TRISHAW PROJECT AND SETTING OUT FOR BALI

Joel and C headed out to Arab St to purchase Peranakan fabric today to help Joel finish his Trishaw re-build project that he started 13 years ago. It has been living in our basement ever since. We do have a Flying Pigeon bike and all the parts of the sidecar and hood here ready to do. But not fabric. This is what a Trishaw should look like:

This is a very significant Singaporean symbol and the actual design is only found here. We didn't see a single one on the road and heard that they are now retiring all of them from the city. Even more important now to preserve them. 

After Joel and C came back we decided on a movie and dinner in evening. We ordered dinner which whizzed over to us on a scooter, and I put on Crazy Rich Asians. The kids got a kick out of the satire, now knowing some of the context for the jokes and stereotypes. 

The following morning we set out to the airport to fly to Bali. The Denpasar airport has been completely rebuilt since we were last there and in line with Singapore and Malaysia, Indonesia has also adopted an electronic visa on arrival system, passports scanned without a human in sight. 

We had a long drive in crazy traffic to get to Ubud, finally checking into our hotel on Monkey Forest very late. Everyone fell into bed and went to sleep. Well all except Joel who began and long night working with less than helpful wifi. 

A SECRET KAMPONG

I thought we'd done all the parks and trails in Singapore -- or certainly Joel had -- in our Singapore years. But I had never heard of there being the ruins of a Kampong hidden in part of the Pearce Reservoir. Our dear friend Kevin met us to show us this mystical place and what a treat it was. 

We walked through jungle with a mix of old orchard and crops mixed in that were leftover from the farms. High up in the trees we saw a monitor lizard and a Flying Lemur.

Despite being fairly sure the weather was going to hold out at the start, we were not so lucky it turned out. The skies opened and drenched us as only tropical rain can. It was still great fun at any age to just get that wet when the rain is warm and the company is playful. 

We feasted on Roti Prata and eventually took a taxi back home to change. 

Now because it was the weekend and Joel's only one in Singapore we turned around and headed back out to a second outing: The Night Safari. It was very interesting especially for the kids but boy were our feet sore after the long day on them. 

CHANGING PLANS

Before we left we found out that Joel couldn't have any time off work and would be working nights the whole trip. Then he was summoned back to SF part way through the trip and had to forfeit his ticket home and purchase another at double the cost. Luckily I had gone through a reputable insurance agent and bought CFAR insurance which he can claim this under. We decided to go ahead with the edited trip but this is why Joel is absent for so many of the excursions but does make some valiant arrivals mid day and evenings. I cancelled our plan to tack on Thailand and opted to have us stay in Singapore again preferring a home base I know well when I'm solo with a senior and two kids in tow. 

After our first 4 days of sightseeing Mum and I sat down in a cafe and set our minds to booking all the rest of the trip details while Joel -- having his first day off on a weekend, took the boys to the adventure park. 

We met up at Vivo City Food Republic for dinner and gave the kids an even bigger overview of street foods in a slightly manic Disney-like setting. 

LITTLE INDIA

We had very wiggly boys so our day started with lots of swimming today. And then we waited and watched a thunderstorm. 

Joel had to sleep after working all night so Mum and the boys and I went to Little India on our own to walk around and see the shops and temples. 

We decided to all get henna tattooos -- the things you do when kids are along! Even Mum got one. We introduced the boys to haggling. C was very mystified by the concept of walking away from something you want. A watched me at the first place we purchased something and asked "what was THAT? I couldn't even follow that transaction." Hah! Mom has a few things up my sleeve he hasn't seen I guess. I love a good haggle. 

Joel joined us for a late lunch of Dosa at a little restaurant. Mum actually hadn't done Dosa with us before so it was new to three members at the table. 

CHINATOWN AND COLONIAL DISTRICT

General Raffles designed the city's layout to create separate culturally significant areas for each of the ethnic groups who were in Singapore in 1819. Little India, Chinatown, Arab Street, and the Malay Kampong are all still there and are very interesting cultural experiences for travelers. They are like being able to visit a different country with just a few stops on the MRT. We started with Chinatown with a breakfast at the Maxwell Hawker Center (Popiah, and many types of dumplings and cups of Kopi-o). Joel, having been up the entire night working on PST was heading back to the apartment to sleep, but I took Mum and the boys across to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. 

We've been to many Taoist temples but this one is really enormous and has a museum on one floor, a gift store and it's also a busy place filled with monks and people at prayer. 

We did a little bit of exploring the side streets before heading back to rest. Jet-lag had caught up with us. We stopped for Laksa, Nasi Lemak and Fishball Soup on our way. As you do. 

The following day we set out to the Colonial District to visit the National Museum hoping to give the kids a more visual overview of the island's history. It was very well curated as usual and we got exactly what we hoped from the trip. After the museum we had dinner at Din Tai Fung. 

DAY ONE IN SINGAPORE

The dream of a 16 hour direct flight on Singapore Airlines was not something we'd had available to us 13 years ago so our flight out of SFO was a treat. No 30 hour round trip slog with stopovers in Narita or Hong Kong. The service on board was exceptional, food decent and Premium Economy gave us a little more room to stretch with foot rests and seats that went further back. We had created a little jet-lag busting schedule to follow on board with all taking some melatonin when Singapore's night began and being up for breakfast before our 5:00am local time landing. The kids slept well, were content with the onboard movies when up and ate the plan food without complaint. They also discovered that if they visited the flight attendants there were extra treats. 

Changi looked just how it was when we left though the new kiosks that scan your passport and search for your online landing card are new. You never speak to a human and it's fast. 

