Before that, I was all for drugs. Be it a sniffle or surgery, I would beg the docs to lay ‘em on me generously.

The minute I discovered the pregnancy, thoughts of how the birth would happen was accompanied by visions of epidural and massive amounts of pharmaceutical help to get me through.

Oh how far I’ve come. (Or as some Mummy friends not-so secretly think, “she’s so far gone”….)

From being a staunch believer in over the counter help in large doses, I’ve come to think that less is more, natural is good and there really is no good reason to overmedicate.

Enter the first aid kit.

I bring this everywhere, not just when I go on holiday.

This is the kit of essential oils that I have in my day bag, which I also pop into my travel purse when going abroad. In my check-in, I would have another bag containing a more extensive selection of 16 other oil bottles.

They are all high quality therapeutic grade oils from Young Living. I don’t trust to use any other type. Most others found commonly in drugstores or places like The Body Shop are often adulterated with alcohol or liquid parrafin.

And no, I don’t carry bandaids, gauze or other first aid type paraphernalia.

So what made this druggy turn hippy?

Sound advice.

It was actually all because of Mobbes. He had suggested doing a natural birth (insert incredulous look from me back then) via Hypnobirthing with Four Trimesters. We took classes and I fell in love with the idea and had two unforgettable birth experiences with Keyaan and Jiyann.

Gradually I began to educate myself about more natural (read: gentler for the body) options to drugs and more drugs, especially for my kids.

I was actually quite nonchalant still about medication until Dobbes started preschool and began falling ill pretty often.

The doctors’ standard response to fever and flu would be to give paracetamol, ibuprofen and if all doesn’t work, antibiotics – which we all know, serves to weaken the immune system in the long run.

So what could a mother do?

My good friend Kai from One Dropintroduced me to her wonderful therapeutic-grade essential oils to replace the pills and capsules the docs have been shoving at me.

We started with an oil blend called Thieves. Much has been written about the recipe but for me, suffice to say that this is the go to oil for every kind of infection and sickness. I use it both for prevention in a maintenance ritual (one drop on base of my kids feet, twice a day) and for healing illness (same dose and application but every 10-20 minutes depending on condition).

As for the other oils and what I use them for, this is how it works:

How to replace over-the-counter meds with EOs.

Oftentimes I just ingest a drop (or two) of the oils, especially Thieves or Pepper mint (great for indigestion). I take lemon with water if I overeat, haha.

Others I apply one or two drops directly on parts of the body or near the body. Peace & Calming is a great oil to induce rest when the kids are in an unfamiliar hotel room or on a long flight/road trip. I rub one drop on Keyaan’s chest or put a bit on his throat or the blanket near his nose. Lavender applied neat is great for all kinds of cuts and bruises or wounds and burns. No bandaids necessary!

I also diffuse the oils. At home I have several types of diffuser, all ultrasonic or cold air ones as you are not meant to heat these high-frequency oils. When on the go, I put a few drops of oil on a tissue paper and tape it on top of a heater or aircon vent in the hotel room.

Dr Mum, that’s who I am and those like me believe the same!

I started out not knowing which oil to use for what but as I used them often (with kids, every day something happens…) I became more confident to be Dr Mom. Perhaps the best part about using essential oils is that you feel extremely safe because they are truly all-natural.

At least the ones I used are. All those scary warnings at the spa that pregnant moms should not use essential oils? Only refers to the crap ones that are distilled cheaply and cut with alcohol and other substitutes so that the perfume takes precedence instead of the oil’s healing powers.

The Big Guns – Randrop Therapy oils for ultimate healing.

Eventually, I became confident enough to treat diseases like HFMD and earache without using any prescriptions. Raindrop Oils are my all-time fallback for when things get rough. I apply them in sequence several times a day when the kids were ill. Most of the time, they recover within a day. When they don’t, they are kept very comfortable with the oils so that they can rest and heal naturally.

