Singapore doesn’t usually come to mind when you are yearning for a relaxing wellness holiday, but you’ll be surprised that the bustling lion city has many hidden gems that will relax your body, mind and soul.
Swissotel Raffles Singapore Vitality room.
The mission for this trip was to unwind and relax. With wellness in mind, a healthy balanced diet goes hand in hand. Here’s our guide to things to do in Singapore for a quick weekend getaway to recharge.
Day 1
Violet Ong at The Jewel
Violet Oon Singapore
Touch down Singapore, and we headed straight to The Jewel Singapore located near Changi Airport to have lunch at Violet Onn. The Jewel itself has a calming aura with an indoor garden and waterfall. The sounds of the water is calming, and even though it’s located indoors it feels like you’re reaping the benefits of being outdoors.
Violet Oon Singapore
The restaurant features a beautiful interior transporting you back to the 1920’s art deco era. Violet Onn serves Singapore and Peranakan dishes, I would recommend ordering the Pie Tee, Buah Keluak Chicken, Udang Chilli Padi Lemak, and Ikan Goreng Chilli. A Unique must-try dish is Dry Laksa, fresh rice noodle tossed in Violet’s laksa gravy, topped with prawns, tau pok and bean sprouts. Everything was delicious, keeping true to traditional Asian flavours. They also feature a great plant-based menu.
Address: The Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Boulevard, #01-205/206 Singapore 819666
Opening Hours: 10am-10pm
Reservations: esiat@violetoon.com/ +6598349935
Website: www.violetoon.com
An Açai Affair
An Acai Affair
I’m a big fan of Acai bowls, and it’s the best snack or dessert to have to beat Singapore’s hot and humid weather. Go ahead and choose from their range of smoothie drinks and bowls. An Açai Affair is Singapore’s largest Açai specialty café with a mission to promote easy and healthy living by eating well and eating right.
An Acai Affair
Choose one of their signature Acai bowl, which comes with your choice of sorbet, granola nuts, fresh fruits and many other toppings. The bowls also comes with a drizzle of either honey, cookie butter, almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter.
Opening Hours: Sun – Thurs: 11am-10pm / Fri-Sat: 11am-1030pm
Website: www.anacaiaffair.com
Swissotel Raffles Singapore
Swissotel Raffles Singapore Vitality room.
The hotel is located close to everything and is attached to a mall which makes it convenient to explore Singapore on foot. Do check in to their Signature Vitality room designed for your overall health and well-being. Some unique features include their shower and bath designed for ultimate relaxation. With circadian lighting technology that is uniquely designed to adjust to each individual’s mood and lifestyle, adapting to one’s circadian rhythm which in turn boosts overall health and well-being. The room also has an in-room yoga station, a fitness wall featuring a cable pull, water pull, wall bars. Topping off the wellness experience, the Vitality Room offers a minibar stocked with nutritious juices and snacks.
Swissotel Raffles Singapore Vitality room.
Another feature we love is the adjustable desk, which increases and decreases in height with a push of a button. So you can so your work sitting down, or standing up.
Address : 2 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178882
Phone : +65 6338 8585
Palm Avenue
Palm Ave Float Club
I felt quite nervous trying floatation therapy for the first time, and didn’t know what to expect. I’ve read about it, the session helps to make you feel calm, de-stress and it has great wellness benefits.
Large white pods were filled with salt water, and you’re supposed to lie flat back down on the water and relax. Due to the buoyancy of the salt water, you will automatically float. The water feels heavy, almost like concrete with a force pushing you upwards to float.
Palm Ave Float Club
You have the option to keep the lights on or off in the room, with neon lights changing colours in the pod while calming music plays in the distance. If you’re brave enough you can float in silence and darkness. The calm and peacefulness should lull you into a deep state of mind, that allows you to relax until you fall asleep.
It’s hard to put the experience into words, I suggest you try it out for yourself. After the session, I felt lighter, refreshed and relaxed.
Address: 66 Kampong Bugis, #05-01, Singapore 338987
Opening Times: Mon-Wed: 10am-9pm / Thurs: 4pm-9pm / Fri-Sun: 9am-9pm
Duration: Approx. 1 hour
Website: www.palmavefloat.club/
Graft and Dagger
Graft and Dagger Singapore
Operation Dagger was named as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars. Presented as a dual concept, Graft is a sustainability-first restaurant with an edible garden in the courtyard. The restaurant uses glassware made from used bottles, which are cut and sanded down by hand.
Graft and Dagger Singapore
Graft is their daytime spot that offers pre-batched cocktails and locally inspired food, while Dagger upstairs offers more experimental and boundary-pushing drinks.
