Kellogg’s Family Day Out at the Singapore Zoo

It was the last weekend of the school holidays and we had to make the most of it, right? So off we went to the zoo, zoo zoo!

We used to visit the Singapore Zoo a lot when Noey and Mei were younger and I’ve been feeling sorry for Nate as he hasn’t had as much opportunity to visit. We did bring him on his birthday, which he seemed to enjoy. So I was terribly excited to be invited to Kellogg’s Family Day Out at the Singapore Zoo. Not only were we going to the zoo, we were also going to be enjoying breakfast with the animals!

Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife (or Breakfast with Ah Meng, as it used to be called) is an iconic programme of the Singapore Zoo where patrons can enjoy breakfast alongside the orangutans. I believe most of us like to get an early start to a day at the zoo and having the Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife is a great option since you get to fill your tummies while getting up close and personal with the animals. (Breakfast is $35 per adult, $25 per child 6-12 years, kids under 6 eat for free.)

We arrived bright and early and were ushered to our seats at the terrace area of Ah Meng Restaurant for breakfast at 9am. The zoo is lovely in the mornings, all green and cool, and everyone was chuffed to be greeted by an international buffet spread. There were the eggs, chicken ham, turkey bacon, sausages, hash browns, mini waffles, Kellogg’s cereals and more for American breakfast fans, and on the other side, an Asian spread, with nasi lemak, chicken porridge and prata with curry. Truly something for everyone! There were 4 different varieties of Kellogg’s cereals at the breakfast buffet and my little miss was very pleased to find her favourite Kellogg’s Froot Loops at the cereal counter. And she wasn’t the only one, judging by how quickly the Froot Loops emptied out! We were definitely starting the day right in more ways than one!

The highlight of the morning was definitely the orangutans. After we settled down with our food, the family of orangutans from the nearby enclosure came over to have their breakfast as well. I thought the way they made their entrance was rather nifty: a long mechanised pole was extended into the enclosure and they climbed down it straight to their perch right in front of the breakfast guests. Tip: Do try to get to the restaurant early to grab seats right in front next to the perch for a better experience!

The orangutans were present for about half an hour, during the keeper in charge then proceeded give a a talk about the orangutans, during which restaurant guests could queue up to get their picture taken with them. There was a long line naturally, but everyone got a chance to get a shot for keeps. The official photographers were also on hand to take the pictures and get you souvenir shots, instantly printed and framed to take home.

We also got to meet an albino Ball Python though none of my kids save the clueless littlest wanted to go near. Haha.

After breakfast, we were off to explore the zoo! As part of Kellogg’s Family Day Out, there was a booth for games which we stopped by to try our hand at. And of course to have some Kellogg’s cereal samples. You would think that after breakfast the kids were full up, but nope they still had some space for their favourite cereals! We also discovered that Nate was a fan of Coco Pops, though I suppose there’s no surprises there!

We then spent a good bit of time exploring RepTopia, home to reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods at the Singapore Zoo. This indoor, air-conditioned (yay) space is a fairly new addition to the zoo, having opened in August last year. There were plenty of fascinating creatures in the exhibit, and my favourite section was the open-air boardwalk where you could walk right into the habitat with them. I learnt that the (oddly named) Green Iguana isn’t really green at all, at least as an adult, and can be red, orange or even blue or lavender.

Just before leaving, we chanced upon a new rope course just a short distance away from Kidzworld. The kids clamoured to have a go and we decided to let them so that we can take a break! I’ll admit I was fooled by the large sign advertising entry to the viewing gallery for $5 when I agreed to let them climb. The rope course actually costs $25 per pax. On the plus side it was mighty fun and the kids were able to climb for as long as they wished. You can check out Houbii Spot Singapore for more details.

’Twas a fitting end to our school holidays. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we are back again at the zoo to see Coco the Capuchin and his friends in the primate kingdom!

*Thanks Kellogg’s for the invite to your Family Day Out and all the cereals and cereal treats!