This doesn’t mean I don’t go to the doctor. I think it is important to get as accurate a diagnosis as possible so that you have options. And then you can treat the disease with the correct oil as well.

But in general I think that there exists a warped mentality when it comes to medicine in this day and age. A celebrity tells doctors to cut off her perfectly healthy breasts for a disease she does not have and is lauded. Mothers fear giving birth without drugs and are happy to pump their children with medication and vaccines full of toxins and virus strains.

And yet they are suspicious of using natural plants in a bottle?

As George Carlin said, our planet has survived for billions of years and humanity has only existed for 200,000 or so years. If it’s a match between something from the Earth and something we made in a lab, which do you think would win?

The secret is not a real one. First of all, you must want to do it, especially if you love travel and love your children. It is only too easy to marry the two and create wonderful journeys together.

The second point is a bit less obvious.  To truly enjoy your holidays with children, you also need to be able (and willing) to take trips on your own, without them. Because just as it is important to have me-time whether you like travelling or not, taking time off without the kids reinforces your own personal relationship with travel and brings to clarity the kind of experiences you would like to create on your family journeys.

**********

I took some time off recently and made a trip to the Northern Territory in Australia,  also known as The Outback. To be frank, it was not a solo trip that I would have wanted to pick out of a hat for many reasons. Not too many 6-star hotels there, nor much in the way of shopping and dining (though there were one or two surprises in that department. ..)

But the Northern Territory has far better riches than the ones I have been used to.

Invited by Tourism Northern Territory and their partners such as SilkAir, me and the good peeps at Kiss 92FM were treated to the array of Outback delights which in turn surprised and awed me!

Trip Highs

It would have been fun to have the Cat Family with me but because they weren’t,  I was freer to do stuff like these….

I musta raved about the Sounds of Silence dinner quite a few times now but it doesn’t become less meaningful the more I do it. It was an remains a special experience. Dinner out in the open with no fear of thunderclouds, the light of a trillion stars lighting the meal – words become superfluous. Suffice to say it’s like that feeling you sometimes get when you realise you’re only a small part of something bigger than you can imagine. That’s what taking time out to look up at the stars does to you. Makes you contemplate your petty frivolities,  even if you wish not to.

Yes they would’ve enjoyed the camel ride -I’ll give that

Uluru is definitely a place I’ll have to come back to. There was a short trek we took from the rock back to the Visitor’s Centre (aka civilisation) where I was walking so far ahead of the rest in the group that it felt like it was just me alone in the park with Uluru looming up behind me. It was surreal. There was an overwhelming sense of me-ness in time and space. For awhile, it didn’t matter that I was a mother of two or someone’s wife or that I liked clothes and writing. All that mattered was that I kept walking.

More highs…

Realised too late to remove stupid barrier behind me.

Atop the Anbangbang Rock often mistaken for Nourlangie in Kakadu National Park, I had time, energy and capacity to run the train with knapsack on my back, reach the admittedly-not-very-high-but-still-awesome summit and get into Eagle and Dancer pose for photo op! And Kakadu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (like Uluru) *bonuspointsounds*

Being delayed by flash floods on the road back to Darwin from Kakadu would have freaked me out a bit if I had had the kids with me but this fancy-free (or rather kid-free) me took the detour in stride. Actually I managed to catch up on sleep for the greater part of the ride and had energy to partyall night after.

And lastly, it would have been virtually impossible to accept an upgrade below had the kiddies been around.

So my learnings about leaving the fam behind for this solo journey:

1. It’s an important and valuable thing to have this time out. Especially if you love travel.

2. You can always find a reason to go back there with them (which I will).

3. Being on your own for a bit makes you a better person and a better parent. In fact any type of change can be good. It forces gou to see things from a new perspective,  appreciate what you have and energise you to make plans going forward.

4. The timing of this trip was perfect preparation for Mobbes and my third honeymoon getaway to Korea! Stay tuned…

Here are some of our recommended:

1. Hang out in Sheung Wan

One stop away from Central station, Sheung Wan is a hipster neighborhood that is a treasure trove of quaint boutiques, art galleries and cafes.

