The best alternative date ideas for goths in Singapore

It doesn't get more goth-y than this. This Valentine's Day, take your partner to try out taxidermy at Black Crow Taxidermy & Art. This studio works to preserve insects, reptiles and even small mammals – turning them into beautiful pieces of art. Take up the studio's butterfly dome and butterfly frame workshops to design and bring home your very own DIY decor piece to mark the occasion. If you and your partner are not particularly squeamish, then try out the chick/duckling dome workshop, which will get you hands-on with the taxidermy process from start to finish. 

Where better to have a gothic date than in Singapore's very own Gotham building. The gothic, Neo Art Deco Parkview Square houses Atlas, a similarly impressive bar that has the most diverse collection of gin in the world. After you're done gawking at the magnificent champagne-hued tapestries lining the ceiling, the intricate gold and bronze balconies, and the massive gin tower, turn your attention to the menu and its dizzying array of – of course – gin-based drinks. Get some help from the Atlas team to choose your cocktail, and take your pick from the food menu to line the stomach – the pan-roasted Chilean sea bass ($42) and prawn spaghetti in a rich bisque ($32) are favourites. 

There are many abandoned places in Singapore that you and your boo can visit for a spooky Valentine's. One of them is the Marsiling WWII Tunnel & Naval Base, a military underground tunnel that is located deep in the thick jungle between Admiralty Road West and Marsiling Crescent. It was used by the British Royal Air Force as a storage facility and left abandoned after independence in 1965. It'll take you a good while to bash through the thick foliage, before squeezing through a small entrance into the pitch-black tunnel. Mmmm, romantic. 

Get to know your partner on a deeper level this Valentine's Day by going for an aura reading. Kang Li Mineral Kingdom at Fu Lu Shou Complex has been providing services for geomancy, feng shui, crystal healing and aura reading since 1989. An aura reading session with them begins by taking an aura photograph. Afterwards, you'll receive a printed report and a reader will explain the colours in your aura and what they mean. The belief is that the layers of colours in your aura – defined by electromagnetic energy fields that radiate from all matter – will reveal your physical and mental health, life purpose, thoughts and feelings. If you and your significant other have been grappling with some personal or relationship decisions, this could be the perfect activity to get some clarity. 

Leave behind the hip cafés and ice cream parlours of Siglap and enter the richly historic, and slightly spooky, Kubur Kassim cemetery. It's one of the oldest burial grounds in Singapore and was established back in the 1920s on a piece of land owned by a Muslim entrepreneur. The striking yellow and green gates lead to peaceful grounds that serve as the final resting place for Muslims living in the area back in the kampung days, as well as well-known community leaders such as Dr Hafeezudin Sirajuddin Moonshi, who opened the first Muslim clinic in Singapore in 1916. To up the spook factor, make it a game between you and your companion to spot tombs dedicated to 'orang bunian' – a sort of supernatural human-like being. 

If you really insist on a quiet walk by the beach, we suggest Changi Beach Park. Not only does it bear the unsavoury reputation of being the site of the Sook Ching massacre, but it's also one of the oldest in Singapore that is located far from the bustling city centre. For the supernatural effect, it has been said that the screams and cries of the civilians executed by Japanese soldiers during World War II can be heard past midnight.

Horror movies are not just for Halloween. Have a goth-y Valentine's with the scariest films we can think of. Besides the thrills and squeals, it's a great excuse to curl up close to your loved one – you know, for protection. There's no need to head to overcrowded cinemas either, as there are plenty of streaming options out there. Whether it's all out Southeast Asian horror like Revenge of the Pontianak, or a scary comedy flick like Zombiepura, we guarantee you and your partner will be getting chummy. 

Nothing like being stuck in a room with your date, forcing the two of you to put on your thinking caps to escape. These rooms are filled with puzzles and vexing scenarios all in the name of making your escape a challenging one. Go on, we dare you to live your worst nightmare at the likes of Lost, Captive Escape Rooms, The Escape Artist and Lockdown.

What makes this different to booking a table at a restaurant? Get this: having a meal in total darkness without knowing what’s going into your mouth. But once you give in to the experience of dining in the dark, dinner at NOX proves to be a fun and enlightening rollercoaster ride. At this reservations-only, two-storey shophouse restaurant, you'll be guided with hands firmly on the shoulders of your polite, blind or visually-impaired waiter (specially hired and trained by the restaurant) to make your way slowly up into the 60-seat upstairs dining room. Great for messy eaters and big talkers – you're pretty much covered in the dark.

More of a glam goth couple? Indulge in your dark romantic fantasies at Duxton Reserve, a boutique hotel that drips with old-world charm. The colour palette here is dominated by black and golds, dressing an East-meets-West aesthetic – with ornate French windows, Chinoiserie fixtures, and calligraphy wallpaper. For this special occasion, treat yourself to an opulent stay at the Skylight Executive Club Suite. A grand four-poster bed sits at the centre of a spacious living area decked out in low-slung furniture and ornate decorative frames, complemented by romantic mood lighting.