At The Artscience Musuem: Beyond Earth (Media Tour)

 It's been a while since our last trip to the ArtScience Musuem, but when I heard that they have a new exhibition named "Beyond Earth", I knew I had to bring my kids. 

My elder girl, especially, has been showing keen interest in things of the outer space, black hole, planets etc. It's surprising that she is suddenly into all those stuffs, but I also think it's very cool for a teenager to want to find out more about the mysterious outer space that have boggled human beings for millions of years.

I was especially excited about this new VR show that they have - Spacewalkers - where you will literally step into the shoes of astronauts from the famed Apollo missions and explore the future of space travel. It sounded way too cool and I needed to experience it for myself! It turned out to be super mesmerizing and I was really impressed with it, to be honest. It was my first VR experience and it was nothing short of amazing! (Do note that Spacewalkers is a ticketed attraction on top of the museum admission ticket, so get your tickets online before you visit the museum)

We arrived on time for our scheduled slot and entered the Gallery. The setup was adorable! I had envisioned that I would be standing throughout the show, but every person got a comfortable egg-like seat. It was comfortable and cosy, and felt very private. 

After we put on the VR headsets, we started on a 30-minute journey to outer space, as we followed the setting off of the rocket from Earth, arriving in the outer space and eventually landing on the Moon and then Mars. The whole show featured two VR artworks, which both debuted at the first-ever Expanded section of the Venice Film Festival 2020. These works were painstakingly moulded using exclusive archival footage and recordings from NASA on the Apollo missions.

In that 30 minutes, I was completely mesmerized. I looked everywhere - it was like a 360-degree movie! I could look up, down, left, right and all the way to the back - The special chair allows swiveling for that purpose! It felt as real as possible - standing on the Moon and Mars, staring into an endless space. It was breathtaking to say the least, and very impactful for me. I definitely recommend this attraction at ArtScience Museum. =D

After the show ended, we took a walk through some of the current exhibitions at the museum as well. They have a very interesting one named Örchestral Manoeuvres: See Sound, feel sound, be sound. This is basically art exhibited in sounds and movements and every artwork was interesting to watch. There was even this big space where you can be seated right in the centre with speakers facing you from all angles. The result is a surround-sound orchestra performance - except the sounds are all made up of voices of people and chatters from all directions. It was quite a treat for the senses, I must say! And very fun indeed. 

And of course, we couldn't miss the Future World: Where Art Meets Science exhibition. Walking through it is always enjoyable. 

I've always enjoyed a visit to the ArtScience museum - It's just a great treat for all my senses! And very therapeutic as well, as I walk around appreciating the beautiful and delicate fusion of art and science in this space. Before the school holiday comes to an end, bring your family and spend some time there!

Tickets can be purchased online from their website. 

Time Capsule At The Singapore Flyer (Media Review)

 It's been ages since we last flew to anywhere, with international flights restricted in the last one year, and expected to be so for another year or so. So, when the Singapore Flyer invited us to check out their latest attraction - "Time Capsule" and to take to the skies in the Singapore Flyer, we gladly agreed because that's the best we can get during this season. With the March school holidays in full swing now, consider bringing your whole family to check out this new attraction to learn all about the history and development of Singapore, and enjoy some quality family time together in the Flyer! Some highlights of the 'Time Capsule' just to give you a sneak peek. For the full experience, you need to visit yourself. It's really an exhibition with a full immersive experience like none of the other attractions I've been to. Honestly, I was quite impressed!

What I loved about the whole attraction was how immersive it felt. The light projections were changing rapidly all around, even on the floors! It made me feel like I was literally going through the time machine, spiraling through history. Very nice!

For my kids, they were intrigued by the wonderful graphics and informative news about what Singapore has gone through in terms of culture, heritage and landscape, especially for my 15-year-old who's majoring in History in school. We love an educational exhibition anytime! 

The attraction spans over two storeys, and you can choose to end with a ride on the Singapore Flyer - It's supposed to be a seamless experience from the past to the modern Singapore we live in today!

The graphics were impressive, really! You need to be there to experience it for yourself!

Before we exited the attraction, we left a family print on their digital wall! One for the memories!

The Time Capsule is a standalone attraction, but of course, your experience will be more complete if you purchase the package that comes with the Singapore Flyer ride as well. The package price for both Time Capsule and the Singapore Flyer is SGD40 for adults (13 years old & above) and SGD25 for children. Book directly online for special discounts! Get your tickets here.

I Love A Good Staycation! Intercontinental Singapore

It felt so surreal when we stepped into Intercontinental Singapore for our first staycation after a year! 2020 has been a most peculiar year that has not been easy at all, even for a homebody like me. I was so excited about our couple staycation the night before we checked in, especially when it's one of our favorite hotels of all time!

The hospitality was impeccable. Check-in time was at 2pm, but when we arrived at the hotel at 11am, wanting to deposit our bags at the concierge, they informed us that the room was ready! We were given the Junior Suite and the sheer size of the room blew us away!

The Junior Suite comes with a spacious living room and a separate bedroom - We were there to celebrate our wedding anniversary, so the kids didn't join us, but the room was definitely big enough to accommodate them as well! Love the classic and timeless furnishings and decorations in the suite, as well as little Peranakan touches here and there. Super cosy and comfortable!

The bedroom was dressed in the same classy tones for a really cosy night of rest. Both the living area and the bedroom came with their own flatscreen TV, and we spent hours just lazing in the room watching movies! It was THE LIFE - so relaxing and chill. :) The husband and I were just saying that we couldn't even remember the last time we felt so relaxed and rested! The Covid pandemic had inevitably caused emotional and mental stress on all of us, and this was a really good break and probably the best option now since international travel is still restricted.

The bathroom came furnished with a bath tub as well as a standing shower area, with essentials provided as usual. The only hint that we were still in the Covid pandemic was the disposable masks and hand sanitizers provided by the hotel as part of their kind gesture.

We were informed at check-in that we could opt to have our breakfast delivered to the room the next morning or have it at the hotel restaurant - Ash & Elm. We decided to enjoy it at the restaurant because I love how beautiful the restaurant is! 

See what I mean? :)

Ambience plays a big part in completing the dining experience and I was really happy to start my day here.

As buffets are not allowed during this season, the staff handed us a menu to choose our set breakfasts from. I actually liked it this way because everything was served to us at our table!

Warm breads, muffins and fruits were served to our table as starters, along with our coffees and teas. 

I opted for a local breakfast set, while the husband had a Western set. Both looked so good! My set came with a claypot porridge, assorted dim sum, kaya butter toast and a soft-boiled egg.

The Western set came with sunny side up, bacon, sausages, hashbrown, grilled mushrooms & tomato and baked beans - you know, the full works.

Thanks to Intercontinental Singapore, we had a restful staycation to celebrate our wedding anniversary and just enjoy our long-awaited rest! This hotel will always be one of our top choices for several reasons:

1. Service is top-notch from the concierge to housekeeping and restaurant staff,

2. It is conveniently located within the compound of Bugis Junction, which means access to shopping malls, lots of restaurants and cafes and entertainment. There are abundance of late-night supper spots all around as well. 

3. Cosy and comfortable rooms for best quality of rest and rejuvenation.

If you are planning a staycation with your family for the upcoming year end school holidays, check out their Family First Package - https://singapore.intercontinental.com/offers/family-first. Since we are not likely to be able to travel leisurely overseas this year, a staycation would be the next best vacation plan you can have. With the SingapoRediscover vouchers given by the government this December, you can absolutely plan for a great staycation soon! I wish you all a very happy year-end season in advance! :)