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Staycation Reviews
How to Plan a Staycation According to Your Travel Personality
Your travel plans may be put on pause for now, so why not take this opportunity to play tourist in your own city and rediscover the sights and sounds of Singapore you might have missed?
We’ve put together a guide to help you plan a staycation based on your travel personality, so you can explore Singapore from a whole new perspective.
Scroll down to read more or click on the below:
For the foodie
Pictured: Quentin’s Eurasian Cuisine
What you would want in a staycation:
- Great in-house restaurant that offers all-day dining
- An excuse to try the best restaurants and bars in town
- A variety of easy-to-access food options for a midday snack, a teatime indulgence and a satisfying supper
Tips and Ideas:
Tip 1: Travel the world with your taste buds!
Singapore’s culinary scene is known for having a wide variety of cuisines, so take this chance to embark on a gastronomic journey during your staycation. You can travel from Greece to the Himalayas in a day when you savour Eastern Mediterranean fare at Bakalaki Greek Taverna to authentic Nepalese and Indian cuisines at Gurkha Palace. Or taste the best of both Eastern and Western cuisines with Eurasian fare at Quentin’s Bar & Restaurant.
Tip 2: Go on a hunt for nondescript eateries hidden in plain sight
Tucked away atop Ann Siang Hill, it is easy to miss PS. Café when you are just walking by. Head on in to savour your favourite brunch items in a more tranquil setting. Fancy a bit more spice? Drop by the enclave of Duxton Hill, where you can enjoy authentic Mexican food from Lucha Loco. While you are in the area, have some fun searching for Bitters & Love’s elusive entrance across Telok Ayer MRT and you’ll be rewarded with a snug cocktail bar serving quality drinks.
Our Recommendations:
Pictured: Oasia Hotel Downtown’s Club Room
Stay at Oasia Hotel Downtown in Tanjong Pagar and AMOY in Telok Ayer for easy access to all the places mentioned above and more!
You will be happy to know that these hotels also have quality restaurants located within the building for your convenience.
Oasia Hotel Downtown is home to Marmalade Pantry, which was awarded 'Café of the Year 2nd Runner Up' by CHOPE Diner’s Choice Awards, and Oso Ristorante which serves authentic Italian fare from across regions in Italy. At AMOY, you can tuck into fresh air-flown sashimi for lunch at Jin Fine Dining.
For the culture vulture
Pictured: Sultan Mosque
What you would want in a staycation:
- Explore the overlooked nooks and crannies of the city
- Revisit Singapore’s rich culture and history with new eyes
Tips and Ideas:
Tip 1: Travel back in time while exploring our cultural gems
Despite our small size, Singapore is packed with cultural capital, from heritage buildings to state-of-the-art galleries. Situated at the crossroads of culture, Kampong Glam is the perfect place for culture vultures. Rediscover a slice of old Singapore as you sit on the five-foot-way and drink a frothy teh sarbat from famous tea stall Bhai Sarbat, or take a walk down Blair Plain and admire its walls come alive with illustrations depicting street barbers and the bygone days.
Tip 2: Bring culture to life with museum-hopping
Visit the National Museum of Singapore to witness Singapore’s colonial past come alive at Story of the Forest, an immersive installation conceptualised by the renowned Japanese digital art collective teamLab. For those with an eye for art, head to the National Gallery Singapore to admire and appreciate art pieces from the world's largest public display of modern Southeast Asian art.
Our Recommendations:
Pictured: The Barracks Hotel Sentosa’s Pool and Facade
A staycation at Village Hotel Bugis will put you in the heart of the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct, home to Singapore’s Arts & Heritage district. Return to the hotel for a restful night’s sleep after a long day of museum-hopping and traversing the back alleys of shophouses.
If you’re craving for a more immersive glimpse into the past, stay at The Barracks Hotel Sentosa – a heritage hideaway located in what was once a British artillery outpost. Your stay here also comes with a complimentary guided walking tour around Sentosa curated by award-winning heritage specialist, Jerome Lim, with stories dating back as far as 1904.
For the nature lover
Pictured: Henderson Wave, The Southern Ridges
What you would want in a staycation:
- Escape the hustle and bustle of urban living
- Reconnect with the great outdoors
- Enjoy the tranquility of greenery
Tips and Ideas:
Tip 1: Escape the cosmopolitan chaos for a day
Leave behind the hustle and bustle of city life within the sprawling compound of Singapore Botanic Gardens, our very first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be enthralled by The National Orchid Garden’s eye-popping sea of tropical flora or pack a picnic and relax on the lawns near Symphony Lake. End your day with a mouth-watering meal at one of the many restaurants in the Gardens such as Botanico at The Garage or Casa Verde.
