Bali Safari & Marine Park - Fun Zone

Oopsie-daisy. How can I even even miss this out?

After seeing pictures of this place on the directory, I got soo excited that I wore the fully-covered swimwear during my 1st day plying around the safari. It was in anticipation of this water park that seemed like such a great idea, during that scorching hot day.

Well, the 1st day come and go, yet we did not even encounter the water park. Dejected, I brought my son for a swim in the common pool instead. :(

On to the 2nd day. We actually ventured to the other unexplored areas in the park. By then, we have all forgotten about it.

In the very last lap of our adventure in the safari, some 15mins or so before our transportation arrive to bring us back to Canggu, we came to an obscure corner in the park called, "Fun Zone".

We walked in further and saw THIS:

Uwaaaah!!!

Why didn't we discover this much earlier? Especially the day before??!

The two days there had been especially hot so can you imagine how great it could have been, splashing around here! Imagine the fun the kids (ok, and adults) could have had??

Needless to say, I left the place totally miffed. :-/

PS: I eventually went to their website and checked out the interactive map. That place seemed to have even more fun activities going on during their heydays.

Now, it come off as more… muted. That Fun Zone definitely had seen better days…

Bali Safari & Marine Park

The safari experience

Staff in a ranger garb, driving us in an open jeep.

Turkey

The bird. Not the country.

One of those that I mentioned previously. The one that roamed the lawns around our 'huts'.

Tram ride

At the rate that it's enclosed and air-conditioned; it's better off being called a 'bus'. Took the guided tour around the grounds of the safari.

...Also a safe way to meet & greet them tigers and lions.

Orang Utan

The animal that shares 96% of our genetic makeup. That's how SIMILAR we are.

Gibbons

Very entertaining creature. A soon as we pass, it started to swing on the rope and tried its best to impress.

Sun bear

Or is it Asian bear? I know one of them is also known as the 'honey-bear' because of it's affinity for that liquid gold.

And no, it's doesn't look at all like 'Pooh'.

Tigers

Rawr! Malayan tigers, I think.

Hippopotamus

Ok, did I get that spelling right...? Are there supposed to be 3 or 4 'p'?

Lion

The tram has to enter a enclosure with automatic gates for this. Opened as we enter and closed behind us as we leave. I guess they're still much feared.

Unlike the tiger's den, which only has a moat around it.

African Red buffaloes??

Wallaby

Porcupines

Despite those spikes, I think that they're still pretty cute.

Then again, I might have mistaken them for hedgehogs...

Komodo Dragon

The largest living species of lizard. And boy, it's huge!

Leopard

Loves to nestle itself between the leaves and branches. A more common term will be 'draping' itself on the branch of a tree. Seeing how the body goes all limp as it hangs itself like an exotic rag.

Piranhas

We caught them in a pretty odd position. A school of them, all awkwardly still and facing one direction, as if praying.

I won't fault you if you think that they've been frozen in the tank.

We missed out on their feeding display. Would love to see for myself, how they actually eat (pretty ferocious, I heard).

Location of the Bengal Tiger enclosure

Pretty grand, huh? Suited for a maharaja. Very apt for this majestic animal!

White Bengal Tiger

His Royal Highness was having his bath when I duly came by to visit.

My apologies, your majesty.

White Bengal Tiger

In all his regal glory.

Since this is my favourite animal amongst all, it deserve to have 2 pics posted. :)))

Camel ride

My 2 year-old boy surprised me when he ran to the camels, expecting a ride. I had a feeling he remembered the camels that he saw at Paradise Country in Brisbane.

And a ride, he got. Thanks to his uncle who accompanied him.

Elephant show

Elephant show

Caught the elephant show on the 1st day. Reminds me a lot like the sketches we had back in school, what with the safari staff play-acting and all... And those elephants sure can act as well!

The sketch was to highlight and promote the conservation of elephant habitats. Also to show the misconceptions mostly associated with wild elephants. Very interesting.

Animal show

Caught this the next morning. Only held once a day. Another educational shows showcasing animals, from the small domestic one to the medium-sized range.

