Monday 23 June 2008

Tip 15: School Break! Where to Bring the Kid?

It’s kinda funny we feel lost when the school holiday starts – where to bring the little brat? Singapore is boring! Well this is how we felt till we discover the farm visits.

Yup, hop onto bus 975*, it’ll bring you to some ulu, or boondocks, place that you’d never know existed in our tiny place here! One advise, bring lots of water (or juice) and sandwhiches, if u like, because there is no convenient eating place. And for the ever careful ones, a hat, suntan lotion and mosquitoe repellant!

First stop was to Hay Dairies Goat Farm. The kids – the human kind – will squeal with excitement seeing those goats, especially with the kids – the baby goats. You can feed and stroke them. The kid’s fur is really soft!

For feeding the goats, a bag of S$2 grass can be bought over the counter. Better still, scrab the fallen grass from the floor, it can be quite a hand full, and still can feed them! It was frightening for my little one to feed the goats initially, by the end of the visit, she has the kid feeding off her hand!

We, however, miss the milking of the goats. It is for public viewing only from 9 to 11 a.m. Fresh goat milk is sold starting at S$2.50 per bottle. We bought the chilled chocolate flavoured milk. Even that, it has a tinge of mutton after taste. In fact, with all the stroking of the goats, the hands smell of mutton!

Next stop, walk over to the Hay Dairies neighbour to the Dragonfruit Farm. It was a first for me, to see a dragonfruit tree. Darn tree looks like one big cactus plant! Besides the dragonfruits, there are other edible fruits and vege grown, such as passion fruits, pepper plant, sweet potatoe leaves. Passion fruit grown in Singapore?!?

By 2 pm, it was so hot, the little one just wanna run into a shelter, away from the sun. The farm has a laid back canteen, looks kinda dead though. But they do have a soccer table – for free! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, mummy and daughter versus daddy, so what’s new. Eventually the girls won! Mummy claimed it’s her first time playing – beginners luck I’d say.

Then it’s taking bus 975 back to LOT ONE for lunch. This is the part where we wished we brought sandwhiches! After lunch, it's back to bus 975 to Qian Hu fish farm. Prepare to walk for 20 minutes from the bus stop and did I mention mosquitoe repellant? Yup, damn kamikazes sting you even while your arms, hands and legs are moving!

The new attraction here is the spa treatment by having the spa fishes (Garra Rufa) nibble the dead skins off your feet! It is S$10 per half hour and S$5 for kids during this school holiday. We decided to let the little one go for it. Apparently, it is one ticklish and itchy sensation.

For those who is crazy enough to want to experience the same spa treatment at home, it is sold at S$10 per small spa fish and S$20 for the bigger ones. Apparently, it bites off black heads too. How? Hold our breathe and soak our head in the pond?!?

This is one memorable day trip for the entire family. Best of all – no need to pay entrance fees! Worth the experience! Come next school hols, we might just do it again, more prepared.

* To get to bus service 975, stop at Chua Chu Kang MRT station, walk to the bus stop, opposite LOT ONE Shopping Mall.

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