Tip 2: Soak up breathtaking sights on foot
Lace up your exercise shoes and embrace the splendours of nature at its grand playground — The Southern Ridges. This nature retreat stretches across 10km of green spaces which connect Telok Blangah Hill Park, Mount Faber Park, HortPark, Labrador Nature Reserve and Kent Ridge Park. From the glorious bougainvillea blooms at Telok Blangah Hill Park to the aerial views from atop the Henderson Waves, the fresh air and greenery is bound to leave you feeling invigorated.
Our Recommendations:
Pictured: Oasia Hotel Downtown’s Sky Terrace
Stay at Orchard Rendezvous Hotel and you are just a short, five-minute ride from the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Book the Picnic Rendezvous package to enjoy a complimentary picnic that you can bring with you! If the heat gets too much to bear, cool off in the hotel’s swimming pool and savour a relaxing dip amidst verdant greenery.
For a wellness escape, seek restorative refuge at Oasia Hotel Downtown. Located on the 12th floor and beyond, the hotel’s idyllic setting and open green spaces weave nature into the urban fabric of the Central Business District and you can easily leave the busy city life below you. Its outdoor Sky Terrace also offers an incredible panoramic view of the charming cityscape, where you can rediscover our Little Red Dot from a vantage point.
For the little ones
What you would want in a staycation:
- Bond and create special memories as a family
- Kid-friendly activities for the little ones
Tips and Ideas:
Tip: Find something for everyone at the State of Fun
Few places encompass family fun more than Sentosa. Families with little ones will love riding the Skyride for its bird’s eye view of Sentosa Island, followed by the exhilarating ride down on a luge at the Skyline Luge Sentosa. Those with older kids might prefer the thrilling rides at Universal Studios Singapore or a boisterous game of beach volleyball at Palawan Beach. The entire family, both young and old, can spend quality time together with activities such as a stroll along the Fort Siloso Skywalk and the nightly light show spectacle at Wings of Time.
Bonus Tip: For more ideas on what to do at Sentosa, check out our Ultimate Guide to Sentosa Island.
Our Recommendations:
Pictured: Orchard Rendezvous Hotel’s Family Room with Bunkbeds
The Barracks Hotel Sentosa’s spacious rooms will make a stay with your family more comfortable! Kids will love the Premier Rooms with Pool Access where they can jump into the pool straight from their room. The hotel is also walking distance to all the attractions mentioned above, making it convenient for you to cover all of them on your staycation.
For those families who prefer a more central location, Orchard Rendezvous Hotel has various Family Room configurations suitable for families with children of all ages! You can select from rooms with additional single beds or bunk beds and they can all comfortably sleep up to 4 adults.
The Insta-tourist
Pictured: Mural in Little India
What you would want in a staycation:
- To discover lesser-known photo opportunities
- The chance to brighten your Instagram feed with a splash of colour
- An opportunity to see everyday moments with a different lens
Tips and Ideas:
Tip 1: Snap picture-perfect memories against unique heritage buildings
Singapore’s rich history means that there are heritage buildings that feature architectural influences from a whole myriad of cultures across the island. Iconic buildings that make great backdrops for your photos are Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sultan Mosque and CHIJMES. If you are keen to explore more, just do a quick online search of national monuments in Singapore and you will be able to find more heritage buildings you did not know about previously!
Tip 2: Hunt for street art to glam up your Insta game
Street art has been increasingly popular in recent years and the best part is, they are free for all to appreciate! Not only would they be a great boost to your Instagram feed, wandering around whimsical alleys and picturesque back lanes of Haji Lane, Chinatown, Little India, MacPherson, Aliwal Street, Kampong Glam and Tiong Bahru in search of art will be a great bonding experience for you and your friends or family.
Our Recommendations:
Pictured: The Barracks Hotel Sentosa’s Premier Room with Pool Access
Restored from its heyday as a British military outpost, The Barracks Hotel Sentosa is steeped in history and its handsomely designed interiors are the perfect photo opportunity to lend some elegant, heritage charm to your Instagram feed.
The unmissable red and green facade of Oasia Hotel Downtown is an iconic landmark in the Central Business District. With its massive vertical garden on the outside and floor to ceiling windows offering a bird’s eye view on the inside, it will provide you many chances for that essential city staycation selfie.
Now that you know what your travel personality would love to do on your next staycation, click here to view all available deals and book a stay with us!