Bali Agung

That statue is not just ANY elephant. That was supposed to be Lord Ganesha, the Hindu deity related to success. And given the massive size, that's actually the tallest statue of Ganesha in Bali.

That's a big deal in this majority-Hindu land.

And that cavernous compartment also acts as the entrance to the massive theatre for the Bali Agung show. My BiL had really wanted to catch the show, which showcases a grand cultural performance featuring 180 dancers & performers. Pretty similar to much hyped 'Fantasea' in Phuket.

The theater is located right smack within the grounds of Bali Safari and since we stayed there, we're entitled to a discount on the tickets.

However, I stood my ground and think of the reality. We have 4 children; 2 of whom were not interested and the even smaller 2 who don't give a damn at all. Tickets aren't cheap and I don't wan't to risk having them creating a ruckus during the show because it's over 2 hrs long. We all know how toddlers are, with regards to their attention span.

So we gave that show a miss, checked-out on time and head for Klungkung, Kintamani & Ubud instead.

Next up: Bali food entries - finally!

Mel's Drive-In @ USS

Finally got down to visiting Universal Studios Singapore. I've been holding back because of the un-opened Battlestar Galactica rides. To me, those rides alone are worth the (exorbitant) ticket price.

Most of us kinda' skipped breakfast, in our hurry to meet up in the morning. So come lunchtime, we were ravenous. Besides, I made sure I took those roller coaster rides before I really fill myself up.

With many Halal eateries available within the theme park, we were kinda spoilt for choice.

Eventually chose Mel's Drive In because it serve generic fast food items like burgers, fries & milkshakes so there won't be issues with any fussy eaters. It also has one the bigger floor spaces so that we won't have a hard time getting seats (we eventually waited for the coveted booth seats). And lastly, it also has a great view out to Hollywood Lake.

The interior reminded me so much like 1950's America. Gaudy colours, shiny chrome metals and leather booth seats. I somehow expect to have John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John to break out their 'Grease' hit: "You Are The One That I Want" while I was there (that's the 70's, I know). But they do have like live singing & dancing performances right outside, singing oldies to suit the atmosphere.

The cashiers, where we made our orders + payments were offset from the main servery counter. A good way to contain the queue and it's hygienic. Just so that the staff handling money wouldn't handle food at the same time.

Anyway, moving on to the food…

Chili fries

My cousin's order of chili fries. Not sure how much it cost though. She add-on this to her burger combo order.

They also have cheese fries! Something I'm gonna get (if I ever go back there).

Not sure what type of cheese they use but it was a pale shade of yellow and is almost translucent. Emmental cheese, perhaps?

Chicken fingers w/ Mel's special sauce - $5.50

Another cousin don't feel like having a burger or even a full meal so she asked for some 'finger food'.

I kinda like the flour they used to coat these chicken strips. Btw, that 'Mel's special sauce' is some sweet & sour tasting sauce; very tentalising.

Crispy chicken burger

This was a picture taken by my cousin, of her Crispy Chicken burger. Breadcrumbs!

Coke float - $4.90

We didn't see root beer float on the menu. So this was the next best option.

See that foam? That happen because they top-up more coke after scooping the ice-cream in. Not that I mind. Just don't look in to see how the ice-cream look like. Disgusting much.

Fries - $3.00

Thick-cut fries. I like!

Now if only they're served piping hot like in McD. I'll be sure to queue for more!

Mel's chocolate treat - $2.50 (add on)

This brownie + ice-cream dessert would have cost around $4 when ordered on its own. However, when we order it as an add-on to our combo, it'll only cost $2.50.

The catch? It comes together with your meal, so you gotta feast on this first or you'll end up with an ice-cream puddle at the end of your meal. Pfft.

The brownie's texture had been more cake-y than it was fudge-y, albeit more dense than a regular chocolate cake. And it wasn't served warm. What do you expect from a fst-food restaurant?

But it was very nutty. That, I like.

I heard that their apple crumble is pretty ok. They also have chocolate mousse cake, rite? Hope that'll be served appropriately cold.

