We have had to make a quick return to Singapore so the kids can catch their flight to Sydney to be back in time for Christmas. We stayed again at The Royal India which is a bit expensive ($100 Aus.) for a family room but is in a great position for our dining forays. The group has reached a decision to spend a day shopping on Orchard Road, a day at the zoo and a day of rest before the kid's flight.
Orchard Road is unbelievable. Now that the locals have embraced Christmas giving in major way the crowds are in full flight two days before Christmas Eve. The road is just department store after department store and the girls are happy, happy, happy. Geordie and I are happy to roam Mustafa's as it is closer to home. The MRT system is wonderful and it does make getting around in Singapore cheap and convenient.
We have discovered a yum cha/dim sum shop and an internet cafe on the same block as The Royal India so we don't have to move far. The yum cha shops are slowly disappearing due to their easygoing nature (the idea is to sit, drink tea and eat snacks) and the younger generation don't have the time to spend. We also find an Indian favourite, with chapati and veg. curries. on Serangoon Road and eat their each night. The added bonus is the a sweets shop is directly across the road so each meal is not complete until we have demolished a few gulab jamuns. Stick to Serangoon Road and you can't miss them.
The Zoo is not just fantastic it has actually improved and must now rank as one of the best in the world surely. I haven't been to San Diego but wow this would be hard to beat. Probably our favourite spot was a little publicised enclosure where you could walk through and be up close with mouse deer, lemurs, sloth and baby and quite a few parrots esp. at feeding time! The Ethiopian Drift Valley exhibit with the Baboons, the polar bear enclosure and the primate area were our favourites. We took the MRT and the bus option to get there which was painless and took about 1hr and 20 min. the Zoo bus was our return option but it goes directly to Orchard Road and traffic so if you are staying in Little India it is not such a good option.
The children flew home with Singapore Airlines and were given priority status which meant they were escorted through customs both ways and looked after by staff during the trip. They enjoyed the Toblerone chocolates particularly. If you need to use the service it is just a matter of requesting it and ensuring that whomever meets them at the other end has formal identification eg driver's licence.
