6 Places In Singapore To Visit For Overseas Experiences If You Don’t Want To Travel

Unique things to do in Singapore

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Image adapted from: Justin Ng Photo, @iv1105huang and @havianassingapore

We’re armed with hand sanitisers and N95 masks, but the COVID-19 situation is severe enough that we’re delaying our travel plans. With so many new cases exploding worldwide, no one’s particularly keen on risking their health for a weekend jaunt overseas.

But you don’t need to put aside your #TravelGoals – our own little red dot has its fair share of unique activities. Compared to an overseas trip, these might not necessarily be your top choices but still make for happy memories. From seeing wild dolphins to soaking in hot springs, here are 6 unique things to do that you can tick off your travel bucket list without even leaving Singapore: 

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1. Japan’s hot springs – soak in Sembawang Hot Spring

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Singapore is sweltering at best, but we often have cool spells when the temperature dips to 26°C – it’s times like these that we wouldn’t mind soaking our feet in a hot spring. Since we’ve been advised to deter all travel to Japan, good thing that we’ve got our own Sembawang Hot Spring.

Visitors can even cook their own eggs here. Tip: for the perfect onsen egg, soak it no longer than 20 minutes for a runny yolk. 

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2. New Zealand’s clear skies – stargazing at Punggol & Yishun Dam

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Image credit: Justin Ng Photo

Not many know that stargazing is possible here, dismissing our city lights and vibrant skyscrapers as obvious light pollution. But you don’t need to go as far as New Zealand for a stargazing sesh, instead, head over to the nooks and crannies of Singapore. 

Here, you can often see a bright scattering of stars at hidden spots like Yishun Dam, Lakeside Garden, and Punggol.

Lakeside Garden

It’s not possible to see the Milky Way with your naked eye in Singapore, but you can certainly take stunning photographs of it. Be patient though: let your eyes adjust to night mode and be sure to check the weather forecast before heading down – no point in struggling to shoot when the skies are layered with clouds. 

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3. Los Angeles’ beachside films – outdoor screenings in Sentosa

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Image credit: @havianassingapore

When all you have is an endless cycle of movies and late-night suppers, weekend dates get stale real fast. Mix things up by booking a movie by the beach with Sunset Cinema, for a literal breath of fresh air. Don’t expect Hollywood blockbusters here though, they pride themselves on showing old-school award-winners like Judy and foreign films like Parasite. 

 Otherwise, you can choose other alternative cinemas that have free drive-in screenings or boutique theatres.

Address: 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Singapore 098942
Opening hours: F&B stalls open at 5PM | Screenings start at 7.45PM

Website 

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4. Krabi’s steep cliffs – rock-climbing at Dairy Farm’s quarry

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Image credit: @iv1105huang

Krabi, Thailand is often referred to as the climbing mecca of the world, and looking at their steep cliffs and ocean views, it’s obvious why. But we have several rock-climbing options to choose from too – although it typically involves scaling up an indoor wall with hardy footholds and manmade routes. 

Image credit: 3PlayGrounds

Those looking for a challenge can head down to Dairy Farm’s rugged quarry, Singapore’s only natural rock surface that’s open for climbers to clamber up. You’ll need your own gear for this: since with loose rocks and patchy areas, it’s not advised for climbing newbies. 

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5. Indonesia’s scuba diving sites – spot marine wildlife in Pulau Hantu

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Indonesia is known for its scuba diving – islands like Sumatra and Borneo to name a few – but Singapore too has its own secret diving spot. Not many know this, since the bulk of our beaches are made out by Sentosa and East Coast Park.

Image credit: @_stephaniedamaris

At Pulau Hantu, diving has swiftly become a thing for its marine wildlife, especially to spot colourful seahorses and dancing coral reefs. Visibility depends on weather conditions – if you’re unlucky, it might be too murky and all wildlife creatures will simply camouflage with the green waters. 

Check weather reports beforehand: you’re looking for sunny and clear, not foggy and drizzling.  

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6. Switzerland’s skydiving – indoor skydiving with iFly Singapore

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It takes a certain amount of daredevil spirit to jump off a cliff, but many include skydiving in their travel bucket list. There’s no need to head off to Switzerland, despite it being known as one of the most scenic spots to jump off a plane – we can get the same adrenaline rush right in Singapore. 

With iFly Singapore’s skydives, you’ll feel like you’re free-falling from sky-high levels. 

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Unique things to do in Singapore for overseas experiences

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Although we’ve said farewell to our South Korea getaway or backpacking trip around Italy, we can still enjoy overseas experiences even without leaving the country. With a fresh fish market and outdoor movie screenings by the beach, there’s plenty of unique things to do in Singapore.

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Indoor skydiving with iFly Singapore

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Gearing up for iFly Singapore

With iFly Singapore, we can check off indoor skydiving from our bucket list. As Singapore’s largest wind tunnel, you’re bound to feel a similar adrenaline rush from jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet high – that’s a staggering 18 Marina Bay Towers stacked on top of each other. 

From now to 15th March 2020, you can book a flight consisting of 2 skydives for just $38 (U.P. $119). These flights are valid till 30th April 2020 so there’s ample time to jio your friends along. There’s no need to worry about the COVID-19 situation either with stringent safety checks and sanitised equipment. 

In fact, they’re thoroughly prepared for everything with temperature screenings and medical grade hand disinfectants. All their gear is safely sanitised in a UV and ozone disinfection room too after every use! It might sound overly scientific but they use air purifiers and photoplasma tech – that just means that the air is 100% disinfected. 

UV sterilisation for goggles after every use

They’re making safety and hygiene first – only a max. of 8 people can go for a flying sesh each round and the wind tunnel is also disinfected regularly. You’ll have till 30th April 2020 to complete your flight after booking, so make sure you set aside plans to head down! 

Even while keeping COVID-19 at bay, we can still check unique activities off our bucket list. 

Find out more about iFly Singapore here

iFly Singapore
Address: 43 Siloso Beach Walk, #01-01, Singapore 099010
Opening hours: Thu – Tue 9AM-9.30PM | Wed 11AM-9:30PM
Telephone: 6571 0000 

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This post was brought to you by iFly Singapore.
Photography by Pichan Cruz.