School Holidays Started Early - To Legoland We Go!

Hello peeps!

If you've been following my Instagram, I apologize for spamming your newsfeed with my photos in Legoland. *chuckles* #sorrynotsorry

We had a fabulous time in Legoland. This time was an exceptionally extended trip, because the Dutch Oil Company organized a family day at the same location, hence we merged our holiday with the team building event... which equaled to three days of back to back Legoland entries. Phewww. By the third day, Hubby and I were just praying for time to quickly pass so that we could go home. The kids? They wailed (and Ian even cried) when we dragged them to the car to go home. (Where do they get their energy???)

Posing with Ninjago Kai.

Getting our portraits painted.

Love this shot of Aiden!

Taking a short nap in the theme park.

We also took the opportunity to celebrate Ian's birthday there. Every single time we remembered, we would say, "Happy Birthday Ian!" And he would answer sweetly, "Thank you..." We also told every Legoland staff we encountered, that we were celebrating his birthday. And of course, Ian enjoyed all the attention that was lavished upon him. So much so that now he says, "Babang's birthday is fireman, my birthday is Legoland!"

The birthday boy.

It was definitely a memorable trip for me too. Why? Well I am a huge scaredy cat hence I hate roller coasters and such, and despite Hubby's pleas for us to go on it together, I would firmly stand my ground, refusing to be swayed. But as part of the team building event, I was 'forced' to go on three thrill rides - two roller coasters and one splash plunge. Mengenangkan that each activity meant team points, I swallowed my fear and forced myself to go on all of it. It turned out not to be so bad. In fact, the junior dragon roller coaster and the splash plunge were quite fun! (The adult dragon roller coaster was a completely different story, though.)

Ian chauffeuring me around in a boat.

Help! Ian's being eaten alive!

And because I had managed to conquer my fear, I gleefully invited Hubby to go on the rides with me the very next day. He was NOT happy! "Oh, kawan you ajak you naik, I ajak you tak pernah nak naik!!!" #boohoohoo

Anyway, Aiden was inspired by my new found bravery, and he bravely went on the junior roller coaster with me. He loved it!!! "It's not too bad, Mummy! It was actually fun!" (We forced him on the splash plunge too but he did not enjoy it AT ALL; in fact he bawled the whole way!) The next day, we went on the roller coaster yet again, this time with Ian in tow. Surprisingly, Ian enjoyed it too! Here's a photo of all of us on the roller coaster:

Siap angkat tangan, ok!

We also discovered minifigure trading (similar to pin trading in Disneyland). Since we didn't bring our own minifigure from home, I bought a cheap one from the Legoland shop, and then encouraged the kids to walk up to a Legoland staff to trade. (The staff's minifigure will be on his/her name tag.) The kids had a blast approaching the very friendly staff to either check out his/her minifigure, or request for trade!

Ian traded his minifigure for a Chima, while Aiden managed to trade for one which came all the way from Australia.

Since we bought our tickets during the Matta Fair promotion, it came with tickets to the water park and also one night's stay at Legoland Hotel. The kids had a grand time at the Legoland Hotel; they built swords with the unlimited supply of Lego in the hotel lobby play area, they danced with Lego characters during the character parade, and witnessed a magic show. Aiden even won himself a Star Wars Lego set just from participating in the magic show! The last time we visited Legoland Hotel, we were in the Pirate room, hence this time around we chose the Adventure room. I won't spam this blogpost with the many photos of our room, but here's a photo of the kids' loot from their treasure hunt!

Siap baring to find answers to the treasure hunt. The kids received a Duplo set (photo frame), a Ninjago set (phone movie set) and a Ninjago key chain. The rest were from their shopping spree at the Lego shop!

Other than the theme park, we also went to the water park. This time around, we khatam every single slide in the park! Every single one of them! So proud of myself. Must be the after effects of the new found bravery post roller coaster. *giggles*

Water park!

There is now a new ship building attraction right opposite the adult slides. Hence that was where Ian spent most of his time while we went on the slides that he wasn't tall enough for.

Hope you enjoyed your birthday getaway, baby!

Back home, posing with their goodies. #mummydaddykopak

Since Ian really enjoyed his birthday getaway, Aiden is now requesting for the same for his birthday next year. I told him to choose between a birthday party or Legoland. He chose the latter! Hmm... Maybe I can retire from organizing parties and making dessert tables for good! #wishfulthinking

I don't think these boys will ever let me retire from party planning!

Kids Friendly Activities To Do At Golden Sands Penang

To be perfectly honest, I had initial reservations about this hotel. Our prior trips to Penang had always been with Hard Rock Hotel, so naturally I was hesitant about trying out something new. But then a friend told me that her kids had the time of their lives at Golden Sands. With that in mind, we decided to be slightly adventurous, and booked our stay. Surprisingly, it was cheaper to book online via their official website instead of calling them! (I expected them to offer the same rates.) We went the week after the long Merdeka weekend, so the hotel wasn't particularly crowded.

