When you are travelling with children, keeping them in tow is nearly impossible. I might never be able to understand what happens to them during a vacation – they run around more than usual, want to eat only junk food, do everything they are told not to and worse, they start talking back. It’s like they think that they are on a break from all the discipline that I try to instill in them round the clock. Or maybe they think a vacation is a reward for being obedient and it’s the time for them to cash in on the reward points.

Whatever it is, they drive you crazy, therefore, we always plan our holidays to destinations that have enough things for kids to keep them occupied so that we can also get a break of our own. This time around, we went to Singapore – naturally beautiful, artistically modern and kids-friendly (top priority for us!).

Before visiting the country, I had imagined it to be a much-advanced version of my city packed with neat streets, remarkable infrastructure, beautiful coastal area, and green spaces, here and there. However, it turned out to be a totally different picture. Green spaces are more than just a number of trees, coast is lined with splendid beaches, the infrastructure is indeed remarkable, beyond you could imagine, and streets are squeaky clean. Here are the best places that kept each member of my family thoroughly and very curiously engaged:

Singapore Zoo

As commonplace as it sounds, this is no ordinary zoo. It’s a rainforest zoo. Did you know that Singapore is one of the very few cities in the world with its very own rainforest? The best part for me was our breakfast with orangutans, but my little ones enjoyed their time in Arctic Tundra, where we saw polar bears and wolverines for the first time. The zoo is so large and so many zones that even a single day is not enough for checking everything out. We were on a time crunch, so we left early but not before visiting the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

Night Safari

The hotel concierge raved about it so much that we just had to go. In other words, my little angels (driven by the devils) didn’t let us sleep until we gave into their demand. The next thing we knew was that we were on the Wallaby Trail. Despite the fact that we were forced to go there, the experience was worth the trouble as both my kids were back to being angels again. The 40-minute tram ride was both, very exciting and educating, and the Creatures of the Night show was simply mindblowing!

Underwater World

That was the real treat. We walked under the water in a lane watching schools of fishes swimming right above our head. Embark on this incredible journey with much enthusiasm as you will learn a great deal from this experience. You will see the kind of fishes that you didn’t even know existed. After spotting marine animals we went straight to Dolphin Lagoon, where we played with pink dolphins and watched them perform for an audience.

Universal Studios

One thing I liked a lot about Singapore is the way every attraction here is stocked with activities for both children and adults. And Universal Studios is no exception. Transformers, Shrek, Madagascar, Jurassic Park… name the movie and a themed zone or rides are available here. My younger ones were happy at the Far Far Away castle and screamed their lungs out riding the Carousel. However, there were more thrilling rides for adults and my husband and cousin took three of them. I can’t get on rides, just the idea makes me sick, but we stayed back up until 9:00 pm to catch fireworks show.

Snow City

The indoor snow centre was the perfect way to end a perfect holiday. On the last day of our trip, we escaped the tropical heat and entered the world of eternal snow. Make sure you go for snow tubing, skiing and snowboarding and if your kids are way too young for that, just let them run around the igloos, have a snowball fight and enjoy the soft white blanket of snow.

From this trip to Singapore, I learn that taking vacations with family is not just about having fun but also letting your children uncover the world. Let your angels discover the amazing wildlife and splendid beauty that there is in the world, apart from different culture and lifestyle. Give them a chance to get a different perspective.