2. Shop the outlets at Ap Lei Chau

3. Have lunch at SimplyLife and also, take away a sandwich

4. Stay at the Renaissance Harbour View, just for the awesome views and even awesomer breakfast buffet

5. Load up on Paisano Pizza

This is the closest pizza in the region that is akin to the New York style variety found in bodegas or cult parlours.

Not the deep dish kind, these freshly churned out triangles of joy are reason enough to visit Hong Kong. One slice is a huge meal for a small to medium-sized Asian gal like me.

6. Look for interesting buys at CitySuper

7. Take a breather at Pret A Manger

Pret A Manger is a great place to take a load off, especially when you have.kids in tow. The food is freshly prepared (if they are to be believed) and they have a range of illness-fighting drinks, perfect for under-the-weather parents.

8. Eat noodles at Mak’s. Yes, again.

9. Get wife biscuits and Lord Stow’s egg tarts for souvenirs

Trust me, it’s way better than the stuff available in SG, like Madeleine’s or um… KFC.

Actually, on this note, KFC egg tarts are better tasting than Madeleine’s IMHO. Unfortunately.

10. Not really a particular thing, but if you’re keen to buy something, just reach out and grab it. It’s probably cheaper than what you can get in the shops at home.

Happy Hong Kong-ing!

We had gone there to attend a 3-day Young Living convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read here about why I love these oils and bothered to go all the way there to find out more.

Salt Lake City, Utah. Not just Mormon-land.

It’s uber relevant to us because we believe in alternative approaches to health and wellness and don’t use pharmaceutical products. You should see our travel first aid kit!

But more on that in another post…

Here are the highs and lows of travelling alone with a tiny baby…

1. Low: you are alone with kid.

This means that you are responsible for anything and everything that goes down. You carry all the bags; you snooze, you lose; you deal with the tantrums (of both customs officers and the baby.)

It never hurts to be overprepared (sometimes).

No, I dowanna bathe!

2. High: you are alone with kid.

This gives you an opportunity to experience a new level of bonding with your child as well as discover your reserves of patience, endurance, energy and ingenuity.

“Can’t say I’m crazy about the sleeping arrangements here…”

Together, Miwi and I braved unfamiliar airports and transit lounges, forgotten (and thankfully retrieved!) mobile devices, long periods up in the air and being (literally) stuck together in the middle via a baby carrier. Which is why it is important to get a good one.

Thank god for the comfy Delta SkyClub in Narita…

In turn, we also enjoyed picnics on a Lavender farm, shopping in an all-American mall (yes! Can be done) and airport DFS shops and a meal in a Mexican place that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!

Farm day under a blue, blue sky!

Purple lavender flowers in the distance.

I even had time to do my make-up.

Singaporean passion, American context!

We made it to Red Iguana in Salt Lake!

Made famous on the Food Network channel.

Miwi loved her tacos!

3. Low: you tire more frequently

It stands to reason that if you’re the only one in charge, you will be more exhausted than usual.

But they seem to be the ones to catch all the zzzs…

Hmmph.

4. High: you have reasons to stand, stare and take lots of short breaks

Hello, cafe stops and photo ops!!

When she was good, she was very, very good.

I’m tired, cranky and I need a sandwich! (me)

5. Low: the responsibility of being the only one in charge of a separate tiny being can be overwhelming

Going to the toilet and having a shower become Olympic feats. I learnt to pee while holding a sleeping baby in my arm (s). I showered and applied make-up in under ten minutes. Most importantly, I could shut my ears to incessant wailing.

6. High: you encounter and experience the kindness of strangers

Why, hello stranger!

You may also make some new friends. A lady who sat beside me on the connection to Narita helped me to take care of Miwi while I enjoyed my meal leisurely and even walked around whike carrying her when she fussed a bit. She also accompanied me during transit to make sure that I made my connecting flight to LA safely.

