Here's a family travel trip - whenever you want to see the architecture of a particular city, take a cruise. Of course not every city has water access, but most do. Load the kids on board. They just might pick up some of the local history and a new appreciation for buildings and city planning.

Singapore River Cruise

While in Singapore we stopped by the concierge desk at the Fullerton to find out about options. We picked the River Cruise' - with a pick up located at the steps of the Fullerton on the Singapore River.

The tour was a mix of old and new. We learned about Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826), an agent of the British East India Company, who is believed to have set foot on Singapore soil in January 1819. We also saw modern sites such as the Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands'??a three 55-storey hotel towers connected by a 1 hectare sky terrace on the roof, named Sands SkyPark.

Sure, I also did my fair share of dragging my kids to the sites, but on a ship or boat there is a lot less complaining about the distances and wait. I got to listen in on the history as they watched the waves and cool cityscape. I marveled at all the modern architecture.

For the kids, the Merlion might be the favorite site. The sculpture has a lion head and a fish body resting on a crest of waves. Legend has it that when a prince first landed on Singapore's shores, he sighted a mystical beast which he later learned was a lion. The Prince then decided to name the island "Singapura" which in Sanskrit means Lion (Singa) City (Pura). The fish tail of the Merlion symbolizes the ancient city of Temasek and represents Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village. This is a picture of the new mini Merlion, he's a little smaller with a body is made of cement fondue, the skin from porcelain plates and eyes from small red teacups. The girls loved this little character and I bet yours would too!

The price? An affordable $22 (Singapore Dollars) per adult and $12 for kids. For more information visit www.rivercruise.com.sg

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