Sensational Siem Reap

“Sensational Siem Reap”

Sun.Star Davao, June 11, 2016

          

"Remote and dusty".

These two words were recently used to describe Davao in an international article and, as expected, it generated a slew of strong reactions from proud and unabashed Dabawenyos. Netizens proudly posted photos online to highlight our beloved city’s present progressive state as if to retort, “How dare you call our city remote and dusty?!”.

I admit though, I had the same impression before setting foot in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Save for being curious to explore its renowned temples, I hardly harbored any other expectations that can arouse any first time traveler to this exotic destination. There were even times I had doubts whether it would be better to go light and easy with just me and my hubby on this tick-off-our-bucket-list trip.

However, all these changed as soon as our Cambodia Angkor Air plane landed at Siem Reap International Airport from Ho Chi Minh City.  From relief to pure excitement and readiness to explore, we were met with cool air conditioning, modern facilities and courteous staff as we lined up for our turn at the immigration area. A money exchange counter could be found at the airport. But, as we soon found out, there was really no need to convert U.S. dollars to the local Cambodian Riel because both currencies were widely accepted in Siem Reap. Free WIFI was likewise available in most tourist-related establishments so purchasing internet SIM cards was not necessary.

Meeting us at the airport was Bayon Boutique Hotel’s amiable driver who spoke fluent English. When he discovered that we were from the Philippines, he eagerly intimated that he, together with his fellow Cambodians, always rooted for Manny Pacquiao during his boxing matches. Just like us Filipinos, they would go as far as taking the day off from work to watch his fights live on TV. 

Khmer and more

Our contemporary Khmer-styled hotel, which I serendipitously chanced upon via Booking.com, exuded a homey feel with its attentive staff and distinct interiors. The spacious family room was quite a steal with two queen sized-beds, separate bathtub and shower and two bathroom sinks while our mini bar was complimentary for the first set of assorted beverages. 

After a leisurely swim at the hotel’s pristine saltwater pool, we walked a few steps from the hotel to take our early dinner at Kuriosity Kafe. Because we worked up an appetite after our swim, we ordered Fish ‘n Chips, Beef Lok Lak, Puttanesca, Pad Thai and Chicken Fingers with Fries. These came in huge American-sized servings and were fairly priced.

With over an hour to spare before our circus show, we boarded the tuktuk (a hat tip to the Thai pedicab) to the Old Market for some souvenir shopping. Seeing all the international restaurants lined up along Pub Street (another instance showing the openness of Siem Reap to foreigners) thrilled the foodie in me. It was as if Boracay’s vibrant food scene was transported to Siem Reap. While indulging on our delectable gelato, I made a mental note to carefully plan our gastronomic agenda for the next two days.  Ahhh…so many food choices, so little time!

A 10-minute tuktuk ride took us to Phare, the Cambodian Circus. It is Siem Reap’s highly rated evening entertainment where energetic performers weave historical, folk and modern Cambodian stories through theater, music, dance and circus arts. An association called Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) empowers the disadvantaged but talented young Cambodians through arts education in Battambang, Cambodia.  In a brief moment, our family was transported back in time as Cambodian history was entrancingly unfolded before us, giving us a glimpse of the country during its golden age, through its bloody upheaval and eventually its modern renaissance and resurgence, all along impressing on us its peace-loving people and culture.

After the show, we returned to the hotel for a good night’s rest to energize us for our whole day temple tour the following day.

Temple run

At 5:00 a.m. and with the hotel’s breakfast boxes in tow, we were picked up by our very efficient driver Phalit Ngin (E-mail address: phalitsiemreap@gmail.com) whom we booked via e-mail a few weeks before.  This guy swiftly responded to our email and initial queries before we left for Cambodia, and constantly expressed his thanks for giving him work to do.

At Angkor Archaeological Park, there were three kinds of passes to choose from: US$20.00=one-day pass; US$40.00=3 days visit with one-week validity (Any 3 days in a week and 3 holes punched at the checkpoint); as well as US$60.00=7 days visit with one-month validity (Any 7 days in a month and 7 holes punched at the checkpoint). And, good news, kids 12 years old and below were free of charge provided that their passports were presented.

Catching the sunrise at Angkor Wat was the first order of the day. When we arrived, there was already a sizable crowd gathered behind the lake with their cameras in position, all set to capture their winning shots. As the sun gloriously rose above Angkor Wat, I silently said a prayer of thanks to the Lord for allowing me to witness this enchanting view with my family.

