Our Favourite tips for Bali And Singapore

A selection of tips and suggestions to make your journey more enjoyable, we hope they help you gain more from your travel experience. Please add your comments at the bottom of this page and I can regularly add them in to this blog for other to share. It's great to hear of others special things too.

BALI:
Our favourite places to eat: (Bali has come of age with fabulous eateries everywhere - you can spend BIG bucks if you want, but it's not necessary to eat really well)

UBUD:

• Casa Luna (great salads, drinks, pizza & you just have to try the chocolate brownies - 12 years later and they are still the best!)



Indus Restaurant Bali

• Indus - sister restaurant to Casa Luna - go for lunch - the views are fabulous
• Many, many along monkey forest road - all pretty good
• THE LOTUS - had a fabulous atmosphere and if you go on a night where there's a performance you get a free view if seated along the lotus pond
• There's a new restaurant called THE BRIDGE set to open which looks like it will be pretty special if they get the food as good as the location

SEMINYAK/LEGIAN/KUTA:





Aromas vegetarian restaurant


• Seaside restaurants along the strip between double 6 and the Hotel Jayakarta (all pretty good - TEKOR had great authentic dishes with really friendly staff that accommodated kids wonderfully, however, most along this strip are great)
 
• AROMAS is always good for heaps of vegetarian options
• THE BALI BAKERY is terrific for when a sweet tooth hits, a little further out (5-10 minutes on a motor bike), open late for sweet treats
• MADE'S in Seminyak is always fun with a large menu (the one in Kuta seems a little tired now)
• BALI BOULENGERIE - near Bintang supermarket is bustling and fun




The Bali Bakery Treats!


• ZULA - organic vegetarian food
• On the beach - try a toasted jaffle from the seaside stalls
• FOR THE KIDS: Fussy eaters - try the food court at Kartika Plaza, not like our cheap food courts, more like a series of small restaurants, where you can bring food from any to one table and please everyone at once, most meals are 10,000 - 30,000rp ($1-4) 

• NEEDING SOMETHING RESEMBLING - FROM HOME:There's starbucks, coffee bean and tea leaf (with free Wi Fi) just about everywhere

Our favourite places to stay (prices are really approximate and based on what we found at the time):

UBUD:

• TJAMPUHAN SPA (around US$80+) great pool, surrounds and grottos - an experience rather than just accom'




Mara River Lodge


• MARA RIVER RESORT - not just for the safari park, beautiful accom' and a fabulous experience for the kids, includes free park entry, a bit expensive but really worth the experience, stay 2 nights so as not to be rushed (AUD$200-300pn) 

SEMINYAK/LEGIAN/KUTA:

• HOLIDAY INN - if you hav e kids and are looking for a place where they will be amused and give you a break, upgrade to the suite if not much more as it includes everything which will otherwise cost more in the basic room ($70-220pn)




Kusnadi Hotel - Legian/Seminyak


• KUSNADI - if you are looking for a budget hotel in Legian, right near everything - book the penthouse rooms, they are around $3-4 more per night and you have the entire level to yourself ($20-80pn)
• THREE BROTHERS INN - basic accom, pleasant grounds, right in the heart of Legian ($20-70pn)
• VILLA COCO - beautiful apartments off double 6 rd, self contained ($80-200pn)

TIPS for BALI: 

• WATERBOM PARK - show your Singapore airlines boarding pass - it gives a 20% discount. The food is expensive here and if on the top of your belongings will be taken away. There is a place at the front where you can store large things - eg - bike helmets free of charge if you don't want a locker - just tell them it won't fit!

  

  Waterbom park rides

  
  Towels, etc are chargeable, bring your own!
• CHANGE MONEY - at a place that ONLY changes money and counts it EVERY time after someone else holds it 
• RENT A BIKE - to get around - it's easy! But you will need an international drivers license (doesn't matter if it's only for a car) make sure you pay the extra 5000-10000 per day which includes insurance in case you are in an accident and make sure your travel insurance covers you for the same reason.
• LEARN SOME INDONESIAN - even a little will assist you to make friends easily
• SMILE  - a lot, your life is more privileged than most of theirs will ever be (just by being able to travel there whilst most locals will never travel overseas)
• WI FI - is available in almost every cafe for free




I still haven't worked out the significance of
these at every Bali hotel - please let me
know if you know what it is about!!!


