For those of us raising fur-kids in Singapore, you’ll realise that Singapore isn’t the friendliest country towards pets. Our furry companions are often excluded from places and activities. As a mum to two highly energetic (and demanding!) dogs, I am constantly looking out for dog-friendly activities to do with my Golden Retriever (Esmee) and Singapore Special (Nala). Since we’ve decided to get them, we’re responsible to ensure they are well-engaged, exercised and live life to the fullest. Despite the restrictions, there are still a number of dog-friendly activities with your furry ones if you look hard enough.
Activity 1: Parks & beaches are your new best friend
Apart from nature reserves, almost all parks are dog friendly and for a land scarce country, I am really thankful. Our top parks to visit are Botanic Gardens, Gardens by the Bay, East Coast Park, and Bishan AMK Park.
Botanic Gardens is fantastic as a dog-friendly park. There are loads of dogs there on weekends with big patches of grass for them to expand their energy through zoomies (on leash so be prepared to sprint as well), roll around, make new friends and get their social media fix (through sniffing). I love bringing Esmee and Nala there to socialise with other dogs and learn the social convention.
Socialising dogs from young in an open space and stress-free environment is extremely important in their puppy training journey. Just like how kids attend pre-school to learn social norms and build social skills, the same is true for puppies. The big patches of well-kept grass make it ideal to enjoy a picnic with your furry one as well. Feel free to either bring a picnic basket or pack food from the cafes within or around Botanic Gardens.
Gardens by the Bay is my second personal favourite. Parking is convenient – they have numerous carparks around the garden. If you and your pooch are up for it, it could make for a very long, leisurely stroll. Starting from marina barrage, or even further east from East Coast Park, you could walk towards Gardens by the Bay, explore the many themed gardens within, and head up towards Marina Bay Sands for a view of the city skyline, and even connect to the Singapore River. This is a long walk though. If you intend to cover this distance with your pooch, take plenty of water breaks, and pop them into their pet wagon every now and then, preferably fitted with a fan.
The Singapore weather is unforgiving you wouldn’t want your pet to demonstrate signs of heat stress/ heat stroke. We recently bought Esmee a pet wagon as she’s getting old (turning 11 this Sept!), and we didn’t want her to miss out while her little sis explores the island. This is by far the best buy we’ve made. Both of them absolutely love sitting in it and getting pushed around by their human slaves.
Beaches are less dog friendly, with only Tanjong Beach in Sentosa allowing dogs to be off leash near the shoreline. While not formalised, it’s generally accepted that Tanjong Beach is a dog friendly beach. There will however be the occasional ranger/ member of public telling you to leash your dog – treat them with caution.
Tanjong Beach is a perfect swimming spot – the tide is mild, waters and beach are clean with decent shower facilities. You could make an activity out of a visit to Tanjong Beach as well, either packing food and drinks, or buying from the nearby Tanjong Beach Club. I wouldn’t recommend getting food from Tanjong Beach Club though, with the price range catering more to tourists/ expats. Palawan Beach and Siloso Beach (dogs have to be leashed at all times) are walking distance from Tanjong Beach, if you are keen to visit them and have any leftover energy.
Other parks/ outdoor places that we have explored and found not bad are Hort Park, Henderson Wave, East Coast Park, Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park, Punggol Waterway and Coney Island. They are smaller and your regular neighbourhood park, but could be good alternatives if you’re looking to explore new places.
Activity 2: Pet-friendly cafes/ restaurants
Including your furkid when you head out for brunch/ dinner on the weekends is high on my list of dog-friendly activities to do. The number of pet friendly cafes in Singapore has increased significantly over the past few years to my pleasant surprise. While most of them do not serve pet-friendly food, their alfresco area are pet friendly. To make sure your pet feels included, bring along their home-made food and some treats to keep them occupied/ happy.