After taking a couple of snaps, we basked in the rich and orangey glow of Mr. Sun and made a slow retreat back to our rented car. En route to Bayon Temple, we passed by stone-carved devas (guardian gods) on the bridge to Angkor Thom.

Splendidly decorated with smiling stone faces and countless bas-reliefs, our family unanimously chose Bayon Temple as our favorite temple at Angkor. It was believed to be built in the late 12^th or early 13^th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. For her Littlest Pet Shop Instagram account, my youngest daughter positioned her LPS toys against Bayon’s baroque style Khmer architecture and came up with dramatic results.

Among the most recognized temples at Angkor is Ta Prohm where Actress Angelina Jolie’s “Tomb Raider” movie was filmed on location. Deserted and neglected for centuries after the Khmer Empire’s fall in the 17^th century, Ta Prohm’s most characteristic feature were the ancient fig, banyan and kapok trees growing out of the ruins amidst its jungle surroundings. It became part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1922.

Laughter in the rain

Each time we boarded the car, Phalit would thoughtfully offer ice cold bottled water. The kind gesture was always appreciated because the 38 degree Celsius-temperature left us dehydrated and sluggish. He also allowed us to take brief breaks inside the car with the air-conditioner turned on in-between temple visits to recharge our not-so-little ones’ depleting energy.

Upon Phalit’s suggestion, we added Banteay Kdei to our temple tour after lunch. Also known as “Citadel of Monks’ Cells”, it was a Buddhist temple with a Bayon architectural style constructed in the mid-12^th to early 13^th centuries AD during Jayavarman VII’s reign. Until the 1960s, it had been occupied by monks at different periods over the centuries.

Returning to Angkor Wat in the mid-afternoon, we were greeted by a much-welcome rain shower. The 30-minute rain refreshed our bodies and spirits and made exploring the “City of Temples” a more comfortable one. Regarded as the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat began as a Hindu temple for the Khmer Empire but was eventually recreated into a Buddhist temple around the 12^th century.

Famished after our day-long “temple run”, we bade goodbye to Phalit at Pub Street where we then enjoyed chimichangas, quesadillas, nachos, and hearty tomato soup at Viva Mexican Restaurant. For reaching my maximum step target for the day, I treated myself to a huge glass of frozen margarita which only cost US$1.50. Salud!

Charmed

Another round of ‘chillax’ swimming and lounging by the hotel pool was done on our final day followed by late lunch at Angelina Jolie’s well-loved Siem Reap hang-out, The Red Piano. Their scrumptious Cambodian Fish Amok and Smoked Salmon were instantly devoured by our hungry brood. There’s always room for dessert in our family, so we headed to Blue Pumpkin for yummy ice cream and pastries.

Afterwards, we did last-minute pasalubong shopping at the Old Market and Night Market. More eating ensued, with fruit shakes and local stir-fried noodles, this time around. As we sat contentedly on the plastic chairs by the road savoring our street food, it dawned on me that this short vacation was surprisingly among the best family trips we’ve ever had. We did not just enjoy Siem Reap but endeared ourselves, kids included, to this magical place.  

How can one not fall in love and be charmed with Siem Reap? The Cambodian people were genuinely warm and hospitable; the food choices were exceptionally diverse; and the temples, breathtakingly out-of-this-world! 

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

Back to Baguio

Pardon the 'unrotated' photos. The vertical photos were automatically changed to horizontal orientation by Blogger when I uploaded them. I'm still figuring out how to fix this problem :-)

“Back to Baguio”

Sun.Star Davao, June 16, 2012

As I zipped my pants on the last day of our one-week break, I did not realize that I was in for a shock. They were so tight that I had to inhale deeply so that the buttons could be closed. Blame it on all the glorious food we enjoyed in the City of Pines (and maybe the slower metabolism that comes with age?). No regrets though, as the unforgettable memories we made far outweighed the excess pounds.

Indeed, Baguio will always have a special place in my heart as this was where many childhood summer vacations were spent. Twenty-two years after my last visit, I went back again; this time, with my two daughters and other family members revisiting old favorites and discovering new spots as well.

Braving the almost 6-hour road trip, we were relieved after seeing the iconic Lion’s Head along Kennon Road which meant that we were just a few minutes away from our final destination.