• LOCK YOUR MOBILE PHONE FROM INTERNET ROAMING EXCEPT WI FI - it is hideously expensive at around $20 per 10 mg, a friend of ours did not realise the price difference when overseas and used her phone around Europe for 3 weeks, she came home to a $4200.00 mobile internet bill 
• TRY SOME LOCAL FOOD - it's terrific!

• ALLOW YOURSELF SOME LUXURIES - in a year you won't remember the $50 difference, but you will remember the fabulous meal you had at an idyllic location
• HAVE SOME SPA TREATMENTS - they range from $2+

• DON'T BARGAIN TOO HARD - the difference of 10,000rp is only $1.20 and won't make much difference to you, but it may be a lot to the seller

• CHAT WITH THE LOCALS - We've made some terrific friends this way

SINGAPORE:
Our favourite places to eat: 


• High Tea at Raffles - sure it's expensive - but it's a real treat!
• Clarke Quay - if you are NOT on a budget and probably best without the kids
• Food Courts in shopping centres - great food and not so expensive, especially the one at Harbourfront
• Fresh Juices bars in the market - delicious for around $1 

  

  Fabulous Juice bars in Singapore for $1

  

Our favourite things to do/try: 

• HIGH TEA AT RAFFLES - sure it's expensive - but it's a real treat!
• UNIVERSAL STUDIOS - ask if there's any discounts
• BOOK SHOPPING - at the huge book mall opposite raffles - great for home school books too
• SHOPPING IN CHINATOWN - more expensive than China, but great if you're not going there

• WALK AROUND SENTOSA - a free event with great things to see anytime
• The sands sky tower - worth a try - wait near the elevators and ask if a hotel guest would mind if you went up the tower with them, most will say sure, you go up for free and get to see the whole tower, not just the deck

There's so much more we could add here, but we hope these few tips will make your journey more special.

That's it - we're home..................... for now....................... this blog is finished (for now - until the next adventure) thanks so much for sharing the journey with us, please add your comments at the end of any blogs, we love to hear what you think
Kindest regards,
The Mitchell clan





Bye Bye for now from the Mitchell's

Arriving home we realised that Pa had not been able to check all the hen house and there was another gift of 51 eggs he had missed waiting for us upon our return and every single egg was still good!



51 eggs found in the chook house at home



Songs of the Sea Singapore

After our lovely walk through Sentosa by night, we stumbled across a late night sounds and light show on the beach called Songs of the Sea.


Amazing Water spouts and projections



We had missed the beginning, but by strange twist of fate as we arrived, were handed 4 tickets which were not going to be used with the lovely offer of please go in and enjoy (more beautiful gifts for us - thank you)

We entered and it was amazing.

I think the tickets are only worth around $10 each and it is worth it!

It is set on the beach (bleachers lined up all around the sands) with singers and dancers as good as any stage show, there is a set lined up around the ocean depicting a village where water is sprayed into the air and then holograms are projected onto the water creating amazing images of faces singing floating in the air and remarkable scenes.



A ghostly face singing projected into the spray



Added to this are spectaular fireworks and a historical story of some further history of the villages of Singapore (always good to add in some education with all events).

For the kids it is a delightful story entwined about frienship with the lead being a sweet fish called Oscar.

It is a terrific family event and one that could be enjoyed by everyone.

Upon leaving we were told as we were holding tickets to the show, we could have free public transport home and discounts if we wanted to buy anything - thanks again for our many blessings that just seem to continue along this wonderful journey!



Sentosa Park at night minus a few brain cells

After a full day at Universal Studios, we just couldn't bring ourselves to leave.
You know the feeling, there's a warm breeze, everyone's well fed and happy, the kids are fun to be around, who wants to go home - nuh uh!



Sentosa Walk Dodo sculptures



Rather than board the sky train home, we decided to take a night walk around Sentosa island, the breeze was in our hair from the sea, the trees softly swaying, I'm quietly humming "if you like pina coladas..........." in my mind.

 Perfect night!

The kids delighted at discovering these funny structures of something akin to ceramic dodo birds on the paths, the ran around under waterfalls and down the dragon path.

If you haven't been to Singapore the Dragon walk is one of those amazing structures made of free form concrete and covered in mosaic tiles.