Other people were also kind enough to give way to me, help me with my bags, let me cut queue- anything to make my journey easier. For all of these, I was and am very thankful!

Would I do it again? Actually I did – to Bali! But yes, I would think twice before making a triple connection journey. Which is not to say that I wouldn’t

************

This trip was made possible by the kind people at Delta. Delta Airlines does not fly direct from Singapore to Salt Lake City but via LA. There is a very comfortable 2 hour transit in Narita airport. The last one hour leg from LA to SLC is the easiest. Economy fares start from S$1796.

The lobby was glass, gold, glam and glitz!

HelleWWWWWW!

Our room was a Fabulous Room category, spacious enough to accommodate a cot if not a rollaway, with still room for a wandering tot to explore. There are no sharp corners to knock little heads and everything seemed rounded and seemless. There were cushy ottomans and footstools rather than coffee tables and drawers were too heavy for naughty fingers to pry into. Big plus!

W lovin'

Checking out the swish pad!

Amenities

Oh and there’s a nice, sizable balcony.

Another fabulous aspect of the room is the huge tub, which all four of us managed to squeeze into for some sudsy fun. The Bliss Spa toiletries were an added treat, the shower gel bubbling up nicely under the tap for mega foamy goodness.

Tub thumping!

Waterbabe.

A blast for both K and J, as we dont do bubble baths all that often.

Granted, it’s not all child-friendly. Skirt, the uber chic steak restaurant, does not welcome children under the age of 9. So I had a quick early dinner alone – it was a nice change! – while Mobbes kicked back with the kiddies.

The open kitchen at Skirt.

Fresh squid-ink linguine with very sweet king prawns and scallops.

The boys and Baby J woulda loved this homemade foccacia, seaweed cream and chorizo oil.

Although I think that they could at least make an effort to include young families with small children in their alfresco area. I said as much in the feedback card. Otherwise, the food was awesome.

I loved the whole look and feel of the place. There’s a touch of whimsy and playfulness everywhere, though painfully hip…

Where else can you find such an OTT hammock? Yes, maybe in Beyonce's bedroom.

The corridors have these cunning low cutout windows so little heads can peer outside.

Breakfast buffet was a good spread.

The provide baby chairs with attached table AND boosters! We LIKE.

Their own bottled yoghurt, milk and juices.

Pastry station.

There was the usual suspects buffet line and egg station.

But my fave was the dim sum and noodles station!

Asian breakfast, ftw!

An appetising change to the usual eggs and toast brekky.

If you have $700 to spare, you can take away an Alessi Josephine as a souvenir. She’ s both pretty and functional – like all good design should be.

Now you see her...

... now you don't!

But the W’s biggest win for old and young, is definitely their pool. Called Wet, the water is lightly warmed (so babies don’t get a shock upon entering!) and there are tons of toy floats, waterguns and lounges floating about to play with.

Did I mention that it’s huge? Perfect for dive bombing!

It’s also not too deep, so good to frolick in.

Pool loungers make all the difference!

Water kiddy.

Baby J's cool like dat.

WWWWWater gun!

We managed to spend two long swim sessions here.

"Want. More. Swim."

The aWesome W team gave us a late checkout so we could really enjoy the premises. I think next time am gonna check out the spa and get Grandad to play a round of golf at the Serapong course nearby.

Definitely a Winning Weekend at the W!

I mean, check out this scary slide…

Mobbes made me do it and after a very long time, I agreed, if only to get him off my back. Yes, I still think it’s scary but everyone needs to do it at least once!!

Needless to say, Dobbes had a very good time too. Even little Wobbes got in on the sliding action!

The Adventure Zone is located on the premises of Golden Sands resort.

********

More food adventures! Everywhere we went, we kept up our habit of asking locals where to get the best of this and that and were well-rewarded for our pains!

