It’s the week-long March school holidays again, and there is much to look forward to. Since the children have been focusing on their computers and books for the last few months, why not take them on unique adventures right here to de-stress and bond, without having to plan for an overseas trip?
Whether it’s seeking adventures, exploring nature or even indulging in desserts, Singapore is geared up with attractions and experiences that will help you explore your passions and discover new ones along the way.
The following are some thrilling experiences that will keep both the young and young at heart entertained, and make memories for the whole family to talk about for years to come, while rediscovering Singapore responsibly and safely.
How else can we keep the children entertained this March school holidays? Watch Chua Enlai and his good friend Karen Tan recommend some "ribbeting fun".
Travel the world from home
Short of actually travelling there, this staycation, which is perfect for everyone of all ages, is as close as you’ll get to a night under the stars in Mongolia, complete with an authentic yurt filled with colourful furniture and knick-knacks.
The experience’s founder Scott Tay has built a sprawling Mongolian campsite in the wilds of Yishun, with everything you need to survive in the forest. There are animal-repelling frequency devices to keep fauna like snakes at bay and authentic Mongolian beds on which you will spend the night (you can bring your own sleeping bags or mattress pads, if you prefer). Parents, who need a post-prandial tipple, can take their pick from an alcohol cabinet that is also stocked with Mongolian vodka.
By day, you and the kids will learn bushcraft survival skills, like how to use traditional fire steel to build a fire. Of course, there’s cooking in the great outdoors, with roasted marshmallows by a campfire for dessert and a sing-along. The next morning, wake up to peace and quiet, away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Then savour a delicious breakfast outside your yurt, taking in the serenity of the great outdoors.
Suitable for: Everyone young and old
Cost of staycation: From $1,350 for 2 adults and 2 children
Availability: Daily (check website for dates) until April, 2022
Meet: Ground Up Initiative Park, 91 Lor Chencharu, Singapore 769201. Enter via ORTO
Click here to book.
Off the road
Take a break from the educational games on mobile devices and head out for some fresh air. Families should get down and dirty with their little ones at Mud Krank, Singapore’s first ATV (all-terrain vehicles) adventure park set on a farm in Kranji.
Children from as young as four years old can get to ride on one of these four-wheel vehicles, which, as the experience’s name suggests, can be a muddy experience. In fact, Mud Krank has ATVs catered for everyone: Junior ATVs for four to 12 years and advanced ATVs for 13 years and up, including adults.
Trust us, it’s a whole load of fun and an interesting way for everyone to seek adventures.
Never mind if you have never ridden one before – just come with some chutzpah, a change of clothes, as well as your own helmet, elbow and knee pads if you prefer (Mud Krank provides safety equipment free of charge if you don’t have your own), and get ready to rumble.
Each circuit takes about 15 minutes, with each round providing the opportunity to challenge and improve your balance and navigational skills.
Suitable for: Everyone above four years old
Cost of ride: $20 (junior) and $35 (adult) from Tuesdays to Thursdays and $25 (junior) and $40 (adult) from Fridays to Sundays
Availability: Tuesday to Sunday. Check website for available time slots
Address: Mud Krank, 10 Neo Tiew Lane 2, Gallop Kranji Farm Resort, Farm H, Singapore 718813
Email: hello@mudkrank.com
Click here to book.
When night falls
The Imbiah Trail at Sentosa is a different place at night, if you know what to look for. Like in all rainforests, while some animals retire at nightfall, others, especially insects, amphibians and reptiles, emerge from their hiding places where they have taken cover from predators during the day. Recommended for all curious folks – there is no age limit but be dressed comfortably enough to walk – the Sentosa Naturalist Night Adventure tour points out all the nuances of the forest’s evening-scape, from identifying common amphibians to spotting scorpions that can only be seen under ultraviolet light.
Led by guides from The Untamed Paths – a biodiversity educational tour operator – each tour begins with a meeting at 7:30pm and progresses to the walk lit only by the soft glow of torches. A perfect means to rediscovering one’s love for nature, the 90-minute experience allows urbanites to get to know Singapore’s hidden wildlife. Think nocturnal invertebrates, fruit bats and owls, forest ants, quirky bugs, roosting birds and harmless snakes.
Suitable for: Everyone of all ages
Cost of tour: $90.95 per person or $321 for a family bundle (2 adults and 2 children aged 12 and below)
Availability: Saturdays, 7.30pm
Meeting point: Siloso Point Bus Stop
Email: dennis@theuntamedpaths.com
Click here to book.
What’s cooking?
