Contrary to popular belief, couples here in Singapore are spoilt for choice when it comes to date ideas. Sometimes though, the restaurant your bae has been hinting at is fully booked, or you just don’t want to deal with overcrowded attractions. One way to spice up your relationship without any is to bring your boo out on a spooky paktor instead.
We’re not kidding – studies have shown a correlation between fear and attraction, which is why your partner is prone to grip your hand tightly whenever y’all are watching The Conjuring for the third time. For those that don’t mind being potentially third-wheeled by a supernatural being, here are scary date ideas for the brave couples out there. Fingers crossed it’s only Casper saying boo.
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Disclaimer: No hantu will be there to help you capture a K-drama-worthy pic like this. Also, wear your helmets!
There are many perks to night cycling with your bae. You don’t have to worry about sunburns, it’s a relatively cheap activity that won’t break the bank, and you can work out your legs at the same time. Plus, you don’t have to travel far – Upper Thomson Road is a well-cycled trail located in central Singapore.
The trail can start anywhere but most cyclists start around the Lower Peirce Reservoir carpark and head North towards Mandai. For the gents, your eyes better not be lingering on any ladies chilling at the bus stop though, especially if they’re wearing white. Read our guide on bicycle rentals in Singapore if you don’t have your own set of wheels.
Pro tip: Grab supper at Casuarina Curry on the way back.
Image credit: @peekturesq via Instagram
Eastsiders can cap off a date night with a stargazing session over by East Coast Park’s Amber Beacon Tower. There, you won’t have to worry about throngs of fellow Sinkies equipped with their bulky camera setups ruining your romantic evening. The Yellow Tower is known to be one of the most haunted places in Singapore.
This was also where one of the biggest murder mysteries happened back in 1990. A couple was brutally attacked during their own date night, and unfortunately, the girlfriend died of her wounds. The murderers have still not been caught till this day, so you should definitely keep an eye over your shoulder if you’re going to paktor here.
Image credit: @lodha_sandeep via Instagram
Unless you’ve never flipped open a tabloid, you’ll know Bedok Reservoir and its reputation as one of the most haunted places in Singapore. Don’t let the peaceful facade fool you – many bodies have been found floating in the water over the past couple of years.
Those with a penchant for the macabre can still find an unoccupied bench to have a nice picnic together watching the sun set over the horizon. We’d just be a bit cautious about sharing a sandwich with any suspicious people who approach.
If you’d rather catch a beautiful sunset without the fear of a third party joining you, read our guide to sunrise and sunset spots in Singapore.
We’d be alarmed if we turned around to see someone sitting in the back seat while driving down Lim Chu Kang Road.
Why stick with the same view out of your restaurant’s window when you can take a leisurely drive down one of Singapore’s oldest and longest roads for a scenic date? Lim Chu Kang Road is not only famed for its kampung and lush vibes, it’s also where multiple cemeteries call home.
Rather than go for a drive in the daytime where your view will be marred by trucks and other industrial vehicles, a night-time joyride would be a lot eerier with the deserted roads adding to the sinister atmosphere. Just don’t be a good samaritan and pick up any “hitchhikers”, if you get our drift. Bonus points if you put on some tunes for an impromptu carpool karaoke sesh.
Check out these other haunted roads in Singapore for a ghostly road trip.
Neo Tiew Estate is often used by the SAF for urban warfare training.
Image credit: Remember Singapore
For all the Ah Boys To Men who just can’t seem to let their two years spent in the army go, you can also show your GF the beautiful estate where you spent many hours with your buddies in close quarters.
Neo Tiew Estate was once a bustling neighbourhood in the Lim Chu Kang area that was named after a pioneering entrepreneur who set up shop there in the early 1900s. But his family was massacred by the Japanese during World War 2, and their souls were left to roam the grounds.
The estate as you see it was built in the 1970s and abandoned in 2002, resulting in its derelict state. Rumour also has it that banana trees were planted around the estate, so we’d be cautious of any pontianaks hanging around the area when you’re checking it out.
