Pokémon Parade 2019, the carnival experience

We took our carnival experience to a level higher when we visited the 2019 Pokémon Parade at Sentosa Cove in Singapore.

As my three-year-old discover things around her and builds her sense of liking to so many things, including Pokémon, my role in supporting her took another whole new level. I brought her to her first-ever Pokémon Parade. With just a backpack and an old umbrella stroller, my daughter and I went on a journey to meet one of her favourite Pokémon, Pikachu.

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We came old the way from the Manila, spent a few hours in the Children’s Festival at the Gardens by the Bay and headed to Sentosa to catch the 8.15pm parade. It was only a two-day trip to Singapore, so every minute counts. Instead of the original plan of taking the train, we had to ride a taxi from Gardens by the Bay to Harbourfront Tower 2 to catch a cable car ride. Before leaving Manila, I booked trips to Sentosa Express Train and Singapore Cable Car via Klook.

How we got there

I wanted to maximise our adventure in the Sentosa Island, so I purchased the Singapore Cable Car Pass on Klook, the one that includes a meal to either Arbora or Good Old Days Restaurants for php 1,291.00

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The view from our cable car.

Sentosa is a 500-hectare island resort that has every family’s travel dreams. It has waterpark resorts, animal and insects sanctuaries, spas and shopping centres, to name a few. It would be crazy not to secure a convenient way to tour around the island. Before leaving Manila, I booked rides to Sentosa Express Train and Singapore Cable Car via Klook. Unfortunately, because of the time constraints, we weren’t able to use the meal stub, but at least the cable car ride was all worth it. I had a few minutes of quiet time while Kerrigan took her power nap during our entire journey.

The craziest part of our journey was when we got off from the cable car ride. I was clueless about which train to take to get to Sentosa Cove. Since it was almost 8 pm, there were virtually no people to ask for directions. So, I was carrying my daughter, the stroller and our backpack around while trying to find our way to the next living soul that would give us the directions. Avoid getting lost in such a beautiful island with my tip on how to commute around Sentosa Island.

Which bus to take from the cable car to Sentosa Cove

With a sleeping three-year-old, a backpack and a stroller, I asked around on how to get to the other side of the island to catch the Pokémon Parade on time. From Bus Station A we took Bus B to get to the Beachside station. It took about four stops to get to the event place. But, seeing my daughter’s reaction upon seeing Pikachu made all the sweat and muscle cramps worth it.

Seeing my daughter’s reaction upon seeing Pikachu made all the sweat and muscle cramps worth it.

Elle Anorma, Sentosa Island June 2019

What we did in the small island

After waiting for a bus ride to Sentosa Cove, we arrived in the venue with people already waiting along the barricades. At one point, I had to tell put my daughter down and saw her squeezed her way through a sea of people to see her favourite Pokémon. She was eager to get closer but I had to remind her that she might get lost. To make the event a win for both of us, I had to bargain my shoulders as her temporary VIP seating at the parade.

There were lots of Pokémon posters and standees scattered around the port area. The view of the port with all those Pokémon’s gave it an instagrammable-appeal to it but the poor lighting in the area tested my skills in choosing only the best shots.

She got excited to see a 15-foot-tall Lapras and Pikachu but she was too tired to give a decent smile for the photos. Why not a goofy face instead, right?! I took it!

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Although we were already feeling tired from flying from the Philippines to Singapore, we couldn’t miss the chance to try the carnival games. All participants could have a mini booklet before they begin playing at the carnival games area. The booklet also includes a sheet to record the Pokémons you’ll catch during the activity.

We lined up to see Machamp and threw balls on those hanging Pokémon balls. It was very nice to see that we got help from the Kuyas at the booth.

What I love about Sentosa Island

• Countless attractions, shopping and restaurants available for everyone at the Sentosa Island.
• When on a budget, you can try their FREE attractions to enjoy your time in the island.
• Take your family and friends for a time in the beach. Sentosa Island has Palawan Beach and Siloso Beach
• Get easy and convenient access to discounted promos via Klook. That’s were I got most of our tickets saving us from the hassle of lining up for tickets.
• They have friendly-staff and helpful people to answer your questions. We really felt safe to go around, so it was easy to have new friends.

Obviously, a few hours of touring around the island is not enough to fully experience Sentosa’s State of Fun. So, in our next visit, I will consider getting an overnight stay in one of the many hotels available in the island. Maybe a hotel close enough at the waterpark and a ride away from the animal sanctuary is the goal on our next visit.