Why say no to a holiday at home? When time is tight, the last thing you want to do is fuss with customs lines at the airport or ferry terminal. All that precious time can be spent on enjoying yourself instead! Here are some top Singapore Staycation options.
Pamper Yourself at a Luxury Hotel
It’s not often that you can take a timeout and allow yourself the luxuries of being waited on. So check into a luxury hotel and enjoy soft comfortable beds draped with high-thread count sheets and leave the pampering to the professionals at Singapore’s best hotels.
For a room with a view as well as a dip in the iconic rooftop infinity pool, try the Marina Bay Sands. Nothing short of spectacular here.
For a touch of colonial class, try the genteel and refined Raffles Hotel. Sip cocktails and chuck peanut shells over your shoulder at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar, birthplace of the deliciously tropical Singapore Sling cocktail.
If you’re into a little more pampering, long luxurious soaks in the butler-drawn bath are in order at the Ritz-Carlton. Or treat yourself to a body scrub and massages at Shangri La’s in-house spa, CHI before indulging in high tea at the Rose Veranda…
Go offshore to your very own island retreat
Find your own little space in one of Singapore’s many islands. For families, you can’t go wrong booking a hotel on Sentosa. The hotels at Resorts World offers plenty of family-friend ameneties and easy access to the popular Universal Studios Theme Park.
Capella Singapore
Couples who want a romantic getaway can elect to stay at the luxe W Hotel Singapore in Sentosa Cove or at a villa in the stunning Capella. Away from the towering city, these hotels offer a little bit of greenery for a true feeling of escape.
Those with castaway island fantasies should take a ferry from the Marina South ferry terminal to Saint John’s island. On Saint John’s, pull out your own fishing rod to snag your dinner before retiring to the rooms in the holiday bungalows. Don’t forget to bring plenty of food and water as there aren’t any shops here!
Make it a point to stop at Kusu island on the way back. After you finish exploring the temple and hilltop kramats, go for a dip in the idyllic lagoon. This is one of the rare spots around Singapore with clear waters for swimming.
Yearning for the simple old days? For a slice of ‘kampung’ Singapore, start your day with some delicious nasi lemak at the Changi Village hawker centre before puttering out on a bumboat to Pulau Ubin.
Pulau Ubin
Rent a bike to roam the island, explore temples, mangrove swamps and rustic houses along the way before staying the night at the Celestial Resort. The resort has its own strip of beach from which you can swim or kayak out.
Pitch a tent
Head to the breezy East Coast Park with 185-hectare’s of beachfront real estate stretched across 15km. You can pitch a tent to stay a night or three.
In the day, hire bicycles and take a jaunt all the way up to Changi or try wakeboarding via a cable ski at Ski360°. If you’re not up for anything heart racing, grab some bait and go fishing.
For meals, find a public barbeque pit along the beach and cook up a storm. Or tuck into some local hawker delights (satay, oyster omelette and more!) and ice-cold beer at the East Coast Hawker Centre.
Don’t forget to apply for your camping permit through the National Parks. You can do so at numerous AXS machines which dot the island. If you aren’t so much into camping, you could elect to stay at the Goldkist chalets which has its own swimming pools and BBQ facilities.
Fishing at East Coast Park
Do a ‘farmstay’ in Kranji
Space-starved Singapore is often associated with skycrapers and malls rather than farmland. What’s little known, even to locals, are the farms in the Kranji area. Back in 2005, Kranji farmers founded the Kranji Countryside Association as as way to collectively promote their businesses. Today, visitors can expect to get a very hands-on experience at a myriad of farms: from vegetables to fishes, flowers and even frogs (!).
Getting around is easy. There’s an hourly shuttle bus which leaves from the Kranji MRT station, stopping at several key attractions including the Kranji village, dam, Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, Gardenaisa, D’kranji, Bollywood Veggies and the Jurong Frog Farm.
The area even has its own resort. The D’Kranji Farm Resort is located on 5 hectares of farmland. Stroll the grounds to discover watermelon, jackfruit, bittergourd and other fruits and vegtables. The in-house fish farm gives you and family a change to catch your own prawns and fish.
And there’s four fun ways to enjoy a Singapore staycation. The rest is up to you!
Feature image: Capella Hotel Singapore