Saddle up

Saddle up

SINGAPORE - Taking a holiday in one of the many chalets dotted around Singapore's coastline is a common experience to many.

But have you ever stayed in a "wagon" chalet, complete with an electric fireplace and horse stables outside?

That is exactly the experience you can get at the Punggol Ranch, a horse-riding facility located at the end of Punggol Road.

Owned by Mr Rajagopal Shanker and wife Mani, the 2.8ha ranch boasts a total of 30 wagon-chalets.

Family rooms that can house two adults and one child cost $230 a night while a deluxe room for two adults costs $190 a night.

The cost includes horse-riding activities.

The ranch, which opened last year, has 60 stalls, with 30 horses and 15 ponies for riding.

Ms Siivashinni Johanan, who got to know about the ranch from Facebook, took her husband Ganesan Selvanathan there for a birthday surprise on Feb 15. The couple also took their daughter Hiilanyaa, aged two, along for the ride.

HORSE RIDING

Ms Johanan said "This place is definitely not like Singapore. It is one of a kind and we actually only had one night booked, but extended another night after seeing the place."

Mrs Alinda Lim, 35, who was there for the first time, took her two children, Jaden Ming, five and Sarah Ming, two, for horse riding.

She said: "This place is good for children because we all live in the city and we hardly ever get to see something like this. It feels like a countryside and we wanted to do something more towards nature for our family day. It looks like a farm stay in Perth, except for the weather."

The ranch helps organise birthday parties, where children get to ride the horses and ponies or ride around in a horse carriage.

There are also stable tours to show the ranch's day-to-day operations, pony feeding experiences and tele-matches, also known as gymkhana, where competitors play games on horseback.

"We want to cater an experience for the locals to come in close contact with the animals" said Mrs Shanker.

Aside from the horse-related activities, guests are also able to cycle around, "battle" it out with laser guns on horseback, or even kick their way through the many obstacles laid out on the field for a good time of football-golf.


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