Up until a few years ago, I thought staycations were lame. That is until I actually gave it a chance! Our first staycation in Singapore was a babymoon at Hotel Fort Canning, an iconic luxury heritage boutique hotel nestled in the lush greenery of the historic Fort Canning Park. It came about as a result of a strict travel ban imposed by my doctor during the entire duration of my pregnancy. While it wasn't what I had in mind for a much-needed break before taking on motherhood, I truly enjoyed escaping from work and household chores, getting pampered, ordering room service, catching up on some reading, taking long serene walks and spending quality time with the husband. After a while, I kinda forgot that we were still in Singapore. It ended up being a break that required no planning, involved no hassles or stress, didn't break the bank, was laid-back and comfortable. Not to mention, we lost no time in travelling so it was relaxation mode from the get go! We loved the experience so much that from then on, we decided to make staycations a thing 😊

Fast forward to today - for many people, getting ready to go on a holiday with young children throws up all kinds of stresses such as planning, packing, sorting out what needs to be attended to in one's absence and preparing for worst case scenarios! In all honesty, I do find travelling with my little ones a wee bit stressful primarily on account of of their travel sickness but also because of the Planning Involved to keep them occupied (and out of trouble!). I find family staycations ideal because by choosing to holiday close to home, you are starting out much more relaxed. It can only get better from there!

For my twins third birthday, we decided to treat them to a staycation at D'Resort located at the entertainment hub of the East - Downtown East. One of Singapore’s first nature inspired Resort, D'Resort features an integrated water park experience. The 387-room resort is nestled in the lush greenery of Pasir Ris Park and provides some much needed respite from the hectic city life. 

I originally had my sights set on one of the Rainforest family-themed rooms but they were all booked much in advance. After some thought, I settled for the Beach Cove room. With warm and earthy hues and a minimalist nature-inspired decor, the room was clean and spacious. There were two cozy queen sized beds, coffee making facilities, a microwave, a large fridge (not those typical mini ones), a sink for washing up and a bathroom stocked with fresh towels and toiletries. There was free wifi and the signal was quite strong.

BBQ pits are an available option when booking your accommodation for an additional $35. BBQ isn't really our thing so we passed up on it.  

After a friday morning well spent cutting the birthday cake at school amidst their classmates followed by a visit to the nearby temple, we all took some rest in the afternoon and checked into the resort in the evening. As you can see, the girls took no time in getting comfy 😀

One of the most attractive features of D'Resort is that the vicinity of the resort houses endless entertainment. A cineplex, bowling alley, a huge childrens indoor playground, a fitness centre and legion of retail shops and F&B outlets. The resort itself also offers activities, such as urban farming, cycling to the gems in the east and kayaking to Singapore’s first floating kelong.