The kids shrieked in delight as they saw our family friend’s impressive rest house at Camp John Hay, which would serve as our home for the next few days. It was not just a log cabin but a well-appointed mansion with its own helipad!

On our first night, we celebrated my mom’s 70^th birthday at the famed Le Chef at The Manor Hotel, also located at Camp John Hay. The fine dining restaurant was truly the ideal venue for the significant milestone. As we ate our sumptuous dinner, Le Chef’s musicians serenaded my mom and sang a birthday song as the staff presented a complimentary personalized mini birthday cake.

The following day, we didn’t have difficulty in waking up the little ones as they eagerly prepared for their most awaited horse ride at Wright Park.

Hundreds of horses and ponies were ours for the choosing with hair colored in different hues---black, brown, blonde, white, hot pink and even the combined colors of the rainbow. As expected, the kids did not settle for anything else than the most vibrant ones. Seeing the kids, each with their individual horses and ponies all lined up was a sight to behold. It reminded me of an old cartoon show during my childhood days, Rainbow Brite.

We opted for the one-hour horse ride (P300 for one hour; P200 for half hour) with tour guide (P150 per hour). It was a terrific choice as we were able to tour around the side roads of Baguio and observed its surroundings more intimately, including the summer home of tycoon Lucio Tan.

Afterwards, we met up with my mom’s Baguio-based first cousin, Aunt Agnes, at Good Shepherd Convent where we stocked up on our pasalubong shopping of peanut brittle, strawberry jam and ube jam. What’s heartening to know is that every time you buy Good Shepherd’s products, you are also supporting the convent’s scholarship fund for the Cordillera Youth.

Lunch was at the Baguio Country Club followed by a private tour of Brent International School, the alma mater of my Aunt Agnes’ kids. Established in 1909, the sprawling campus is spread across thirty hectares of forested land. It was given the status of National Historical Site by the Philippine Historical Commission. My kids and teen niece were awed as we visited the art room where the life-sized masterpieces of the high school students were showcased.

Of course, a visit to Baguio will not be complete without dropping by Burnham Park for its famous boat ride. For P150 an hour, you get to choose from a plethora of boat designs and paddle your own boat around the man-made lake.

We capped off the day with a visit to SM Baguio where we comforted our tummies with traditional Korean food in an al fresco setting.

Another adventure awaited us the next day as we woke up early to pick strawberries at La Trinidad’s Strawberry Farm which is just 30 minutes away from Baguio City.

Because it rained heavily the night before, the farm was muddy and slippery but this did not deter the kids who were extremely excited for their strawberry harvest.

Donning the farm’s rubber boots, the wannabe ‘fruit ninjas’ bended and maneuvered themselves in the narrow rows of the strawberry field picking the juiciest and biggest strawberries they could find.

A few times, they slipped in the leg-deep canals. There was a lot of laughing and teasing in between. But, overall it was one memorable morning as the young ‘farmers’ learned a valuable lesson, “Never take your food for granted”. This message rang true for them as they experienced the hard life of an Ibaloi farmer even only for a brief moment.

Before we headed back to Baguio, we tried the strawberry ice cream being sold in the streets. It was one of the best I’ve tried---creamy with just the right sweetness; and full of fresh fruit bits. It was such a pleasant culinary surprise!

Our next destination was The Mansion, the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines, for some photo ops with the historical structure including its Buckingham Palace-inspired gate.  Outside, there was even an adorable Igorot boy who gamely posed with us for wacky shots.

Mines View Park offered a marvelous view of Benguet’s gold and copper mines as well as the Cordillera mountains. A host of souvenir shops in the area were teeming with keychains, knit products, jewelry, silverworks, food, home décor and a lot more. Fancy wearing a full Igorot costume? Bahag or tapis; vests and headdresses can be rented for a very minimal fee for that perfect “It’s more fun in Baguio” picture.

During the late afternoon, we trooped to one of Baguio’s latest attractions, Tree Top Adventure at Camp John Hay.

My daughters, niece and I tried the Canopy Ride Adventure (P350) which took us from one tower to another via a cable chair with our feet dangling in the air. Changing towers several times, we felt safe as the very efficient Tree Top Adventure staff secured our gear to the cable chair. From 20 feet to 100 feet up, it was an awesome feeling sailing over towering pine trees with the cool mountain breeze gently touching our faces.