The day after our reservation, I received an email confirming a complimentary extra bed and a cake for Hubby's birthday. The email also requested for our details, check in time and preferences. I was certainly impressed!

We drove up to Penang early morning after a hearty breakfast. We got in at just before lunch, so we made a pit stop at Warung Kelapa Sawit Juru for our favourite ikan bawal goreng with sambal kicap. *drool* Continued into the island and then directly to the hotel.

As a Golden Circle member (membership is free!) we were invited to check in at the Cool Lounge. The lounge was cool (duh), not just in the temperature sense but also in the facilities provided. Floor to ceiling glass panels, TVs showing Cars 2 and Baymax (I kid you not), computers with complimentary internet access, books and even bean bags! Check in was quick and pleasant, but I was disappointed when they asked for our details again. Why bother emailing when you're not going to have our details on file?

The Cool Lounge.

We dropped Aiden at Kids Club and then explored the grounds of the hotel.

Although the beach was clean, the sand was too rough for my liking.

Lovely weather.

In general, there are three types of rooms; Executive rooms (seaview but on the upper floors), deluxe rooms (exactly the same as executive seaview rooms but on lower floors) superior rooms (garden view but slight bigger in size). We booked the deluxe seaview room. The room size was adequate for our family of four. Furnishings were slightly dated, but they had a built in push-up bed in the room for the kids, which you could just push upwards when not in use if you needed more space.

Size of the push-up bed; slightly tight for two.

No separate shower so you can only shower in the bathtub.

The view from our room balcony.

We had the choice of two locations for breakfast; either at the coffee house, or by the beach. We did both, and enjoyed both spreads greatly. (The latter had slightly less choices, but it wasn't anything glaringly noticeable.) They even had plastic plates and cutleries for the kids, and a mean dessert spread (with chocolate sauce and sprinkles on the side) which was a nice touch.

Breakfast by the beach.

Spoiled for choices.

What a pretty spot for a candlelight dinner for two.

In a nutshell, I was very happy with our stay. The kids had so much to do, and I'm so glad Golden Sands offered so much more than just the swimming pool and the beach. So here's a rundown on what the kids were up to during the weekend:

The swimming pool
The kids swimming pool had a sail on top of it, shielding the pool from the sun. It meant that kids could frolic all day in the water without being burned to the core. Ian was in the water at various times of the day. We also loved the adult lagoon pool, especially because it was heated. We had lunch once by the pool, and the kueyteow goreng was delicious! Reasonable prices too.

The hotel also provided life jackets for toddlers and kids.

Daily activity schedule.

The slides

If you scoffed at the pool, you haven't seen the Splash Zone. We had so much fun running through the jets of cold mist and waiting for the huge bucket of water to tilt and drench us in its downpour. But the best of all were the slides. Aiden and I raced going down on both slides, just to see who would end up at the end first. Ian on the other hand, hated the slides! *chuckles* One thing that I really appreciated, was the presence of lifeguards. They had lifeguards everywhere - at least two at the slides and one at the kids pool. Definitely gave me the confidence to allow Aiden to go on the slides alone while I attended to Ian.

Splash Zone.

Aiden enjoying the cool mist, and then we raced down the slides together.

Adventure Zone
I've never seen such a well equipped indoor play area in any other prior hotels we've visited. This one takes the cake! We paid ~RM26 for Aiden to play for two hours (Ian was free as part of the room package, adults free too).They had two indoor gyms - one separate one for the younger children, and the other more challenging one, which was part of the slides. Three different slides to choose from - and I had the courage to only try two. (I nearly chickened out on the blue slide but the staff at the top literally pushed me over before I could disembark!!! *chuckles*) I suggest you start with the beanbag slides, then gradually work your courage to the next two. The red slide was literally a 180 degree vertical drop. No way in hell for me!

The colourful indoor gym.

Even Hubby took the chance to explore the indoor gym.

Pick your choice of thrills. Hubby gave the red slide a try and he said it felt like a free fall up until the slide 'catches' you just at the end.

The beanbag slides.

Kids Club
If you want some peace of mind and get the kids out of your hair (and for free too!), there are staff facilitated activities all day long at the Kids Club. The activities are catered for kids between 5-12, and we sent Aiden for an afternoon session. In three hours, he managed to do a cake pop decorating session, and even paint a T-shirt (we had to pay for the shirt). Lunch and dinner also provided for free in between sessions!

The schedule of daily activities at Kids Club, and Aiden posing with his painted t-shirt.

Golf
Not only can you swing some balls at the driving range, you can also test your child at a proper game of golf without the pressure of another team breathing down your neck to finish the hole. Since the small golf course was mostly deserted, Hubby brought Aiden out for a game of golf! You only need to pay a small sum (RM25?) for the adult and surprisingly they allowed Aiden to play for free. You can play for as long as you want, and there are golf sets you can borrow too. (No gloves for rent so bring your own.) Don't forget to visit the onsight eco centre and their turtle care project just beside the golf course.

The driving range.

Love this shot of the kids - Aiden concentrating to take his shot, and then Ian with his sunglasses, trying to distract his Babang.