It's always amazing how we can look at a structure that probably took 6 artists, 3 concrete trucks, 2 tile factories and 75 shift workers three years to build and think .............. I could make that!

That would look good in my back yard.

Daryll starts snapping away and I know he's thinking the same thing.

The kids are playing in the water fountains as it's late at night and there's no security guards to yell at them to get out.

They start calling out "hey, mum, dad, can you build this at home" and our brain cells don't do what is required of them which would be:

"No way man, have you seen have many trillions of tiles there are in there, not to mention the water solution problems, the plumbing, the pipes required to hook that up.
Never mind the council permits that would be required and the fact that all 4 acres of it would require a pool fence to stop the neighbours kids drowning, no way kids, it's not going to happen!"

That is the correct response to the question, but do our brains do that - oh no, we are on holidays, anything is possible, we start thinking "well sure, how hard could it be. We could lay out some rocks, cover them with chicken wire, coat that with concrete - we can get a cheap concrete mixer for $300 on eBay - then we could scrounge around old op shops for crockery and tiles and break it up, waterproof the concrete with a paint on membrane  and hook up fountains and pumps and begin tiling it - it will be fun, we can all chip in and help".

"It will be terrific, we'll be splashing around creating this great piece of artwork together as a family and it will all look spectacular"

What goes on with that process, how does this happen, where do the brain cells go?

It's not just a whim, in this moment, we REALLY believe we can build this thing and trust us, it will look equally as good as this one we are currently admiring.

It's not just us that thinks this way - we've seen you tube images of people that have been equally inspired!

They dig holes out in the desert in the backyard of America (not biased towards the Americans I am sure they do this everywhere, it's just that I've only seen the USA projects), they line them with wire and concrete, they waterproof them and fill them with water and they stand proudly back and admire them, shooting away on their video recorder and they are ................. awful!

We all look and say "what were they thinking", well I know what they were thinking, I know the vision they started with, it may have looked similar to what is shown above, because in my head it was possible too.

It's just some strange twist of artistic ineptitude that the finished project doesn't resemble the original image, but you know what, it doesn't matter, who cares, they came, they saw, they replicated and in their mind it looks as magnificent as the dragon walk at Sentosa.

The Sands Sky Park



The helix bridge and the sands sky park



At previous conventions there was much excitement about the newly opening sky park in Singapore.

Emma was studying it at school and we all decide we must visit to marvel at the engineering.

Gabe's Home Schooling had been filled with facts and figures and building details.

We had studied Helixs and the DNA structures that make up the bridge shape and the kids were so funny running through shouting to each other "look we're in a helix - if we're together does that make it a double helix"

Then laughing hysterically at themselves.

The shopping mall at the front wasn't finished yet, but we walked through what appears to be ultra expensive stores to go up the elevator into the sky tower.



It was expensive - around AUD$70 for 2 adults and 2 children, so we decided Daryll would take the kids up and take some photos for me.

 They disappeared up the tower.

They were a little disappointed to discover that they were only allowed on the 'tip of the boat' the rest was reserved for people staying at the hotel, so the magnificent pools and gardens we had heard of were off limits.



Look at the tiny specks on the top - they are people!



Would we recommend the visit - difficult call, if you haven't been up towers before - sure.
If you have and enjoy walking around on what appears to be the bow of a ship - sure.

Did I stop feeling sick once my kids were off the top of this structure - yes, but not before!

Otherwise, well, take a look at the pictures here and decide.

• Amazing views,
• marvellous constructions
• good feng shui for singapore - No!
• water this high above the buildings - No!

Interesting to see how this pans out for Singapore.

Views over Singapore from the Sky Tower



The 'deck' of the Sky Tower




Singapore Panorama





What is this thing in my cake?????

Arriving early for high tea at raffles, we wandered through the shops and always enjoy looking at the bakery stores (I previously worked as a french pastry chef and love to look at the new creations)

We marvel at the amazing cakes on display and the kids are begging and pleading for one - not a chance we tell them as we are about to have high tea at Raffles

They made these amazing Earl Grey tea cakes with entire chocolate sphere with cut outs - beautiful!

However on looking further, I notice on some of the cakes, this very strange looking object (see below in the Rum Baba cakes)

What am I looking at, it's funny how your mind plays tricks like this.

