School’s out, the familiar smell of Christmas is in the air and there’s excitement everywhere. If you’re thinking of ways to spend Christmas, then you have to hear how my kids and I took a trip to the clouds at Velocity Singapore!
Yes, you read that right – a trip to the clouds. Right here in Singapore!
It all began just like any other day. My kids and I were thinking of how to spend Christmas in Singapore, and we decided to make a trip to Velocity, Novena Square to get some gift shopping done. To our surprise, we were greeted by the sight of a stunning 8.5m hot air balloon!
My kids have always dreamed of hot air balloon rides, and they started squealing in delight at the sight of it.
If you’re as excited as we were to see the hot air balloon, you’ll be happy to discover that the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Velocity will last from 30 November to 30 December. In addition to a chance to hop on the hot air balloon for a ride, shoppers can enjoy three more interactive zones to stimulate our senses – and we tried them all
A Ho-Ho-Hot Air Balloon Ride and a Merry Christmas Experience
It’s so easy to get that free ride on the hot air balloon. All we had to do to get on board was to redeem a pair of entry tickets at the Customer Service Centre (located at Level 1 near Cotton On). Shoppers are entitled to these tickets with a minimum spend of $50, which we easily achieved with lunch.
Zone 1: A Walk in “The Cloud Room”
In the first zone, we drifted into the Cloud Room. Here, we entered a space filled with fluffy clouds hanging in the air. By triggering a button below the clouds, we were treated to a stunning visual delight of coloured flashing lights and a gush of wind to simulate the experience of being in the air. The kids were having so much fun that it was almost impossible to get them to the second zone.
Zone 2: “Infinity Sparkles” – and Beyond!
As the name “Infinity Sparkles” suggests, this is a bedazzling experience indeed. We entered a mirror-lined room with LED lights that simulated the twinkling stars in the sky. My kids were giggling and singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at the top of their lungs. While they were fully immersed in the infinite sparkles, I went trigger happy with the countless Instagram-worthy moments!
Zone 3: The Hot Air Balloon Ride of a Lifetime
This was the moment we had been waiting for – when we finally hopped onto the hot air balloon centrepiece. We were elevated a good height off the ground (3.2m to be exact). It really felt like we were flying!
What’s the best thing to do when on a hot air balloon ride? Snap a picture of course! To make the day even more memorable, the photos are uploaded on the Velocity’s Facebook page for shoppers to download as memorabilia.
Zone 4: Hot Air Balloon Gazing
This was the highlight for me. The last zone was far from the least as we got to enjoy balloon gazing inside a six-meter dome while surrounded by a field of hot air balloons. It felt like I had wandered into a fantasyland of sorts!
This sealed the deal to make it a perfect Christmas experience!
For the little ones, it keeps getting better. There is a corner for family and friends to pen down and decorate their Christmas greetings or New Year resolution and hang them on our Christmas tree. For the weekends of December, between 2 to 4pm, there will be a roving balloon sculptor creating balloons for them to bring home as a keepsake.
The balloon fiesta is happening right now. The rides take place daily from 11:00am to 8:00pm and the last admission is at 7:30pm. You don’t have to pre-book, and the ride is suitable for anyone, no matter what their height. Even then, it’s best that you accompany your children if they are below the age of 12. Also, children under three don’t need a ticket.
A Super Shopping Experience
Hot air balloons and clouds aside, a day out to the mall is never complete without some serious shopping. To bring holiday cheer to any shopaholic, there is even a Christmas Pop-Up Market at Velocity, Novena Square.
Velocity has worked with local artisans to showcase a wide array of locally designed and handmade products. I was in awe of the fabulous artistic crafts sold at the pop-up carts that livened the walkways around level 1 and 2 of the mall. Best of all, I managed to find some really unique gifts for my loved ones.
Gift with Purchase
Now, who doesn’t love freebies? When you spend $160, you get to redeem an awesome foldable tote bag. If you spend $360, you’ll get to redeem a thermal tumbler with a drawstring bag and a set of Christmas stickers, in addition to the foldable tote bag.
Here’s the icing on the cake. There’s a D.I.Y. counter at Level 1, near the Customer Service Counter. Here, they provide stamps and fabric-markers to customise the free bags. It was indeed time for my kids and me to let our creative juices flow and boy, were we satisfied with our masterpiece!
It was certainly a day well spent and we went home with our hearts (and our hands) full. My kids went to bed with a huge smile that night.
So if you’re thinking of how to spend Christmas in Singapore, make your way to Velocity, Novena Square and get your head in the clouds!