5 new, affordable activities to do in Singapore to beat the Covid blues

Even though tourism accounts for around 4 per cent of Singapore’s GDP, the city has a reputation of being a city without much to offer in terms of fun and entertainment.

The long running joke about the country is that the favourite pastimes of Singaporeans are shopping, eating, and going to the movies.

However, with the borders still closed for international travel, the way people spend their free time is slowly changing. New entertainment options and leisure activities have emerged to give domestic tourism a little boost.

If you’re looking for ideas to make your free time more exciting, here are 5 new activities you can do in Singapore (just remember to to follow all the social distancing guidelines).

1. Disco Roller Skating

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For those who didn’t grow up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, disco roller skating has always been something we only see in the movies.

But these days, roller skating has seen a resurgence especially on TikTok, with roller skaters posting videos of themselves gracefully skating down the street to disco hits.

If you’ve always wanted to experience disco roller skating, HiRoller indoor skating rink is the place to be. At an affordable $17 for a 2-hour session, the rink offers both inline skates and roller skates, and you’ll be grooving to pop hits from the ‘90s and 2000s under flashing disco lights—a fun activity for a girls’ day out.

For beginners, there are skating lessons taught by certified instructors at the skating academy on site.

Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, only 50 visitors are allowed per time slot and your temperature will be taken before entering the premises.

You’ll also be required to wear a mask and maintain a distance of 1 metre with others for the duration of your session.

2. Vespa Sidecar Excursion

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As Covid fatigue sets in, escapism can be a soothing salve for the soul.

With the Vespa sidecar excursions offered by Singapore Sidecars, you can take a spin on a vintage Vespa sidecar and see Singapore through the eyes of a Crazy Rich Asian for a day with an Instagram tour of the film sites and a cocktail workshop to wrap it all up.

It's one of the more expensive excursions on our list, costing $320 for a 2-hour tour, so it'll be worth taking advantage of generous rewards card to get some money back.

You’ll be driven around by a trained driver while you enjoy the sights in your sidecar. A socially distanced tour with a group of up to 10 pax is available for the tours.

3. Bungee Jumping with AJ Hackett Sentosa

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There are no cliffs in Singapore high enough to bungee jump off of, but there’s a 17-storey tall platform for the adrenaline junkies and daredevils to experience bungee jumping 50 metres above ground on Siloso Beach in Sentosa.

Before taking your leap, a jump master will strap you up and run you through jumping tips.

You have an option of touching the water in the bungee pool below and your bungee cord will be adjusted accordingly.

Operated by AJ Hackett Sentosa, which reopened in July, the company specialises in adrenaline-pumping experiences like a 40m high giant swing the reaches speeds up to 120km/hr, a vertical skywalk and a sky bridge with see-through sections.

Each activity costs just $69, a bargain compared to the usual price of $159 before the pandemic.

4. Nerf Action Xperience

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Shooting zombies with Nerf guns are not just fun for the kids, but also for adults too. At Nerf Action Xperience, you can work with your team to battle a zombie apocalypse.

In Zombie City, you can fire foam darts from your Nerf blaster at your undead enemies and secure a vaccine that’ll keep you immune to the zombie infections.

If battling zombies isn’t enough, you can also conquer obstacle courses 12 metres above ground at the Conquer Zone, which include climbing webs, ropes and runs.

After passing through the obstacles, you can continue on to the Challenge Zone where you’ll take on accuracy, agility, basketball, goal and speed challenges.

Ticket prices start at $29 with access to the Conquer and Compete zones. All tickets are valid for 3 hours.

5. HydroDash

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If working out in the gym is getting old, spice up your workout routine at HydroDash, a waterpark with inflatable obstacles that test your dexterity and train your leg muscles.

It’s basically a floating playground for kids and adults, and the wet platforms are harder to balance on than they look.

With lower body weight and better agility, kids probably have an easier time leaping and bouncing through the obstacles than adults.

Every participant has to wear a life jacket and lifeguards are on site in case of any danger.

Hydrodash is offering a 50 per cent discount off the second hour on weekdays so if you prefer to play with less people around, try to take a weekday off and you can save some money on entrance tickets.

Playing safe in the era of Covid-19

With the second wave of Covid-19 happening around many parts of the world, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

While indoor venues like HiRoller skating rink and Nerf Action Xperience are running at a 50 pax capacity limit or at 50 per cent capacity along with social distancing and temperature screening, you should also take extra precautions especially when you have to touch various surfaces at indoor playgrounds.

Health precautions include frequent hand sanitising and washing with soap and mask wearing.

While there’s no evidence that Covid can be spread through recreational waters that is frequently disinfected with chlorine, and wearing a mask is impossible while swimming or at a waterpark, you should still follow safe swimming measures and social distancing.

Don’t visit any of these venues if you’ve been in recent contact with a Covid-19 patient or have recently been diagnosed with Covid-19.