, Daddy did remind kids not to roleplay the late Steve Irvin (our idol) and wrestle with real crocs !

Be it Crocodiles, Gharials or Alligator (gars), all look intimidating.

Our last stop is the majestic Mekong river. Daddy told us Mekong flows from China to Thailand! (Catfish can grow up to 3m and weighs 200Kg, Stingray can weigh up to 600Kg !)

Bye Bye our friends. This is the only group photo when Kai Kai and Jia Jia will pose together.

Tips :

1) River Safari is opened from 9 to 6pm. If you are the first visitors on a weekend, book the earliest Panda viewing slots (15 min interval). 3mins watching Kai Kai chew bamboo, 5mins searching for Jia Jia, and the remaining time spend with Red pandas :p

2) You will notice a lot of information about the fish, mammals, creatures, take time to explain to the kids (eg that 2m catfish can swallow a young child alive ! )

3) Everyday at 12:30, an “animal show” will be conducted at Amazon Square (after the bridge). This is a fun interactive event which all KIDS should not miss.

4) You will need about 3 to 4 hours to cover one round. A stroller might be helpful for the smaller kids.

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All our photos are on our Fanpage. The river is calling…

Website
Fanpage (WRS)
Pricing (during soft launch, Adult $25, Child $16)
– Opening hours is 9am to 6pm
map

credits .. All the maps above are from River Safari homepage

** Do you wish to compare Singapore’s top 3 attractions “Adventure Cove Waterpark, Sea Aquarium and River Safari“?