Tucked away on a beautiful beach, Into the Woods at Singapore's Lazarus Island makes for a unique and memorable glamping staycation.
Have you been to Lazarus Island? Better still, have you ever been glamping at Lazarus Island? Well, this school holiday my family and I went to Lazarus Island and glamping at Into the Woods for the very first time.
Located on a beautiful and quiet beachfront at Lazarus Island, Into the Woods comprises nine glamping tents - three family tents and six couple tents - that come with all the frills that make camping life glam.
After our stay in one of the lovely family tents, I'm pleased to say we enjoyed this unique staycation - it was the perfect getaway from the hustle bustle of Singapore's city life. Read on for our 2D1N staycation experience and review!
Into the Woods
We arrived at Marina South Pier to board the 3pm ferry for Lazarus Island. Return ferry tickets are included in your stay at Into the Woods and while you're required to arrive by 245pm to collect your tickets from the Marina South Ferries counter, we arrived a lot earlier at 215pm in anticipation of our trip. Well, better early than late!
The ferry to Lazarus Island is rather small (unlike those you take to Bintan or Batam) and only takes up to 12 passengers.
That said, our 25-minute ride to Lazarus Island was unexpectedly pleasant. The view was gorgeous and my girls thought it was rather exciting to stand at the stern of the ferry during the journey😄
And we're here at Lazarus Island's Pulau Seringat jetty!
After being greeted by an Into the Woods staff, it was off to the glamping site in a buggy. In a few minutes, we've arrived!
The first thing that struck me was how pretty and quiet the horseshoe-shaped beach was. Such a lovely view for all the tents. But more about the beach later. We couldn't wait to check out our tent!
The inside is really spacious!
The family tent of 36 square metres can take up to six. It comes with a king bed and sofa bed, which was just right for our family of four.
When booking staycations, the room capacity and number of beds are really important to me. Most hotels count those above 12 years old as adults and because Big E is already 14, we usually have a hard time finding hotels that can accommodate 3 adults and 1 child - many have max capacity of 2 adults and 2 or 1 child. So we end up forgoing hotels that can't take all of us in one room or are too costly to book 2 rooms. So the family tent's capacity at Into the Woods is definitely very attractive for families like ours as it's cheaper than booking 2 rooms in a hotel.
The tent is air-conditioned and has a ceiling fan - definitely a good comfort to have as it can get pretty hot in the afternoon. Out tent also comes with a microwave, fridge, a kitchenette equipped for outdoor cooking (think portable cassette stove, cast iron pan, soup pot, turner, ladle, tongs, chopping board, knives, plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery) and a 12-litre jerry can you can use for washing outside the tent.
There are complimentary snacks, tea and canned drinks, alongside a puzzle, colour pencils and notebook to entertain the younger kids. BTW you see the lamp on the top left of the photo above? This really cool lamp came in very handy later at night. More on that later!
There's even a wagon, picnic mat and carrier bag you can use should you decide to head further out for a picnic. Umbrellas, towels and hairdryer are provided too.
If you haven't already noticed, there is no ensuite toilet in the tent. (This is glamping, remember?) But Into the Woods' communal toilets are located just a short walk away.
The four toilets there are solely for guests and have extra pin locks, which ensure that only guests can use them. The showers in the toilets are equipped with shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, and are very clean and well-maintained. The two toilets in the centre are very spacious. Toothbrush and toothpaste are not provided, so please bring your own.
The family tents are the closest to the toilets, probably just a 1-2 minute walk away. The couple tents are located slightly further away - I estimate they might take a 3-4 minute walk.
You might think that not having a toilet in your tent is a bit inconvenient. What if you need to go in the middle of the night? What if it rains? All valid concerns, cos we had the same thoughts. Later I'll share more on our experience of using the toilets at night 😄But first, let's visit the biggest draw of Lazarus Island - its beautiful beach.
While I wouldn't say the waters are clear like those in the Maldives, the beach and the seawater at Lazarus Island are pretty clean, and the sand is soft and powdery. More importantly, it's really quiet, such that it felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves. The little one had a field day drawing on the sand (including Abri and Octavia in My BFF Is an Alien by yours truly)
This is on a weekday, of course. But do note that this is a public beach and those visiting Lazarus Island can still come to the beach even if they are not staying at Into the Woods. That said, during our stay, there were only a few groups who came by the beach and they only lingered for a short while. Unsure how popular Lazarus Island is on a weekend, but if you want to enjoy the peace and calm, come on a weekday!
