Redeeming your Singaporediscovers Vouchers? Here's why we went for the Singapore Flyer and other must-knows before heading for a ride with your kids.
Have you all redeemed your SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRV)? We just redeemed ours for the Singapore Flyer! Though the SRV have an expiry date of June 2021, I guessed we were in a bit of a hurry to redeem them because we wanted to take the kids somewhere special this holiday since we can't go for a vacation this year.
After reading about having to use our Singpass to redeem the vouchers and its terms and conditions like no stacking, non-transferable, child subsidies etc, I was honestly a little daunted while thinking "like so ma fan". But I'm pleased to say after redeeming the vouchers to pay for our Singapore Flyer tickets via Klook, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined.
I'm not going into details on how to make a redemption as there are already many write-ups on that which you can easily google. So this blog post is about the important things to note when using your SRV and when choosing the Singapore Flyer. Do note that we used Klook to book as we're most familiar with the platform and every booking and review you make on Klook gives you Klook credits which you could redeem for future bookings.
1) How to claim the $10/child subsidy?
I think the most important thing to remember when redeeming your SRV and claiming for child subsidies is to minus off the total child subsidy when you choose how much of your SRV to use.
Attractions/tours that are eligible for payment via SRV are stated so on the platform/website. Once you've added your tickets to your cart (e.g 2 adult and 2 child tickets), simply select you're paying by SRV. Thereafter you'll be directed to a Singapore Tourism Board website to log in with your Singpass to redeem the vouchers.
One you've logged in, you'll be asked how much of your vouchers (in denominations of $10) do you want to redeem and if you want to apply for the child/youth subsidy of $10 per child/youth (you'll also be required to key in your child's birthcert number and your relationship with the child during redemption). For example, if your cart total is $50 and it includes two child/youth tickets priced at $10, your final checkout value will be $30. Hence, you should select only $30 or less of SRV to complete your purchase. After confirming the amount of vouchers you're redeeming, you'll get a code which you can then paste in Klook's cart. The child subsidies will be automatically reflected in your cart.
In our case for the Singapore Flyer, our tickets for our family of four costs $86. We opted for 2 child subsidy (total of $20), then chose to redeem $60 of the SRV vouchers. So at the cart checkout, we just had to top up $6. Note that each person can redeem up to 6 child/youth subsidies throughout the duration of the SRV scheme.
2) Why choose the Singapore Flyer?
We had thought about the attractions to redeem our SRV for. There are plenty of choices but in the end we were leaning towards attractions that we had considered visiting in the past but had been delaying due to the costs. We've always wanted to visit the Singapore Flyer but the tickets at $33 per adult is not the cheapest especially since the experience is only for half an hour. But the good thing is it only costs $10 for children and senior citizens, so essentially our kids went free because of the $10 subsidy per child which you are entitled to when booking with the SRV vouchers. Children below 3 can go for free.
3) Is the Singapore Flyer suitable for young children?
I think the Singapore Flyer is generally suitable for both kids and adults. As the capsule was very steady and well enclosed, it didn't feel scary at all for my kids (age eight and ten) compared to say a ride on the cable car, which even I got a little weak-kneed.
The view's obviously the best thing about riding the Flyer. At the primary school-going age, I think kids are able to appreciate the view and ride. There was another family in the capsule with us with a child who looks to be a pre-schooler and he seemed engage too as his parents pointed out and explained about the sights to him.
4) Was it crowded?
We had visited at 3pm on a Sunday. There was about 15 or so people in the queue before us to enter the capsules. But the queue moved very fast given that each capsule can take up to 14 people (used to be 20). There were nine of us in our capsule and it felt really spacious.
5) What's the best time to visit?
I think many people opt to visit during the evening or night for the sunset and night views, which judging from photos, are spectacular, so it tends to be more crowded during these timings.
For those who want to get nice photos of the views, I noticed many of the photos taken during the night come with reflection of lights from the Flyer itself. You also do get reflection in your photos during day time but you just have to place your camera closer to the glass to minimise the reflection, which wouldn't be as easy during the night given that lights are emitted from the Flyer's structure. I had actually forgotten to do so when taking photos and a number of my pics came with reflection too. But you can see the difference with placing your camera close to the glass from the following pic and the first pic.
It would also be a good idea to check the weather forecast before your trip. The view is very much obscured when it's raining heavily and really defeats the purpose of going on the Flyer. Do note that the Singapore Flyer is open Thursday-Sunday and public holidays from 3-10pm.
Overall, it was a nice and relaxing experience for us on the Singapore Flyer, which we might not have gone for if not for the SRV. We're thinking of where else to use our vouchers next. Universal Studios and Jewel attractions are high up on our list! What are you planning to use your SRV vouchers on? Do let me know so we have more ideas on where to go!
Disclaimer: We paid for our tickets, and my opinions and reviews here are strictly my and my family’s own.
©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.