Hello! Long awaited blog post on our recent Shanghai trip WITH kids. Tak sure nak start dari mana, but I would like to remind you that this Shanghai trip is not anything close to "bajet seribu travel seminggu lima orang" kind of thing. 2 adults 2 kids 1 baby, budget kepada medium to high tapi tak la lavish, ada benda jimat ada benda tak jimat hehe. Tak jimat macam perkara-perkara lagha dekat Disney Store haha, ngan Mummy sama naik hah, lepas tu dok keluar masuk Starbucks :P Ini bukan backpacker style, bukan ikat perut, bukan kalut jalan merata nak cover all places and jadi orang nomad from one place to another, alrite? Priority: 3 children.

I start dengan transportation lah, nanti next entry kita share cerita China visa and accommodation okeh? Ramai juga yang DM minta emailkan itinerary Shanghai, tapi sesungguhnya tiada. Trip ni agak last minute, I cuma listkan places-to-go and how-to dalam notes iPhone, tapi tak ada specific time wajib pergi sini pada sekian-sekian hari dan masa. Maksudnya cuma ada list, mana nak pergi tu kita orang decide lepas breakfast, everyday. Tengok cuaca macam mana, then pilih la location mana yang sesuai. I tak suka travel follow itinerary haha sebab rasa macam kalut teruk, or maybe with children, nak relax-relax je.

Ok, ni pilih la mana-mana yang sesuai and kena dengan budget you all. MAS ada, Airasia ada, Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern, kena try and error la ok tengok harga. Nak aman damai makan minum, MAS and Airasia lah kan. Airasia pun not cheap juga (maybe slightly cheaper than MAS) sebab kalau family ni, kena add-on luggage, seat (takkan nak duduk separate dari anak-anak), meals, entertainment (gatal sewa RM50 one ipad one way, haromm bosan content dia) and etc. So do your own math tengok yang mana suit budget.

Kita orang naik Airasia, dah itu yang paling murah konon-konon masa beli ticket, sekali labuu lepas add on segala macam, murah dua cebis jer dari MAS haha. Pasrah di situ sekejap.

But the cool thing about Airasia is, you beli ticket promo now, nanti later add seat, bulan lain add nasi lemak, bulan lain lagi add luggage allowance, paham? Ala-ala installment dok add items sikit-sikit hahah tapi last skali total sadakallah juga. And flight murah takpe, yang penting apartment/hotel selesa, katil untuk 7 hari lagi penting dari kerusi kapal terbang 5 jam. Giteww.

Kita travel time winter and I dah habis "travel light" sebab tak bawa winter jacket banyak untuk OOTD for one week, ada baby ni tak kuasa la ok. Total luggage tengok kat check in counter hari tu around 65-70kg. Siap sekali luggage makanan Aiman hehe. Purchased 90kg, pastu rasa rugi tak penuhkan hahaha, perangaikann. Stroller carry masuk cabin, sebab jenis compact-fold.

You remember this orange suitcase that went viral on FB, ini bag ahkak la dik oi. Dalam gambar ni,  luggage ni bawa pergi Tokyo. Ada jugak komen-komen kecam, "bawak semua baik duduk rumah la, pemalas tak nak research tempat makan halal la, tak happening la taknak makan dekat negara orang la, membazir luggage allowance la and tah apa lagi haha." Tapi yang mana travel with kids, kebanyakkan dua kali lima I jugak luggage makanan dia orang, ada siap bawa blender dengan rice cooker lagi hahah kau hado?

Kali ni lebih kurang juga la menu dia, Brahims wajib ada. Senang masuk microwave and senang kalau nak bawa bekal.

Usually yang kecam teruk ni, dia travel sorang, bawak body sendiri ja. Tapi yang travel with kids, nak selesa, usually will bring stocks makanan, untuk keamanan seluruh ahli keluarga sebelum keluar berjalan. Certain places, halal eateries are not easily accessible, some kena jalan, some lalu lorong or naik tangga yang leceh if ada stroller, reti? In my case, usually morning kita makan nasi siap-siap, lunch makan dekat luar (if dapat jumpa halal food, if not ada bekal) and dinner tapau siap-siap dari kedai halal tadi. Kalau tak jumpa tempat tapau dinner, sebab gagal nak locate through Google Maps, jangan risau, Pakcik Brahims sedia menanti dekat apartment. Korang yang travel bujang, jangan expect budak-budak boleh ikat perut lapar jalan merata, tidak ok? They get hungry like every 2 hours haha. So itu guna dia makanan yang bawak tu. Sekian. Above all, jimat masa dari kesesatan mencari kedai halal yang tak jumpa-jumpa or dah pindah hahaa (it happens dekat Shanghai hari tu hehe).