The decks at the tents are really great for chilling and enjoying the sea view too. While the girls played at the beach, hubs and I sipped our drinks and savoured the view.
Things to do
So what are some of the activities for adults and kids at Into the Woods and Lazarus Island? First of, Into the Woods has a communal tent which is a nice area to chill and enjoy some quiet activities.
It has books, as well as puzzles, traditional games and board games, which will keep kids (and probably adults too) entertained and their eyes away from digital devices! Here is also where you can fill up your water bottles from its water dispenser, so don't worry about bringing bottled water!
You can go for walks to explore the island. Lazarus Island is not huge, 47 hectares to be exact - that's smaller than Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park which is of 62 hectares. Here are some of the sights we captured during our walk.
Above: Interesting looking trees and plants.
Above: Yachts near the jetty are a common sight.
Above: The Mousedeer Comes Before the Banyan Tree sculpture by Shooshie Sulaiman.
With all the greeneries around, you'll forget that you're in Singapore (or an island of Singapore).
There are also two breakwaters at the beach that are worth exploring.
In addition, you can visit St John's Island from Lazarus Island, which is a 15-minute walk along a manmade causeway connecting both islands. (Causeway in the distance in pic below.) I understand Into the Woods may also offer trips to Sisters' Island in the future.
There's a sea sports centre on Lazarus Island but it's only open Friday-Sunday.
These are some of the activities available and they look pretty fun! So if you'd like to engage in some sea sports, come on a weekend instead.
I thought it would have been nice if bicycles were available for rental at Lazarus Island but they aren't. However, you can do so at John's Island and on weekdays as well.
We also had fun spotting wildlife, like this monitor lizard lumbering at the beach in the morning...
...and this bird, which unfortunately flew off before we could get a closer look.
We also spotted long-tailed macaques. We were on our way to the toilets when we spotted one of them on the roof of the toilets. Initially we thought it left the area but just as we were opening the toilet door, I looked up and saw one macaque peering down at me. Gave us a shock and we quickly dashed into the toilet and shut the door 😂 Later when we were at a distance from the toilet, we saw that there were two of them on the toilet's roof. But if you're concerned that there could be a lot of monkeys there, no, there aren't. We only spotted those macaques once.
There's actually something I thought that would have been nice to do if we had the right equipment at the time - pick up trash from the beach and island. Lazarus Island and its beach are a lot cleaner than most beaches in Singapore but you'd still come across the occasional plastic bottle and food trash. If we visit again, I just might come back with a trash bags and tongs, and do some litter picking with my kids.
Overall, I wouldn't say there are a tonne of things to do at Lazarus Island, especially on a weekday, but I think that's the charm of the island - it lets you take things slow, and enjoy your beautiful surroundings.
Meals
There are no eateries here on the island, so you'll need to byo food and/or ingredients to cook (your tent is well equipped for outdoor cooking). To experience camping life, I highly recommend giving cooking a go! A friend who saw our staycation IGS said she would be tempted to bring her portable hotplate grill to cook outdoors. I thought that is a great idea! 😄
We did our share of cooking too, albeit for breakfast (more on that later), but for dinner we brought cup noodles and some prepacked meals like salad and onigiri. Here's us having dinner at the communal tent.
There's a convenience store on the island - Sol by BDC Convenience Store which stocks snacks, ready-to-eat meals and BBQ ingredients. It's only open Friday-Sunday but guests staying at Into the Woods on weekdays can preorder with the store via Whatsapp. You can see their selection of items and prices at their website. We chose to bring our food from the mainland (cheaper and more selection) but it's good to know there are options if you're visiting on a weekend and feeling peckish.
And now on using the toilet at night 😄There's a pathway leading from the communal tent to a small road which takes you to the toilet. There are lamps on the road leading to the toilet so you won't need to grope in the dark. But those staying at the family tents tend to cut through the grassy area beside their tents to get to the toilets as it's faster than walking to the communal tent.
It's easy to use this shortcut during the day but during night, there is no lighting at the grassy area and this is when the trusty lamp in our room I mentioned earlier came in handy. We used the lamp to see where we were heading on the grass to make sure we didn't step into tall grass. Not the most hassle-free way to get to the toilet but to be honest, it was a bit exciting and pretty cool to be using the traditional-looking lamp rather than a torch light 😂 Props to Into the Woods for including this cool and useful lamp in the room!