What could this be, it is shiny and appears to be glass, but why would there be glass in the cake.



Look at the Rum Baba Cakes - what is that?



The only other thing I've ever seen that resembles something like this is inserted where the sun doesn't shine, so I am sure this would not be on a cake????



I finally convince myself it is a lolly (candy) and that is why it is shiny.



As everything is so delicate I am confused as to why they have a large hard lolly on the cake, but I can't work out anything else so I am convinced that must be it.

Take a look, see what you think it is?

After high tea at Raffles, we decide to take a long walking tour and come across another cake store, they too have cakes decorated like this. On my own now, I ask to speak to the chef (I just have to find out what it is), he explains to me that it is a plastic tube filled with liquor, so as to not make the cake soggy it is not added until you are ready to eat it, then you squeeze the tube, the liquor soaks into the tube and you have a lovely fresh liquor cake.

He also tells me, many customers just pull it out and drink the liquor - trust Singapore - always something new and interesting!



Liquor pipettes





High Tea at Raffles

At the commencement of this journey everyone was allowed to choose something special for the family to do.
Daryll chose Casa Luna in Ubud
Emma chose Universal Studios in Singapore
Gabe chose Waterbom park in Bali

I chose High tea at Raffles in Singapore.............................

Realising that a booking was usually required, we asked our hostess at the Novotel to make the booking for tomorrow, all confirmed, we set off.
Nicely dressed we left at 2.30pm for a 3pm high tea, deliberating over the MRT ($1.40 each X 4) and walking vs the taxi (we guessed around $10), we took the taxi.


The courtyard at Raffles Hotel

 After roughing it for so long when we travel, it is so nice to take a taxi, arrive at the place as fresh as when you left and feel so comfortable. (unlike the usual damp all over from humidity feeling with your hair plastered around your face and red stripes running up from heat stroke on your neck)

Disembarking the taxi we realised the bill was $5.40 and was actually cheaper than the MRT would have been.

We arrive to be informed high tea is 3.30pm, not 3pm, how peculiar, we wonder how we go the wrong information!
Never mind, it is a pleasant day and we walk around the shops, selling scarves for $495 that you could buy in the local markets for $3, watches that are 3 for $10, for $660 and then the usual gucci and tiffanies stores that Daryll & I so regularly frequent - hehe!

We throw in some Home school history lessons as we walk around regarding Sir Stamford raffles and the discovery and building of Singapore. We delight the children with tales of dining in the very same bar that a tiger wandering into many years ago and created history.



High Tea in the Long Bar - Raffles Hotel



We are tempted with some beautiful essential oils and do a little credit card damage here as it turns out. We rest in the courtyard and before you know it we are seated in the beautiful long bar.

Our table is beautifully set with silver cutlery, teas and coffees and a 3 tiered delight for the children plus one for us - lovely!

The children are given a pot of hot chocolate whilst we have lovely tea.

A harpist fills the air with beautiful melodies and a heaving buffet of delicacies await us.



Emma's Hot Chocolate at Raffles



We decide to delicately sup of the little treasures that await us, however, having a strong dislike of queues, Daryll whispers to me, "here's what will happen, everyone will sit around sharing their platters, then get up to the buffet and there will be a long queue, let's get ours now and then come back to these" OK, that makes sense, we go to the hot food section, there are 4 types of dumplings, only one vegetarian, that's fine, we collect a few on a small plate and sit down - oh my goodness, how is it possible that the same food can taste soooo different in different places, this is the best dumpling we have every had!!!!

It is divine, we relax back and enjoy our afternoon tea, we are hungry as we make sure we had no lunch, we text family to say where we are and wish you were here.

The phone suddenly fills up "have a cake for us, enjoy your tea, sounds better than the sausages I am having, etc, etc"

We chuckle over the messages and continue to dine.

Pretty soon we realise we are in trouble, we send back a text to Australia that reads:

HELP...

AT RAFFLES...

We need back up....

We're in over our heads.......



Gabe's Hot Chocolate in his silver pot



We've done the three tiered tower, cranberry bread and butter pudding, vanilla pod sauce, scones with clotted cream, fresh raspberries, creme caramel, dumplings, cucumber sandwiches, dragonfruit, chocolate tarts, chocolate eclairs, chiffon cake and the waiter just advised us that due to the lack of vegetarian options the chefs are whipping up something special for us

Send in the back up immediately......

