Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts

October 21, 2026

Day 4 in Singapore: Skyline Luge, Universal Studios Singapore, and Food Stops

Our fourth day in Singapore was all about adventure, fun, and a little bit of unexpected exercise! We visited Skyline Luge Sentosa for the first time and revisited Universal Studios Singapore for another round of theme park fun. We also explored Singapore using the MRT, enjoyed lunch at Good Old Days, and ended our day with Jollibee.

It was a fun-filled day, although things didn't go exactly as planned!

From Robertson Quay Hotel to Sentosa via MRT

If you remember my first-day Singapore itinerary, we stayed at Siloso Beach Resort, which gave us the opportunity to explore Sentosa for a quick visit. After that, we went to Batam, Indonesia, for an overnight trip. On our fourth day, we were back in Sentosa again, this time to try Skyline Luge and revisit Universal Studios Singapore.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we left Robertson Quay Hotel at around 8 AM. For the past few days, we had been taking taxis or Grab, but this time, we decided to take the MRT to save on transportation costs since we didn't have any luggage with us.

My husband had purchased two EZ-Link cards the previous year, so my son and I used those. We topped up each card with SGD 10, while my husband used his debit card. At that time, we were also taking advantage of a MariBank promotion with no foreign exchange fees.


We took the MRT from Fort Canning Station to VivoCity Shopping Mall, then walked toward Resorts World Sentosa.

I mentioned in my previous post that we had visited Universal Studios Singapore before. During that trip, we also took the train, and I remembered the travelators that made the walk to Sentosa easier. Well, I was wrong!

The Long Walk to Sentosa

The travelators weren't operating. Waah! 
My husband hadn't mentioned this when they visited the previous year, and I hadn't thought to ask. In my mind, if my 70-year-old father-in-law could walk to Sentosa, surely I could do it too!

Well, it turned out to be quite a long walk. We eventually made it to Sentosa, but by then, we were already sweating, hungry, and thirsty. We hadn't even started our Skyline Luge adventure yet!


Looking back, I regretted not taking a taxi. I wish we had just spent the extra money on a taxi instead of walking in Singapore’s hot and humid weather. It would have saved us so much energy, especially since we still had a full day of activities ahead of us!

Thankfully, we had brought sandwiches and bread from BreadTalk, which we spotted after our train ride. Those snacks came in handy because we needed something to eat while waiting for Skyline Luge to open.


Travel tip: If you're planning to walk from VivoCity to Sentosa, check the available access routes and travelator operating status beforehand. Bringing water and snacks is also a good idea, especially if you're visiting with kids.

Our First Skyline Luge Experience

We arrived at Skyline Luge shortly after 9 AM, but the attraction was scheduled to open at 10 AM. That meant we had quite a long wait ahead of us. We used the time to eat our sandwiches and rest a little before our adventure.

I purchased our tickets through Klook and chose the three-round ticket. I was excited to try Skyline Luge, but I was also nervous because I'm afraid of heights.


I kept telling myself, "If the kids can do it, I can do it too!" And guess what? I survived it! I'm glad I gave it a try because it was a new experience for me. However, the weather wasn't cooperating. A light rain shower made the whole situation even less comfortable.

Imagine walking all the way to Sentosa, sweating from the long walk, and then getting rained on. Pinawisan na kami, naulanan pa! At that point, I honestly felt like going back to the hotel.

Despite the minor challenges, we still enjoyed our Skyline Luge experience. We also wanted to bring home a souvenir from our first visit, so we purchased one digital photo plus a video package for SGD 25. It was an additional expense, but it gave us something to remember our adventure by.


Lunch at Good Old Days, Sentosa

After our Skyline Luge experience, it was time to eat lunch. We headed to Good Old Days, where we ordered our meals through a self-service machine.




My husband and son ordered the Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice meal for SGD 9.80, plus SGD 4.50 for a drink and ice cream. I ordered the kids' Chicken Rice version for SGD 7.80, plus SGD 4 for a drink and jelly.




It was a convenient stop for lunch before heading to our next destination. After all the walking and activities, we needed to recharge before continuing our day.

Back to Universal Studios Singapore

After lunch, we headed to Universal Studios Singapore! 


We had visited the theme park before, and I've already shared our previous experience in another blog post. This time, we spent less than six hours inside the park before deciding to leave and return to VivoCity.

