This year marks the second edition of the Wellness Festival Singapore (WFS) which will run for three weeks, up from 10 days last year.
From June 17 to July 9, WFS 2023 will feature more than 180 activities across 10 precincts island-wide, with categories spanning fitness, nutrition, emotional well-being, and lifestyle.
Featuring a diverse range of wellness offerings that cater to various preferences as well as individuals and groups of different ages and abilities, WFS offerings will be conveniently located across the country, close to iconic precincts and public transport, allowing visitors to easily access wellness experiences while exploring Singapore.
Festival highlights include the anchor event The Wellness Experience Space at Marina Bay Sands’ Event Plaza offering six different interactive zones, and a self-care journey with Where Mind and Body Connect, also at Marina Bay Sands
The Zentosa LiveWELL Festival in Sentosa will offer over 250 wellness activities, while Jewel Changi Airport will host free fitness classes, such as Bounce, Zumba and Barre, around the HSBC Rain Vortex. Meanwhile, the National Gallery Singapore will present an expanded line-up of more than 20 unique art-inspired wellness experiences.
Families with young children can participate in Parent-Child Art Journaling by Artcadia Studio, and head over to Kiztopia’s Play and Recharge programme which includes activities such as yoga, Zumba, and cookie painting.
Senior participants can try out programmes such as ENERGIZE, a series of active and wellness programmes on Taiji and dance classes held at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’s concourse, or join a floral arrangement workshop with Floral Expressions by National Gallery Singapore. They can also experience Kopi, Teh and Contemporary Art, which brings them on a tour around the Singapore Art Museum.
Other fun activities to look out for include Beats Performance Therapy workouts for fitness and music enthusiasts; Animal Yoga at Mandai River Wonders; Cacao Ceremony + Sound Journey for holistic healing; tea-pairing sessions Wellness Tea Bar and Teakle Your Fancy; the Equine Wellness Programme by the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre; and a variety of nature walking tours.
The festival is organised by the Singapore Tourism Board , in collaboration with Enterprise Singapore, Health Promotion Board, National Arts Council, Sentosa Development Corporation, and Sport Singapore.
For the most updated listing and details of WFS programming, visit the WFS website.
Here’s wishing all our Buddhist readers a happy Vesak Day!
Muslim travellers looking to visit Muslim heritage sites and hidden gems as well as experience the culture and lifestyle of local Muslims are seeing renewed interest post-lockdown.
This observation was shared by panellists speaking in a forum titled, The Future of Muslim Travel: Are Destinations Engaging Enough on the second day of the Halal in Travel Global Summit.
Riyanto Sofyan, chairman, Sofyan Corporation in Indonesia, shared that community-based tourism products in Indonesia, such as homestays, have become increasingly popular with longhaul Muslim travellers, particularly those from the US and the UK, who wish to experience the Islamic way of life in Indonesian villages.
He noted that social media and digital marketing have helped to convey such experiences to longhaul markets. Previously, these experiences were traditionally more popular among Muslim travellers from Singapore and Malaysia.
Lee Jian Xuan, area director, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei at Singapore Tourism Board, said Muslim travellers from Malaysia and Brunei are keen to learn about Malay history and heritage in Singapore, which is easily accessible by visiting Kampong Glam and the Malay Heritage Centre, as well as the Peranakan Museum on Armenian Street.
Abdul Maalik Tailor, CEO of Halal Tourism Britain, which specialises in halal travel and Muslim heritage of Britain, shared that Muslim visitors to the UK show interest in learning more about Muslim culture and visiting Muslim heritage sites outside of London. He added that some Muslim visitors would combine visiting the UK and France into one trip, with the focus on trips to Muslim heritage sites.
Despite the renewed interest, the panellists agree that the basics of Muslim travel, such as prayer facilities and the ease of access to halal and Muslim-friendly food, are still paramount in attracting the Muslim traveller.