They send back useless responses like, "don't worry we'll have Jenny Craig waiting when you get back" as if that's going to help right now!

Daryll replies with an SOS call that "Lesley was last seen head first submerged in the fresh vanilla pod sauce and is needing surgical extraction from the scones and clotted cream"

It does nothing, they reply with "enjoy, eat some for us"

Don't they realise the seriousness of this situation.

As our sides begin to tear, right on cue the waiter arrives with platters of freshly made samosas and spring rolls "your special offers from the chef"

GREAT!!!!!

We push them around the plate, the kids (who by the way never eat anything) start eagerly hoeing into them.

We can't believe how quickly they are devouring them, Daryll and I look at each other and reach for one, Oh, my goodness, excuse me, I am having a religious experience, how can a spring roll taste THAT good?

I have never had one as good as this - wow!

Oh, no, we are in serious trouble now.

We taste (just a little) bit more of well..... everything and then it is time to waddle out.

We thank the staff for a truly wonderful afternoon and decide - we are definitely doing some serious walking for the next 6 hours or so! The kids agree.

FOOTNOTE: High teas was around AUD$196 for the 4 of us and upon returning home we asked the kids what was the most memorable part of the journey, they both said 'high tea at raffles'

Arriving back at the hotel, we were met with a note, apologising saying they were unable to secure a place for us at high tea and we were currently waitlisted, had we not got the time muddled up and gone early, we would have received this note (popped under our door 4 minutes after we left) and not gone. Lovely synchronicity again!



High tea in the long bar



Chocolate Lovers Heaven



Hersheys Chocolate World Singapore



A happy day ended at Universal Studios - what more could you want?

Leaving the main gate into the coolness of the night air, we glance over to discover .......................

DRUM ROLL HERE

TA DA

 THE HERSHEYS OUTLET - Oh my goodness, how did we miss that on the way in.



Yes, that IS a real Hersheys bar



For those (unlike myself) who do not have an unhealthy addiction to Reeses peanut butter cups this may not be earth shattering, to those who have yet to try these, you need to have one to understand the depth of my passion, add to this the fact my daughter has a peanut allergy which means - none of these get eaten except by ME! so they are safe to store in the fridge for when I want them (Daryll knows better than to touch them & Gabe whilst he too loves them, just knows they are off limits without direct offering, nope, they're mums - don't even ask!)


Enter Chocolate lovers heaven..............................

We weren't here very long, I think it was only 1-2 hours at the most.


A little bit of syrup never hurt anyone - did it?



Oh, the decisions, can we take it home, will we be allowed to take it through customs (the answer, yes if it is sealed and you declare it), will it melt, how many kgs can I actually carry around for the rest of the night.............

Oh the dilemmas!

Daryll patiently waited outside (strangely enough it is not really of great interest to him - something a bit wrong there I think just between you & I, maybe he was dropped when he was little, it's certainly not hereditary as his mother understands quite where I am coming from and it seems his brother gets it too!)



Hershey's Syrup - enough for all!




Uh, Oh - too much chocolate!



Decision made - wait for it - not sure if you'll be proud or disappointed with us. Gabe & I choose a Hersheys hot chocolate mug each (a real one to drink out of - not made from chocolate), Emma - a cookies and cream bar and a bag of reeses caramel clusters as a gift!



Candylicious



Phew - we made it out without too much damage, rounded the corner bag in hand and WHAT IS THIS!

Another outlet, with chocolate trees outside covered in candy and even bigger than the last - Nooooooo!

It's Candylicious!

I'm not even going to tell you what's in here - you have to go and see it for yourself, but it is amazing and yes, they do have a chocolate cafe and a chocolate ice cream store within..............





Universal Studios - Singapore with kindness!

Public transport conquered, we arrive at universal studios, the staff on board Singapore Airlines told me to take my boarding passes as it gives many discounts (pity they didn't tell me that in Bali - would have saved US$20 on the entry to water bom park)
So I am set, I show my passes and ask for a discount - "no madame none at present" I am informed. OK, as an afterthought I ask "is there any discounts for any other offers" (always worth an ask), "why yes, can you pay with mastercard?" Sure!


