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From shophouses to treehouses: 11 unique staycations in Singapore's city and heartlands

Need a break from work? Try the new duplex villas in Bedok Reservoir and tiny cabins off mainland Singapore.

From shophouses to treehouses: 11 unique staycations in Singapore's city and heartlands

Garden Pod at Gardens by the Bay (left) and Tiny Away Escape at Lazarus Island. (Photos: Gardens by the Bay, Tiny Away)

It’s only April but you already need a getaway. Borders may have lifted long ago, but airfares remain sky-high and it’s too early in the year to halve your annual leave balance. How will you escape from the daily grind?

The answer: Book a staycation. Not just to watch the same Netflix shows from a different bed, but to flee the city altogether. Not to any hotel, but to a treetop loft, a shipping container, or a luxurious villa off the mainland. Below are some unique properties to make a vacation out of your staycation, minus the airport queues and jet lag – including three to keep an eye out for this year.

GARDEN POD

Garden Pod at Gardens by The Bay has given 40-footer shipping containers a new lease of life, but there is no case of cabin fever to be found here. Each duplex suite has a spiral staircase connecting the full-glass first floor to the second, fitting up to four guests in a 70 sqm space.

There’s a kitchen, an electric barbecue grill, and alfresco tables to make the most of dinner at the golden hour. The pod’s supplies, from glassware to scents, have also been thoughtfully procured from homegrown artisans such as Maison de L'Asie, Soda Lemon, and The Plastic Project.

Tiny Pod, the folks behind Garden Pod, has properties in One-North and Haw Par Villa too. We’re not sure how we feel about spending the night near Hell’s Museum, but one Airbnb review remarked that it had “awesome Jurassic Park vibes”.

A night at Garden Pod, Shipping Container at One-North, and Shipping Container at Haw Par Villa starts at S$500, S$250, and S$200 respectively.

HOMETEAMNS EAST VILLA

A staycation in Bedok Reservoir? We know what you’re thinking. But thanks to a recent glow-up, HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse and HomeTeamNS East Villa have become a self-contained attraction.

Each two-storey villa is furnished with a roof balcony, a sheltered barbecue area, and three bedrooms, complete with smart features like digital door access. It’s a solid alternative to chalets in the East, especially if you have a long guest list to take care of. There are enough eateries nearby to satisfy every craving from dim sum to hotpot, taking the hassle of food preparation out of your hands entirely.

While guests can rent board/card games and mahjong sets, we wouldn’t sleep on the facilities within the clubhouse. Among these are an infinity pool, a CrossFit Gym, and climbing walls. Its water adventure centre also boasts a wet obstacle-rope course and Singapore’s longest indoor water slide.

A night at HomeTeamNS East Villa starts at S$400 and S$580 for members and guests respectively.

EQUARIUS TREETOP LOFTS AND OCEAN SUITES

The Equarius Hotel is nothing new, but retiring to the woods after an action-packed day in Resorts World Sentosa never gets old. Treetop Lofts is so exclusive there are only two units, and each one sleeps up to two adults and two children. From anniversaries to school holidays, the spacious terrace deck will make any occasion extra special with a candlelight dinner or breakfast with a side of birdsong.

Meanwhile, the Ocean Suites promise the best of both worlds if you can’t decide between a land or sea view. Every two-storey suite has an outdoor patio and jacuzzi on its upper floor – if you can look away from the aquarium glass in the underwater room below.

Take a bubble bath in the company of 40,000 marine fish, or top it off with dinner at Southeast Asia's first underwater dining restaurant. With views like that, you’d never want to come up for air.

A night at Equarius Treetop Lofts and Ocean Suites starts at S$1,174.

D’RESORT

Hotels in Singapore that offer two queen-sized beds or conjoining rooms are few and far between. If you’re not about to splash out on a family suite, try D’Resort in Pasir Ris Park. The 387-room property has single- to double-storey units that sleep up to four people, with plenty of space for your kids to play and knock out by 9 pm. The Rainforest Premier Suite, on the other hand, comes with a king-sized bed and jacuzzi that lends itself best to a romantic getaway.

Pasir Ris isn’t the most centralised location, but it checks all the boxes of a digital detox. That could look like exploring the beach on a rental bike, or kayaking to a floating kelong restaurant for dinner. Even if it rains, you can go rock climbing and roller-skating indoors, or take it easy at a terrarium workshop or art jamming session.

A night at D’Resort starts at S$178.

SAILCATIONS

If you can’t get your hands on the new tiny homes on Lazarus Island, Discover Sailing Asia is an equally novel way to experience the Southern Islands. They run sailcations to Tioman, Bintan, and Phuket, but if a weekend is all you got, a short cruise to Southern Islands and/or Pulau Ubin will get you that glowing tan anyway.