My personal favourites are Wheeler’s Estate and Wildseed Cafe at Seletar, Urban Hideout at Springleaf, Sun Ray Cafe at Serangoon, Menage Cafe at Upper Thomson, and literally any restaurant in Quayside Isle, Sentosa. The food are good and reasonably priced, has positive vibes and sufficient shade (especially important for your furry one). The staff are also friendly and respectful of your dogs and their needs, which is an important factor to me. Urban Hideout and Menage Cafe are one of the few cafes that allow dogs indoors, a useful point to note if air-conditioning is important to you/ your dogs.
Activity 3: Staycation for occasional pampering
Another mainstay in my list of dog-friendly activities – staycation. Hotels that allow dogs are far and few between. Those that I know of include Capella Singapore, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, InterContinental Singapore and Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong. Each of them have their specific pet policy, some of which can be quite restrictive in terms of the weight and number of pets allowed. Be sure to check that out/ get a written confirmation from the hotel staff for your specific situation. Given also that this is likely intended to celebrate some special occasion and you’d want to minimise any unexpected screw-ups, it’s good practice to confirm all the pet-related logistics with the hotel prior to checking-in.
I have only tried Capella Singapore myself and it indeed lives up to its reputation. Excellent amenities and service, with staff attentive to your needs and going to extra mile to celebrate a special occasion. I’ve been staying with Capella yearly to celebrate Esmee’s and Nala’s birthday and every year, Capella will do something special to celebrate their birthday. They didn’t have to do this, and this is something I am super grateful for.
We get the one bedroom villa which comes with a private pool which your dog is allowed to swim in. For a fish in a dog’s body, this is the closest to heaven I’ll allow Esmee to get to. Capella’s back door opens up to Palawan Beach, which is really handy for a relaxing evening stroll with your dog/ loved one and to grab dinner. If you want to grab food/ drinks from Vivo City, Capella runs a shuttle to and fro in 30-mins intervals. Breakfast is also amazing, with a wide spread both buffet style and order to cook. The whole package keeps me coming back despite the price tag.
I would love to try Amara Sanctuary soon. I read it’s similar to Capella in terms of vibe, room size and type, and pet policy. If you have a small dog, it might be worthwhile checking out InterContinental and Hotel Indigo too.
Activity 4: Limited time activities/ pop-ups
These are events such as pet fairs, dog-friendly activities/ family events and the latest GastroBeats 2024. GastroBeats is pet-friendly for the first time and we enjoyed it so much with them we went back soon after. There was a large enough space to accommodate my 2 big girls, food was not bad, and band was great. All elements needed for a great evening out, especially one where I could include my furkids. The location also couldn’t be better, situated just beside Marina Bay Sands. We could stroll along the bay after dinner enjoying the city skyline, lights and breeze. Nala was so excited she didn’t want the evening to end. We ended up spending 3 hours there (she obviously crashed on the car ride home).
Outdoor concerts are another of my favourite dog-friendly activity to do with them. These are typically hosted by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for special occasions such as Mother’s Day, usually at Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay. We typically make a picnic out of these concerts, packing food for all to have during the concert.
Activity 5: Island hopping for the adventurous
Lazarus island is an increasingly popular destination for paw-rents and this is something I’ll be trying out in November to celebrate Nala’s birthday. It is apparently a short ferry ride away with decent glamping options advertised (e.g., Tiny Away Escape @ Lazarus Island). While I haven’t tried it myself, Tiny Away Escape looks like a legit option based on TikTok/ Instagram reviews and I am keen to give it a try. I’ll be back with a review on my stay at Lazarus Island at the end of 2024.
All in all, a rather decent selection of dog-friendly activities to do with your pooch for a small island like Singapore and it really depends on what you and your dog(s) enjoy. Esmee loves swimming so the beach and staycation, island hopping and staycation with a private pool are a must. Nala on the other hand loves exploring so parks, pet-friendly cafes, limited activity pop-ups and staycation work perfectly for her. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to pop them in the comment. I’m always on the look out for new and fun things to do with my furkids.