Oh hello again, Singapore!

Time flies by so quickly. I can’t believe our last Singapore trip was three years ago! Carlos and I were newlyweds then, so you can say it was a different kind of experience as it was just the two of us. I remember how excited we were to see all of Singapore, so we covered as much ground as we could and shuttled off from one place to another in order to see everything. We left the hotel early and got home late every single day (you can read about our Singapore couples experience HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE) and even met up with family and with one of our best friends who was working there at the time.

This recent family trip had a slower, more relaxed pace. We now have a son, Tristan, who is a year and three months old. Our little boy is already walking, babbling and making his own decisions–like he already knows how to ask for things and say NO. He eats the same food as we do but still breastfeeds, and of course, he has his routine to follow, which includes taking naps and going to bed at around the same time everyday. Needless to say, our itinerary revolved around him, and Carlos and I took turns feeding him, playing with him, changing his nappies, giving him a bath and putting him to sleep. This vacation is completely different from our past trips but I have to say, I have a new-found appreciation for Singapore. It is truly a baby and family-friendly city, and our little guy had the absolute best time!

One thing you should know about Tristan is that he loves nature. We noticed this when he was only a few months old and saw that he always took the extra time to look and study the trees and play with animals. His best friend at home is Lily, our sharpei-mix dog, who he would always hug and play with. And no surprise here, his favorite place in the whole world is the park. Maybe that’s why my husband and I have been so excited about this Singapore trip, because we knew he would appreciate all the lush greenery, and all its attractions (they have an award-winning zoo, impressive aquariums and kid-friendly museums). Singapore is perfect for an inquisitive little toddler, because it so close to nature at the same time very safe and child-friendly. So of course, we made sure our little guy saw as many amazing trees, flowers and animals as he could so we brought him to Gardens By The Bay, the River Safari and the Singapore Zoo.

Gosh, a lot of firsts happened in this trip, and I couldn’t help but feel sentimental because (1) our baby is growing up so fast, and (2) I remember how wonderful my first time in Singapore was as I got to go with my grandparents (who are no longer with us). This was a truly special trip for our family, and Tristan will always be my little sweet, observant toddler in my eyes (no matter how big he gets) thanks to this amazing vacation. Allow me to blog about these memorable firsts while they are still fresh in my mind.

1.) The first time Tristan saw SUPERTREES. I’ve been amazed with these giant structures from the moment I first saw them, which is why I made sure this was on our itinerary when we went with Tristan. These Supertrees are 16 storeys high and are made of of four parts: reinforcement concrete core, trunk, planting panels of the living skin, and canopy. What’s more, they are embedded with environmentally sustainable functions like photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy and they light up so beautifully at night (using the solar energy, of course). Of course, for Tristan these were simply amazing, especially when he realized we could actually go up and see the view from the top.

2.) The first time Tristan didn’t want to ride the stroller, as he wanted to walk like us. This was a little surprising, because we assumed he would prefer being on the stroller the entire trip. But, as we found out he wanted to practice walking so he held on the side of the stroller and walked as we pushed the stroller. This slowed us down a little, but there was no hurry anyway. We were happy to take in the view. P.S. Our little boy is growing up so fast!

3.) The first time Tristan saw the breathtaking view of Singapore’s skyline. We went up the Supertrees and as we walked along the bridgeway we admired the gorgeous view of Singapore. This never gets old–it is so picture perfect, as you can see. Tristan kept pointing at the buildings, and pretended to count how many there were. He even said, “boat”, when he saw Marina Bay Sands!

4.) The first time Tristan saw dancing lights. We waited for nighttime so we could watch the Supertrees light show. It was worth the wait, we had such a ball watching the lights and listening to the music while we lay down on the grass. Usually Tristan gets impatient when we stay long in an area, but with this show he happily stayed on and watched.

5.) The first time Tristan saw the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. We just had to take him to see the CLOUD FOREST, even if it was nighttime. For those of you who haven’t been, this is an amazing 35-metre “mountain” covered in lush vegetation. Of course, this is where you can find the world’s tallest indoor waterfall that showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level. We got a little wet as we went near the waterfall for the photo. I expected Tristan to cry, but I was so surprised he was actually laughing! He loved the waterfall!

6.) The first time Tristan saw giant river fish up close. The River Safari was one of the highlights of our trip. It is Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife park where you can see more than 6,000 aquatic and land animals (over 200 species) from all over the world. Tristan loves fish, because my husband introduced it to him when he was still an infant. We have a huge aquarium at home so Tristan sees how his dad takes care of them and feeds them so this was something I knew he appreciated. I recommend this place for the kids–it is such a wonderful place to learn about different kinds of fish, plus they also have sea otters, dugong and a polar bear!

7.) The first time Tristan had a staring contest with a crane. This was hilarious. Our little guy didn’t want to move–all he wanted to do was pet the birds. We noticed there was one bird that stood out, the oldest one who kept looking at Tristan. And Tristan stared right back at him.

8.) The first time Tristan saw panda bears. They had two giant pandas and a fluffy red panda–so cute! We were lucky to have caught them eating and relaxing as usually they just stay inside their resting areas. We reminded our little guy of the movie we always watch with him, Kung Fu Panda, and later on he kept pointing and smiling at them. This is a must-see!

9.) Tristan’s first encounter with sea otters, dugong and a polar bear! This was pretty amazing–our little tyke got to watch these animal swim and play. We spent quite some time in this area because he didn’t want to leave.

10.) Tristan’s first time at a zoo. This zoo is actually award-winning–it won #1 zoo in Asia for 2014 and 2015, and #3 zoo in the world in 2015! I loved how healthy and happy the animals looked, and there are no cages! It houses more than 2,800 animals with over 300 species, had the world’s first free-ranging orang utan exhibit, and is one of the only places where you can see polar bear, wolverines and raccoon dogs. Tristan was so happy to see his favorite storybook animals in the flesh.