Getting away from the hustle of city living couldn’t be easier when we have Singapore’s Sentosa island right on our doorstep. Forego the expensive flights and faraway shores but still enjoy the relaxation and fun a vacation offers, by heading down to The Outpost Hotel – Sentosa’s newest hotel designed for adults to enjoy a mini escape.
Being the kind of woman who loves a good mini vacay (who doesn’t?), I headed down to The Outpost Hotel for my birthday weekend, fella in toe, to sample it’s offerings along with some of the fun things to do – after all, I need to make the most of my new Faber licence. In case you’re wondering what that is, One Faber Group look after extensive leisure and lifestyle offerings on both Sentosa and Mount Faber, including dining, attractions and Singapore’s iconic cable cars. Attractions include the popular family-friendly #WingsofTime and Sentosa Merlion (along with the new #MiraculousSG, but I’ll get to that later), and the dining options include traditional Good Old Days, Dusk Restaurant & Bar and Arbora – the latter two both situated on Mount Faber with unparalleled views across the treetops and the harbourfront.
The Faber Licence, or membership, offers various discounts to the above, among many other more places too. You can get up to 50% activities, 1-for-1 or discounted dining and even discounts from hotel stays. Being completely digital now too, you keep your membership handy on your phone and just flash the pass to enjoy cheaper rates.
Anyway, I digress. After a swift check in at the hotel, the first thing we did was head down to the adult only pool, bubbly in hand. Whilst the neighbouring hotel, Village Hotel at Sentosa, delivers a fun children pool experience, The Outpost Hotel caters mainly for adults with its Pamukkale pool, inspired by the surreal silver terraces and crystal-clear waters of the same namesake in Turkey. However if you’re a kid at heart, do go enjoy the adventure pool and lazy river pool, located in the same area.
After the sun set and the bubble ran out (why are the bubbles always gone?) we went to our room to change for dinner at Dusk. Dusk is one of my favourite dining spots in Singapore for views, given that it sits at 100m above sea level surrounded by rainforest. Its beautiful at sunset, so do get an early table for dinner if you go. To get to Dusk, or Mount Faber in general as it goes, the best method (and most scenic) is the cable car. So that’s exactly what we did.
Walking only a few metres from the hotel, we jumped on at sentosa station and made our way up to mount faber station, taking roughly 10 minutes from A to B. It’s easy, simple and a really fun alternative to a heavy cab fare. Dusk didn’t disappoint on all accounts – I highly recommend the Dusk till Dawn cocktail, served up in a lightbulb style glass. It’s delicious, but deadly. Only have a few! Once dinner was done we were able to get a cable car (complimentary, as we were dining) all the way back to Sentosa, to our hotel, where we enjoyed an early night of free birthday cake (such a nice touch) and more bubbles in the room. I say no more.
I should point out, it’s also lovely to experience a cable car ride this year because it is celebrating its 45th anniversary. Offering people easy access across Sentosa island and then up to Mount Faber, the cable car began back in 1974 and has evolved (with three upgraded versions of the carriage) ever since. Join in the celebrations with both Miraculous and Explorer Passport.
Every cable car sky pass purchase entitles you an ‘Explorer Passport’ where you embark on an adventure from Mount Faber to Sentosa, collecting stamps at 5 stations as you take part in activities along the way. Best to be completed during daylight so you can take in the views. Annoyingly, it rained so hard when we were doing ours – I was thankful the cable cars were not open air.
As for Miraculous – if you like Wings of Time, you’re sure to love this. Complimentary for cable car riders and diners at #FaberPeakSG, Miraculous is a new multimedia night show that features a kaleidoscope of lights and music, projected onto a heart-shaped tree at Arbora. Shown four times daily (7:30pm, 8pm, 8:30m and 9pm) it’s well worth a watch if you’re up there enjoying some cocktails or dinner.
Which brings me onto Arbora. Next to Dusk and as equally picturesque, this newly opened restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers hearty dishes such as fish & chips, lamb, ribs, chicken, pork belly along with pastas, salads and ever changing monthly specials menu. We went back up to Arbora during the day for an early lunch and coffee, a quick stop before continuing our passport exploring. Luckily, this was when it wasn’t raining so we caught some decent daytime views across the hilltops too.
Even though I was turning 32 (boo hiss) I had so much fun during this staycation because of all the activities that came with it. I love getting out and about seeing new things, experiencing new places, so really enjoyed the explore passport and everything that came with it. The hotel was a delight, particularly for adults who want a relaxing quiet stay / couples’ mini getaway. The explorer passport is a fun activity for families to get their children out in the fresh air, regardless if they have been on a cable car before it will be a good family day of fun together.