"Shiok" burger

As soon as I saw the poster for this "Shiok" burger, I knew I had to get it.

The combo cost only $12.80 (u.p. $16.30).

Whoa!

Seems like I've finally met the burger of my dreams.

Spiced chicken floss, Onion rings, Turkey Bacon, Guacamole(!), Mel’s special sauce, 100% beef patty…

Not forgetting the regular cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato. And the beef patty seems thicker than McD's or even BK's. Maaaybe it's a 1/4 pound patty (I don't really know).

Wow.

I'm not sure about the chicken floss but having the turkey bacon AND guacamole already did me in. One heck of a messy eat but it's something I surely enjoy. Mmmm...!

I seriously don't mind paying the $5 to come into the park after 7pm, dine here and then view the fireworks. Definitely having that 'Shiok' burger again, simply because it live up to its name- imho.

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Other Halal-certified eateries @ Universal Studios Singapore:
- Celebrity Café & Bakery
- Oasis Spice Café
- Goldilocks
- Friar’s
- Casa Del Wild

Not bad, eh? Maybe to cater to the regional Muslim crowd. Now, if only the food here aren't THAT expensive!

Oh yeah. Since I'm on the topic of USS… Look what I got for myself!

A science lab-esque drinking flask from Fairy Godmother's Juice Bar!

That's at Far Far Away (Shrek) section of the theme park, btw.

'Act cute', I know. But I can't help it! This comes with a lanyard, too.

Gold Coast : Sea World

Went to Sea World on our 5th day at Gold Coast. As you can see, the sky was almost cloudless. Imagine the heat coming through!

Dolphin Lagoon

There used to be 3 Halal-certified establishments in Sea World alone. Somehow, the park went through a re-vamp and I can no longer find 2 of those restaurants.

The Paradise Room Restaurant was located near the main entrance and it seemed to offer international buffet (gotta be pricey!). Now it's no longer there. Tucked away behind the Monorail station, used to be the Broadwater Café. No longer there, too. These 2 names also disappear from the 'Dining' listings in their official website.

The Plaza
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Roza)

Thankfully, Plaza Food Court is still around. The location is pretty centralised in the park, at the Plaza.

This is a fast food outlet so expect stuff like burgers and fries chips. At least that is considered affordable... Oh, you can't imagine how expensive the food there is.

What we ordered

Sri's fish & chips

The rest of us ordered this

This may be Sea World and they have dolphins here. Contrary to the design of the wrapper, we were NOT eating dolphin burgers. Fish burger, yes. Dolphin, no.

And dolphin is not a fish, even.

The pretty big burger
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Roza)

The pretty sizable fish fillet came sandwiched between pretty big & soft buns, with lettuce, tomato and tartare sauce. Good thing it's that big. Cos' even these burgers aren't cheap.

It felt weird to have no sauce to dip the chips into. So I went in and recce the various sauces they have. There were ketchup, BBQ and tartare. Nope, no chilli. They came in pretty small containers and cost 65cts each. Oh, heck!

I got the BBQ and tartare anyway. I'm someone who needs her sauce!

A tale of 2 souvenir flasks

While at Movie World, I was determined to get myself this souvenir flask to bring back to Singapore and use it at my office.

Filled it up with Sprite and was told that I can also bring it to Sea World and refill for only $2.95 (the flask cost $5). I was excited at the thought and imagined bringing that flask along when I head to Sea World the very next day.

Until my son saw it and insist on playing with it. Thankfully it's already empty. So I let him be. Then he threw it to the ground. It was fine until my mum saw water dripping from the bottom corner. Oops.

He then played with the straw. Only until I'm back at the apartment did I realise that he no longer have the straw in his hand. Pfft!

When my mum bought my fish burger at Plaza Food Court in Sea World, she surprised me by buying another flask. :))) And I made sure it stayed out of my son's sight, this time.

And when I refilled it with 'Lift' (really great-tasting carbonated Lemonade) at the drinks kiosk, I saw this cool-looking strap meant to hold the flask and I bought it, so that I don't have to carry the flask around in my hand.

