KULALA Guide: Planning a Holiday Without Any Actual Travel Involved

2020 has been a trip but also the furthest most of us have been from an actual vacation. After spending the better half of the year wishing and willing for travel to resume and living vicariously through the many #wanderlust imbued feeds on the ‘gram, we’ve finally come to terms with the fact that we won’t’ be hopping on board a plane in the foreseeable future.

We might’ve gone through multiple meltdowns and an entire spectrum of emotions to find resolve but here we are. As much as we’d love for it to be, a holiday doesn’t always have to be a place. It is just as much a state of mind. To douse our cabin fever, we’ve had to get all sorts of creative by playing tourists in our very own little red dot.

We know, we know, you’ve spent your entire life on this island, what else could there possibly be that you have not seen or done? You’d be surprised, just as we were when we set out to put together an itinerary of all there is to do to get into vacation mode right here at home. It’s really not all that bad – the almost satisfaction of a holiday without making nearly as much of a dent on the bank account? We’d take it.

Staycay – an Almost Vacay

This is perhaps the most obvious of the lot. Hotel rooms are one way to trick your mind into thinking you’re on an actual holiday – just don’t look out the window. There are plenty, and we mean plenty, of options in Singapore as far as hotel stays. Our pick is one that is housed in a colonial building tucked away in a quiet corner of the island. The Barracks Hotel is a charming boutique establishment brimming with heritage. The architecture of the restored colonial buildings that tell the tale of the island’s storied past transport its guests to a bygone era. You might be geographically bound to the island but certainly, a stay at The Barracks Hotel will take you on a traverse across time.

Sail Away

It’s the life of the rich and the famous. The stuff that’s straight out of a 007 movie. Nevermind if you can’t take a flight out, you could alternatively jump on board a yacht and sail around Singapore’s Southern Islands. Depending on the extent of your intended “holiday”, you could either make a day trip out of it or opt for ones that stretch across days. If you’re an adventurer at heart, this should satiate your appetite for wanderlust at least until the borders open up again. Ready to set sail? Make your bookings here.

An Art Agenda

  Having been spoilt by the big, prominent art galleries in New York, London, Paris and other big cities around the world, it’s easy to forget that the little red dot, too, has its fair share to offer. Take this time to explore the local art scene – the big and the small of it all. From the National Gallery to Gilman Barracks and the ones in-between, you have substantial ground to cover.