The Land of Bricks and Nasi Lemak

Lego. Who doesn't know what Lego is?

Legoland Malaysia opened it's doors to Asia and the world early this year. And we were lucky enough to have been able to book a trip with everyone's busy schedule. At the very least, our short holiday included one full day to spend at Legoland, and lounge around the days before and after.

We went to Johor Bahru, Malaysia with little knowledge on how to go about our trip. All we knew was the name of our hotel and where we were going, Legoland. Nothing new, we were in the same situation as we were when we went to Penang earlier this year. It's good to get lost. Trains, bus rides, long queues, immigration and four kids. No problem.

We went on this trip with Jakjak's cousins; the twins and a ruckus. The first thing you notice is how burning hot it is. You could probably cook an egg on the pavement, no kidding. I had Jakjak and the twins cool off in the ATM booth while waiting for our tickets. I had high hopes that the kids would enjoy the park, but with the sun against us, not so much for the parents.

Legoland differs itself from other theme parks with it's, well, theme. Which is, half of the park is made up of Lego bricks. At it's core, it is still a theme park with rides and attractions designed to entertain anyone from 3 years onward. While some of the more extreme rides like roller coasters exist in the park, you can't help but think that the place was designed more with children in mind. Not surprising, Lego is a learning toy, and is considered for kids. You do appreciate the uniqueness of the Lego-themed rides and attractions, based on Lego's diverse line of bricks (when I was a kid, a Lego brick was a Lego brick). From the basic Duplo all the way to Technic, the areas were designed to mimic the general feel for who these types of Legos were made for. That being said, Lego has tons of products and you can't expect them all to be in front of you. Duplo made up the babies area of the park where parents can (supposedly) drop off the kids and get a sitter to look after them while they stroll in the park. Technic hosted an intriguing coaster that was shot up per car. Academy had Lego building classes that you can get your kids to take a part in (gladly would as it's in an airconditioned building!).

The park itself is not really that big. You can probably get the Legoland experience in one day. Of course, that's taking into account that you don't need to go on each ride and attraction. The queues on the main rides can take up to an hour, and there are classes for kids that are scheduled with fixed intervals. One ride per area can get you through the park. Mini-land may take a little longer if you like to stare at the details. It was a mixed experience as we went there twice, first in the scorching heat and second as the sun was going down and the lights on the building were being turned on. I would suggest leaving it for winding down. Apart from the day being a bit cooler, you would end up in getting the evening view where the lights start to open up on the buildings and streets of the Lilliputian metropolis that it represents. 

It's a brilliant concept. One that kids would enjoy. If only the place had more trees ...

Lighting Up The Night

The Singapore Night Festival. It's a time in Singapore where, for a difference, the museums are open at night. It has been a yearly event that I remember from when we first went to one. I still remember braving the rain on the first Night Festival that we went to. Not just the rain, but we had no idea how to get there in the first place. We were lost and wet, but we were hooked. Nothing plays with your senses like light and shadows.

We hoped that there would be no rain that night, and thankfully, there was none. Singapore being Singapore though, it was still hot and humid even without the scorching sun. Still, it was a good night. The displays were playful and inviting. I mean, who can resist a bunch of eyeballs looking down at you from three stories up, right?

The Night Festival stretches through the museums from Bras Basah all the way to Dhoby Ghout. Unfortunately, we aren't that young anymore, that, and Jakjak is not as keen in walking as much as we used to. So we spent most of the night at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM). We saw giant eyeballs, a humongous aquarium (filled with goldfish) and shadows playing. The highlight for SAM would be the light projections on the building's facade. Cinematic images projected to the shape, nooks and crannies of the art deco building. It morphed from jungles to futurism and decay. I'm sure the artists had a blast creating those effects. It felt a bit lacking though, like it didn't have enough oomph to lift up the night. I guess they left that for the pyrotechnics reserved to the National Museum of Singapore (NSM).

