It’s nearing the end of 2020 and our passports stay safely tucked away. Any form of leisure travel is still on the backburner, and we’re left to explore our own backyard. Not that we mind: Singapore is an unexpected treasure trove filled with unique experiences around every corner.
Rather than revisiting our more iconic attractions, these four non-mainstream staycation itineraries will have you exploring the hidden gems of Singapore from a rooftop bee farm to the world’s largest camera-shaped building. Family getaway or foodie escape, we’ve sorted them out for you with activities, dining options and prices included.
P.S. Read all the way through to score promos and discounts when booking staycay bundles!
It’s not easy to get away as a family – packed bags and little kids in tow are often stress-inducing than relaxing. But with the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Staycation ($330), you’ve got a dream family vacay waiting for you.
Image credit: Klook
With a 2D1N stay in one of Crowne Plaza’s Premier Rooms, you can finally take a break and spend some quality time with the entire fambam. It even comes with tickets to Jewel Changi’s Hedge Maze (for two Adults and one Child). You can also look forward to an a la carte buffet breakfast spread for your family of three, with hearty dishes like Organic Eggs Benedict and Smoked Salmon Salad.
Book your Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Staycation ($330) through Klook for up to 15% off.
While you’re conveniently located near shopping mecca Jewel Changi, there are also plenty of outdoor activities for you to experience some of Singapore’s best nature spots:
Image credit: Klook
Take your fam out for a half-day Guided Nature Kayak Tour (from $117.5) that’ll bring you through the scenic sights and clear waters of Pasir Ris Park. The tour is beginner-friendly and held in small groups, with certified trainers taking care of you throughout. It also comes with an outdoor-cooked lunch for you to enjoy a beachside picnic.
Book your Guided Nature Kayak Tour through Klook for up to 10% off.
Image credit: The Sundowner
No one expects a secret rooftop farm in the middle of Siglap. Perched atop a shophouse, The Sundowner offers a truly unique Rooftop Farm and Bee Hive Experience ($95). Children will get a kick out of the organic gardening class and a beehive show-and-tell, while adults will enjoy making their own honey cocktails – using fresh produce from the garden.
Book your Rooftop Farm and Bee Hive Experience through Klook for up to 10% off.
Kids these days are more likely to be scrolling through TikTok rather than squatting by the longkang to scoop up guppies. Head down to Mainland Tropical Fish Farm, an old-school kampong favourite for the entire family to try their hand at longkang fishing ($4/30 minutes). You’ll be given a fishing net and small plastic bucket, and can also bring home the fish you catch.
Address: 1 Pasir Ris Farmway 1, Singapore 519352
Opening hours: 8.30AM-6.30PM, Daily
Telephone: 6581 2550
Image credit: @perchsg
Perch is a relatively new restaurant at Jewel Changi serving up fusion plates – all with a unique twist. It’s worth heading down to try their rendition of classic hawker favourites, with dishes like Boston Lobster Coconut Laksa ($45) and Otah-Otah Slider Bao ($8). Children will also adore their desserts, with the piece de resistance being their Persimmon Sticky Toffee Pudding ($12) – topped with a scoop of rum and raisin ice cream.
Book your meal at Perch through Klook for up to 20% off.
Loft rooms are a constant hit, and understandably so, for their high ceilings and stylish architecture. Now, you can stay in a pre-war vintage shophouse with a Hotel Mono Staycation Package (from $144).
Image credit: @kiearch
This 2D1N stay in a comfortable Deluxe Double Room is perfect for unwinding. With the Couple Staycation Package, you’ll not only be admiring the stylish decor but also enjoying its quaint charm and convenient location right smack-bang in the middle of Chinatown.
Book your Hotel Mono Staycation Package (from $144) through Klook for up to 35% off.
Here are some unique cultural activities to consider for your itinerary:
While we’ve been to Chinatown many times, not many have experienced it with a Trishaw Uncle Guided Tour. This is value-for-money since it’s included as part of the Hotel Mono staycation bundle, and brings you through iconic Chinatown sights of colourful restored shophouses and temples.
