Shop Under One Roof

For the year-end family vacation, we had initially thought of going to Tokyo but later changed our mind as we were not sure if our 3-year-old girl could adapt to the cold winter there. After some last-minute planning, we decided on a short getaway to 1 Utama -- a mega award-winning shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. We also stayed at One World Hotel, a nice business-class hotel conveniently located within the shopping mall itself.

The 1 Utama shopping centre turned up to be quite impressive, with five storeys of shops, departmental stores, supermarkets, restaurants, cinemas, fitness club, and even karaoke and bowling centres. It also has a rooftop garden and two basements of more shops.

Staying in a hotel within the shopping mall proved to be a bonus as it means we could wake up late (since the shopping mall only opens at 10) and shop until the mall closes at 10 at night before dragging our tired feet back to the hotel in just five minutes. Of course with a young child in tow, it means that we have to go back to the hotel room to let her take a short afternoon nap, so staying and shopping within the same area is a great convenience indeed. If you like a no-rush, no-fuss vacation with lots of shopping and makan and nothing else, this is it.

Of the hundreds of shops at 1 Utama, some specialty shops like the Balloon Buzz Party Centre and Purple Cane Tea Art Centre stood out from the rest. If you are planning for a party, you should check out the Balloon Buzz Party Centre as that is where you can find a great variety of party gear and accessories like masks, hats and of course, balloons of all shapes and sizes. Tea-lovers will not want to miss sampling the specially brewed Chinese teas at the Purple Cane Tea Art Centre. There is also Sticky -- a shop selling traditionally handmade candy of your preferred choice. You can even watch them make it on the spot.

There is no lack of eateries at 1 Utama -- posh restaurants, no-frills family-run eateries or fast-food outlets -- there is something to suit every budget. If you want to taste authentic Malaysian delicacies, try PappaRich for its assam laksa, nasi lemak and vegetarian dim sum; or Kluang Station for its hand-roasted coffee and good yet cheap food. Also worth trying out are Little Taiwan for its Taiwanese fare and of course bubble teas, and good authentic Vietnamese food at the cosy and reasonably priced Vietnamese Kitchen. Drop by Melaka Corner and Little Cravings if you like nonya snacks and delicacies. For those who have a big budget to splurge on, there are a couple of posh Japanese and Thai restaurants you can choose from.

1 Utama is not just a food-lover's paradise, but also the ultimate haven for any shopaholic. Apart from two big departmental stores Jusco and Parkson, there are also rows and rows of retail shops selling the lastest fashion with brand names like DKNY, Dorothy Perkins, Forever 21, Guess, Laura Ashley, Miss Selfridge and Zara, just to name a few. You would wish that you have an additional 24 hours to shop. Bargain hunters will also be able to get some good buys from the factory outlet stores here. The little ones are not forgotten either.There are numerous shops selling kids' fashion, and the dresses are so pretty that I wish I could buy back a whole wardrobe of them for my girl.

All in all, this short vacation at 1 Utama is quite relaxing compared to our previous holidays because we don't have to rush from place to place, and everything is all under one roof. I definitely wouldn't mind going back again.

Fun @ Universal Studio

Finally I fulfilled the dream of visiting Universal Studio Singapore (USS) in Sentosa, together with Hubby and darling daughter on her 3rd birthday. That morning started with a heavy downpour, but the weather soon turned to hot and humid with scarely a breeze. We were delayed by the rain and only arrived at the USS around 11am.

Since the theme park opens from 10am to 7pm, we did not waste any time and immediately headed to the Madagascar attraction and managed to catch their 'live' performance. There was already a crowd of kids and adults sitting and standing in a circle waiting for the Madagascar cast to arrive. I managed to squeeze in a tiny spot with DD and when the animal cast arrived, the crowds were cheering and clapping to the familiar music from the movie.



Suddenly I noticed DD crying and clinging on to me for dear life. She must have been frightened by the animal cast in costumes. The other kids were enjoying the performances and antics from the Madagascar cast, except my poor baby who probably thought the animals were real and out to get her.

To make it up to her, we bought her fish fingers and french fries (her favourite food) for lunch at Marty's Casa Del Wild. After lunch, we proceeded to the carousel ride which my girl thoroughly enjoyed and even asked for a second round.



Next we headed to the Far Far Away attraction and watched a great Shrek 4-D Adventure, which is a must-try experience. If you have no heart problems, go for the 'moving chair' in the auditorium and you will experience all your senses coming alive! Be prepared for the chair that rocks like a horse, imaginary spiders crawling on your legs and even water sprinkling on you. As DD is still very young, she can only take the kiddie rides like the Magic Potion ferris wheel at Far Far Away and the Dino-Soarin flying dinosaurs at The Lost World. But we didn't enjoy the WaterWorld show as we found the performances and stunts too explosive and violent for a young child.



The most exciting attraction for me is none other than at Ancient Egypt. I especially liked the Revenge of the Mummy indoor roller coaster even though I was screaming my lungs out during the ride inside a dark, spooky tunnel filled with scary surprises. As DD was not eligible for this ride, Hubby and I have had to take turns to take the ride solo, hence making the experience even more scarier. After that, we tried the Treasure Hunters ride in a slow-moving jeep through an abandoned Egyptian excavation site. It was quite a sight, but paled in comparison with the Revenge of the Mummy. And if you loved exotic food, the Oasis Spice Cafe which served Mediterranean, Lebanese, Turkish and Indian specialties might be up your alley.

Since the thrilling Battlestar Galactica rides were closed down, the Sci-Fi City had not have much to see or experience. Even its merchandise store was rather empty when we were there.

As the sun was going down, we strolled along the New York and Hollywood attractions. By then, we did not have time to watch the musical at the Pantages Hollywood Theatre, but we managed to catch a couple of the star characters like Betty Boop and Frankenstein.



After dinner as we were walking back to our suite at the Festive Hotel, we witnessed the most spectacular sights of water and lights performance at the Lake of Dreams sculpture fountain. It beautifully wrapped up our visit to the Universal Studio with an awesome finale. What a night!