Even though we didn't stay for the entire day, it was still nice to revisit the attractions and enjoy another theme park experience as a family.

If you'd like to read more about our visit, you can check out my previous blog post about Universal Studios Singapore.

Our First Jollibee Meal Abroad

Before returning to our hotel, we stopped at Jollibee for dinner. It was actually my first time eating Jollibee abroad!

I remembered something funny that happened earlier in our trip. Our taxi driver, who drove us from Robertson Quay Hotel to Siloso Beach Resort, jokingly told us, "You are from the Philippines; please don't eat at Jollibee." But look at us now, eating Jollibee in Singapore! Hehehe!

To be honest, I didn't have much of an appetite after our long day, so I told my husband to order his and our son's meals. I would just have some fries and try the chicken. 

My husband ordered a 2-piece Chickenjoy meal with two sides and drinks for SGD 9.95, and one Chickenjoy with Burger Steak meal, rice, and a drink for SGD 8.95. And yes, Jollibee was more expensive in Singapore compared to what we're used to paying in the Philippines. Hehehe!


Still, it was fun trying a familiar Filipino fast-food favorite in another country. Sometimes, even during an overseas trip, a little taste of home is exactly what you need.

After our meal, we finally headed back to our hotel to rest after a long and tiring day. We needed to get some good sleep because Day 5 would mark the beginning of our 5-day Disney Adventure cruise! We were excited for the next part of our Singapore trip, and we wanted to be well-rested and ready to enjoy our Disney Cruise.


MRT Fare and Our Remaining EZ-Link Balance

One thing I remember about our MRT trip was the fare. Our one-way MRT fare was SGD 1.49 per person at the time of our visit.

Since we had topped up our EZ-Link cards with SGD 10 each, we weren't able to use up the entire balance during our trip.

Thankfully, we discovered that we could use our remaining balance at a grocery store in the airport that accepted EZ-Link as payment. That meant we could still put the leftover amount to good use instead of letting it go to waste.

If you're planning to use an EZ-Link card for a short trip to Singapore, it's worth estimating your transportation expenses beforehand and checking where any remaining balance can be used or refunded.

October 19, 2026

Our Half-Day Visit to Universal Studios Singapore: 11 Rides and Attractions We Tried

Although our family has visited Singapore several times, it had been quite a while since our last trip. So, when I started planning our itinerary, I decided to include Universal Studios Singapore (USS).

Interestingly, last year was my father-in-law’s 70th birthday, so my husband treated him to a Trip to Singapore, where they also visited Universal Studios Singapore. However, my son and I didn’t join them on that trip, so I decided to include the theme park in our own itinerary this time.

My son and I had visited the theme park 12 years ago, when he was still young. Back then, there were several rides he couldn't try because he didn't meet the height requirements. It was nice to return after all these years and experience the park differently, especially now that he was old enough to enjoy more of the attractions.

Our Half-Day Visit to Universal Studios Singapore

Since we knew that Universal Studios Singapore wasn't that big, we decided to visit Skyline Luge in the morning and head to USS afterward. We arrived at the theme park around 12 noon.


We purchased our tickets through Klook, so entering the park was convenient. We simply scanned our voucher at the entrance and proceeded inside.

One tip I highly recommend is to download the Universal Studios Singapore app before your visit. It provides information about rides, attractions, shows, character meet-and-greets, and other activities. The app helped us plan which attractions to visit and make better use of our time instead of spending too much time figuring out where to go next.

Exploring Minion Land First

Since we had visited USS before, we decided to head straight to Minion Land. Our first stop was Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a simulator ride featuring Gru and his mischievous Minions.

We skipped most of the shows and character meet-and-greets this time because we had already experienced them during our previous visit. Instead, we focused on the rides we wanted to try. Of course, we couldn't leave without taking photos with the Minions!