Families who love to cook together have much to look forward to at cooking school Palate Sensations. But for starters, try this parent-and-child fruit tart class. After all, who doesn’t like a good dessert? The two-hour session covers how to make a sweet pastry, how to roll and shape them in their pretty tins before making a classic pastry cream filling – all from scratch. Grown-ups and kids then decorate their tarts with colourful berries and take their delicious creations home, making for a great way to end dinner with.
Throughout March, there are also other classes for parent-and-child bonding. These include new classes on how to prepare dishes such as ramen and shepherd’s pies. There is nothing quite like bonding over a fun, new skill that you can practise together for a long time to come.
What’s more, it also runs a school holiday junior culinary bootcamp suitable for kids of all ages, and for budding teenage chefs, a programme to instill confidence in the kitchen.
Suitable for: Children and teenagers, as well as adults for the parent-child classes
Cost of class: From $80 per person
Availability: March 13, 10am to 12pm
Address: Palate Sensations, 10 Biopolis Road, #01-03 Chromos, Singapore 138670
Email: info@palatesensations.com
Click here to book.
Up, up and away
Who needs a fancy rooftop restaurant when you have SkyHelix Sentosa? Singapore’s highest open-air panoramic ride offers a rotating 360-degree view of Sentosa and the Southern Islands from 79 metres above sea level. To sweeten the experience, each ticket-holder can also redeem a complimentary standard non-alcoholic beverage or souvenir.
SkyHelix is an open-air gondola that seats eight people and it moves upwards in a gentle rotating motion. There is no floor beneath the seats, which means your feet dangle as you ascend skywards, but the slow speed makes for a comfortable ride.
Before you take your seat, you can purchase even more food and drinks from the snack bar by the entrance to take along with you for a picnic in the sky.
Throughout this 12-minute ride, the SkyHelix rotates gently, offering stunning bird’s eye views from every angle. Have fun pointing out landmarks with the children and trying to spot your house if it’s within view. Children have to be at least 1.05 metres tall to take the ride, while those between 1.05 metres and 1.2 metres in height or below 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Suitable for: Everyone, who is more than 1.05m tall
Cost of ride: $15 per child under the age of 12, and $18 per adult
Availability: Daily, from 10am to 9.30pm (last boarding 9pm)
Meeting point: Imbiah Lookout
Click here to book.
Stay and play
Pan Pacific Singapore has opened Urban Jungle Village, its first children’s play area with two themed family suites and an array of kids’ programmes – bound to make any staycation even more fun. This area was designed in consultation with play experts, so you can expect your children to be thrilled with the offerings.
They include animal-themed slides and see-saws, a treehouse above a virtual pond that they can fish from, and a “cave” they can climb in. There’s even a Forest Library filled with board games and books for kids. The Urban Jungle Adventure Package comes with private access to the Urban Jungle Cabana by the pool and three-hour access to Kiztopia at Marina Square, the largest indoor playground in the country.
The fun extends to the 79-sqm Urban Jungle Suites, located on the hotel’s higher floors, with stunning views of the city. The suites were created in partnership with Kiztopia and come with an inflatable rocking hippo and a treehouse bunk bed that sleeps two children.
Kids get an Urban Jungle Survival Pack with bath toys for a fun soak in the tub too. You don’t even have to worry about breakfast and tea since Jungle Suite guests are entitled to daily breakfast in the hotel’s Edge restaurant and access to the Pacific Club lounge for all-day refreshments and afternoon tea.
Suitable for: Everyone of all ages
Cost of staycation: From $820 per night for 2 adults and 2 children, subject to availability
Availability: From Feb 4 to Dec 31, 2022
Address: Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square Singapore 039595
Click here to book.
Where art and culture comes alive
You might have walked through the historical Katong enclave. But have you experienced the stories of Katong in engaging artistic forms?
Katong Dreaming: A Musical Tour is just that – a chance for everyone to absorb the stories and history of the district through a toe-tapping experience of song, dance, poetry and immersive storytelling. Both adults and children will enjoy the performances, which can engage their artistic sides, while discovering more about one of Singapore’s most colourful enclaves.
The walking tour is set in three chapters and takes participants through the back alleys of familiar streets such as East Coast Road, Joo Chiat Road and Tembeling Road. It takes two hours to complete the tour with walking involved, so participants are advised to dress appropriately and wear comfortable shoes.
Once you don your “silent disco headsets”, it’s off to familiar experiences of food, faith and historical landmarks which you will definitely see through new eyes.
Suitable for: All ages
Cost of tour: $68 per person
Availability: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Meeting point: Rumah Kim Choo, 111 East Coast Road, Singapore 428801
Email: travel@betelbox.com
Click here to book.
Prices, rates and packages are accurate as of date of publication on March 10, 2022. All the photos were taken in accordance with safe management measures.
In partnership with Singapore Tourism Board