Jasper and Arnold, the thrill seekers in the group, tried almost all of Tree Top’s attractions: Superman (P300/zipline), Silver Surfer (P200) and Tree Drop (P150/free fall).

We ended the day with a wonderful meal at Forest House which was awarded as one of the Philippines’ Best Restaurants in 2011.

The 3 Dip Forest House Special Salad (P375) was highly recommended by the friendly staff. It had a generous serving of fresh lettuce, crispy cucumber, carrots, turnips, nuts, raisins and cherry tomatoes. We hand-wrapped the veggies and dipped them in strawberry dressing, blue cheese and honey vinaigrette.

The Forest House Bagnet Family Meal (P1,475) was good for four persons. Bagnet is a must-try Ilocano deep fried pork dish, similar to lechon kawali. The family meal came with garlic rice, Vegetable and Tofu Farmer’s Salad, two kinds of dessert (we chose the heavenly Double Decker Chocolate ala mode and Black and White Torte) and two orders of Goren Pisang, a banana  flambé artistically arranged in fried wanton sheets topped with ice cream.

The group also enjoyed the Baby Back Ribs (P405), T-Bone Steak (P595) and Fettuccine Carbonara (P270).

It was raining hard on our last night so we decided to order hot chocolate from the quaint cottage-style Starbucks at Camp John Hay. At the rest house, we paired this soothing drink with the fresh strawberries harvested earlier in the morning.

Nostalgia sets in and I feel like I am five, falling in love with Baguio all over again.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

Wonder kid writes for a cause

“Wonder kid writes for a cause”

Sun. Star Davao, Feb. 18, 2012

At thirteen year of age, Scott Lee Chua is such an admirable model kid.

A Grade Seven student at Xavier School in Greenhills (Manila), Scott is a consistent first honor student who loves a cornucopia of subjects from math, science, literature, arts, history, music, travel and even magic.

Like his multi-hyphenated mom, Dr. Queena Lee-Chua who is an award-winning author, Phil. Daily Inquirer columnist, psychologist, and Ateneo de Manila Ph.D. professor, Scott is fascinated with complicated mathematical concepts and has the extraordinary ability to explain them in simpler and more understandable terms.

Because of this amazing gift, Scott has been invited to do Math Magic shows and Math Singapore model approach lectures for students, parents and teachers and has represented his school in national and international math competitions, reaping various awards and medals.

Not only does Scott adore numbers, he is a voracious reader and gifted writer as well whose latest achievement is being one of the two youngest winners in the history of the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

Junior adventurer

Scott’s passion for writing started when he was in Prep. The professed Dr. Seuss fan would creatively draw and write his own superhero comic books, which his proud parents would print and give to close friends and relatives as personalized Christmas gifts. By Grade 1, his poem, “Freedom”, was published in the “Junior Inquirer”. His travel articles have also appeared in the “Philippine Daily Inquirer” and “Working Mom” magazine.

His innate writing ability did not go unnoticed by Karina Bolasco, the head of Anvil Publishing. In 2006, Karina asked Scott to do children’s books after seeing his travel diaries. He was invited repeatedly to write for the respected publishing house in 2007 and 2008.

But, it was only in 2009, at the time that his grandfather, Dr. William Lee, passed away, that Scott decided to accept the offer. In 2010, he launched his children’s travels books, “Top Ten Travels in Tokyo; Kuala Lumpur; and New Zealand” in honor of his beloved grandfather.

In his book, he writes, “I started traveling when I was six years old, and I have not stopped since. Mom and Dad love to visit spots and learn about other cultures, and I have inherited this from them”.

However, Scott and his parents do not travel the way other people do. They refrain from joining package tours unless necessary, because they dislike hurrying through wonderful places.

“We want to set our own pace, and linger in spots that we love. We also don’t like to shop, because we prefer to eat new foods, learn new skills, and try out new activities. These are what make travels memorable”, Scott enthuses.

Top Ten Pinoy Travels

“My travel books on Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and New Zealand inspired many kids to visit these thrilling destinations”, the young writer shares.

Despite his foreign travels, Scott heartily shares that he believes that the Philippines is still one of the most beautiful countries with numerous sites waiting for him to tell the whole world. So, for his next writing project, he decided to focus on travels in his homeland. Thus, the “Top Ten Pinoy Travels” featuring Davao, Cebu and Manila was launched in September 2011.