Take for instance, this awesome bowl of goodness that is the Penang laksa.

It can be found in a hot, dusty, grimy lane of a market in Air Iran and this is the dude who cooks it:

The lethal, constantly boiling brew that he presides over and regularly dips his ladle into to pour into a bowl of fresh rice noodles is a fragrant assam broth which instantly whets your appetite for more once you take a spoonful. Tantalisingly spicy, it melds beautifully with the crunch of coriander and chopped onions that garnish the dish.

We had some other gems from other hawkers in the same area…

Really fresh, crunchy butterflies and yu tiao!

We were quite stuffed but headed to Penang Hill and braved the crowds/head/long queues just for a taste of David Brown’s roast with Yorkshire Pudding and famous Old Smokehouse scone.

Located at the top of the hill, about 800m above sea level, the air was cool despite the scorching sun and the view was amazing. And appetite-whetting.

Definitely worth a visit with the kids. The roast looked better than it tasted and took a long time to come. The scones actually made it to our table first! And they were just as good as the Cameron Highlands version.

********

We spend our last two nights of Penang comfortably ensconced at the Lone Pine Resort. Having been to quite a few hotels all over the world, I must say that this is one of my faves – in terms of vibe, aesthetic and layout.

Loved their pool! Very kid-friendly.

Nicely located right on the beachfront as well, with lots of shady trees. Dobbes even managed to get in a bit of beach soccer.

We loved it that Penang offered so much in the way of family-friendly food and relaxation and were sorry to leave after four days, three nights. But the great thing is, it’s only an hour-long plane ride away, so we’d definitely go back and soon!

Thanks to the good people at E&O, we are comfortably installed in their swanky hotel in Lebuh Farquhar.

Bicycles for loan.

Our huge deluxe suite.

Pool view!

It’s an all-suite hotel, so it’s very comfy for families and large groups. It’s also smack in.the center of Georgetown right opposite the happening Upper Penang Road where there’s food and shops aplenty.

We went to Gurney Drive our first night to stock up on baby food and eat hawker stuff.

Look what we found at Guernsey Plaza!

Hot from the oven.

Rotiboy may have bombed in Singapore but we are still fans of the yummy, melty, coffee bun goodness! Especially when its hot from the oven.

There was a huge, touristy hawker center near the mall.

Claypot chicken rice was disappointing.

Assam laksa! Hot and satisfying. Still not convinced that this is the best Penang has to offer.

Scored big with the wantan mee.

Had a comfy night back in the hotel. It was kinda hard to wake up…

But eventually we managed. Especially since the pool was so inviting.

Early morning dip.

And the hotel breakfast was surprisingly good!

The ubiquitous Penang char kway teow.

If the hotel char kway teow is this good, I can’t imagine what the street one would be like…

Next stop, the Blue Mansion, China House for tea and then off to Lone Pune Hotel in Ferringhi.

P.S- this is my first time blogging from my phone so don’t mind the brevity, please. Am hoping it turns out published!

The Teeny Traveller!

She was to accompany us on a quick two-nighter at Phi Phi Island Village resort and we weren’t bringing Dobbes, so it was Travelling in Threes with a baby again, just like old times! We were sad to leave him behind but circumstances were such that we could not bring him along.

It was a very short trip of two nights but we were offered a chance to stay here…

Aerial view of Koh Phi Phi

So really, we could not say no. Who would have thought, Phi Phi island – the place most associate as only a touristy daytripping option off Phuket along with James Bond island – is perhaps the closest thing to a Maldives/Mauritius-like beach getaway this side of the Andaman sea?

Our kind hosts Outrigger Resorts (they run Phi Phi island) picked us up straight from Phuket International Airport and brought us to the island, where they put us up at a beachfront junior suite.

Our room for the stay!

The rustic interior was very comfy.

And Baby J thought so too…

Born to lounge.

Right on the sand, almost.

And pretty close to the massive pool.

A very family-friendly pool, if a little dated.