At night, it's pretty dark outdoors with only light coming from the tents and the lamps that light the small road, but generally we felt safe walking the grassy area and around the vicinity of the tents as the grass in the area is very well-maintained (there were workers cutting grass in the area when we were there).
We were all determined not to go to the toilet during the night but alas, hubs and I both needed to in the middle of the night. So we trekked the grassy area to the toilet at 230am. Well, we lived to tell the story😁
When we first went to the toilet at night, it did feel a bit daunting, and were lamenting why didn't we think of bathing before sunset! But after heading to the toilet a few times at night, it eventually didn't feel like such a big deal. Yes, an ensuite toilet would be more convenient but again, this is part of the fun of camping life. In a way, we were also lucky that the weather was good when we were there. If it was raining at night and we need to go, we might just decide to hold it in till the morning 😂
If you're staying at the family tents and don't want to walk the grassy area at night, just make sure to familiarise yourself with the path leading to the small road beside the communal tent during the day. We wanted to use the path at night but weren't quite sure where it was as it was already dark, so decided to take our usual grassy area path.
We slept to the sound of waves at night, then woke up to the best view. The little one couldn't wait to go the beach again.
We went for a morning walk at the beach. The beach being so peaceful and quiet with only the sound of the waves, felt really soothing for the soul.
And it's breakfast time! Your stay comes with complimentary breakfast of bread and eggs, but you'll need to cook it yourself 😄 Outsourced this to my girls and they had fun doing so. Condiments like oil, salt and pepper are available in your room's kitchenette.
And it was time to check out at 11am. Boohoo! After checking out, we hung around the communal tent until the buggy took us to the jetty for our 1145am ferry.
By now you might be wondering about tent rates. A couple tent, with maximum occupancy of 3, costs SGD380 per night, while a family tent cost S$480 per night. Rates are inclusive of return ferry tickets and complimentary breakfast. Into the Woods is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furkids along at an add-on pet fee of S$30. Elevated pet beds and pet food/water bowls are available on site. Reservations can be made via Into the Woods' website.
Honestly, my fam and I are not camping enthusiasts - we need our comfy bed, pillows and air-con at night. So glamping is a much better option for our pampered fam😄
I think it's important to go Into the Woods or any glamping experience with the right expectations. If you prefer hotel rooms with ensuite washroom/shower, and proper meals from eateries, this is might not be for you; glamping is camping but with some of the comforts of life, like air-con and comfy beds.
This had been a very unique and interesting staycation for us. We enjoyed the camping vibes, what with our treks to the toilet, exploration of the island and cooking our meals - all very exciting and memorable. All in all, I reckon this is a fun experience not just for locals, but tourists as well. If you're visiting Singapore, this will let you see the rustic side of Singapore, which is definitely very different from the usual touristy places like Orchard Road and Sentosa.
For more pics and videos of our trip, you can also see the IGS highlights at my Instagram page, Vivianteowriter .
Bonus tips for your trip:
1) Check in at Into the Woods is at 330pm and checkout at 11am. If you're planning to book the family tents and/or go on weekends, book early as family tents and weekends are really popular.
2) If you intend to explore St John's Island or even go to Sisters' Island (when it's available at Into the Woods), consider a 3D2N stay to have sufficient time to explore the islands.
3) Repellant and sunscreen are recommended. We weren't bitten by insects during our stay, and that was the case even when we forgot to reapply repellant. That said, it's still better to wear repellant as you'll mostly be in the great outdoors when not lounging in your tent.
4) Free WIFI is available but signal can be a bit spotty in the tent. You get the best signal at the communal tent.
5) For those who are very particular about hygiene like us, you might want to bring along hand sanitiser which you can keep in your pocket. A large jerry can with water is provided with your tent but there is no soap in the tent if you want to wash your hands - you'll need to go to the toilet to do so. Having a hand sanitiser on hand is pretty convenient when you just need to clean your hands after handling trash and/or when you are out and about exploring the island.
6) Marina South Pier is right next to Marina South Pier MRT station, so it's really easy to get to the pier. There is a car park at Marina South Pier but it's quite small and you may not be able to get a lot. I estimate it can cost at least $40 to park overnight.
Thank you, Into the Woods, for having us. Full disclaimer we were hosted by Into the Woods, but as always, my reviews are our honest opinions and come from our first-hand experiences of venues.
We'll be travelling to Ipoh, Malaysia for our year-end holiday soon! Will share more about our trip after our holiday, until then, I hope you have wonderful year-end holidays😉
©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.
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