We still managed to walk around and enjoy the busy atmosphere. Tourists and non-touriststs alike were taking up the streets like ants (adding to the heat and humidity). Still, there were street performances spread across the estate it seems, making sure that the whole event was never without a gap. It was still a very good night. A night filled with art and lights. It's amazing really, how Singapore manages these things year in and year out. All the better for the kids I say (and the kids at heart).

Adventure Day At Universal Studios Singapore | 2012

Just like when Enchanted Kingdom opened in the Philippines all those years ago, we weren't that excited when Universal Studios Singapore opened in October 2009. It was not because we were not interested nor were we too eager to go there. It's just that feeling of "it's right there in my backyard, so what's the rush", right?

Well, the time finally came that we had time and expenses to spare to go to Universal Studios Singapore. And we went with cousins and family, which made the trip more fun for everyone.

When you have a child, there are some priorities that you need to consider when going to theme parks. On this instance, you realize that not all rides are kid friendly. Flashback to a few years back, Jakjak barely reached the minimum height for the rides at Escape theme park in Pasir Ris. It wasn't a pretty sight seeing him sad and disappointed. So this time, I had hoped that he would be able to ride most of the attractions at Universal (and thankfully, he is! and most rides will allow smaller children to ride with an adult companion).


First stop then, Madagascar. It was a water raft ride where you go on board a raft and watch Madagascar come to life with Alex, Gloria, Marty, Melman and the penguins. Entertaining, but definitely kidstuff. 

Transformers, The Ride was up next. We expected the queue to be long, and it is but it was acceptable. Plus the kids did get to push buttons and hit switches while waiting in line so it wasn't at all that boring. Action packed 4D awesomeness. We all enjoyed it. Jakjak and Andrae (his cousin) enjoyed it so much that they had another go at it (and they also figured out that there were 3D glasses for children).

A dizzying Accelerator ride with the kids and Revenge of the Mummy coaster for the adults later and most of us were already pretty stumped. The heat does that to you, I guess.

We soon arrived at Jurassic Park where a flying Pteranadon ride called Dino-soarin' gave the youngest of our pack their first ride (we brought along 1yo twins!). Fun, but again, kidstuff, even by Jakjak's standards. It was the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure that took the heat off our bodies though. Literally. As the warning sign at the ride entrance says "you will get wet, possibly soaked". They weren't kidding. Ponchos were available to buy, but we were there to get wet, and we did. The combination of action, suspense, darkness and getting wet was all good. The best ride for us thus far (yes, even better than Transformers). I am no theme park expert, but these rides are real and beat altered reality (3D and 4D) rides by a margin.

The drying pod didn't do us any good, so we lined up for the next ride that we thought might do the trick, the Canopy Flyer. It wasn't really a roller coaster, but you sit on a canopy, feet dangling over air and it wasn't really slow. Not at all. Fun and tame for adults, but exciting enough for kids at 122cm (and above). That was the last ride for the day though. The park closed it's doors as it was getting dark. Seven o'clock was the final call.

We ended the day taking more pictures. With lunch, snacks and ice cream thrown in between. That, and lots of liquid and fans. A little bit of shopping (we did get vouchers with our tickets after all), a good hearty dinner and it was lights out (if only we lived a tad bit nearer). It's interesting to note that you can have tons of fun with your kids here, although it doesn't come cheap. You can consider multiple trips with an annual pass, which is not cheap outright. However, if you take 3 or more trips and don't mind the queue, then it is well worth the price it is offered at.

Penang With A 6 Year Old | 2011

I know that toddlers and kids can be a handful on holiday trips. In fact, they can be a handful on the most normal of days. We knew that before Judy booked our flights and accommodations. We knew that ever since we had our own toddler to be honest. But it didn't stop us from booking a trip anyway. In fact, bringing Jakjak on the trip was a reason in itself to go on this holiday. This is part of his birthday celebration (which he is happy about).