The journey there was via private ferry charter from a marina. See how hot it is?

Positively scorching. And I'm not talking about the Tom Yam cup noodles in that plastic bag.

Landing right on the hot, hot sand into a nice, warm welcome.

Which brings me to the first thing you should be packing for your baby for a resort/beach holiday…

1. SUNSCREEN

A lot of people especially parents try to look for sunblock, thinking that there is a magical way that a tube of while lotion labelled SPF500 would protect their little lovely from the deathly rays of Mr Sun. Much has been said about the term SPF or sun protection factor being absolutely meaningless, especially in the way it is measured. What you should be looking for is a sunscreen that protects from a broad spectrum of rays (both UVA and UVB) and has as little toxic/harmful ingredients as possible.

Such as Dr Robin's Sunscreen for Kids

If you are eager to try something that is completely natural, I suggest a 50 cent coin size of cold-pressed organic avocado oil with a few drops of Young Living’s Lavender essential oil. This amount should be enough to cover baby’s entire body with perhaps a little bit of excess for your face (yes, it is safe to apply there too).

Lavendula Angustifolea makes good sunscreen! But only Young Living's is safe to apply topically.

You wouldn't want this cutie to burn now, would you??

2. HAT

It’s not enough to just slather on sun protection, you need to actually protect the skin with more, especially on sensitive areas or if you know you will be outdoors for a prolonged period. For young babies especially, their tender scalp needs loving care. And so does yours.

Have hat will venture.

Other areas that you may want to consider covering are the upper body and this is easily done with one of those UV protective swim jerseys with long sleeves.

Like this type...

Make sure to always have a towel or cover-up handy when you whisk baby out of the water and also take breaks in the shade after being out for 15 to 20 minutes. With young babies, you definitely don’t want to over do it.

But of course it's fun to be in the sun for a while!

3. SKIMPY CLOTHES

It’s a beach resort! Leave the long-sleeved tops, fussy two piece outfits and footed leggings at home!

Pack simple onesies in short sleeves or sleeveless cotton. Forget the socks. Baby would be so much happier and so will you.

Best way to do it would be to dress baby in light, breathable cotton (organic if you like) romper with a muslin cloth as a wrap or cover as necessary (be it as towel, sunshade, blankie, makeshift swaddle at night etc).

Mommy and Miwi dressed for the occasion - breathy breakfast!

Don't let the fancy headdress fool ya! Our dresses are 100% cotton and machine washable!

It's easy to relax when you're comfortably clad.

Same goes for Mommy. If you’re uncomfortable, you won’t be able to attend to baby quickly and easily, then she’ll be uncomfy too. So dress in tube tops and easy access sundresses (especially if breastfeeding – heat, sticky breastmilk fussy clothes don’t mix) and cotton shifts that can take a bit of abuse (saltwater, spit-up etc).

4. BABY CARRIER

Please, please leave the stroller at home. Even if you’re not into attachment parenting, I’d almost guarantee that you’d be even less into sand-get-into-your-stroller-wheels.

The beach is no place for a pushchair, so either develop strong arms or opt for a good baby carrier (a.k.a NOT Baby Bjorn). It is preferable to bring two carriers with you. Anticipate that one may get wet/dirty. In a resort situation, both are possible, especially if you’re like us think nothing of bringing a two month old baby on boating excursion to fish!

All set to board!

A good, light weight soft-structure carrier like the Boba 3G will give enough protection and adequate support while remaining lightweight, so that moving about is a breeze.

Once you're onboard, you can either unbuckle the carrier or keep it on!

What I love best about carriers like the Boba 3G is that they’re so easy to use and really durable that you can go anywhere, do almost anything with your baby especially when travelling.

Checking out lovely swimming coves.

... and private beaches.

We did the touristy thing and stopped by the location of the movie, The Beach - Maya Bay.

"I'm flying, Adda, I'm FLYING!" "No, you're boating, baby J..."