Image credit: @saachi2017
The tour guides are typically older uncles who are more than eager to share Chinatown’s tales of yore, pointing out heritage sites and its unknown histories.
To join in a guided trishaw tour, book your Hotel Mono & Trishaw Uncle Staycation Package (from $234) through Klook for up to 35% off.
Image credit: Klook
There’s never been a murder mystery game like Chinatown Murders Game Tour ($50/person): it’s an eye-opening tour for you to learn more about Chinatown’s history while also a fun role-playing game. You’ll be setting off in teams of two to five people – perfect for either a couple or family – to solve Cluedo-style puzzles, with Chinatown as your picturesque backdrop.
Without giving too much away, you’ll also be meeting a cast of interesting characters such as Samsui woman Auntie Geok, moneylender friend Raj, and provision shop owner Ah Kee.
Book Chinatown Murders Game Tour through Klook.
Image credit: @iwanimawocha
While most of us are constantly sipping on a BBT, Tea Chapter along Neil Road showcases a different type of tea – aged Chinese teas that are equal parts healthy and tasty. A Tea Appreciation Workshop starts from $48/person, and comes with three different aromatic teas: an oolong tea, floral tea, and black tea. There’ll also be tea snacks, such as cookies and tea eggs.
Address: 9 Neil Road, Singapore 088808
Opening hours: Sun – Thurs 11AM-9PM | Fri – Sat 11AM-10.30PM
Telephone: 6226 1175
If not for the breakfast crowd waiting outside, you might not have noticed Tong Ah Eating House. This old-school coffee shop is housed in a nondescript shophouse: a traditional breakfast joint by day, but zi char restaurant at night.
Image credit: @justkeepeatingonly
It’s their Kaya Toast Set (from $4.50) that gets repeat customers, and you can choose how you’d like your toast too – Steamed, French, Toasted, or Crispy. When night falls, try their Coffee Pork Ribs (from $10) for an explosion of savoury flavours.
Book a breakfast set at Tong Ah Eating House or buy dining vouchers from Tong Ah Seafood Restaurant through Klook for up to 10% off.
When it comes to a much-needed staycation, we all expect good food to be on the list. And since The Vagabond Club Staycation (from $194) is in the bustling streets of Little India, one of Singapore’s foodie precincts, it’s guaranteed that you’ll get your fair share of gourmet restaurants and local snacks.
Image credit: @thevagabondclub
With a one-night stay at The Vagabond Club, you can choose from packages like the “Spoil Me With Love Staycation” that includes complimentary prosecco and cocktails, or even a “Discover Little India Vagabond Style” which comes with an insightful walking tour.
Book your staycation at The Vagabond Club (from $194) through Klook for up to 45% off.
Here are some other activities to try too:
Image credit: Klook
This Trishaw Uncle Guided Tour ($35) brings you through Little India, passing by heritage icons like the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple – one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples. The tour starts at Albert Mall, so you’ll also get a glimpse of the nearby Kampong Gelam precinct.
Book your Trishaw Uncle Guided Tour through Klook.
Image credit: @itsyymmik
Whether to admire Deepavali lights or to shop at Mustafa Centre past midnight, we’ve all been to Little India for one reason or another. But few have experienced their Food & Spices of Little India Walking Tour (from $15), an insider’s look into the cuisine’s spices and fragrances. In small groups of five people or less, you’ll be strolling through alleyways while sampling local snacks.
Book the Food & Spices of Little India Walking Tour through Klook.
While Indian cuisine isn’t exactly thought of as beginner-friendly, this Tekka Market Visit & Indian Food Cooking Class (from $200) gives you the lowdown on how to cook a perfect masala dosa. First, you’ll be visiting Singapore’s largest wet market Tekka Market to pick up fresh ingredients. Breakfast is included too, as a generous plate of biryani and teh halia.
