Taipei: Baby Boss, Taipei 101 and Raohe Night Market

Day 3 of our Taiwan trip. Still in Taipei. 

Baby Boss

We visited Baby Boss on the third day of our trip. It has a Kidzania similar concept that allows kids to role play on various occupation like in the real world. Visiting indoor playgrounds aren't very much to our style when travelling. I mean it's one that we can do in Singapore too, unless it's really unique. But having to role play, understand and converse in Mandarin is definitely the main reason we went.

Baby Boss is located at Living Mall. A large mall with shops, food and many indoor theme parks. Take the metro to （国父纪念馆站）, it's about a 15 minutes walk. Entrance to Baby Boss is at NT900 for children between 3 to 12 years old. Adults at NT500. Super peak rate will be NT1100 for children.

It wasn't at all crowded on the date of our visit. The only challenge was trying to fit the play sessions timing to the kids' desired play list. Each activity doesn't run continuously, they have a fixed session for play and some activities only run twice or thrice a day. They may have to forgo certain activity if timing overlaps.

Baby Boss at Living Mall

And we love that benches are available for sitting while kids queue.

Bakery store for play

Jazz did the hotel housekeeping and service activity. And there was something courageous about my usual golden lips girl. While she was role playing a receptionist, she picked up boldness to ask if she could read the phone lines in English instead of Mandarin. Ask and you shall be given, they have it! She was largely challenged by the traditional Chinese characters. 

They proceeded onto the farm to milk cows and rocketed to become astronauts. I've to say most occupations are very much different from Kidzania. Same same concept, but different.

Learning about the farm

Astronauts

Only in Baby Boss, you can get into space with slippers!

Jazz then proceeded to be a manicurist, while Jare went to pilot a plane. He did mining too!

Manucurist

They use a hair net for every activity that requires a head gear. Awesome for hygiene but Boo for photography.

Miner

Ok, realistically, we won't be able to find cow farming, astronaut and mining occupations in where we stay. I've to say these were very very good exposures though. It was most fulfilling that they seemed to have attended a day of Chinese tuition.

After a day of working, their wages seemed rewarding, but it only managed to get them seaweeds. Their cash out system isn't pegged to fantastic exchanges after a day of hard work. If kids are Kidzania regulars, this may disappoint. 

Juboy entered for free. Below 2 enters free. His entitlement was an enclosed play area with some structures and toys. Which he got bored after an hour.

Toddler Play area

I love that hot and cold water dispenser is readily available in Baby Boss. It was most convenient for me to make and feed milk for Juboy.

 
騎士堡  (Kidsburgh)

We didn't want to shortchange Juboy. Daddy brought him over to  騎士堡  (Kidsburgh), just next to Baby Boss. It was mega fun for him! I've to say I love this indoor playground or theme park very much! So inviting, so colourful and too much variety. I think the older kids will love it there, but I didn't give them options, except Baby Boss. Language immersive programme is always better!

Carousel!

Toddler playroom

Love the colours!

For the really young

Do remember those socks for both child and accompanying adult. Play time is limited and adults will need to pay too. Though it did look like you can spend a whole day in there, play time wasn't unlimited. It was a 3 or 4 hours play per entry. Can't really recall.

Austin Land

And here's another theme park on level 8 of Living Mall. Just an escalator up from Baby Boss and Kidsburgh. I grabbed these pictures from the outside, which looked like there's lots more fun in there! Something more boyish I feel.

Sand simulation play

Lovely sea of green

Play time is also capped to a maximum hour. Most indoor playgrounds in the mall are rarely unlimited.

Taipei 101

We spent about 6 hours at Baby Boss. After which we uber over to Taipei 101. I know, it's extremely touristy, but the kids love it! The lift which felt like the speed of a rocket, took us from ground to level 101 within a minute! That was their thrill.

We enjoyed the view up there, where building, roads and everything else become minuscule.

Bird eye view

Enjoying the view

After coming down near dinner time, it got us all naturally hungry. We had dinner at Taipei 101, Din Tai Fung. I somehow felt taste was better in Singapore, though it was their place of its origin. A matter of an accustomed taste, I guess. 

Din Tai Fung

Raohe Street Night Market ( 饒河街觀光夜市)

It was crazy that we still had energy for the night market. A must go! It was the best way to end our day at a night market in Taiwan. We did the Raohe Night Street Market, that has a mixture of food and shopping.

And of course, if it's just you and spouse or friends without toddlers, it's always easy to settle dinner there with bites from different stalls.

If you love sweet potato, you will love these sweet potato balls! Yummy and Chewy.

And there was even face threading! I wanted to try, but there was a list of 45 minutes wait. I had cranky kids, so it became my miss. In addition, this isn't a very extensive market that will take up much strolling time. I will put everyone on hold if I insisted. Drizzly days made it quicker too, as not all stalls are up.

And looked who we bumped into?!! I'm usually shy to approach for pictures, but what are the chances of getting starstruck overseas? We just had to. 

Three destinations within a day was rather manageable. After which we uber back to the hotel. It's hard to end a day early in Taiwan.

Day 4 brought us to Taichung! Next post.


LOCATIONS
Living Mall
騎士堡  (Kidsburgh) and Baby Boss are on the same level
7F., No.138, Sec. 4, Bade Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City, 105 (LIVING MALL)

Taipei 101 
No.7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Raohe Night Market
MRT: Take Green Line 3 to terminal station Songshan (松山), exit 5. The night market entrance is just to the right across the street next to the temple.

TRAIN: From Taipei Main Station, take any local train northbound (區間車) to Songshan Station (松山), then locate MRT exit 5.