Mom and Dad Visit Jan/Feb 2015

Mom and Dad came to Singapore in January for 6 weeks (for 2 weeks of that time they went on a cruise out of Singapore).  I'm still trying to figure out if their main motivation for coming was to see us or to get out of the cold and snow back in Cincinnati!  They arrived around 2 am after over 30 hours of traveling.  Since Jimmy and I were at work during the day, they spent most days hanging out at our pool and dad bonded with Ozzy.

                        

                                 

While they were here we did a lot of exploring around Singapore.  Below are some of the highlights.

MacRitchie Reservoir Tree Top Walk - We walked several miles at a park to get to the tree top walk - it was pretty hot but we had good views and even saw monkeys on the trail!

                 

Universal Studios - Dad didn't go with us because he thought it would be too hot but Mom and I had a great day.  Most attractions were inside so we didn't have any issues with the heat.  We went on all the rides that were open and checked out all of the street entertainment.  We really enjoyed the Water World show  - before the show began the actors were dumping water on people in the front rows!  The show was really good - they rode around on jet skis, fell into the water from the top of the set and even had some explosions.

Gardens by the Bay/WonderFull at Marina Bay Sands - We walked around Gardens by the Bay and had dinner - I think the views here are really pretty.  Afterwards we watched the WonderFull show at Marina Bay Sands which is a water and light show in the bay but we didn't take pictures of it because I don't think they would have turned out.  It was one of my mom's favorite things we did.

 

Chinatown - Mom and Dad have been here before but it was nice to see all the Chinese New Year decorations - Year of the Goat/Sheep!

 

Clarke Quay -We spent an afternoon walking along the Singapore River and stopped and had drinks and dinner in Clarke Quay.

Chocolate and Cheese Bar at Marina Bay Sands - Mom was a little hesitant to go here because it's a bit pricey for a chocolate buffet but we had a really nice mother/daughter night - when else can we eat all the chocolate we want on the 57th floor overlooking Singapore?!?

 

Singapore River Cruise - We took a cruise on the Singapore River where we were able to get great views of Merlion Park and Marina Bay Sands.

                                                     
                   

Batam, Indonesia - Mom and Dad hadn't been to Indonesia before so we took a ferry ride that was about 50 minutes to Batam.  There isn't alot to do there so we enjoyed a half day of spa treatments and lunch at a resort.  Dad had never had a spa treatment before but I think he enjoyed it!

 

Raffles Marina/Tiger Brewery Tour - We went to the very west of Singapore and had lunch at Raffles Marina.  In the first picture below,  the land in the background is Malaysia so it was pretty neat to have lunch with a view of Malaysia!  After lunch we went on the Tiger Brewery Tour which was nearby.  Dad got a free beer during the tour for answering a question right and I got a free beer after demonstrating a perfect pour from their tap - after that we had an hour to drink all we wanted.

                                    

Lau Pa Sat - This is the biggest hawker center is Singapore - there are tons of food stalls as well as satay stands on the street.

 

 Below are just a few extra pictures from some of our dinners out - we really had a great time!!

For those who don't know, my mom's maiden name is Hedger- wonder if she's related to the owners!

We also spent a long weekend in Phuket for Chinese New Year but there is a separate blog post on that.