Image credit: FourSquare
Over at Sakunthala’s Restaurant, you’ll be tasting some of the more authentic Indian food in Singapore. By no means is it fine dining but it’s good, hearty food that’ll have you digging in for more. Try their Fish Head Curry (from $20.40), which pairs perfectly with the free-flow biryani rice.
Book your meal at Sakunthala’s Restaurant through Klook for up to 15% off.
Although we might’ve visited most of Singapore’s more mainstream attractions – think Universal Studios Singapore and Gardens by the Bay – we’ve never paid close attention to what’s right under our nose. With the PARKROYAL on Beach Road Staycation (from $283), you’ll be experiencing the best of our country from its central Kampong Gelam location.
Image credit: @parkroyalbeachroad
This 2D1N stay in a Superior Room comes with breakfast and a Welcome Tea at Tian Fu Tea Room.
Book your staycation at PARKROYAL on Beach Road (from $283) through Klook for up to 65% off.
Image credit: @debsho22
While Bugis isn’t exactly your “off-the-beaten path” kind of spot, this Rediscover Architectural & Cultural Kampong Gelam & Bugis ($45) brings you through the district’s hidden nooks and crannies. With an experienced guide leading the way, this tour gets you looking at Singapore’s architecture from new, unexpected angles.
Book the Rediscover Architectural & Cultural Kampong Gelam and Bugis through Klook for up to 25% off.
While many get their culture fix from visiting museums, not many have been to the world’s largest camera-shaped building in the world, the Vintage Camera Museum ($20). This non-mainstream museum is a haven for photography enthusiasts, housing more than 1,000 camera models with some vintage pieces dating back to the 1800s.
It’s also just an easy five-minute stroll from Bugis MRT.
Address: 8C & 8D Jalan Kledek, Singapore 199263
Opening hours: 10.30AM-9.30PM, Daily
Telephone: 6291 2278
Image credit: @nudgemunchies
Since we won’t be flying to Japan anytime soon, you can head down to Sushi Airways for sushi in an aircraft-themed restaurant. It even comes with your own boarding pass and a flight manual that doubles up as the menu – when flipping through, you’ll notice that they have a full-fledged Premium Sushi Platter ($59) that comes with 10 assorted pieces of sushi, including uni and toro.
Book your meal at Sushi Airways through Klook for up to 10% off.
Since travelling is no longer like it was pre-COVID, many of us are choosing to splurge on holidays right on our very own little red dot. By booking through Klook, there’s an ample list of staycation bundles to choose from – in addition to breakfast and late check-out, some even come with hands-on workshops and gourmet meals.
Rather than sticking to our regular weekend routine and nua-ing at home with Netflix, we’ll be taking the chance to explore our own backyard. it’s obvious that there’s much more to Singapore with plenty of fun attractions, activities, and tours.
Image credit: Klook
Klook is urging us to rediscover Singapore with 8% off for existing users* when using promo code <KLKEXPLORER> and 10% off for new users* with <REDISCOVERSG>.
Whether it’s a family-friendly outing to a local kopi factory or a boutique shophouse stay in Chinatown, you’ll be happily exploring the hidden gems of Singapore’s unique precincts like Kampong Gelam, Chinatown, Little India, and East Coast.
Some of the photos featured in this article were taken before Covid-19. When visiting these attractions, activities, and tours, make sure to take precautions and practise Covid-19 safe distancing measures at all times.
This post was brought to you by Klook as part of the SingapoRediscovers campaign.
Disclaimer: All images were shot prior to Covid-19.
Image adapted from: The Sundowner, Sushi Airways and @iwanimawocha
May this month be the best month yet!
It may be smaller than the rest, but this park packs a whole lotta Disney…
Get your girlfriend a Beauty and the Beast floral dome or a rainbow-hued bouquet with…
Cards on the table: it’s not easy growing up in a single-parent household.
There are altogether 7 resident cats to play with!
Plus point: you get to escape the recent sweltering heat and chill in the air-conditioned…