I guess you already figure out what happened, huh?

Yeap, somehow the bl**** strap gave way and my dear flask dropped to the ground. This time the water didn't just drip out of the crack. It literally GUSHED out of the HOLE! Huhu...

Eventually didn't bother to bring this back to Singapore. Firstly, they're broken. 1 without a straw, even. Secondly, I can't find the space for them in my luggage! Pfft...!

And please, don't let me tell you the story about the 2 scoops of ice-cream... :'(

Gold Coast : Movie World

We head down to Movie World on the 4th day (also known as Universal Studios, here in S'pore).

Soon after as we were in, my colleague and I got pretty excited at the sight of this churros cart. Really missed my churros. Seems like I get to have it only when I watch movies. And I hardly watch movies nowadays. :(

The churros cart

The churros were served piping hot. It seemed like they coat the cinnamon sugar on, only upon ordering. I also purchased the chocolate dipping (yes, $2 is really pricey). Got a small tub for that. After my 1st 2 dips, I gave the dipping away because it tasted too milky for my liking. The churros taste better on its own, actually.

Had our lunch at this Halal-certified restaurant located inside there - Rick's Cafe Americain.

And I thought that was a fictional restaurant that exist only in the famed film, 'Casablanca'. Well, it does show in its decor. How the interior had these Moroccan touches here and there. Seemed a lil' clichéd, though.

It's said that another eatery there, Gotham City Cafe, is Halal. but I can't seem to find any signs/notices declaring it.

The Entrance
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)

The reception/cashier
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)

Check out the unique ceiling fan contraption!

part of the salad & dessert bar
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)

part of the hot food spread
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)

I can't really say that there were a lot of varieties but I'd say that they kinda' suffice.

And pretty much of those in the hot food spread seemed... Asian. Not surprising, I guess. Seeing that this restaurant is Halal, most of their customer base might be Muslims from the likes of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei & Singapore. And most of the folks in tour groups seem to hail from China. So I guess that's why.

closer look at the hot food spread
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)

Hot foods range from (in pic, above) vegetable lasagna, fried noodles, garlic bread, 'chap chye' (chinese stir-fried mixed veggies), fries (or chips) and penne with cream sauce.

There's also (not in pic) fried spring rolls, meat curry, fried chicken, 'Poffertjes' (Mini Dutch pancakes), nachos chips (with chili beans and guacamole dips!), deep-fried battered fish and roast beef with brown sauce.

keropok!
(pic courtesy of my colleague, Sri)

Yes, 'keropok' (malay crackers, made with usually prawn or fish) galore. With chili sauce, even. Just too bad, they weren't fried that well. Right beside it is the bread basket.

corn soup

And yes, there's also corn soup. Something which I forgot to mention.

Seemed a lil' watered down. There are bits of sweet corn kernels inside, with egg beaten in. My son kinda' like it.

my salad plate

Cold pasta salad, mixed salad greens, cherry tomatoes with french dressing & croutons and potato salad. They have coleslaw but it seemed that the Aussies' way of preparing that wasn't really to my liking.

my plate of hot foods

Since I have my son to look after, I can't really afford to make many rounds so I try to dump many items onto my plate.

I have fries and nachos chips topped with chili beans & guacamole. Then there's the undercooked veggie lasagna. I also took the fried battered fish strips with chili sauce. A generous serving of roast beef slices with brown gravy. And finally, penne with cream sauce, which I shared with my son.
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I didn't really expect to eat buffet while I'm here so I was pretty much caught by surprise. It sure help, the fact that we were tired and hungry on that hot day. But the food there was ok-ok only. More like, "Jack of all trades, Master of none."

And oh, desserts were basically cut fruits and flavoured creams. No, NOT ice-cream. Just... cream. Maybe clotted cream. Oh, I don't know!

In fact, I almost thought them to be melted ice-cream, since they weren't placed in a freezer or something.... Pfft!

Price is around AUD 24.90 for adults, I think. Hmm... somewhere around that price range.