by Astin Ng (S1 2021)

              As the saying goes, “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”

              The most memorable holiday I ever had was a staycation with my family at the Shangri-La-Rasa Sentosa Hotel over one weekend in December last year. This was the first time we had a holiday in Singapore amidst the pandemic. We were all looking forward to this very unique vacation. It turned out that the entire trip was not only an eye-opener for me but also a thrilling experience. We were very fortunate to have been given hotel rooms that were facing the jewel blue sea. We had our itinerary carefully planned for this holiday and were anticipating a whale of a time together.

              Our first stop was the Universal Studios Theme Park. I was greeted by a huge monument that was decorated in the likeness of Planet Earth. The globe’s exterior had the word “Universal Studios” inscribed on it, reminding me of the thrilling day I had ahead of me when I set upon its movie-themed grounds. We entered through the park’s gates which had a nostalgically lit Hollywood theme. As we passed through the open terrain, I heard loud roars from the raging roller coaster rides not far off. We decided to give the death-defying roller coaster rides at the Jurassic Park Rapids a shot. The air was charged with electrifying and adrenaline-raged molecules. Uproarious and piercing screams erupted from the zesty crowds who were on the river raft rides. My family queued up for the ride and was prepared to get a nice soak to cool down as the weather was sweltering hot. I was quivering all over with excitement when it was our turn to get into the circular raft.

              Soon, the thrilling adventure began. I saw majestic animatronic dinosaurs towering over me as the raft took us through a cool, scenic tour of Jurassic Park. The terrifying roars of the dinosaurs were reverberating through the air and, their fierce eyes were riveting – the animatronics looked so alive and captivating. The raft entered a dark room through monstrous doors and slammed into a wall before coming into an abrupt halt. Chills ran down my spine as my eyes were locked on to the glassy eyes of a merciless Spinosaurus. Its mouth was agape and its razor-sharp teeth made my heart palpitate as fast as a locomotive. The raft started to move upwards and I could hear ear-piercing screams cutting through the air. Just then, a door slid open on my right and our entire raft zipped down at breakneck speed. My blood-curdling scream piercing through the air. As quick as a flash, we were hurtled into the water and were drenched from head to toe. Although it was a hair-raising experience, my family and I were thrilled to pieces.

              After the rides at the Jurassic Park Rapids, we headed back to the hotel to get changed. We decided to sunbath along the beautiful beach. As I lay on the golden sand with my parents, I looked up at the brilliant blue sky adorned with flashes of pink and orange and purple, mirroring the colours of a flawless seasoned apricot. The goddess-like sun’s face seemed like it was being embraced by the demure navy fingertips of the skyline. After lazing on the sandy beds for about half an hour with our skin toasted by the skin, we were lured into the azure water in the sea and we plunged into the sea without any hesitation. The cool waves splashed against my face and it was refreshing. My father and I had so much fun in the deep blue sea splashing each other with water. Soon, the crimson orange colour of the setting sun began to slide down past the horizon gradually. It sent pale streamers of purple, orange and yellow across the blue sky. We then headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner and the spectacular thirty-minute light show – Wings Of Time.

              We had a quick yet scrumptious dinner at our favourite Japanese restaurant as we wanted to catch the captivating light show which was only slotted for two time slots in the evening. We managed to catch the first show at 7.40pm and were awed by huge fountains of water that were shot up into the night sky, illuminating it brilliantly using state of the art special effects and dazzling computer-generated images. The audience were bursting with excitement; gasps of amazement erupted from the crowd as colourful rays shone into the night sky. We enjoyed the show thoroughly. It has been a long time since the whole family had the opportunity to dine and enjoy the spectacular show together. It was a great bonding time for us. After the show ended, we decided to call it a day as we were as tired as the wings of a bird after a long flight. The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and headed home.

              Although the staycation was a short one, it was the most memorable holiday for me. It was the first time I had a staycation, which is a novelty as my family did not need to travel abroad for a vacation, and yet was able to have a getaway that was equally fun-filled and memorable. I am also thankful that I am able to spend quality time with my family during this brief staycation to strengthen our family bond. We had made the most out of the weekend by having fun and enjoying each other’s company.

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