So what makes a great SECOND or STANDBY carrier?

A sling/pouch carrier like the Peanutshell! Easily foldable, made out of fabric and in a pinch, washable too. Should it be necessary to give your soft structure carrier a break, this is an ideal second carrier, also fits very easily into your beach bag unlike the bulky Boba-types (or Ergo/Manduca/Patapum/Beco you name it).

Baby J does an about turn in the Peanutshell? No, she's actually facing forwards!

ITEMS TO PACK FOR YOURSELF…

1. Book

Somehow, lazing and lounging in the sun is better with a sizzling summer novel. They don’t call ‘em “beach reads” for no reason…

If you tag team it, there'll be time for reading.

For him too!

2. A GOOD CAMERA

So you can do stuff like this…

Phi Phi - The Movie.

… and this,

Red Flowers. No, they are, really.

Seriously, the point here is: leave the DSLR at home if you can and settle for a good compact, like the Powershot Canon S100.

3. Dramamine or Spearmint/Peppermint essential oil

If you’re not a good sailor, best to get some help in this area when you go boating – which is kind of inevitable if an island holiday is what you have in mind.

Otherwise you'd be like Mr Seasick here.

Apparently, carbonated drinks are a good cure. That and massaging the stiff limbs when the condition overcomes you despite all good intentions!

So, until we speed off, to our next adventure (or until the next updated blog post, whichever comes first!)…

Required Travelling in Threes family portrait.

… don’t forget that sunscreen!

Next post: WHAT TO PACK FOR SNOW HOLIDAYS!

We began our journey in Shanghai and started it well by forgetting to bring our trusty travel stroller. Smart!

Dobbes rode on Adda's shoulders for awhile on the way to Taikang Lu...

We walked around the shikumen-type shops that day which were a great alternative  to Shanghai’s big, generic, impersonal shopping malls which sprouted up everywhere and anywhere as a testament to the city’s capitalist stance. Taikang Lu is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon exploring and shopping. It’s a great place for handmade buys and you can stop as often as you like for coffee/snacks which is essential when you are travelling with bub.

L'il Keyaan leading the way!

Posing against the brick walls of Taikang Lu

A glimpse into the everyday...

Soon-to-be-extinct Shikumen houses in Taikang Lu

Getting hungry

We were happy to find a nice, inexpensive organic cafe at Taikang Lu. Called Origins cafe, they do great pastas, cakes and smoothies! Keyaan loved the berry smoothie so much we had to come back and get him a second helping.

The boys slurping on the Berry Smoothie. Two thumbs up!

Later on, we couldn’t take it any more and caved in to buy a pram. We went across the Huangpu to the Pudong side and found a Toys R Us at Super Brands Mall. They had a nifty Combi travel stroller that cost only SGD80. Score! It came in lime-green and had a shoulder strap for easy carrying when not in use. I also liked the way it collapsed and can self-stand.

Happy in his new ride!

We were intially staying at the beautiful Les Suites Orient boutique hotel, right on the Bund. It was beautifully artistic with vintage deco pieces in warm, woody hues.

The living room of our suite.

Dobbes in my favourite chair by the bedroom window.

The bund in black and white - view from our room.

It was a very central and lovely location, very near to a lot of food and shops and of course, the lovely boardwalk on the Bund. But after two night, we moved to a different hotel called Parkyard, which was a fair bit away from the city. The good thing about the hotel was that it had a huge heated pool in the basement and there was a funny heartland-type mall beside it that had a Starbucks and lotsa noodle shops.

Dobbes liked the breakfast at Parkyard too.

A Shanghainese Subway

The room service Congee at Parkyard was also pretty good.

And how could we visit Shanghai without indulging in one of their culinary specialities: hairy crab! We were kindly hosted by the good people at Four Seasons Hotel to partake of their in-season crab degustation at at their authentic fine Cantonese and Shanghainese Si Ji Xuan restaurant.

The furred wonder. We had both he as well as she-crabs.

