Once-in-a-lifetime experience on sentosa with my parents.

Linna hanging out on the big bed at Shangri-La.

First of all, I can't believe that I was with my parents for a week on the other side of the world, and THOUSANDS of miles away from Minnesota! We had such an amazing experience in Singapore, even if it was for just seven days.

To the left of our balcony at Shangri-La.

Monkey warning.

The lovely ladies from Shangri-La that gave
Linna "Toots" the frog.

I decided to take my parents to Sentosa during their visit to Singapore, which is an island just about five minutes from our apartment (pretty cool huh?!). Instead of just spending one day on Sentosa, we decided to stay at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort, to really relax and enjoy our time on the family-friendly island. We could not have chosen a better place to stay! So many of the people we met at our resort had small children, and the resort really caters to those visitors. On the first day we were there, two of the resort "workers" walked up to Linna in her stroller, entertained her, and gave her a stuffed frog! The frog is the resort's "mascot" named "Toots". Linna was so excited to introduce her new stuffed animal named "Toots" to her other stuffed animal named "Singapore Sam":)

Checking out the peacocks on the grounds of Shangri-La.

The iguana that jumped in the pool at Shangri-La.
Unreal!

Snacking by the pool with Grandma.

Shangri-La didn't just have a huge swimming pool, with a shallow part for the little ones. They also have a splash-pad and water slides for the kids. One day, as the kids were going down the water slides, we watched a three-foot-long iguana slowly check out the pool, and then jump right in for a swim! He jumped right into the pool pit where the kids end their water slide ride, and the looks on their faces when they came down the slide and saw an iguana in the pool was PRICELESS! I could tell by the glances I shared with the other parents that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our kids:)

Our balcony view at Shangri-La. Gorgeous!

This resort has other wild animals hanging around, like monkeys and peacocks. There are signs all around the resort about not feeding the wild animals. Because of guests in prior years feeding the monkeys, the monkeys are so smart that they have actually learned how to open cans of pop inside the hotel rooms, IF you forget to close your balcony doors! Linna left a few raisins on our balcony, and when we went back inside our room, a monkey came onto our balcony and ate them! I wish I had captured this on my camera:(

Mama and naked baby on the beach.

Grandma and Linna taking their first dip in the
South China Sea. Naked of course!

From our room, we could see the pool and the South China Sea! Linna would have spent every second in the pool if we would have let her. For two days, she chose to play rather than nap during the day, so Linna would CRASH in our room around 7 p.m. each night. The best part is that she'd sleep until around 8 a.m.!

The resort is within walking distance to a very calm beach, so my mom, dad, and I took Linna for her first dip in the sea. Linna has never seen (let alone been in) a body of water other than lakes and ponds, so this was a fun "first"! Since she was tired, her first dip in the sea didn't come without tears.. but she did do it! How many kids from Minnesota can say that their first dip in a body of water (other than a lake), was the South China Sea?! Such a lucky girl!

Linna in a "food coma" after all the food at Shangri-La.

The morning buffets at Shangri-La were amazing!
We didn't eat again until dinner time.

"What should I order next?"

My mom and I also booked massages at Shangri-La's Rasa Spa. If you ever stay at this resort, you MUST book a spa treatment! From the moment we stepped foot in the spa's doors, we were treated like royalty. The cold towels they gave us when we walked in smelled of delicious flowers, and the tea sort of resembled an Aveda tea from spas in Minnesota. I don't know what type of oils they use at this spa, but my muscles literally felt like they were melting:) I may have to go back to this spa for another treatment before I leave Singapore. A+ for the Rasa Spa, from both my mom and I!

Mom and I at Rasa Spa before our massages.

The cold towels and tea at Rasa Spa.

Since my parents were here, they watched Linna one night, while AJ and I had dinner at Barnacles. This restaurant faces the water, and you can watch the sun set while you're having dinner! The food was amazing too. I had the Lobster Italiana, and AJ had the Barnacles Mixed Grill. My pasta was so flavorful and delicious, and AJ devoured his entire plate of food! We also tried the Ying & Yang and Seafood Trio appetizers. We like to eat:) These plates really gave us a taste of the local dishes that people often talk about in Singapore. Everything was phenomenal, and it was nice for AJ and I to have dinner together as a married couple... without the baby:)

AJ's dinner at Barnacles (before).

AJ's dinner at Barnacles (after).

My dinner at Barnacles. SO good!

Desert at Barnacles. Nom!

The Shangri-la is also near so many of Sentosa's attractions. We decided to check out the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom, 4D Magix, Merlion, and Singapore Cable Cars. There is literally so much to do on Sentosa, it would take a person a couple days to accomplish it all! Linna and I will be going back to check out the Port of Lost Wonder next week:)

Feeding the birds.

Grandpa and Linna feeding the birds.

I want that bird mom!

The Butterfly Exhibit was so much fun. ESPECIALLY the part where we got to feed the birds. "Feeding the Birds" on Sentosa, means you actually get to hold and touch the birds! I was holding three to five birds at one time, and Linna thought that was pretty spectacular. She actually wanted to hold and play with them:) The butterflies were all within touching distance, and sometimes they would land right on us. The creepy, crawly, insects we got to see were also unreal... even the dead ones mounted on photo walls. I can't imagine ever seeing one of those things ALIVE and in person. YUCK! Although it was VERY hot inside, this exhibit is a "must see" if you're on Sentosa!

The four of us also climbed to the top of the Merlion on Sentosa, which is a huge statue of a lion with the body of a fish. The views from the top of the Merlion were pretty incredible, which made my mom very nervous (she's afraid of heights).

Linna putting her coin in the lion's mouth at Sentosa's Merlion
to see if she won a prize. She did!

I think my dad's favorite part was the 4D Magix. For about $18 each, we went into three 4D movie experiences. One was a "pirate experience", where you sit in moving chairs, and not only watch the 10-minute movie in 3D, but you get sprayed with water, etc. It makes you feel like you're actually IN the movie. We also checked out a "Desperado" 4D experience, where we sat on fake horses and shot at targets during the movie. It was just like being in a video game. I thought this attraction gave us great value for the money!

Singapore Cable Car views.

Linna on the cable cars. Eyes closed. Must be scared;)

Finally, we ended our day riding the Singapore Cable Cars. Besides the fact that they are NOT air conditioned (Singapore is HOT), the views were pretty fantastic! My mom sat and prayed the whole time because she is afraid of heights, but my dad, Linna, and I took in the breathtaking views. The ride lasted about 20 minutes, and we captured so many wonderful photos. FYI, buy the year membership instead of the one-ride ticket. It's just a few dollars more for the one-year membership!

Sentosa will definitely leave you needing a nap, but it's a must see for all Singapore visitors! Thank you Sentosa for giving my family a once-in-a-lifetime experience:)