Image credit: @trustylioncity_smb3587p_t18 via Instagram
Despite having lived in Bishan for more than a decade, my goosebumps still stand whenever I’m walking home at night, no thanks to the knowledge that I’m walking on what might have been previously a cemetery.
Yes, in case you didn’t already know, most of Bishan – including the bustling MRT interchange – was built on top of a cemetery called Peck San Theng. Legend has it that staff working the graveyard shift has seen apparitions in the tunnels from coffin bearers. If you’re up for a good spook to cap off your date night, taking the last train home from Bishan is a good place to start.
Check out other haunted MRT stations in Singapore.
Image credit: NParks
Forget staycations in a swanky hotel room. Impress your partner by pitching a tent – a literal canvas one – and spend the night together in nature on Pulau Ubin. The island off the North-Eastern coast of Singapore is best known for its hiking trails and other outdoor activities which includes camping at their three campsites: Jelutong, Mamam, and Endut Senin.
Be warned though – campers have reported multiple supernatural experiences at Mamam campsite, including hearing sounds like footsteps and laughter. But the worst is probably the story of a camper seeing fingers press down onto their latex tent in the middle of the night. We’d probably not be able to close our eyes for the rest of the night.
Image credit: Anshul Johri via Google Maps
If your SO has picked up birdwatching, you can bring them to the Look-out Tower at Pasir Ris Park. The three-storey tower makes it a perfect vantage point for spotting birds. But if you decide to come when the sun has set, you might be spotting some other creatures too.
The tales about the paranormal encounters people have had here all revolve around the same theme, leading it to be coined the “Suicide Tower”. An innocent person would rush to the top of the tower to investigate something, only for their friends to see them leaping off the tower to their deaths unexplainably. But with their dying breath, they reveal that they were pushed off by something instead.
P.S. We went ghost hunting at Pasir Ris Park to see if we could spot any “friends”.
It’s probably time to switch things up after you’ve been to the National Gallery for the umpteenth time. Enter Haw Par Villa, a theme park cum outdoor art gallery with surreal statues depicting some of the strangest Asian cultural scenes, most notably the 10 stages of the Court of Hell.
As innocuous as it might seem, there is a nasty rumour that a witch doctor or bomoh used to sneak into the park to make deals with the ghouls and spirits. Those beings, however, reportedly never left the premises and have taken to haunt the grounds. Don’t be surprised if you hear weird screams coming from the Court of Hell like the security guards have.
Haw Par Villa also has its relatively new Hell’s Museum for couples to check out. Its exhibitions on death and how it’s celebrated and discussed among various religions in Singapore will give a whole new meaning to “death do us part”.
Image credit: Singapore Land Authority
LBR, staycation-ing at a new hotel in Singapore is such a “been there, done that” date idea. For your next staycation with bae, consider booking a chalet on St. John’s Island instead. It only costs $27/night and you’ll get an entire lodge with kitchen, common areas, and 4 bedrooms should you want to invite friends along.
Image credit: 3 Playgrounds
While St. John’s Island is known to be a quiet, beachy alternative to the always-crowded Sentosa, this place has its own spooky lore. It was once a quarantine centre for those infected with cholera and leprosy, and holding station for POWs during WW2.
You might’ve noticed the giant chessboard on the island – it’s said that Japanese soldiers used POWs as chess pieces and killed any human piece that had been captured. It’s said that you can still hear the screams from POWs being beheaded in the dead of the night.
Listen, there’s nothing wrong with arranging a normal date like art jamming or hiking the Green Corridor, but those are all basic ideas that you can bet every other Singaporean has on their bucket list. To really impress your other half, especially if they are a fan of the supernatural, take them on one of these scary dates instead to get their hearts racing in a different way.
For more date ideas in Singapore:
Cover image adapted from: @trustylioncity_smb3587p_t18, @peekturesq via Instagram
Last updated by Raewyn Koh on 19th August 2024.
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