We headed off to Johor Bharu one
October weekend for a short 3D2N family getaway. Our journey to Johor was
horrible, as traffic was horrendous at the Seremban-Melaka stretch and the rain
was just torrential. Needless to say, Zach wasn’t such a happy camper during the
drive there.
That aside, after a good 6-7
hours in the car, double the normal journey time from KL to JB, we arrived at
Somerset Puteri Harbour and happy to note the cloudy yet dry weather in JB. We
wanted to only go around Puteri Harbour this trip hence why Somerset was our
pick this round.
Somerset Puteri Harbour is part
of a large international chain of serviced apartments, The Ascott Limited. It’s
almost like that home away from home feel, which you’d get the minute you enter
the apartment. Ours was a studio which was over 50 sq m which is quite large
for our little family of 3 pax. The layout was incredibly spacious and quite
kid-friendly, clean and fuss-free. The convenience of a working and complete kitchen
(i.e. stove, microwave, utensils, plates etc) makes our 3D2N stay even more
enjoyable and easy. Imran and Zach both enjoyed the infinity pool which offered
a breathtaking view of the Puteri Harbour. If I had one negative thing to say,
it’d be the small breakfast selection, but otherwise, everything else was great
and picture perfect. If you had planned to go around Puteri Harbour like we
did, then this would be the perfect family friendly accommodation.
If your child’s a big fan of
Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney and Friends, Bob the Builder or
Angelina the Ballerina, prep yourself to go to Sanrio Town (previously known as
the Little Big Club). Plan to spend an entire day there or at least half a day
like we did as there are three air-conditioned level of rides, indoor play
areas, musical performances and meet and greets with all those characters. Even
Zach and I had fun at this cute indoor park.
Hello Kitty Town on Level 1 is
certainly every girl’s fantasy. Imran wasn’t too entertained here and he
certainly didn’t enjoy Hello Kitty’s house. The only thing he really enjoyed
was the teacup ride, the indoor play area and the little houses in the newest
addition to the park, Hello Kitty in Oz.
Level 2 houses all the other
characters like Bob the Builder, Angelina the Ballerina, Barney and Friends as
well as Pingu. Imran isn’t too acquainted with this and he was getting quite
sleepy, so we sort of skipped this level and went straight to Level 3 which he
enjoyed.
Level 3 houses Thomas the Tank
Engine and all his friends. Zach took Imran on the helicopter and bus ride,
just before Imran dozed off, leaving Zach and me enjoy a few musical
performances before heading back to Somerset.
For the adults who love shopping,
the Johor Premium Outlet or JPO is just a short 30 minutes drive away. Zach and
I brought a sleeping Imran to JPO for a quick 2 hour round the JPO shops. The
selection and sale this time around isn’t too tempting, hence we didn’t end up
buying much or enjoying JPO too much this time around.
I think Puteri Harbour’s a
perfect place for toddlers around Imran’s age (2) as they can easily indulge
themselves in so much play time that’s entertaining and perfect for their age
group. Whilst Legoland is actually nearby, we gave it a miss as we didn’t think
Imran’s ready for that yet.
Imran was perfectly behaved all
throughout the trip which I was extremely grateful for and though short, Johor
was truly a beautiful getaway experience for us as a family.
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