Quick Island Getaways While Visiting Singapore

Johor Bahru

Perfect for a day trip. Accessible via train (just five minutes!), bus or car from Singapore.

• Grocery shopping: Singaporeans love to cross the border over the weekend — or even just for a couple of hours — to enjoy good food and stock up on their household necessities. The moment you exit the Malaysian customs, you will find a mall with a supermarket and food options. Venture to other parts of JB and you will find more amazing deals on local snacks to bring home for friends and family.

• Massages: Who doesn’t love a good massage? Rather than shelling out hundreds in Singapore, you can easily find affordable options in JB. You can’t go wrong with booking a Thai massage session at one of the several Bangkok Spa outlets dotted around the city.

• LEGOLAND: If you’ve been to Universal Studios in Sentosa before, consider taking the family to LEGOLAND Malaysia. With a theme park and a water park, you can spend a few days here and there will still be more for everyone to enjoy.

• Outlet shopping: With brands like Burberry, Ferragamo, Lacoste and Adidas, the Premium Outlet mall doesn’t need an introduction.

Desaru

Perfect for water sports lovers. Accessible via ferry, bus or car from Singapore.

• Water sports: Plenty of operators along the Desaru Beach offer activities like parasailing, wakeboarding and jet skiing. Make sure you compare prices before picking an operator.

• Desaru Fruit Farm: Don’t let the name fool you. The Desaru Fruit Farm offers a full tour of their fruit farm, a petting zoo and even ATV rides for the thrill seekers in the family.

• Golf: Enjoy breathtaking views of the Desaru Coast as you tee off at The Els Club Desaru. They even have golf lessons with equipment provided if you are a beginner.

Batam

Perfect for an affordable wellness retreat. Accessible via ferry from Singapore.

• Massages and mani pedis: All your wellness needs can be found in Nagoya Hill. You can get a very affordable massage just before lunch, then come back after lunch for a mani pedi. There is also a mall where you or your partner can hang out while waiting for the session to end.

• Golf: Plenty of decent greens and well located at Padang Golf Sukajadi, Batam Hills or Palm Springs. Be advised that you may need to bring your own set of clubs.

Bintan

Perfect for a quick, all-inclusive getaway. Accessible via ferry from Singapore.

• Absolutely nothing: With beautiful beaches and multiple all-inclusive resorts to choose from, take a break from your busy travel itinerary. Whether you are travelling with friends, family or your partner, unwind over a cocktail or two and have a relaxing spa day.

Johor Bahru

• Restoran Todak: A popular rustic seafood restaurant where you choose the types of seafood and the style of cooking. It can get overwhelming with the crowd and no actual menu, so consider the chili crab with some mantou, butter squid and Hong Kong-style steamed fish.

• Kedai Makanan Ah Soon: Humble shop serving nourishing bak kut teh (pork rib soup), which is herbal rather than peppery (commonly found in Singapore). Add on some tofu puffs and salted vegetables for a complete experience.

• Gim Cheng Dim Sum Restaurant: Traditional dim sums worth getting out of bed for. With a wide selection of dim sum to choose from, make sure you get some fried dim sums fresh out of the fryer in the morning.

Desaru

• Ember Beach Club: Located in One&Only Desaru Coast, this casual beach club provides serene views of the South China Sea with a spacious dining area and open kitchen. This is definitely one of the fancier places to hang out with friends and loved ones.

• Lotus Seafood Restaurant: Feast on some affordable seafood while you enjoy the views, cool ocean breeze and crashing waves.

Batam

• Mie Terempa’k: Serving one of the most popular dishes on the island, you can choose from varying levels of gravy and noodles.

• Martabak Bangka Ceria: A quick 15 minutes from the ferry terminal, you can get these fluffy pancakes (martabak) with various sweet and savory fillings like shredded cheese and chocolate sprinkles.

• Golden Prawn 933: An affordably priced seafood restaurant popular with visitors to the island. With an extensive menu to choose from, there is something everyone in a large group can enjoy.