Skip the typical dinner and movie combo, please.
Dates can be challenging. I mean, there are only so many movies and luxurious dinners you can go to with your other half before getting bored.
Still, let it not be said that Singapore is boring - far from it, if you look hard enough!
We do know it's tough to come up with fresh ideas every week, so we've done the work for you.
Here's a list of atypical date spots you can consider that will make you feel like you're on a vacation with your partner. It'll help you chalk up some brownie points too.
1. OPEN FARM COMMUNITY @ MINDEN ROAD
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Lovers of both food and nature will adore the lush foliage surrounding Open Farm Community (OFC), a charming greenhouse-styled restaurant that will make the two of you feel as though you are dining in the middle of a farm in Perth.
Its sprawling premises house an edible garden, an alfresco area (that looks magical in the evening, by the way), a play area and a retail shop.
A perfect location for a weekend brunch date, dig into carefully prepared dishes sourced from harvests from their garden or local farms. Try the Sweet Potato Tortellini or, if you’re craving for some local flavours, the Prawn Laksa Pappardelle. If you’re feeling adventurous, ask a staff about their line-up of events.
OFC regularly holds workshops, farming events and recreational activities for adults and children alike.
Open Farm Community is at 130E Minden Road, 248819; tel: 6471 0306. Visit: www.openfarmcommunity.com
2. SMITH MARINE @ PULAU UBIN COASTAL AREA
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Indulge in a nautical adventure without travelling too far away at this modernized kelong restaurant.
Located just off Pulau Ubin, Smith Marine is merely a 15 minute ferry ride from the Changi Village Ferry Terminal. Here, you get to reel in your own meal at their “sure-catch pond” (at $35 per fish).
Caught fishes, such as snapper or seabass, can be cooked in a variety of ways. The meat is so fresh and tender, it melts off the bone. Fun and unconventional, your date will remember this day for a long time.
Smith Marine is at Pulau Ubin Coastal Area FC97E; tel: 9792 7609. Visit: www.smithmarine.com.sg
3. KARTING ARENA @ BUKIT TIMAH
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Fancy channeling your inner Vin Diesel, Fast and Furious-style? You get to fulfill all your race-car-driver dreams and more at this karting circuit located at The Grandstand.
Get your partner’s heart pumping by challenging him or her to a race (but remember to adhere to all safety requirements!).
Non-member prices for fun karting are $38 (non-peak hours from 10am to 6pm, Tuesdays to Fridays) and $45 (for Fridays after 6pm and all day for weekends and public holidays). Hang onto your helmets because it’s going to be a wild ride.
Karting Arena is at #01-01B, The Grandstand South Car Park, 200 Turf Club Road, 287994; tel: 9627 6771. Visit: www.thekartingarena.com
4. GALLOP STABLE @ PASIR RIS/BUKIT TIMAH
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Trot, canter and gallop at Gallop Stable’s two locations (at Pasir Ris and Bukit Timah), which will make you feel like you’re at an English countryside. You and your date get to saddle up for an afternoon of fun horse-riding if you sign up for a semi-private lesson for two.
At $80 (on weekdays) and $90 (on weekends), you’ll get to enjoy a 45 minute session of leisure riding for novice riders.
Not a fan of riding? You can feed the ponies and bunnies at the stables too at $2 per feed packet. Tip: Round up your British adventure by heading for an afternoon tea of scones and sandwiches after that.
Gallop Stable @ Pasir Ris is at 61 Pasir Ris Green Carpark C, 518225; tel: 6583 9665, while Gallop Stable @ Horsecity is at 100 Turf Club Road, 287992; tel: 6463 6012. Visit: www.gallopstable.com
5. MAZE GARDEN @ PASIR RIS PARK
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Get lost with your date at this whimsical spot. With towering green hedges, rustic wooden fences and forestry all around, this enchanting maze is your next best alternative to Paris’ Jardin des Plantes, if you can’t afford to jet over to the real thing.
Make a day trip out of it: The rest of the park is worthy of an exploration as well. Just make sure you check the weather — you don’t want it to be sweltering, or worse, rain cats and dogs when you’re there.