Poached pumpkin and cucumber salad.

Hairy crab meat soup with green veggies.

This was my favourite dish: warm, comforting and yummy. I like meatballs of almost any kind.

Poached hairy crab meatball with turnips.

This was also nice to sup on in chilly weather…

Braised beancurd with hairy crab meat

There is a technique to dining on hairy crab and we were taught well.

All too soon, our Shanghai nights ended and we were off to Beijing via a short plane ride.

Keyaan is such a good traveller!

We met up with my Godmum who lives there and she proceeded to spoil us silly by taking us on a whirlwind tour in Beijing. We stayed with her for a night and she would have had us there longer if not for the fact that Aman Summer Palace had promised us a wonderful three nights stay with them, so we could not refuse!

Entrance to the Aman Summer Palace

The Lobby was vast.

You could hold a prom in here.

Dobbes lounges in the living room of our suite

As a Mum, I love hotels that bother with the little details for their younger guests…

Amenities for Junior

We quickly got down to the business of Beijing. For us, we were very clear on a few important things: the UNESCO sites and Peking duck. Pearls came a little later after we’ve had our fill of history and quacks. We started with a whirlwind tour of Forbidden City… like literally whirlwind, cos we did it so quickly wind blew threw Keyaan’s long locks.

Get me out of this stroller!

Finally free!

The vastness of the Forbidden City has to be experienced to be believed. Being there – in a place that was the backdrop for such movies as The Last Emperor, Raise The Red Lantern, Mulan (well… kind of!) – had me connected with a strong sense of history and grandeur of a different age. We may build sky scraping towers and subterranean malls now, but never again would we see the type of artisanship (and effort) that went into these walls.

Forbidden City - done & dusted.

After such “hard work”, we took a quack crack at Dadong – one of the celebrated places for Peking Duck in Beijing.

Bill of fare...

In case there was any doubt about the accolades.

I’m a big fan of Peking Duck. I love how the tender, slightly smoky-tasting meat and crisped skin is wrapped around little pancakes with a dash of sweet sauce and cucumber in bite sizes. Some people say that Dadong is overrated, that there are better (and cheaper) places to have good Peking Duck in Beijing. I didn’t have time to try out any other so my view is probably biased but this is some damn good duck. The local one at Park Palace restaurant is good, the one in Melbourne’s Hutong Dumpling Bar is better but this one is GUUUUD.

Duck for cover

Post-duck paralysis...

We got up early but not not to bright to get to The Great Wall. We weren’t planning on climbing or trekking, seeing as we were with little Dobbes. Although I doubt if I had been there without him I would have wanted to check out Simitai, a wilder, less restored section of the wall. We settled on Mutianyu which was less crowded than Badaling, the nearest section to the city.

We travelled in threes to The Great Wall!

I was really tickled by all the banners there, advertising how awesome the cellphone reception was at the top of The Great Wall. But they were telling the truth!

"Where am I?? At the top of The Great Wall of course!"

We spent the remainder of our time in Beijing…

Shopping for pearls...

... funny hats...

... groovy tees in hipster boutiques... (spot the Dobbes)

... and the best snack in the world. Ok at least at that time.

Verdict? China is a great place to visit with kids. Like any other place, exercise caution and have a healthy dose of it too. Don’t let kids run free in unfamiliar places and stay at reputable hotels. Don’t skimp on food (or mineral water… some sell “fake” bottles that filled with the tap version) and absorb all the history and culture that the country has to offer.

Like the Summer Palace...

... and the Peking Duck!

Until next time when I update my overdue destinations, Zai Jian!

For little Dobbes Ow, it will mean his first overnighter in a sleeper train from Shanghai to Beijing and colder weather (again. The last time we were in Paris, we lost his sock and all the Parisians kept kindly pointing out to us that our son had only one sock on. Current goal for China: keep both footwear on at all times…)

I have more travel clothing and accessories reviews coming up so stay tuned!