Cuma masa first time beli tu macam bongok sikit hahah sebab tanya service counter pun alahai depa tak reti English ok, not even a simple English. Contoh kita nak pergi Disneyland, kena tukar train 3 kali, kita ni pun 3 kali la beli ticket. Naik train, turun train, beli ticket, naik lagi train, turun camtu ulang 3 kali hahaha. Sebenarnya tak payah. Beli je terus ticket ke destination kita, tukar train ikut platform yang betul, tak payah keluar gate pun, sebab ticket tu dah charge price ke destination kita nak pergi. Kanak-kanak FREE. Below 140cm, basically Adam Aiman free. Dia ada 3 day pass tapi kita orang tak guna tu, sebab travel dengan baby, so tak certain nak guna train all the time or guna taxi, so kita beli je ticket if rasa nak naik train.

The route you boleh check on Shanghai Metro website, key in saja from which station to which station. FROM tu boleh tanya dekat receptionist hotel/apartment you stay, your nearest metro station. TO pulak, boleh check dekat Google, tempat kita nak pergi apa nearest metro station dia.

Example: FROM our apartment Modena Fraser Putuo (depan apartment ni je Langao Station) to Disney Resort.

Key in je detail dekat website, dia bagi route option (train line berapa, color apa, station mana nak turun and tukar) and rate stated RMB6 tu maknanya sampai ke Disney Resort. Punya jauh journey, RM3.60 je ok one way? Crazy cheap. Kalau naik taxi roughly RMB120-150 dalam RM70-RM90, so beza gila price naik taxi and train.

TAPI. Naik train (just like any other train service dekat negara lain), ada masa kena guna tangga bila nak change platform. Cari lift tak jumpa, or terlalu jauh nak jalan semata nak guna lift, so kena la gigih fold-unfold stroller haha, penat la sikit di situ. And if time peak hour, train dia akan sangat penuh. Gila. Maksudnya, dah 4-5 kali train berenti depan muka pun, hang tetap tak dapat langkah masuk hahaa (kesian kita orang) and with stroller lagi, memang no way to step in.

What we did, the next train sampai, I masuk dengan Alana (itu je muat ok?) and Kown bawak stroller (folded) and Adam Aiman on the other train yang sampai. Sampai macam tu la, punya padat rakyat depa. Basically kalau peak hour memang susah nak board the train and tipis harapan nak duduk (lantok ler walau dengan baby) walaupun train dia macam panjang tak berpenghujung, tetaplah padat. Serious. Dua hari ja kita orang guna train, hahaha lepas tu Kown dah nak jadi raksaksa hijau, so kita guna mode transport lain hehe. Tapi nak cakap jugak, train fares dia amat murah, cuma kalau dengan stroller, mohon bertenang aja. :P 

Kown tak boleh, pada dia dah kerja penat dekat KL, apa hal datang holiday and trouble yourself with this public transport thing? Haha. Yang I pulak, masa ni la nak rasa and experience benda yang bukan rutin kita dekat KL.

The people pulak, perangai agak kasar ok. Jenis cakap kuat macam nak marah, lepas tu kita confuse dia ni marah ke nak cakap ke, nak gaduh ke apa? haha, tapi tak, memang depa jenis bercakap macam nak cari pasal ngan orang.

TIPS: Pergi dekat reception counter, mintak staff hotel tulis kan dekat kertas, tempat-tempat yang kita nak pergi in Chinese, nama hotel and address sekali, baru senang sikit. Simpan kertas elok-elok, jangan buang pulak. Nak selamat, bawak buku tiga-lima hehehe settle.

TAPI. Didi ni tak terima cash. Dekat Didi app tu kena pilih payment option, so ada debit/credit card, pilih itu. Provided you dah authorize your card untuk overseas transaction. Usually credit card tak perlu, debit card yes, sebelum travel, kena buat temporary authorization untuk overseas transaction (dekat atm or website).

Unless you have WeChat Pay. Dekat Shanghai, WeChat Pay ni antara medium pembayaran utama ok? Beggar pun minta duit guna app ok, kau mampu? Takde cash takpe, sila transfer duit seikhlas hati from app haha gitu sekali. Malaysia takde, WeChat adalah tempat yang mampu membuat otak jadi bongok sekejap. Tapi kan, dekat sana Whatsapp/IG/FB and tah apa lagi kena block, tapi tu nanti cerita lain ok.

So untuk kami, memang Didi lah sepanjang masa, lepas dua hari je survive guna train. Driver berhemah and kereta bersih, pleasant experience lah senang cerita.

TIPS: Before book Didi tu, you cari lah tempat yang senang driver nak locate and driver senang pickup, sebab tak semua tempat boleh suka suki nak berhenti hehe.