Always ask if there's any special offers current!

 We are informed that this will give us 4 X $5 food vouchers and a $25 merchandising voucher + a further $20 merchandising voucher (saving $65) Great - we usually don't buy gifts at these places, but how lovely for the kids to be able to choose something anyway.
The only mastercard I have is my dads, so we swipe away and I text him to say we've just popped $220 on your mastercard (around AUD$196), the kids are given their vouchers and I tell them this is a gift from your grandpa as we used his card and you must be very lucky for Pa to be able to let you each choose something to bring home.
They are delighted - always worth asking.



Universal Studios Singapore

 We arrive at the universal studios gates and it is quite exciting.

The kids can't believe they are here and we enter, walking down the hollywood inspired street filled with shops, around the corner we are greeted with a massive ship and the cast of madagascar being unloaded from the boat, the street booms with the sounds of "we like to move it move it" and the kids - OK and Daryll & I are grooving away, Austin powers would have been impressed - groovy baby!


The cast from Madagascar



Suddenly those crippled feet are fine to walk, run and play, amazing how that happens isn't it - it's a miracle! and without any dedicated healing either!

We groove our way through Madagascar and enter "Far, far away" A signboard welcomes us and the streets are filled with the music of "Touvak is a perfect place".

We board donkey's Dragon's roller coaster with signboards warning us of carrying illicit elves and magic potions.

The mini roller coaster does a fairly decent job of dislocating my head from the top of my spine, throws in a few whacks in the back, adds in a quick sideways movement to make one hip higher than the other for the rest of the week and finishes off with a little rolling, rotating lurch designed to place your breakfast back in your mouth instead of your stomach where it had been happily resting. Even the kids looked a little green and exclaimed "we do NOT want to do that again".



Shreks f**ting toilet



Climbing the hill to Shreks toilet the kids squeal with hysterical laughter at Shrek farts from his toilet (I am told it was NOT a fluff it was a fart mum - apparently there's a difference)

The day is filled with one ride to another, most have a wait of 10-30 minutes and then right on cue the skies open.

Now if you have been in the tropics you'll know what I mean, if you haven't, imagine walking outside in the rain and someone picks up a 24gallon drum of water and tips it over you - about 120 times - get the picture?

There's no getting away from it, everyone rushes for cover and we just make it to a stage show of water world where actors scream around on boats with explosions, fireworks and booming crashes.

The rain lets up just enough to leave here and rush to another area, we decide "it's not that bad" then BOOM, the streets are now under about 12 inches of water, our shoes are full and we are squelching around.

Sure, we could spend $6 each on a plastic raincoat, but we'll just throw it away and then there's more plastic in the environment I try to convince myself, truth be know, I'm probably more tight about the $24 than the eco principle - much as it shames me to say it.



Raincoats and Merchandising Gifts chosen



Gabe & Daryll head off somewhere and Emma and I are drowned, we rush into a store and muse over the cost of 2 plastic raincoats, whilst I am deliberating a local grabs me by the arm and says "wait, I have a discount card, see if it is cheaper" Oh, OK, he asks and it is, Alright - I decide the universe has allowed him to offer, I may as well buy 2.

"OK", I say to the salesgirl, she asks if the payment is to come off the same card as the discount, "No, I will pay cash" I say, "yes, of course it is" the man booms to her and winks to me "we can't have wet weather ruining your experience, it is no money to me at all"

He insists and won't take any payment, he says it is his gift to us.

Somewhat amazed again, that I have forgotten my abundance balances and connection to spirit in the fun of a theme park, Emma grins up at me and we offer thanks to the man and spirit for our blessings.



Fairy Godmothers Magic Potions Shop



We don our capes and set out, it's great!!!!! We can now go anywhere and do anything, we meet Gabe & Daryll huddled in a cafe, they both burst out laughing at the sight of us wafting into the restaurant and we share our story.

We race out and get Daryll & Gabe a coat each and we're set again.

We take the water ride we hadn't previously wanted to do and all laugh hysterically as the entire ship of water dumps in Daryll's lap and he catches it in his raincoat.



Marilyn Munroe



Due to the rain, almost all of universal studios has emptied............. except us!

We are free to go anywhere we like, ride anything we want - no queues - too easy!