Rides and Attractions We Tried

Despite arriving around noon, we managed to experience several rides and attractions during our visit. Here's the list of what we tried:

1. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – A fun simulator ride featuring the Minions.
2. Minion Character Photo Opportunity – We couldn't resist taking photos with these lovable yellow characters.
3. Shrek 4-D Adventure – An immersive adventure featuring Shrek and his friends.
4. Puss in Boots' Giant Journey – A family-friendly ride inspired by the adventures of Puss in Boots.
5. Revenge of the Mummy – An indoor roller coaster with thrilling turns and surprises.
6. TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle – An action-packed 3D ride that puts you in the middle of a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons.
7. Lights, Camera, Action! – A special-effects attraction that showcases how movie disaster scenes are created.
8. Spaghetti Space Chase – A family-friendly ride in Minion Land.
9. Canopy Flyer – An aerial ride offering views of the Jurassic Park area.
10. Enchanted Airways – A junior roller coaster featuring characters from the Shrek universe.
11. Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure – A water ride through a prehistoric world of dinosaurs.




We enjoyed exploring the park and trying different attractions, from family-friendly rides to more thrilling adventures. It was also nice to see how much my son could enjoy now compared with our visit 12 years ago.

Heading Home After Our Last Ride

Our last attraction was Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. Although the park was scheduled to close at 8:00 PM, we decided to call it a day earlier than planned.

At around 5:20 PM, we started walking back toward VivoCity shopping mall. We had already enjoyed several rides and attractions, and we were happy with how much we managed to experience in just a few hours.

Our return visit to Universal Studios Singapore was a fun way to revisit old memories while making new ones as a family. It was interesting to see the park from a different perspective after 12 years, and it reminded me that visiting the same place can feel like a completely different experience as the family grows older.

If you're planning a Singapore trip, Universal Studios Singapore is worth considering, especially if you enjoy theme parks and want to spend a day filled with rides, attractions, and family fun.

October 16, 2026

2 Days in Batam, Indonesia: Our Itinerary, Food, Hotel & Things to Do

After sharing our experiences in Batam, Indonesia, through several blog posts, I wanted to put everything together in one travel guide.

Batam was a quick getaway during our 9-day trip to Singapore, Indonesia, and the Disney Adventure Cruise. We traveled from Singapore to Batam on the second day of our overall trip and returned to Singapore the following day.

Although our stay was short, we managed to enjoy a hotel stay, try delicious food, explore some of Batam's popular attractions, and shop for pasalubong to bring home.

In this post, I'll share our 2-day Batam itinerary, including how we traveled from Singapore, where we stayed, what we ate, and the places we visited.


How to Get to Batam, Indonesia, from Singapore and Vice Versa

One thing that made our Batam getaway convenient was taking the ferry. Since Batam is accessible from Singapore by ferry, it's a practical option for travelers planning a short trip.

We booked our ferry tickets through Klook and used two different operators for our journey:

· Singapore to Batam: Majestic Fast Ferry
· Batam to Singapore: Sindo Ferry

Here's how our ferry experience went.

Singapore to Batam: Majestic Fast Ferry



For our journey to Batam, we took Majestic Fast Ferry. Since we planned to stay overnight, I booked a one-way ticket instead of a round-trip ticket.

Under the booking option I selected on Klook, I could book either a one-way ticket or a same-day round-trip ticket. Since we weren't returning to Singapore that day, booking a one-way ticket was the more practical choice.

Upon arrival at the ferry terminal, we claimed our tickets at the counter and paid the additional fuel surcharge.

Batam to Singapore: Sindo Ferry



For our return journey, we took Sindo Ferry from Batam to Singapore. We also booked this ticket through Klook, but the process was different.

Our booking voucher had already been confirmed by the operator, and we were informed that we only needed to present our passports for the trip. It was a pleasant surprise to find that our booking had been processed ahead of our travel date!

Using two different ferry operators worked well for our itinerary because we could arrange our departure and return trips separately.

Ferry Travel Tips: Allow Enough Time at the Terminal

Whether you're traveling from Singapore to Batam or returning to Singapore, make sure to allow enough time at the ferry terminal before departure.

You'll need to complete the required check-in procedures, clear immigration, and go through security checks before boarding. Depending on your ferry operator and booking arrangement, you may also need to claim a physical ticket.

I recommend arriving well ahead of your scheduled departure, especially during weekends, holidays, and peak travel periods. Always check your operator's instructions for the required check-in time and boarding procedures to avoid rushing or missing your ferry.

Where to Book Ferry Tickets to Batam

We booked both ferry trips through Klook, which made it convenient to arrange our transportation ahead of time.

