The most unique and unusual things to do in Singapore

Fancy digging into the freshest catch of the day at a modern kelong? Take a 15-minute boat ride to the Smith Marine Floating Restaurant, which floats on the waters between Pulau Ubin and Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Here, you can tuck into a wide spread of seafood including sambal mussel ($28), chilli crab (from $68), steamed prawn (from $35), calamari ($28), and steamed lobster with pumpkin sauce (from $120). A set menu for up to 8 people starts from $480, and you get the best of each. If you want to level up the experience, head to the resto's pond and catch your very own seabass or snapper at $35.

This table-for-two affair is not one for the faint-hearted. 7una 7avenda, according to owner, spiritual practitioner and tarot reader Yi Xin, is a safe space where you can "deposit your darkness sacredly". She does tarot reading to give advice and reflect on the situations that are happening in your life. If you're wondering whether you'll get married and live happily ever after, then this is not for you. Yi Xin does not predict the future. But if you're happy to be read, do take note that you'll have to make an appointment beforehand. Prices start from $77 if you have a referral or have gotten a reading from Yi Xin before. Otherwise, standard rates are $117.

There’s never a dull moment with Andsoforth. The whimsical company is known for its immersive theatrical dining experience at a secret venue where you feast on stories over the course of a meal (or two). While its usual theatre shows are currently on hold, it's rolling out its first-ever book analysis workshop (from now till June 26 at $148) where you can live out the best parts of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. Make no mistake, this isn't your ordinary run-of-the-mill book club workshop either – the intimate session takes you from one wondrous room to another filled with attention-grabbing set designs and colourful costumes. You'll also have your fill of the cuisines of the country you are 'visiting'.

Pull a mini axe, send it whirling down the lane, and hope it hits a bullseye with a satisfying ‘thunk’. Here at Axe Factor, you score points based on where you bury the axe on the target board, and the bullseye is the moneymaker. This raging new sport not only makes great target practice (which may come in handy if there’s ever a zombie apocalypse) but it’s also a great way to blow off some steam and have some unconventional fun.

Not exactly an escape room per sé, but The Fragment Room allows you to escape from the stress of reality as you pulverise a whole bunch of things like plates, glasses, and electronic appliances with your crew. Suit up, select your weapon of choice (wood or metal bat), and smash every available piece to smithereens. The session is also soundtracked to a killer playlist to amp up the experience. Instant gratification is guaranteed.

Calling the ground floor of an old shophouse home, 28 HongKong Street opened without any fanfare in 2011. The bar keeps a shroud of secrecy: it doesn’t market itself, not even on social media platforms. It relies on a seamless blend of urban swag and American-styled libations to bring in the crowd. Still, it has become one of the forerunners of the local cocktail scene. To find the hidden bar, look for a nondescript door with a ’28’ sign on it.

What makes this different from dining at a normal restaurant? Get this: you’ll be having a meal in total darkness without knowing what you’re popping in your mouth – it’s a mystery set menu (from $88). At least you’ll be in safe hands of a specially trained guide, so you don’t even have to worry about finding a waiter or getting lost in the two-storey, shophouse restaurant. Once you give in to the experience of dining in the dark, NOX can be a fun and enlightening gastronomic journey. Plus, it’s great for messy eaters and big talkers – you're pretty much covered in the dark.

Give Peninsula Plaza a miss and head down to this one-of-a-kind museum instead. Boasting a repository of over 1,000 vintage cameras, the museum is the first gallery in Singapore that's dedicated to a collection of the analog instrument – in fact, the building itself resembles a massive Rollei camera. On display are everything from novel old-school spy cameras – think James Bond – to pistol cameras. Besides equipment, the museum also showcases retro photographs, interesting nuggets on photography, and an authentic replica of the first-ever picture taken on a camera.

In this day and age, it's not politically correct to call The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum a museum. It's more of a sanctuary for more than 200 turtles and tortoises of over 60 species, including a host of rare reptiles. Previously located in Chinese Gardens for 18 years, the museum has just moved into its new home in a leisure park in Yishun's Orto. Be wowed by the weird and wondrous mata-mata, fearsome alligator snapping turtles, and one muscular 60-year-old Asian Turtle. Your kids will have a whale of a time at the petting corner, where they'll get up-close and personal with some of the gentler critters. Just be mindful of the tiny terrapins and soft shell tortoises roaming freely through the park.

This venue is slated to reopen on July 1.

From one extreme end to another, Haw Par Villa is a themed park filled with gaudy-coloured statues and tableaux that depict scenes from Chinese history and mythology. It was first opened in 1937 as Tiger Balm Gardens by developer Aw Boon Haw (yes, one of the brothers behind the classic pain-relieving ointment) as a way to introduce the cultures he grew up with. The highlight of the park, however, the infamous Ten Courts of Hell where small-scale tableaux show human sinners being punished in a variety of hideous and bloodthirsty ways – the stuff of nightmares.

This venue is temporarily closed.

First discovered back in 1909, the Sembawang Hot Spring was popular among villagers who believed that the water had healing powers. Now, the revamped park is opened for visitors to learn its history and geology, reminisce about the good ol’ kampung days, and of course, soak their feet in hot water at the pool or the wooden basins provided. And if you'd like to try the traditional way of making onsen tamago as they do in Japan (‘onsen’ means ‘hot spring’ in Japanese), you can bring eggs down and boil them in the hot spring water. Pro tip: pack your own slippers.