We all stop and commune with spirit and give thanks for this special day, then race off to play again.

We meet Princess Fiona, Marilyn Munroe, Shrek, some androids from the future.

The highlights were the free concerts, put on on stage at varied time throughout the day - do these if you go, they are as good as any stage shows we've seen and the are all free once you have entered.

Emma and Princess Fiona

The food was surprisingly good and with our vouchers we had enough to cover lunch and most of dinner. It's pretty well priced.

For lunch we dined in a middle eastern arena and dinner at an American diner - great vegetarian options too.

The kids discovered American grape lemonade which I am pretty sure a grape has never been near, but it was delicious and good fun!

We travelled to the lost world and rode with the Jurassic park dinosaurs, the last bit on the water ride where you are raised up into the mouth of the waiting T Rex as if offered on a plate for dinner was a bit much for the little one (OK - me too) and the look on our faces - it's always THOSE points they place the automatic cameras isn't it was pretty funny afterwards even if not at the time.

We ended the day at the Egyptian section - WOW! I've lived in Egypt for a while in the past and whilst I am not comparing it to the wonders of the lost worlds, it was still amazingly spectacular.



Emma and Daryll outside The Mummy Ride



I pointed out to Gabe how amazing it was that this was all man made (meaning unlike the real Egypt) he sighed and looked at me (you know that "Ohh, I guess I will have to explain this to you slllooowwwlllyyy" look) and said "Mum, the structures in Egypt are not naturally occurring landscapes, they were built too you know"



Oh, yes, well, of course, I knew that.......... just a little lost in the moment!

We decide to enter "The Mummy" roller coaster, inspired by the movie with Brendan Fraser, Gabe thought it was hysterical that I clung to him as we were walking in the corridors, he kept explaining "this is just the queue mum, it's not a haunted house, nothings going to happen, mum, you're cutting off my blood in my arm, mum are you REALLY scared, mum you are sooo funny" Oh yeah, sure, I was laughing!



Gabe with a character from the tombs of Egypt



We finally arrived at the real roller coaster (after I realised the walk was actually just the queue - hrrmmpph, I knew that), climbed in, the seats were done up REALLY **#@  tight - now I should have realised that this is done for a reason eg - in a moment you will be hanging upside down with the blood draining away from your vital organs, but oh, no, I'm in a nice big high seat with a high head rest, quite comfortable, it never entered my mind that the reason it has a high head rest is so that they don't get sued by someones head snapping off their neck and clogging the tracks of the next ride.

Wow - what a ride, a completely indoor roller coaster where you are plummeted into pitch darkness and holographic images are projected all around you, the scarab beetles feel like they are crawling all over you and it culminates in a room where real (yes it is real this time) fire lights up all around the inside of the tomb, you can feel as if you are enclosed in an ancient tomb, just as the heat starts to become unbearable the floor opens and you are dropped (this is not a roll, it IS a drop) into pitch darkness with screaming images racing up the walls past you. Amazing!

It is like one of those movies that you just have to watch again because too much happened to take in in one sitting.

We disembarked and Gabe looks up at me and bursts out laughing, shouting "mum, why is your face a different colour, it totally is - it's like you're grey or something, you have no pink left in your face at all, woo, hoo, this is so funny, I'm not joking mum, your face is a completely different colour, come on, lets go show dad.................. ohhhhh, drats, the pink is starting to come back now, that was so cool, I've never seen anyones face a completely different colour before mum, hey mum, do you want to do it again?"

Hmmmmm



"Hey look mum, there's a photo of us on the ride where it drops, hey look at you mum, hahaha, you're so funny, you know you actually looked like you were scared mum, that's hysterical, come on let's find dad and show him, come on mum, hey mum, you can let go of my arm now, hey mum, your nails are still stuck in my arm, come on mum, let go of me now, there you go, it's OK, come on you'll feel better out in the heat"



The Mummy for littlies - a car drive around the ruins!



An amazing ride, don't miss it, I'm good not to do it again, but it was very amazing!



Dinner eaten at the diner, we were advised that the gates had closed and universal studios was now closed for the evening and would we be so kind as to head out at our leisure - what already! How can it be 7pm already.

Too much fun - we thought the day was done, little did we know what treats awaited outside................