By Kianna Koh

As mentioned in one of my previous articles, ‘Events to look out for this Christmas’, Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay was highly anticipated by everyone, after last year’s phenomenal support from everyone!

Earlier this week, Travis and I went down, got tickets and spent the day at Christmas Wonderland to see the new attractions and explore the place a bit more!

When we first got our tickets, I felt a little bit disappointed because for the 2015 Christmas Wonderland the entrance was free, but this year we actually had to purchase tickets to go inside. I guess maybe it was a way to control the crowd, but they had actually advertised the tickets at SGD 4 at first, but when we bought it, we got it at SGD 6, and I realised that the price of the tickets increases the days leading up to Christmas. So if you’re planning to go on Christmas Eve, or on Christmas Day itself, be prepared to shell out SGD 10 just for the tickets.

We went around 4pm in the afternoon and me being me, I brought a knitted cardigan because I thought it would be cold inside. That is really something I would not advise because firstly, IT IS HUMID. I’m not even joking. Singapore’s weather is so crazy, one minute it’s raining and the next it’s so hot and sunny! So please check the weather beforehand and dress appropriately! The advantages of going in the afternoon (Christmas Wonderland only opens at 330pm) is that it would not be as crowded. The crowd starts in the evening, around 6pm, so it’s a good thing to familiarise yourself with your surroundings before the crowd because by then, finding your way around anything will be so difficult.

However, if you do choose to go in the evening, the view is really breath-taking compared to seeing it in the afternoon!

 Just look at that difference! The only disadvantage would be fighting the HUGE crowd over there!

Moving on, there are a ton of stalls that are shaped like little houses and it is really super cute! Different stalls have different products, so do check all of them out, you may find a unique Christmas gift there. But do not get your hopes up too high because as cute and pretty as the products are, they are pretty pricey.

We went to try out some of their food and it was amazing! Some of the food there are really worth the prices and I don’t think you’d be able to find good substitutes anywhere!

The ramen (I forgot what it was called and which store it was, sorry!) was really delectable but the serving was pretty small despite the price. It was very fresh and I think that if you are looking for something that is made on the spot with very fresh ingredients, do give their ramen a try! They have other ramens with unique flavors!

Top left: Bangers and Mash, SGD 6

Top Right: Shoestring Truffle Fries, SGD 6

Bottom: Rainbow Smores, SGD 8

All from Street Food Circus.

Bangers and Mash is a sausage and mashed potato dish. The sausage was easy to cut and cooked well, when eaten together with the mashed potato, it was a combo that keeps you wanting more. The Shoestring Truffle Fries were absolutely heavenly. The fries were fried to perfection and were not too salty! I really highly recommend this stall, the food was perfect and they even had Butterbeer!

From: The Dutch Pancake House

The Mini Pancakes were actually very nice, and you get to choose 1 free topping. If you want chocolate sauce, or whipped cream, you would have to add on a small amount. Overall, I feel that the Mini Pancakes were alright, but it is expensive for pancakes, so I guess you are just paying for the novelty of it.

The place is huge and there are carnivals and activities for everyone! For the carnival, you will need to buy tokens, and 1 token is equivalent to SGD 2. Some games there require 2 or 3 tokens so do remember to bring enough money. Speaking of money, please withdraw your money before entering Christmas Wonderland because the nearest ATM is at the Flower Dome and it is quite a distance from where Christmas Wonderland is at.

There are also photo booths there, so grab your partner for some sweet pictures or your family and friends for some funny ones! They also have different props for you to make use of. 2 photo strips, which has 4 photos will cost you SGD 8.

As mentioned earlier, the views at night are really gorgeous, so enough of me talking, here are some more pictures of the view!

 Overall, the trip to Christmas Wonderland was a great way to spend some time with your family and loved ones, albeit it was slightly expensive. But still, I guess the beautiful sights made up for it, and this event is only once a year. So it would be a great idea to surprise your date by bringing them here!