Scott and his supportive parents have a special and soft spot for Davao. Dr. Queena’s best friend since grade school, Julie Tiu (who also happens to be Scott’s godmother) married a Dabawenyo and is currently based here.

With the same enjoyable format as his previous travel series, Scott’s new set of books is perfect for junior adventurers. The amusing and easy-to-read descriptions (both in English and Filipino) highlight the author’s recommended must-see local places. It is also colorfully presented with playful illustrations by graphic artist Rommel “Omeng” Estanislao. Oftentimes, Scott is portrayed in the artwork with his signature blue umbrella.

Writing for a cause

During Scott’s talk and book signing with mom, Dr. Queena, recently at the National Book Store Abreeza, he discussed the topic, “How I Wrote a Book: If I Could Do It, So Could You!”. His mom, on the other hand, engaged the audience with her extensive knowledge on “How to Raise Star Students”.

The day before, Scott was also invited by the Davao Christian High School (DCHS) to give a talk on “Writing for Life” to selected students.

He encouraged the DCHS students to keep on reading. “Read lots of books of all sorts, especially award-winning books. They are only boring if you don’t understand them”, the only child explains.

In the same manner, Scott advises budding writers to “write as much as you can”. He reminds them not to be afraid to be cold as ice towards their story. Learn how to “edit, edit, edit!”.

Scott emphasizes that the youth has a powerful voice; and that they can effectively express themselves by being “entertaining, humorous and witty”. This was how he wrote his piece, “Of Pixels and Power”, which won 2^nd place in the Kabataan Essay Division of the Palanca Awards.

This early, Scott utilizes his voice for a worthy purpose opting to donate both his P5,000 Palanca prize money and proceeds of his published books to the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Technical and Vocational High School. It is a Manila-based school for disadvantaged youth which Xavier School adopted two years ago. His generous donation will help the needy students to purchase food, supplies and other necessities.

A wonder kid with a big heart, Scott indeed lives by his favorite line from the Spiderman movie, “With great power comes great responsibility”.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

(Photo of Scott in Grade 1 courtesy of Xavier School's website)

Ooh la, lah!

“Ooh la, lah!”

Sun.Star Davao, May 28, 2011

Trust me, lah.

(For the unfamiliar, lah is a term used by Singaporeans to place emphasis on the sentence/word before, much similar to our Dabawenyo expressions of man, gani, gyud or lagi).

Aside from Hong Kong, Singapore is one of the must-visit family-friendly getaways in Asia.

With its ideal combination of zoological gardens, theme parks, manmade marvels, glorious (oh, glorious!) food, fabulous shopping as well as pleasant and friendly citizens, adults and kids alike will surely treasure every moment of their holiday in this world class Lion City.

This year’s family vacation was different from our past travels as our intimate group was only composed of my husband, kids and I. Consciously, we planned for an “easy breezy” type of itinerary that was relaxed yet offered a variety of sights and flavors that would fascinate our children who were both first timers in the city.

It’s a jungle out there

A mesmerizing animal adventure awaited us at the 28-hectare Singapore Zoo which is dubbed as the “world’s best rainforest zoo”. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., the verdant tropical rainforest is home to over 2,500 animals.

Our daughters particularly loved seeing the white tigers, elephants, pygmy hippos, Hamadryas baboons, otters, giraffes, zebras, grey kangaroos, penguins, lions, and a lot more in the different exotic areas such as the Treetrops Trail, Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, Elephants of Asia, Australian Outback, Primate Kingdom, Wild Africa, Fragile Forest, Rainforest Kidzworld, etc.

Don’t forget to catch the entertaining and interactive animal presentations at the “Rainforest Fights Back”, “Elephants at Work and Play”, “Splash Safari” and “Animal Friends Show” which are guaranteed to make your kiddos giggle with delight.

For families with small kids, it is wise to avail of the unlimited tram rides (adult $5.00/child $3.00) as the humid Singapore climate and the vast area of the rainforest can take its toll on your junior travelers. With the tram, you can fully appreciate the zoo at your own comfortable pace.

Up, up and away

The Singapore Flyer, the “World’s Largest Observation Wheel”, was our nighttime stop after our sumptuous dinner at Lau Pa Sat, one of Singapore’s most popular hawker centers, where we savored delectable satay, roti and Singapore style noodles.