The yacht fits up to six people and furry companions can tag along for an additional fee of S$100 each. When you’re not exploring the islands, you could be kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, or taking a dip in the waters. They offer barbecue dinner and booze packages, but there’s a gas stove and oven onboard if everyone’s game for a potluck party.

The 2D1N Southern Island Sailcation and 3D2N Ultimate Southern Island and Pulau Ubin Sailing Adventure start at S$1672.40 and S$3,363.70 per charter respectively.

FARMSTAYS

Gardenasia in Kranji Countryside is made for city slickers looking to connect with nature without compromising on comfort, or just anyone who’s been charmed by a colonial house. Each of the three black-and-white villas has an English, Oriental, and Contemporary theme, and fits up to four guests comfortably.

There are few facilities, save for a lap pool and tennis court, but that’s hardly an issue with growers and parks in your backyard. Get up close and personal with the goats and Hay Dairies and leave with a chock full of dairy products, or drop by Bollywood Veggies for a bona fide farm-to-table dining experience. Once you’ve had your fill, lace up those hiking shoes and walk it off at Kranji Marshes or Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

A night at Gardenasia and Gallop Kranji Farm Resort starts at S$380.

COUNTRY CLUBS

Waking up to a sea view needn’t cost an arm and a leg at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club. In Sentosa, S$300 will get you a tiny room at best. But here in Marina Lodge, you get the Flag’s Officer Suite. The apartment comes with a jacuzzi and living room, as well as access to their mahjong room, karaoke lounge, and sport facilities.

For more space, options at Civil Service Club Changi range from single suites to villas with wheel-chair accessible bedrooms on the round food. From S$574 a night, the two-storey chalet has three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchenette, and a patio. If your company still needs convincing, tell them all about the private mahjong room. Since it’s a standalone property, you and your kakis can go at it from dusk to dawn without rousing the neighbours.

A night at Marina Lodge and Civil Service Club Changi start at approximately S$165 and S$248 respectively.

HERITAGE COLLECTION

We said we would keep you away from the skyscrapers, but Heritage Collection, as its name suggests, is not just another city hotel. Instead, you’ll get to experience living in a shophouse within rustic enclaves and upscale neighbourhoods. What better way to be a tourist in your own country than staying in Chinatown?

There are modern studios, two-bedroom apartments, and lofts overlooking the Singapore River and Marina Bay Sands to spoil you for choice. Whichever you pick, it’ll be a convenient base camp to explore the local markets, historic landmarks, and new restaurants and bars nearby.

A night at an aparthotel starts at S$120.

TINY AWAY @ LAZARUS ISLAND

You may have heard of Big Tiny, a Singapore-based firm that brings tiny houses into natural surroundings across the world from Australia to Europe. This April, they’re finally coming to Singapore.

Tiny Away Escape @ Lazarus Island has five units, ranging from 150 to 170 sq ft, made out of building materials produced from recycled plastic and wood fibre. Each one is furnished with energy-efficient appliances, stocked with biodegradable toiletries, and powered by solar energy – with an electricity grid for back-up if all else fails.

Meals can be pre-booked or prepared in the unit’s kitchenette, and as part of your initiation to off-the-grid living, a recycling system will turn food waste into compost within 24 hours. Only rental bikes are available now but, starting this June, we’re expecting a convenience store, water activities, and a glamping vendor.

The early-bird promotional rate for each unit will start at S$199 a night.

MANDAI RESORT (COMING SOON)

Mandai Resort will be the country's third integrated resort, but nothing like its concrete-laden counterparts in Marina Bay and Sentosa.

Set to open by 2025 along with other features at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, it will sit on a 4.6-hectare site which previously held the zoo’s back-of-house facilities. To preserve the land’s topography, vegetation, and wildlife, the resort has been capped at four storeys tall and elevated wherever possible. The result? 338 hotel rooms, cabins, and treehouses overlooking Upper Seletar Reservoir.

Guests can look forward to new parks like Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild are in the works, as well as fresh ways to experience the OGs. Think nature walks, guided tours, and the rare opportunity to prepare “food puzzles” in the elephants’ enclosure and return the next morning to watch them feed.

RAFFLES RESORT AND SPA (COMING SOON)

Did you know that Raffles Singapore along Beach Road was originally conceived to be a beachfront hotel? The vision may have taken over a century to realise, but  Raffles Sentosa Resort and Spa will finally arrive in the later half of 2023.

The resort has been designed by Yabu Pushelberg, a Toronto and New York-based studio that counts Four Seasons and Park Hyatt among its clients, and will make a grand entrance with 62 villas across 100,000 sqm (that’s 18 football fields). Whether you pick a one- or four-bedroom villa, you get a private pool and personal terrace area. It’s the epitome of privacy, with Raffles’ “famously discreet and attentive” butlers as the cherry on top.

Source: CNA/mm

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