I stayed in a glamping tent and a tiny house resort on a small island near Singapore. One was a better escape from city life.

08.10.2024 - 10:49 / insider.com

In August, I hopped on a 20-minute ferry from Singapore to explore Lazarus Island, one of the country's eight Southern Islands.

This wasn't my first time on the island — I last visited in 2021. Back then, it had no accommodations, and it was common for visitors to spend the day and head back to the mainland before sunset.

Now, visitors interested in spending a night on the 47-hectare island aren't required to lug a tent or backpack full of camping gear. Tourists can choose between two recently opened accommodations: a tiny house or a luxury glamping tent.

Big Tiny, a tiny house startup in Singapore, launched Tiny Away on Lazarus in May last year. Into the Woods, run by a couple, Ray Lee and Sam Wong, put up nine tents in February.

Both are part of a government initiative to develop tourism on Lazarus Island. In a media release, Sentosa Development Corporation, an organization under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the initiative aimed to promote rustic adventure and sustainable tourism on the Southern Islands.

Both options are located around 1,000 feet from each other and are priced at 380 Singapore dollars, or $290, a nightafter tax and service charges. I stayed a night in each. BI covered the costs of the trip.

Although Singapore has a robust hospitality scene, with two hotels making it on The World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2024, alternate accommodation options just started taking off in the past few years. From staying in a shipping container hotel in a hell-themed park to glamping in the wild at Singapore Zoo, there are now more options for travelers seeking less ordinary stays.

"After the pandemic, travelers become increasingly experiential-driven for both outbound and domestic travel," said Prudence Lai, a consultant specializing in travel at market research company Euromonitor, in an email response. Travelers would rather spend on authentic local experiences than spend on tangible goods, she added.

From the outside, the glamping tents looked luxurious. They were equipped with a queen-sized bed, cooking amenities, and air conditioning.

But there was one major inconvenience: Whenever I needed to use the toilet, I had to put on my shoes and trek through the sand to get there.

Due to physical and cost constraints, the Into the Woods' cofounders decided against installing ensuite toilets. Instead, guests need to take a three-minute walk to the communal toilets, which include four separate showers.

Several guests I spoke to mentioned the inconvenience of trekking the dimly lit path to the toilets in the middle of the night.

In comparison, the tiny house had a surprisingly spacious toilet. The room was clean, comfortable, and tucked away from the rugged outdoors.

With just one