Untuk kami, 2 dewasa 2 kanak-kanak 1 baby, 3 suitcases, 2 backpacks, 1 strollers hahaha ok sila imagine, kita kena naik jenis premier car (mpv lah). Kereta even Mercedes tak muat nak sumbat semua haha. So rate dari Pudong Airport to Modena Fraser Putuo, at 1.30AM, was 450 yuan (RM270). Airport transfer on the way back pula, Didi pickup 8PM, 405 yuan (RM240). Both kereta macam Vellfire, ke memang Vellfire or Alphard entah lah tak skodeng pulak. Sampai terus masuk je haha. Ok, done lah part 1 on transportation dekat Shanghai. Ini paling orang ramai nak tau sebab kita orang tak guna package, pandai-pandai guna kuasa handphone untuk navigate ke sana sini hehe. Till the next entry, harap-harap tak lama sangat lah. :P

Long overdue post. As usual hehe.

Pergi masa bulan December 2016, cuti sekolah. Trip "buat gila" kita orang panggil. Sebab tak plan pun nak pergi Legoland tapi my husband came with the idea "jom pegi day trip Legoland, surprisekan Adam & Aiman".

-______-"

Of course I said yes dulu, janganlah say no yer, nanti apa pun tak boleh hehehehe, konsepnya janji keluar KL haha but then I suggested why not overnight satu hari, at least boleh merambu ramba dekat JPO hehe. Sebab last minute, jenuh jugak nak search hotel yang available but we managed to score a really good deal for a hotel room on Traveloka website. Thistle JB super peak season (a day before Christmas) for only RM220 inclusive tax. Yes, no kidding. :)

Ok fast forward to the whole Legoland story, first ialah survey tickets. Memang jenuh mengira jugak, sebab nak compare which deals yang paling menjimatkan. Maybank that time ada discount, MyKad holder ada special rates, then ada Legoland Buy 1 and 2nd at 50% something like that, but we finally used this. The voucher we got from Ali Cafe Instant Coffee. 1 Full Price Adult Ticket = 1 FREE Kid Ticket. Basically untuk keluarga kami 2+2, kira beli 2 tiket dewasa, free 2 tiket kanak-kanak hehe. Yang ni option paling jimat untuk kita orang :P

First the WEATHER. It was hot (blazing sun!) and humid, so for kids please please, sunhat and sunblock is a must. There are few misting stations and shade spots but most often tak stop pun at any of it. Oh mineral water too, pandai-pandailah susun dalam bag, they do check the bags (usual procedure for any theme park kan), but just a quick one tho, so kalau hang sumbat periuk nasi at the bottom pun lepas kot haha. Ok main-main je. What I meant is kalau setakat roti, biscuits, burger, boleh je sorok-sorok hehe. The rule is no outside foods allowed, so pandai-pandailah.

Second, the CROWD. This one, to our surprise, there were almost no lines for the rides. Except a couple for the roller-coaster rides, other than that we breezed through the attractions with almost no waiting time. Ok max 5 minutes I think, tapi tak kira lah sebab kalau Disneyland tu, 15 minutes pun dah kira short time beratur hehe.

Third, the FOODS. IMHO, food was average. I imagine meriah la sedap hehe sebab local kan tapi hmmmm, boleh je lah. Mediocre. Tu yang menyesal tak seludup Burger King dalam beg hehehe. One meal set at the average of RM30, in a no-sharing portion. Serious, memang kalau share tak cukup hehe. Eh ke kita orang lapar? :P However, still considered quite cheap as compared to what we paid in USS and Disneyland hehe, sebab ni bayar in RM yer dok?

Fourth, the RIDES. Overall, the rides are good. Fun and interactive for the kids. Tapi kalau ikhlas cakap, Legoland is suitable for families with toddlers and young kids (below 10). Teenagers and above, Universal Studio is a lot better; due to the limitation of adrenaline-rush kind of rides. Disneyland wins lah apa-apa pun, sebab cater for all. Even Tokwan and Maktok enjoy the whole place.

The highlight of all is the Legoland Junior Driving School. Adam & Aiman truly enjoyed this as they get to be behind the wheel of their own Lego car and drive around the city street. The ride really look like a real world; they feel all grown up when driving around. They even got their own driving license.

Fifth, the ATTRACTIONS. Lego Miniland (miniature towns of certain Asian countries) definitely my favorite. So does everyone else lah kot, the attention to detail was amazing. Mesti nak posing beria dekat sini hehe.

Sixth, the LEGO STORE. Seriously, not as much merchandise and lego set as expected. Those Lego stores in KL lagi best rasanya. If you think the Lego set here is cheaper, heck no, same or even more expensive, as you can get a discounted set from online sellers (kalau pandai cari hehe).

The rest, toilets were clean, tak kotor pun seperti yang diseramkan hehe. Surau pun besar and bersih. Another important tips, please bring extra shirts. Walaupun nama dia Theme Park, there are few rides that will get you all wet. Unless you don't mind to buy the rain-cover from the Lego store, tapi mahal la hehe.



Lockers of different sizes available too and ATM machines pun ada dekat entrance. Overall, the theme park is well maintained. :) Tapi kalau repeat anytime soon, rasanya tak lah kot hehehehe. 

Yuhuuuuu!