You can also check the ferry operators' official websites or inquire at the ferry terminal about purchasing tickets, subject to availability. Compare the available schedules, fares, and booking requirements before deciding which option works best for your trip.

I recommend booking in advance if you have a preferred departure time, particularly during busy travel periods.

Our Ferry Expenses from Singapore to Batam and Back

Here's a breakdown of our ferry expenses for three people, including fuel surcharges and the additional fee we paid to transfer to an earlier ferry schedule.

Singapore to Batam via Majestic Fast Ferry

· Ferry tickets for 3 people: PHP 5,921
· Fuel surcharge: SGD 18 (SGD 6 per person), approximately PHP 864.38

Batam to Singapore via Sindo Ferry

· Ferry tickets for 3 people: PHP 5,454
· Fuel surcharge: IDR 195,000 (IDR 65,000 per person), approximately PHP 698.55
· Fee to transfer to an earlier ferry schedule: IDR 90,000 (IDR 30,000 per person), approximately PHP 322.41

Total Ferry Expenses for 3 People: PHP 13,260.34

These are the amounts we paid during our trip. The PHP equivalents of the surcharges and transfer fee are approximate conversions, so the actual amounts may vary depending on exchange rates. Ferry fares, surcharges, and schedule-change fees may also change, so check the latest rates and policies before your trip.
 
Day 1: Traveling from Singapore to Batam, Indonesia


It was our second day in Singapore, but we said goodbye to the city for now as we headed to Batam for a quick getaway!

After arriving at the Batam Ferry Terminal, we took a taxi to our hotel for IDR 70,000. (cash only) Our accommodation, Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam, also offers a shuttle service from Mega Mall, Lobby C. However, the shuttle schedule didn't match our arrival time, so taking a taxi was more convenient for us.

The hotel also offers a private car transfer for IDR 130,000 if you prefer to arrange transportation in advance. 
If you're planning to stay at the same hotel, I recommend checking its transportation options and schedules before your arrival.

Where We Stayed: Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam


We stayed at Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam during our short visit. It gave us a comfortable place to relax between our travel activities.

For more photos and details about our accommodation, read my full review of Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam.

Our Food Trip at Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam


Of course, no trip is complete without good food! We also enjoyed a food trip at the hotel, which was another highlight of our stay.

Day 2: 
Exploring Batam with a Private Tour
To explore Batam, we booked a private Batam tour through Klook, which included a car and driver. This was a convenient way to explore the city and visit several attractions during our short stay.

With our own transportation, we could travel between the different stops on our itinerary, including Barelang Bridge, the Welcome to Batam sign, Rumah Kue Wiweka Shop, Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya, and Nagoya Mall.

Since we only had a limited amount of time in Batam, booking a private tour helped us arrange our sightseeing around the places we wanted to visit.

For more photos and details about each destination, read my complete guide to the places we visited in Batam.


Pasalubong from Indonesia

Before leaving Batam, we also made time to shop for pasalubong to bring home. 
Shopping for souvenirs and local treats is always one of my favorite parts of traveling. It's a nice way to bring home a little piece of the destination and share something from the trip with family and friends. If you'd like to see what we bought, check out my Batam pasalubong shopping guide.

After our short getaway, it was time to return to Singapore. We took the Sindo Ferry, which we had booked through Klook.

Our two-day trip was brief, but we managed to enjoy our hotel stay, try different food, visit several attractions, and shop for souvenirs before heading back.

Traveling by ferry made it possible to add another destination to our Singapore trip without spending too much time getting there.


Final Thoughts: Is 2 Days in Batam Enough?

For us, two days in Batam were enough for a quick getaway from Singapore. Although our first day was mostly dedicated to traveling and enjoying our hotel stay, we still managed to visit several attractions and shop for pasalubong on the second day.

If you're looking for a short trip with opportunities to explore local landmarks, enjoy good food, and shop for souvenirs, Batam is worth considering. Planning your transportation and activities ahead of time can help you make the most of your stay.

Batam was a lovely addition to our Singapore trip, and I'm glad we had the chance to explore another destination just a ferry ride away.

I hope this itinerary helps you plan your own 2-day Batam adventure. Don't forget to check out the individual posts linked throughout this guide for more details about our hotel, food, attractions, and shopping experiences.
Klook.com