Prior to riding the Singapore Flyer, we took our sweet time at the new interactive gallery, Journey of Dreams. Here, the kids learned more about Singapore’s rich history as well as future plans and development through high tech animation and awesome technology.

Experiencing the Singapore Flyer, which magnificently towers 165 meters above the city, took our breath away. At night, the panoramic view of Singapore was both romantic and cosmopolitan with its dazzling lights and splendid landmarks.

A star-studded adventure

On our third day in Singapore, Universal Studios was the main agenda from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We literally opened and closed the gates of this famous movie theme park.

After dropping by the thrilling “Lights, Camera, Action!” which is a sound stage with a simulated hurricane disaster, we decided to head back to “Madagascar” for its kid-friendly attractions.

The “Madagascar: A Crate Adventure” was an exhilarating river boat ride with the movie’s well-loved heroes, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria. On the other hand, “King Julien’s Beach Party Go-Round” was a whimsical carousel ride that featured Madagascar’s colorful characters.

At “Far Far Away”, we had a jolly good time at the “Shrek 4-D Adventure” (a 4-dimensional movie extravaganza), “Donkey Live” (an interactive musical live show hosted by Donkey), “Enchanted Airways” (an action-packed junior roller coaster) and “Magic Potion Spin” (a mini medieval ferris wheel).

Heeding warnings from friends that “The Lost World’s” “Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure” was a “wet” ride, we saved the best for last and proceeded to try the “Canopy Flyer”, “Dino-Soarin”, and watched the “WaterWorld”, a live water show with adrenalin pumping stunts and explosions.

“Revenge of the Mummy”, a terrifying indoor roller coaster and “Treasure Hunters”, a leisurely desert jeep adventure at “Ancient Egypt” were also among the most unforgettable parts of our visit.

The “Sci-Fi City” with its “Battlestar Gallactica: Cylon and Human” roller coaster rides is not for the faint-hearted. I was so proud of my nine-year old daughter who bravely faced her fears of heights and “wild” rides.

We first started with the Human ride which zoomed at 82.8 km/h, twisting and turning until it catapulted us to 14 storeys into the air. This was followed by the suspended Cylon coaster which was even more intense with its heart-stopping corkscrew and cobra roll. After trying these two gripping rides, the “Accelerator” was such a welcome and “tame” change.

Finally, after a long and tiring day, we were super ready for the “Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure”, a rousing dinosaur-themed river raft ride. Indeed, our visit ended with a splash and what a splash it was. We got soaked and had barrels of fun!

Exploring the magic of Science

Science Centre Singapore features 1,000 interactive exhibits highlighting the “wonder and beauty of science”. The centre is made up of 12 exhibition galleries such as the “Mind’s Eye”, “Mathematics Everywhere and Everyday”, “Sound Exhibition”, “Discovery Zone”, “Tesla Coil”, “Genome”, among others.

Meanwhile, the 18,000-square meter outdoor space showcases the Ecogarden, Kinetic Garden and Waterworks.

It is said that even if you “spend a mere 5 minutes on each exhibit, it will take at least seven days to see what the centre has to offer”. Remarkable isn’t it?

During our visit, there were plenty of Singaporean students from pre-school to high school who were there for their school field trip. Most of them were eagerly answering their guide questions on the spot as they carefully observed the various interactive exhibits.

We also didn’t dare to miss watching the awe-inspiring “Hubble” documentary at the Omni-Theater, Singapore’s only dome-shaped IMAX theatre.

Witnessing the astronauts repair Hubble through the impressive five-storey high, 23-meter wide giant screen was like journeying with them in outer space.

Dream come true

Eleven years ago while my husband and I were on our honeymoon, we watched Disney’s “The Lion King” musicale at London’s West End. So enthralled was I with the show that I vividly remember whispering to my hubby, “I hope someday, we can let our kids watch this show”.

At last, this long-time dream came true in Singapore when we saw “The Lion King” musicale at the Sands Theater (Marina Bay Sands) with our two daughters.

We were glued to our seats throughout the musicale captivated by the incredible costumes and props, flawless choreography and enchanting music.

Simba, Nala, Scar, Mufasa, Timon, Pumbaa and other well-loved characters came to life that magical night amidst the spectacular African wilderness.

Truly, that perfect evening made our Singapore family vacation more complete and doubly memorable.

What more can I say but, “Ooh la, lah!” ?

(Photo credits: "The Lion King" programme)

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit. www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.