Maze Garden is at Pasir Ris Park, 98 Pasir Ris Central, 519639. Visit www.nparks.gov.sg
6. IKEDA SPA @ CLARKE QUAY/BUKIT TIMAH
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After a long week at work, sometimes the best way to spend the weekend is to simply unwind. So instead of packing your date full of exhausting activities, why not escape to “Japan” for some much-needed zen?
Try Ikeda Spa, which prides itself on offering an authentic Japanese spa experience. With its warm tatami rooms, wooden interior and traditional Japanese decor, it would be as though you’ve been teleported to the quiet sanctuaries of Kyoto.
Wash away the stress of the week with your partner at their Hinoki Onsen Bath (priced at $120 for 30 minutes for two), or relax your mind and body with a therapeutic Inyou Relaxation Massage (priced at $120 for 60 minutes each).
Ikeda Spa @ Clarke Quay is at #05-22, Clarke Quay Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, 059817; tel: 6388 8080 ext. 2, while Ikeda Spa @ Bukit Timah is at 787 Bukit Timah Rd, 269762; tel: 6388 8080 ext. 1. Visit: www.ikedaspa.com
7. NATURE KAYAKING @ PULAU UBIN
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Paddling down the scenic Amazon River and exploring the diverse ecosystem of its surrounding jungle might seem like a dream, but your bank account might disagree.
Go kayaking in Pulau Ubin instead — It’s less exotic, we know, but it’ll thrill any nature lover nonetheless. Follow an experienced guide as you navigate through the tranquil mangroves and see if you and your partner can spot some cool wildlife such as kingfishers, hornbills and even otters!
A 4-hour beginners tour costs $85 while a 6-hour tour costs $102. To get there, take a bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Pulau Ubin Island and head to the Ubin Adventures hut, No. 34, for the beginning of the tour. Sign up here.
To get there, take a bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal (51 Lor Bekukong, 499172) to Pulau Ubin Island. Visit: www.klook.com
8. GLOW IN THE DARK PATH @ BUKIT PANJANG
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You might not be able to bring your other half to the beautiful glow-in-the-dark footpath at Gosford or the luminescent Van Gogh cycle path at Nuenen, but our version is not too shabby.
Situated along the Rail Corridor, this glow-in-the-dark path is equally magical when you stroll along the 400m-long glittery stretch as night falls. The best part? It’s free.
Glow in the Dark Path @ Rail Corridor is between Choa Chu Kang Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road, behind Bukit Panjang MRT Station.
9. GLAMPING SOCIETY @ EAST COAST PARK/PUNGGOL CONTAINER PARK
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Thinking of booking a hotel for a staycay with your partner? We say nay. Forget about going for that cliché hotel and go Glamping (camping, glam-style) instead!
At two locations, East Coast Park or Punggol Container Park, you get to enjoy an experience the likes of Bintan’s The Canopi Resort with Singapore’s first Glamping provider, Glamping Society.
Prices start from $270 for a couple’s package, which includes a romantically decorated (with rose petals, mmm!) medium-sized tent, a picnic set-up that can be either indoors or outdoors, a large pizza and sparkling juice. It’s a dreamy setting your date will surely appreciate.
Glamping Society @ East Coast Park is at East Coast Park Camping Area G, while Glamping Society @ Punggol Container Park is at 50 Punggol East, 828824; tel: 9384 1244. Visit: www.glampingsociety.com
10. FLIGHT SCHOOL @ SELETAR AEROSPACE
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Take to the skies with your date at Seletar Aerospace’s full-motion flight simulator, where you get to soar through the “clouds” à la Aladdin’s carpet ride and enjoy a scenic bird’s-eye “view” of the grounds below.
Okay, so we know it’s not real.
But the experience is no less exciting. Learn all about plane controls and get a feel of how to fly a plane at this flight school. It’s pricey (starts from $120 for a 45 minute introductory flight with an instructor) but hey, it’s once-in-a-lifetime. Bucket list — checked.
Flight school @ Seletar Aerospace is at #02-09, WingsOverAsia Hangar 66, 66 Seletar Aerospace View, 797509; tel: 6659 2343. Visit: flightschool.sg
This article was first published in The Finder.