Stepping out into the equatorial heat for the first time was a welcome moment for those of us who were ready for it. The look of surprise on the boys are hilarious. They didn't dislike it but laughed at the newness. 

Our driver whisked us across the island chatting about Hawker Centers and parks till we turned up the familiar road beside the Botanic Gardens main gate and were deposited on the doorstep of the Initial Sama. We had two apartments, a studio and a two bedroom but lost in translation was the fact that they needed to be close together and not in different buildings. Joel ended up using the studio as an office and Mum took the couch in the two bedroom so we could function as a family unit as the main apartment had the fridge and kitchen and dining room. 

Though a bit more squashed in than planned, the swimming pool was newly finished and our place was nicely appointed. 

We decided we needed to stay awake as long as possible and walked across the road into the Botanic Gardens for breakfast and a wander around. We started with the National Orchid Garden and made our way around the upper end of the park where the boys found monitor lizards and we spotted a pair of Pied Hornbills in a tree. More wildlife than I have ever seen in a park that was a nearly every day walk for us year ago. 

We had a swim and I took Austen for a quick trip to Tanglin Mall for groceries. 

PARTY OF 5 HEADED TO THE RED DOT

After my Dad died last year, one of my promises to my Mum had been to take her traveling with us and we had decided on a return to SE Asia. 

Fast-forward to July 18th 2026. I spent the last 8 months getting each piece of the itinerary into place. 

July 20-27 Singapore

Staying in serviced apartment by the Botanic Gardens and acclimating while seeing some of the cultural centers of the city. Orienting the kids to the food, flora and fauna. 

July 27-August 4 Bali Indonesia

Returning to Ubud, adding in Sanur and Candidasa and showing the kids a totally different culture and region. 

July 4-7 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Three days in the city's Chinatown connecting my mother with a good friend and seeing Malaysian culture and digging deeper into Malay food. 

July 7-12 Singapore

Return to the serviced apartments and a chance to fit in anything we didn't see in the first week. 

As we departed we were so excited to be heading to our former home. I truly yearned for so many things I love from that part of the world is was hard to even make a list. Here are a few moments from our departure day. 

Planning SE Asia 2026

Our last big international trip was Europe in 2018, which was spectacular and really made us want to do much more travel with our kids. Unfortunately, the next few years didn’t line up the way we hoped—from a global pandemic changing travel possibilities to Joel’s topsy-turvy start-up phase. But we always intended for this to be a trip we’d take as a family, and now that the kids are a pre-teen and a teen, it feels like the window is suddenly getting short.

We booked our direct flights from SFO to SIN before the war began, which was pure dumb luck. I’ve also managed to book a lovely serviced apartment beside the Singapore Botanic Gardens. We’re planning to spend a week showing the kids everything we loved—and now miss—in Singapore, then head to Bali for 7–10 days, and finish with about five days in Thailand.

More on this very soon! We're hoping to reconnect with friends who are still in the area. 

Amtrak in a Sleeper Car from Oakland to Seattle

Travel by train is old-world, slow-living stuff and evokes all the Golden Age of Travel vibes that I'm always drawn to. I haven't the travel budget to take my family on the Orient Express but Joel researched this simple Amtrak trip as part of our route home for Christmas. Booking early was key, there are not very many sleeper cars but with very little fuss we were locked in. The boys were beyond excited for this trip. Here's how it went. 

Our train was delayed an hour so we really should have just watched the app and left later from our house. With trains, unlike planes, you can do that. They don't care, you don't check-in. The Oakland Station is not very big, has pretty spartan amenities and is low on any type of staff. Unlike European stations, the trains don't come into a grand covered platform. You take your first-class ticket and wander down the side of a building stepping over heaps of garbage on your way to your car. There is a porter at each carriage helping passengers aboard. Ours took us to our room where she'd set up the beds because it was past 10pm by the time we were in there. It was time for bed. 

The sleeper room was tiny, like being in an airplane bathroom. You can reach everything from your bed! Everything could use a coat of paint and a refresh but it was passable. Like a motel 6 levels of elegance. I wasn't expecting the Venice Simpleton but finding a syringe and garbage under a seat was definitely below expectation. 

The kids were REALLY excited about the first few hours but 24 was too long. These trains are not set up for children, once they have explored the train cars and read a book... that's it. Amtrak does absolutely nothing for kids, no welcome packs like the national parks or staff who engage them in any way. You're spending most of your time telling them to shhhhhh because everyone else is older and asleep. 

Was it a bucket list thing? Sure. Am I a fan of Amtrak? Not really. I might consider a shorter trip if it really makes sense but honestly I'd prefer the adventure van bunk experience with more outdoor stops and ability to choose routes with look-outs to see views. Trains of course, take the flat route, so you mostly see fields and the backs of industrial areas. 

The boys have positive memories despite the hours they complained after that 12 hour mark so I'm glad we tried this and now this bucket list item is crossed off. Time to plan the next adventure. 

Crater Lake National Park Van trip

 

C had been studying the National Parks in school the previous Spring and was absolutely ecstatic when a classmate's family invited us on a van adventure to see Crater Lake. Our precocious littles led the mission North from Marin to Oregon on a very intense whirlwind weekend trip.  It went very well and we were really blown away by the terrain. 

This trip we rented the RAM and were not as happy with that drive experience as we had been with the Mercedes Sprinter but the sleeping arrangement was pretty well oriented for us. Having a shorter van was a lot easier for parking lots. This one was 18 or 19' which felt more manageable than 22 and we were able to load in our driveway at home.