Address: 76 Neil Rd, Singapore 088840
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 6pm-12am
Tel: +65 8940 2450
Day 2
Aramsa The Garden Spa
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A spa session is a great way to start the day. Aramsa Spa is well-known among the local community, and offers a urban-resort like ambiance. The space is welcoming, and calming set within a park in Ang Mo Kio about 15 minutes from the city-centre. Holistically immersed within the lush greenery of a national park, Aramsa Spa has uniquely designed treatment rooms, each presenting an eclectic mix of contemporary design and seamless spaces in harmony with the garden ambience that brings the outside in.
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Make sure to head over to their website to select your treatment. It was hard for me to choose just one, because I wanted to try out everything. I finally settled on the Exotic Coconut treatment. It started with a foot bath and scrub, a relaxing oil rub, followed by a whole body mask, the mask was left on for 20 minutes to dry, the therapist then pat warm water on the mask turning it into a full body exfoliating scrub. I then took a quick shower, instantaneously I felt my skin was smoother and hydrated. The session ended with a relaxing Swedish recharge massage that was soothing and relaxing. Walking out of the session I felt a deep sense of relaxation.
The Exotic Coconut Treatment includes a, Warm Coconut Oil Rub, Tropical Coconut Wrap, Raw Herb Exfoliation and Swedish Recharge Massage.
Address: 1384 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, #2, Singapore 569932
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm
Phone: +65 6456 6556
Website: www.aramsaspas.com/
Open Farm Community
Open Farm Community
This is a must-visit restaurant when you’re in Singapore. Natural light shines through this glasshouse restaurant, set within an urban farm. The farm to table concept, means that most of the vegetables on the menu was grown on the farm surrounding the restaurant.
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The food is fresh, and wholesome. Making use of fresh vegetables, herbs, local produce and natural flavours. The menu is seasonal, and changes frequently according to what’s produce is in season. During our visit we had the Weeds & More Veggie Crudité, Seasonal “dip”, herbs and flowers , Tiberias Snapper Ceviche, sago crackers, ginger fower, Mushroom Buddies tortellini, lions mane mushroom, oatmilk gravy, Spicy Corn “Ribs”, olive oil, honey & lime, Smashin’ Pumpkin, seeds, wild honey, grainy mustard and Roasted Salmon, garden “curry”, puffed pulut hitam & seaweed. The menu offers Vegan, Dairy free , Gluten Free and Vegetarian options.
Address: 130E Minden Rd, Singapore 248819
Opening Hours:
Lunch Mon-Fri, 12pm-3pm
Dinner Mon-Sun:6pm-11pm
Brunch, Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
Phone: +65 6471 0306
Website: www.openfarmcommunity.com
SPACE 2B
Singing bowls
A place to relax your mind and soul. SPACE 2B features dedicated mentors who believe in the power of meditation and sound to transform your life and your work from the inside out. They offer over 30 weekly sound healing, meditation and somatic experiences.
SPACE 2B
Their session will help you connect with your body, and mind. I attended a sound therapy session, where we all lied down in a comfortable position, with blankets to keep us warm. The sounds of nature and gongs, brings you calmness. Thirty minutes into the session, and I fell asleep. Which is a sign that the therapy worked it’s magic.
I enjoyed this experience very much, and feel that it has great benefits for those who work long hours in the office. It’s great for combating stress and anxiety.
Address: 2B Stanley St, Singapore 068721
Website: https://space2b.sg
Analogue
Analogue Singapore
We ended the night at a new trendy bar located at Chijmes, the church made famous in the movie Crazy Rich Asians. The latest venture from Vijay Mudaliar ,Analogue is a plant-based resto-bar that boasts not only sustainable food and drinks, but even furniture.
Analogue Singapore
As you enter a huge bar counter breathes new life into non-biodegradable material. The main bar top is 3-D printed from 1,600 kg of recycled plastic bottles and spans 20-metres in length with a beautiful ergonomic, and inclusive flow that dips for wheelchair accessibility. Analogue coasters are re-purposed from a vibrant array of recycled plastic products, so no two are the same.
Address: 30 Victoria St, #01-31 Chijmes, Singapore 187996
Opening Time: Daily 5pm-12am (except Monday)
Tel: +65 8518 1882
Website: www.analogueinitiative.com
Ever heard the phrase, ‘I need a holiday, from my holiday?’ Sometimes when we are trying to explore too many places in a short time, we tend to have an over-packed schedule, which results in travel fatigue. Keep in mind that holidays serves as a time-out away from your everyday life, and you should return to your routine, inspired, recharged and relaxed. Holidays are a great time to focus on wellness for your body and mind.
Before you start planning your trip to Singapore, Make sure to check out Singapore Tourism Board at Visit Singapore for the latest events and happenings.