Ian trying to get a hole in one (not!) and Aiden retrieving his ball in the sand pit.

Snake show
We were lucky, because the hotel hosts a snake show on Saturday afternoons! We saw a python, a rattlesnake and two cobras! Not only did we witnessed the snake whisperer kissing the cobra, but he actually placed a snake in his mouth too! During the session, they asked for volunteers to touch the snake. I asked Ian if he wanted to, and surprisingly he walked forward! #impressed. Aiden of course lah penakut habis so he walked out with Ian but refused to touch the snake. *giggles*

Aiden gesturing no, while Ian looks up willingly to the snake.

A python around Ian's neck.

Kiss of death.

Aiden is definitely Mummy's boy. Dua dua penakut!

Others!
There were plenty of other activities to do on the grounds of the hotel. Other than building sand castles on the beach (no brainer there) we took the opportunity to play beach volleyball (you can borrow the ball from the hotel), football (they have goals on the field beside the golf course), table tennis (three ping pong tables complete with bats and balls) and even chess! We definitely made sure that we tried everything that was offered by the hotel.

Beach volleyball.

Beach play! Independent operators by the beach provide more adventurous activities such as jet ski, parachute sail, banana boats etc.

We played football while still in our swimming gear!

Table tennis.

Aiden versus Ian.

Giant chess.

The verdict? Definitely returning for a repeat visit. Probably when Ian officially turns 5 so I can send them both to Kids Club so that Hubby and I can take some time off for a massage at the Chi Spa. *drool*

Aiden and Ian Takes Europe: Amsterdam Take Two!

Hello peeps.

Warning ahead, this will be a post filled with many many photos of beautiful Amsterdam.

Aiden really really wanted to go on a boat cruise around the Amsterdam canals, but we didn't fancy going in the packed closed top boats that go around every half hour or so. We wanted to experience the smaller, open top boats. Albeit slightly more expensive, it was a small price to pay for a more personalized tour with better views and photo opportunities. Worth to note is that you should aim to be there slightly earlier so that you can choose a great spot on the boat. Unfortunately for us, by the time we parked the stroller and got the kids into the boat, we had to settle with seats in the middle. Hence most of our photos were peppered with pictures of other people on the same boat.

Now this is why you should aim for good seats on the boat. Epic photobomb! *giggles*

Checking out the map of our ride.

Canals after canals after canals. Simply beautiful!

Some of the buildings we went by on the boat.

Crooked charm. Can you see what I'm referring to?

Bicycles lining up beside the canal.

Pirate ship!

Can you see those floating structures on the water? Those are boat houses!

Love this boat house. Pretty flowers everywhere!

Check out the interior of this boat house.

A huge ship, mere meters from us.

Best selfie we could get without people photobombing our shot.

Family photo before we got off the boat.

If you're ever in Amsterdam, you simply must give this open boat tour a try.

Ian, why are you sooooo cute! #gangkacamatahitam

Ian, the Mat Bunga.

By the end of the cruise, it was creeping into late afternoon. Thank god for the long daylight hours! After a quick lunch at the many halal kebab restaurants around town, we then headed to Zaanse Schans, a Dutch village with traditional houses and well preserved historic windmills in the neighbourhood of Zaandam. About 45minutes bus ride (#391 to be exact) from Amsterdam Central. (If you take the train, it's a 15-20mins walk from the station.)

Ian trying to figure out where we should get off the bus (it's the last stop!)

The story of the construction of Zaanse Schans is quite spectacular actually. It is not a historical area that is then well preserved for tourist visits. But rather, the site was constructed from scratch and whole heritage buildings were transported to site using boats and lorries! Some buildings and even a complete windmill body were transported in their entirety. While other buildings were first dismantled, plank by plank or brick by brick. And then reconstructed once at site. Isn't that simply amazing?

Construction of Zaanse Schans. See how they lifted that house onto a barge??

By the time we arrived, everything was closed. There wasn't even a single tour bus in sight. I had read about functional windmills that make everything from cheese to paint, but everything was closed shut! Even the wooden clogs store and chocolate tour were closed. The only thing still open was Albert Heijn, the local grocery shop! But still, we made the most of our time there by taking in the views and posing for amazing photos. Amazing because unlike our earlier canal cruise, there was no one in sight to photobomb our shots! *giggles*

Amazing views.

Posing with one of the many windmills in the area.

I don't know who's backyard we crashed, for this shot.

Tug of war.

Can you see the chickens in this shot?

Aiden took this shot of us.

Clogs and more clogs.

Biggest pair of clogs!

After like five shot, this was the best Aiden could do. Bolehlah!

More windmills!

Love this shot of my two boys.

I don't know where Aiden picked up that yoga pose!

Siblings love.

At the end of the bridge.

Us acting like windmills.

Last shot of us.

And that brings us to the end of our adventures in Amsterdam. The next day, we took the Thalys into Paris and then onward to Disneyland. We were lucky, we bought our train tickets early hence we got a good deal for first class. But... that's a story for a next post. Till next time, thanks for reading!