Jakjak has a curiosity in him that is complemented by his wild imagination. The effects of watching Nat Geo and History HD has actually given him a broader perspective of the world around him (I reckon he already knows how small we are in the grand scheme of the world). This reality is augmented in turn by his much loved Dr. Seuss books. So I can only imagine his brain thinking about talking elephants walking down the streets of Penang. Which is highly unlikely, but we tend not to discourage him.

One thing you have to expect when you have Jakjak with you is to expect the unexpected. One moment his spirits are up and high and the next he's down and miserable (taking down everybody with him). The best way to cope with these mood swings is to initially go with the flow and slowly re-direct. It doesn't always work, and it is usually a frustrating few minutes before we get him down to a manageable mood.

Toys and games are another way to reign control back momentarily (at least until you get your bearings back). We only brought 1 of his toys on this trip (he wanted to bring his entire drawer - because he said he would miss them), but ended up getting him bits and pieces along the way. Our iPod batteries were drained every night because it's the only way to get control back sometimes. But again, the only way to enjoy this trip was to get everybody on the same page at the same time. Patience (boatloads of it) is key. Luck comes in second. And third is, well, since there was no plan to begin with, simply enjoy the ride (however rough it may be at times).

Day Four, Kulala Lumpur | 2011

The plan was to lounge all day and soak in the tub. That was because after a tiring day, we did not really look up much about things to do and places to go in the city center of Kuala Lumpur. Not until the morning anyway.


We deposited our bags in one of the luggage drops at KL Central, our flight not until 6 more hours, we figured that we had time to kill. If only it wasn't so hot.

Central was your typical metropolitan city. Buildings everywhere, buses, cars, chaos. Well, not as chaotic as some places I've seen, but chaotic enough to be near annoying. In order to get to the mall (shopping, window shopping), we needed to take a train further in to the city. What we have in Singapore, is leagues better compared to KL, but it's decent public transportation. Unfortunately, there aren't that many english translations on the signage and it becomes a guessing game. Yep, another great day to get lost.

Our exploration this time was urban. Nothing really spectacular where we walked to, but this place is definitely bustling compared to Penang. The malls were clean and plenty. We managed to walk through 3 interlinked malls that offered food, shopping and shelter during our waiting time. Prices were decent, it was slightly cheaper here than in Singapore, but only just. There were more toys (variety) here as well, which was all me and Jakjak needed to know. However, traveling light meant no excess baggage. So we had to manage our hand carry bags.

Buses, or what they call coaches here are a good way to travel. They have enough room for weary passengers and their luggage. Even loud kids. It was also comfortable enough to catch a cat-nap on the way to the airport. We finally landed in Singapore by 10PM and the rest is history. It was tiring, but I have to ask, is there any trip that isn't?

Day Three, Malaysia | 2011

This was going to be a tightly packed day. We had half a day left for Penang and the rest of the day has been marked for travel from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, road trip! No, not really.

We headed off to have breakfast at Ai Koh as early as we were able to (all things considered, we managed pretty good). I'm not familiar with history or old Chinese traditional eateries, but if I was adept, I would say that this place was it. It not only had the ambience, but it had great tasting food as well. Best dimsum I've had so far. Jakjak wasn't all that impressed nor happy about it, but I take it because we had to wake him up way before his usual call time (which is 10AM).

The time we consumed for transit between Penang and KL was an un-godly 4 hours. This included land transfers, air travel, airport waiting time and wading time (those odd moments that we had to stop for absolutely no reason). Somehow, we survived without getting too mashed up with each other (don't ask me how, I was surprised myself). So we arrived at our KL hotel (Pacific Regency, Kulala Lumpur) just within supper time, and what a relief that hotel room was. After the slight chaos with travel, the punishing hot weather and Manila-reminding traffic, our suite was paradise.

Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, we made our way to KL's Petronas Towers. It, thankfully was just a few blocks from our hotel, it had restaurants and malls and was just right to end our day. Dinner at Nando's was good, and Jakjak made it his goal to arrange and re-arrange the four spice bottles in that fancy looking rack while waiting for our food. And even with a little bit of resistance, supper ended up better than expected. Of course, Jakjak had motivation as the restaurant was situated inside KLCC and the mall was just above us, perfect for hunting toys. And hunt he did, because by the time we got home, he managed to snag a good number of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars (and so did dad). I was not really that impressed with the towers. I don't know if I was just tired or if we just didn't have the right angle of view. But my short time there did not get any of my juices flowing. It's a great piece of architecture, yes, but I did not find it very inviting nor grand. Maybe I was just tired.


We retired to a great king sized bed that fit the 3 of us comfortably and Jakjak retired to a bath tub soaked warm bath.

Day Two, Penang | 2011

I woke up early enough in the morning for my photo-walk as it was proving to be a chore to do it with both Jakjak and Judy in tow all the time. We were moving all the time to keep Jakjak distracted. So I managed a good old and rustic shoot for my personal collection and got back home in time to take the two out for brunch.

One extra thing we packed for the trip are "emergency rations" which consisted of instant noodles, single pack cereals and oat bars. The noodles were a best seller as this day proved.

We asked for a "teksi" from the front desk as our own attempt to map our route proved to be unreliable. Uncle taxi driver was kind enough to bring us to our first two sites, the Reclining Buddha Temple and a Burmese Temple. Both were interesting in their own way. The reclining buddha temple was where we looked for our star sign counterparts and where Jakjak offered to the deities. The Burmese temple was a little less serious, but more diverse than the RB temple we were at. A little more than half an hour later and we were back with Uncle, ready to take us to our next destination, Penang Hill.

Penang Hill gave us cool winds, a good meal and a view. It overlooks most of Penang and for roughly a buck, you can see the sights through a pair of binoculars. What tickled Jakjak's fancy here was actually a big heavy snake. I don't like snakes, they give me goosebumps. Apparently not Jakjak. One other highlight was Penang Hill's train which shoots up and down the hill (literally) to ferry guests. Climbing up a hill on a near vertical climb with sufficient knowledge about gravity is a bit scary. But we loved it, it was a great way to travel.

Dinner led us to Georgetown's White Coffee restaurant. It seems like white coffee is a country wide claim to fame. Georgetown did not disappoint. Another great meal, a good night's walk home, a near-perfect ending to another "we got lost" day (you would need to discount the tantrum attacks to make it perfect, unfortunately).

Day One, Penang | 2011

Surprisingly, the day did not start as grumpy as we were expecting. You see, waking Jakjak up before 9AM usually meant a struggle (he is simply not used to waking up early). So, we managed to get our acts together and taxi our way to the airport. To the wrong terminal. So it was good that we had time to spare for breakfast and walking.

This is not the first time Jakjak would be flying, in fact, he's flown more times than I have in his 6 years than I have in my 36 odd ones. The only thing that was not so pleasant was the waiting. That coupled with Jakjak's occasional impatience and baby tantrums made waiting time feel longer than it actually is. However, we did survive, and it was not a reason to not enjoy our trip.


Georgetown is a heritage site. And it showcased a living, breathing piece of Malysia's history. I, personally, am a big fan of old towns. Coming from one myself, there is a certain charm that only these types of towns can manifest. For the most part of the day, Jakjak had been happily enjoying the trip (as tiring as it was proving to be), and mum was as well (planning and setup credits to mum's superb bargain hunting skills).

Kids, for the most part, are generally not interested in going out for trips. Not unless it's a trip to the toy store or grandma's house. We are happy to report that Jakjak did enjoy going on this trip. Tantrums aside, he was generally cooperative and curious when we visited the Kuan Yin temple (I think, I'm not 100% sure if it's the right temple). I guess growing up with Nat Geo and Discovery Channel in your TV viewing helped to arouse his curiosity and at the same time his interest in things other than toys and playing. We also managed to get to the Chocolate Boutique where we all enjoyed tasting chocolates (chili-chocolate anybody?) and buying some ourselves.

We went armed with nothing but tidbits of information, cabin baggage, bumblebee (for Jakjak) and minds set for adventure. It was a good day to get lost.