Lazarus Island is undoubtedly one of Singapore's most beautiful islands, and is rightfully beloved for its laidback, rustic charm and idyllic shores. The island has seen some development in recent times, with the addition of Tiny Away Escape @ Lazarus Island cabins, a convenience store called Sol by BDC, and the water sports centre Camelot. The latest addition? Into The Woods, a new glamping experience laying claim to Lazarus Island's most beautiful beach.
Founded in 2022 by Ray and Sam, who were inspired by camping trips they had enjoyed overseas with their young children, Into The Woods is all about "experiencing a life unhurried". The idea is to book one of three family tents (sleeps four) or six couple tents (sleeps two), where you can slow down, disconnect from the bustle of city life, and immerse in nature.
What is it like living at Into The Woods?
Where the 'glam' part of the vacation comes into play is in these rooms. On a one-night stay with Into The Woods, we checked into a family tent and found a whole lot to love. It's spacious and fully air-conditioned, with a king bed and a sofa bed to accommodate a family of four. Full-length glass sliding doors offers views of the beach – the glass is tinted so you can look out at the waves from the inside while staying shielded from anyone outside who might be looking in (in any case, there are curtains that you can draw for extra privacy). The room has a snack bar stocked with cereals, biscuits, coffee, and tea, a small fridge and microwave. There's even a little kitchenette filled with outdoor cooking essentials – a gas stove, lighter, cast iron pan, stew pot, cutlery, and basic condiments like salt and oil.
Into The Woods also provides camping chairs and a table (an aesthetic set from Naturehike – swoon). We dragged these out onto the outdoor deck to cook lunch (Korean stew, bulgogi, and pancakes) and thoroughly enjoyed a meal to the soothing sound of the sea. You're free to bring your own meals to cook, but you can also order a meal kit from the Into The Woods team at an extra cost or stock up on instant noodles and marinated meats at Sol by BDC. For now, the Into The Woods team helps to wash crockery and utensils on St. John's Island, but by end March or early April, sinks will be installed in the communal washrooms so that you can do the washing up yourself – useful if you intend on a longer stay and prefer the flexibility of washing up as and when.
The big question: are there toilets?
The answer is yes....but they're communal washrooms reserved for guests that are located about a minute's walk from the glamping site. This might be a dealbreaker for some, and we did find it a bit of a hassle on some occassions (like having to use the loo in the middle of the night). Otherwise, it was no issue at all and something we took as part of the experience. There are four cubicles available, each with a toilet, shower, and hot running water. They're kept meticulously clean and are even stocked with Omno body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. Into The Woods provides fluffy bath towels and a tote bag that can double up as a shower and toiletry bag, so we'd just recommend bringing bath slippers along for your glamping trip.
What else is there to do at Into The Woods?
The whole point of staying at Into The Woods is to take it slow. Wifi is available for guests – it's serviceable enough for us to do a day's worth of work and emails, though it won't stand up to heavy-duty work like video editing or video games – but we didn't feel much compelled to be online anyway. Instead, a highlight of our stay was simply sitting on the deck with mugs of coffee, enjoying the sea breeze, chatting, and watching the sky brighten in the early morning (we had a cloudy day, but Into The Woods claim they have the best sunrise view, so do wake up for that).
Other glampers took walks on the beach with their pets, explored the breakwater on the far end of the bay, or swam in Lazarus Island's clear waters. Into The Woods also has a large communal tent which you can hang out in. It's stocked with books, board games, and has a small breakfast spread in the morning. If you're an active type, we encourage you to rent kayaks, stand up paddle boards, or even sea bicycles from Camelot. Prices start at $20 for 1 hour in a closed-deck kayak, but Into The Woods guests get to enjoy a 20% off.
Is it worth it?
Into The Woods glamping tents cost $410 per night for a couple tent and $480 per night for a family tent. We admit, our jaw dropped at the price, which is comparable to four-star (or even five-star) hotels on the mainland. Whether that's worth it will depend on who is reading – their budget, their taste for luxury or the outdoors, their willingness to fork out for to novel experiences. And Into The Woods is a novel experience, at least in Singapore's context, one that strikes an admirable balance between modern comfort and outdoor ruggedness, and scratches that itch to escape the rat race and immerse back in nature, if only for a moment.
