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During a recent trip to Lazarus Island, a southern island in Singapore, I stayed in a 12.7 square meter house.
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I paid $290 for a night at Tiny Away, one of two properties on the island.
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I enjoyed being close to nature, but got hungry when my pre-ordered microwave meal didn’t arrive.
Growing up in Singapore, I thought I had seen most of my country: a city-state slightly smaller than New York City.
But after a 20-minute ferry ride to Lazarus Island, one of Singapore’s eight southern islands, I felt like I was in another country.
The island, which is only 47 hectares in size, has one supermarket, a water sports centre and two accommodations. That’s it.
During my three-day visit in August, I stayed one night in a tiny house from Tiny Away.
Tiny Away was launched in May last year by Big Tiny, a Singapore-based tiny house startup. It consists of five tiny homes, each measuring around 129 square metres, slightly smaller than an average parking space.
Adrian Chia, co-founder of Big Tiny, told me that Tiny Away wants to offer guests the opportunity to stay in unique accommodations, close to nature.
“Being close to nature doesn’t mean you have to take it easy. You can enjoy hotel-like amenities and facilities during your stay,” he said.
The homes also feature sustainable features. They are made of eco-friendly materials, powered primarily by solar panels, and include a compost heap.
After cleaning and taxes, the stay costs 380 Singapore dollars, or about $290 per night. This is comparable to the prices of some 5-star hotels on Sentosa, Singapore’s nearby island resort.
The house felt spacious, despite its small size.
When I arrived I was impressed that so much could fit into a 12.7 square meter house.
The house didn’t feel claustrophobic, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered views of the Singapore Strait. Air conditioning allows guests to feel connected to nature while being sheltered from Singapore’s humid climate. It was 89 degrees outside during my stay.
The room had a queen bed, a sofa bed, a small kitchenette with a microwave and a spacious bathroom.
Each home on Tiny Away has a theme based on a certain time period, and the room I selected was inspired by the 80s. It featured mid-century furniture and retro decor, such as 80s vinyl records as wall art. These decorations added a sense of newness to the otherwise bare interior.
“We wanted to show guests that every tiny house can have its own unique character,” Chia said when I asked about the reasoning behind the theme in early August. Different eras of Singapore’s growth are represented in each home, he added. In addition to the retro ’80s home, there’s a 1900s home, which resembles a traditional black-and-white colonial house, and a 2017 home.
But as I settled into the room, I saw a mosquito buzzing around. As soon as I swatted it away, I saw another one rushing through the room.
They were everywhere. When I stepped outside, my legs became an all-you-can-eat buffet for mosquitoes. As a result, I spent most of the afternoon indoors.
Fortunately, the space inside was comfortable. It was also clear that the staff had tried to alleviate the mosquito situation by providing a can of insect repellent and a small portable mosquito trap — which unfortunately didn’t help at all.
Still, I knew I was defeating the purpose of my stay by being cooped up. After dousing myself in insect repellent, I walked a short distance to Lazarus Beach, which was only a three-minute walk away.
Although it was a weekday, all five houses were fully booked
As I walked down to the beach, I met other guests—a couple with their Cavalier and their friend, who brought her Cocker Spaniel. The group had booked two houses to celebrate the Cavalier’s birthday.
The cocker spaniel’s owner, a 30-year-old woman who works in banking, said the accommodation was spacious enough for her and her dog.
“The concept of this place is to disconnect from the busy life and be close to nature. That’s a good message. The way the unit is positioned ensures that you are constantly looking out at nature,” she said.
And although every room has a TV with a Netflix subscription, she tried not to watch it. Instead, she brought a book. “I’ll try not to think about work,” she said.
Across the street from my house lived a family with two young boys. As they chased away the mosquitoes, the father, a doctor in his late 30s, told me he had heard about the place through the local media. Because it was popular, he had to book it months in advance.
He enjoyed the tranquility of the island and said the beach was child-friendly, with gentle waves and fine sand, but he felt the tiny house was too small for his family of four.
““I will definitely come back again with my wife, hopefully when our parents can take care of the children,” he said.
A word of warning: there are very limited dining options on the island
The island has a convenience store, but it is closed during the week. Guests can order pre-made microwaveable meals for $6 — which I selected — or bring their own food.
But when night fell, my food still hadn’t arrived. After contacting customer service, I learned that the staff forgot my meal and went back to the mainland at 6pm.
Luckily, every room was stocked with snacks and instant noodles. As I poured hot water into my chicken-flavored noodles, I felt a world away from the mainland, where you can find food at any hour of the day and have it delivered within minutes.
I woke up to the cackling of a common house gecko and birds chirping in the distance
I wanted to spend my morning exploring the island.
But this time it wasn’t the mosquitoes that kept me indoors. Dark clouds hung over the small houses and soon a heavy rain shower fell.
When the sky cleared it was 11am and almost time to check out.
Staying in the tiny house allowed me to recharge
Living in tiny homes has given rise to a movement that promotes minimal living and sustainability, the tiny house movement. While the trend has caught on in countries like the US, it is new to Singapore, with Tiny Away being the only option for those who want to try tiny house living without going abroad.
Prudence Lai, a consultant at market research firm Euromonitor, says that post-pandemic, travellers are more experience-focused and are now looking for authentic, local experiences rather than just spending money on tangible goods.
The desire to find unique accommodations is reflected in demand for Tiny Away. Since its inception, Tiny Away has averaged 90% occupancy, Chia said, adding that most guests are local.
Chia said many guests didn’t realize how peaceful it was to stay at Lazarus. “They always appreciate being able to leave their phones and laptops behind and charge themselves,” he said.
I felt the same. Although there was WiFi available in the rooms, the connection was unstable. I didn’t need it either, because I enjoyed the view of the sea and the forest in the distance instead of checking my phone for notifications, as I usually do at home.
Given the high price tag and the range of similarly priced luxury hotels in Singapore, I wouldn’t go there again. But Tiny Away could be ideal for guests looking for some peace and quiet or a chance to experience the city-state without all the skyscrapers. Just be prepared to keep mosquitoes at the door and bring some extra food.
Business Insider covered the author’s stay.
Read the original article on Business Insider
