Suffering from cabin fever? Find out how you can experience the beauty of China, Indonesia and Venice right in our backyard and assuage your thirst for travel.
With the pandemic having scuppered travel plans, the wanderlusters among you are undoubtedly suffering from cabin fever, and longing to get on an airplane again. While that may not happen for a while, there are places right on our doorstep that can make you feel like you are visiting an exotic locale!
LITTLE GUILIN
If you haven’t been to Little Guilin in a while, it may be time to pay this beautifully landscaped park a visit. Created from a disused granite quarry, Little Guilin’s main draw is a rock cliff overlooking a serene lake. The park was so named for its resemblance to the granite rock formations in Guilin, China. Some have compared it to the towering cliffs of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. So what are you waiting for? Bring out your picnic mats and make believe you are in China or Vietnam.
Address:
Bukit Batok East Avenue 5
Singapore 650242
Opening hours: 24 hours
BRIGHT HILL TEMPLE
Get whisked away to Hangzhou, China, at Bright Hill Temple. Also known as Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, it was established in 1921, and was one of the first traditional Chinese forest monasteries in Singapore. The art, culture and Chinese architectural designs in a tranquil setting will transport you to the popular Chinese city known for its scenic vistas — all without having to jostle with the hordes of tourists who descend upon it regularly. Don’t forget to stop by the Hall of No Form to gaze upon the giant bronze Buddha statue. Weighing more than 55 tons, the statue is touted to be one of the largest in Asia.
Address:
88 Bright Hill Road
Singapore 574117
Opening hours: 8am–4pm
GONDOLA RIDES
Venice is well loved for its beautiful bridges and gondola rides through narrow canals. A close second in recreating this idyllic scene are The Sampan Rides at Marina Bay Sands. Thankfully, the rides cost a fraction of what they would in Venice. At just $13 per person, you can realise your Venetian dream by enjoying a ride along the canal at The Shoppes.Don’t forget to make a wish as you circle the Rain Oculus, a 22m-wide acrylic bowl that collects rainwater for the canal. If are lucky, you may get a close-up view of the impressive hourly water cascade, where more than 22,000 litres of water are released per minute from a skylight two storeys overhead.
Address:
B2, The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972
Opening hours: 11am–9pm daily
FORT CANNING PARK
Journey to Indonesia via the Sang Nila Utama Garden at Fort Canning Park. Your getaway begins the moment you enter a series of Javanese split gates, with statues of frogs, fish and ducks — fauna believed to have been seen in the palace gardens of Southeast Asian royalty. The garden also has traditional features, such as a symmetrical layout and meditative reflective pools filled with lily pads.
Address:
Bounded by Hill Street, Canning Rise, Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road
Opening hours: 24 hours
TRAVEL AROUND SINGAPORE WITH AA SINGAPORE
In addition to its famous AUTOVENTURESTM driving adventure holidays overseas, AA Singapore also occasionally organises drives around our sunny island. The most recent event, AA Round Island Drive, was held on 25 April 2021. For these and other types of activities run by AA Singapore, do regularly check out this page.
