Roland Lefevre
As one of Asia's favorite holiday hubs, the Lion City offers a plethora of engaging activities for the whole family. From night safaris to beach fun, here are the city's top activities for families.
As the Lion City's iconic recreational hub Sentosa Island can rightly be described as Singapore's theme park haven. Accessible via cable cars this leisure island is home to Asia's one and only Universal Studios theme park. Littered with engaging rides and adventure zones based on iconic cartoon and beloved film franchises by Universal Studios families can literally lose themselves in this land of fantasy and whimsy. Home to Underwater World families heading to Sentosa can also interact with pink dolphins at the famed Dolphin Lagoon and uncover hundreds of marine species at this world famous aquarium. The Fantasy Land water park is another must-experience highlight at the island which is also home to three pristine beaches.
Revered as a pioneer in the open zoo concept the Singapore Zoo is ranked among the world's top wildlife enclosures for a host of good reasons. Sprawled across 28 hectares the locale is home to a whopping 3600 animals belonging to more than 315 species. With vast enclosures built to resemble the forest habitats of its inhabitants the Singapore Zoo is an award winning edutainment hub that attracts an impressive 1.6 million visitors annually. Home to the world's premier nocturnal wildlife compound the Night Safari tour is a must-have experience for all families touring Singapore. Exploring the zoo's nocturnal inhabitants in the veil of night visitors can get up close and personal with the endangered and threatened nocturnal creatures occupying the zoo.
As a melting pot of diverse cultures families vacationing in Singapore can get an up-close and personal look at the three principal ethnicities that has shaped the country in special areas where the individual culture, cuisine and vibrancy of each culture is celebrated in a community centre. No tour of Singapore would be complete without a stopover at Kampong Glam, the country's Malay stronghold where Malaysian delicacies as well as consumer items are sold in shop houses. Chinatown is a food lover's dream with hawker streets and street food vendors offering the best of Chinese cuisine at reasonable rates. Shopaholics can also shop for souvenirs and other curios with the bargain prices of Chinatown or head down to Little India and uncover a colourful maze of Indian style stores selling everything from spices to sunglasses.
A must-visit point of interest for families with children the Singapore Science Centre is a one of a kind science museum designed with young children in mind. As a premier educational attraction in the city the museum is made up of 14 galleries that aim to educate the masses on the wonders of science through cutting edge, interactive exhibits that number over a thousand. Spread out across 20,000 square feet the museum also encompasses an Aviation Gallery as well as a 3D IMAX theatre.
Tipped to be one of Asia's most breathtaking bird parks Singapore's Jurong Bird Park is another iconic wildlife enclosure ideal for families. Sprawled across 20.2ha the venue is home to more than 600 species of birds while a whopping 8000 winged beauties are known to occupy its confines. Divided in to a Southeast Asian Birds Aviary, African Waterfall Aviary, Bird Discovery Centre and a Lory Loft Aviary the locale's most coveted spot is the highly awarded African Wetlands enclosure. Visitors based in well- situated Singapore 5 star hotels such as The Westin Singapore will have easy access to the park and other attractions in the city.
