Between meetings
If you have a couple of hours…
From street art to a deep dive into the Marvel comics universe, ArtScience Museum (marinabaysands.com) celebrates creative thinking in fresh, often unexpected ways. Although the feature exhibitions are ticketed, many of the displays and events at this contemporary, lotusshaped gallery are free.
If you have half a day…
A former British military base, Sentosa Island has been reborn as a resort getaway for tourists and locals. Open to the public, the rainforest-themed Away Spa (awayspasingapore.com) at the luxury, 240-room W Singapore – Sentosa Cove makes a fine way to recharge. How you spend the afternoon is entirely your call. A workout at the well-equipped fitness centre? Outdoor yoga? Or maybe you just want to catch up on reading in a zero-stress environment? Treatment rooms feature outdoor showers, while post-spa snacks and drinks in a private garden help soften the return to reality.
If you have a day…
Take the 10-minute boat ride from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal to the island of Pulau Ubin (visitsingapore.com) and you’ll find one of the last vestiges of the Singapore of old. About 100 villagers call the mangrove island home, along with many species of native flora and fauna. On the eastern tip, the Chek Jawa wetlands teem with marine life while 10 kilometres of mountain-biking trails can be found at Ketam Mountain Bike Park (bicycles are available for hire across the island). Hiking trails ensure risk-averse visitors can still reconnect with nature.
If you have a weekend…
An hour north by plane, the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur (tourism.gov.my) is a popular weekend getaway for Singaporeans. Unsurprisingly, shopping and street food are strong draws, with comparisons between Singaporean and Malay dishes a hot topic of discussion. At the other end of the spectrum are dining rooms such as Dewakan (dewakan. my), Darren Teoh’s modern Malaysian restaurant that takes a Noma-esque approach to native ingredients. For a handy place to stay, try Container Hotel (chgworld.com), an environmentally sensitive boutique establishment built primarily out of – you guessed it – shipping containers.