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Five “tiny homes” were opened on the Lazarus Island from April 2023. It marked the first time accommodation was be provided on the 47ha southern island.
Address: 11A Pulau Seringat, 099556
Stay Started From: 1 May 2023
Prices: $284 per night
No. of Rooms: 5
Known as Tiny Away Escape @ Lazarus Island, each unit comes equipped with green features, and the homes are part of initiatives by Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) to transform the island into a “light-touch” eco-tourism location.
I am Jyn, a writer at Home and Decor. I stayed a night at Tiny House in Lazarus Island, here's my full review of Lazarus Island Tiny House.
Lazarus Island Tiny House Price
Booking a Tiny House via the Escape at Lazarus Island website is seamless with the charges laid out clearly. Prices start from $284 per night, and there’s a cleaning fee and service fee too. Prices for weekends and holidays will be slightly higher.
Additional guests will be chargeable at $15 per pax of adults or children between 2 to 12 years old. For infants under 2, there are no fees involved and infants get to travel on the ferry for free.
There are 2 pet-friendly units that are open for booking, and pets travel free on the ferry too. However, you can only bring up to 2 pets along and you will need to top up $30 for each pet you bring. There are more pet-related policies that will be emailed to you after you make your Tiny House reservation.
Lazarus Island Ferry Tickets: $12
Upon successful payment, you will receive a series of emails with a great chunk of text to go through. The most important email of the lot will be your Tiny House booking confirmation, which you should click in to purchase your add-ons for the discounted 2-way ferry ticket at $12 instead of the standard $15 ferry ticket price, and a bento set meal if you do not intend to bring along any dabao food.
Other email contents include the things to note while at the island, important contact information, and check-in details.
After all of the necessary online payment and submission, you can look forward to the official check-in day!
Lazarus Island Ferry: Marina South Pier
The actual check in time is at 3.30pm, but you will have to be at Marina South Pier by 3.00pm to collect your physical tickets from the Marina South Ferries counter in a bright yellow colour that you cannot miss.
Marina South Pier is easily accessible via MRT on one end of the red North South line, and you should be taking Exit B to get to the ferry terminal. If you want to get last minute snacks, Marina South Pier has a couple of mama shops with the essentials that you may have missed out packing.
30 Min Ferry Ride
I hope that you will not be expecting a fancy air conditioned yacht like I did, as the ferry is similar to the bumboats at Pulau Ubin. The ferry that we were on came with hand-painted sea creatures, impressive!
A 12 pax ferry by Marina South Ferries will take you from straight to Lazarus Island in under 30 minutes. Lazarus Island is a part of Singapore and no passport is required for this trip, don’t be a suaku like my husband who was on this trip with me.
You can bring along luggages, bicycles, strollers, and fishing gear without additional charge.
Online Self Check In
You will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to self check-in 2 days prior. As I booked my stay just 2 days before my check-in date, I was overwhelmed with a ton of emails to read and complete.
The guest acknowledgement form with all of the guests’ particulars filled out accordingly have to be submitted. Another email will be sent to you regarding check-in acknowledgement and waiver that you will have to approve and e-sign.
Walk to Lazarus Island Tiny House
A short walk under 5 minutes will take you to the stretch of Tiny Houses located towards the right of the boat jetty, and it is the same direction you will take to get to the Lazarus beach as well.
There are a total of five Tiny House units and they are arranged in a way where two units share the same footpath and have the front door facing each other. The exception is Tiny House 2017 - a smaller standalone unit that can only fit up to 2 pax instead of the standard 4. It is also the only unit that does not come with a sofa bed and full length windows - all otherwise found in the rest of the units.
Retrieve Keys
We walked towards Tiny House 1960 with our next door neighbours at Tiny House 1900, which is a pet-friendly unit. The couple brought their eight years old golden retriever for the night. All 5 of us, including Ms Goldie, were excited to enter our respective units.
An email and a text message will be sent prior on the actual check-in date, indicating the lockbox code that you will need to retrieve the keys to the door.
The key lockbox is a tiny black box located right next to the door handle. You will be expected to turn the four-digit lock combination code accordingly, it is similar to how a combination padlock works.
Lazarus Island Tiny House Room
The framed glass door, along with the rest of the full length glass windows have additional roller blinds installed for extra privacy. All of the blinds, including the door blind were lowered when we entered.
Upon entering, we were pleasantly surprised to step into a lovely cool house, as the Tiny Away host makes it a point to ensure the comfort of their guests by leaving the air conditioning turned on just slightly before we check-in.
You will be greeted with a welcome basket filled with all the goodies including cup noodles, biscuits, and even coffee and tea sachets ready for you to take a quick bite. In the basket, there is a welcome note by the host, along with additional details on the bedding and a guide to use the biodigester.
Room feels like a student dormitory
Being in the Tiny House of around 150 sq ft reminds me of my growing years where I lived in a bedroom of an older HDB development, the size is comparable to what you will get in a dorm room as well.
You get everything you need within an arm’s length in the Tiny House cosy space from a queen-sized bed with 4 pillows and 2 throw cushions, smart TV with Netflix, and even a sofa that transforms into a sofa bed.
Furthermore, the fully functioning toilet and kitchen set up made me feel at ease knowing that I will have no problem getting a hot water shower and I can also prepare my food with the proper kitchen appliances and tools provided.
Modern Industrial Interior Theme
Each Tiny House features its unique interior design style, and the Tiny House 1960 is fully decked in a modern industrial theme. The black, brown leather, and dark wood finishing can be seen in the laminates, furniture choice, and decor pieces.
I am truly impressed with the thought and details behind the unique metal tube-style bed frame accented in rustic gold pipe joints, coupled with brown leather throw cushions, the industrial pipe wall-mount lamp, and even the toilet roll that is held on by a rustic industrial pipe.
Room Amenities: Well-Equipped
In addition to the welcome basket, you are also free to grab the packet and canned drinks in the bar fridge with a freezer compartment and ice maker, all complimentary by the host. You do not have to lug a heavy water bottle to the island like me, as the fridge comes ready with 2 bottles of 1.5 litres mineral water for you.
My favourite part about the kitchen is the quality appliances that are readily accessible. The electric kettle and toaster are in the same retro style that aligns to the industrial theme. Additionally, there is also a Nespresso coffee machine with some capsules provided, along with a microwave grill, an electric smokeless BBQ grill, and a food waste bio-digester that turns to compost in 24 hours.
Aside from kitchen appliances, the kitchen tools and dinnerware are equally well equipped. I was blown away when I managed to find kitchen knives, a chopping board, a pair of scissors, barbeque tongs, can opener, bowls, plates, mugs, glasses, and cutlery with chopsticks provided in the kitchenette.
Other essential items such as torch light, insect repellent, mosquito lamp, first aid kit, smoke detector, and fire extinguisher are all prepared for you. You should bring along your sunblock as it is just as important, unless it is raining, then the umbrella next to the door will come in handy.
A tower fan is located next to the TV and it is useful if you need to cool down the room faster during scorching hot days. The list does not stop here, as we also found a power extension socket in the storage drawer, even though there are sufficient electrical points that come with god sent USB charging ports next to the bed and sofa.
Everything mentioned is on top of the usual amenities and services like WiFi, towels, shampoo, body wash, a hair dryer and a safe that are part of any regular hotel offerings.
What to do on Lazarus Island?
After having our late lunch, we strolled to Lazarus beach. There were a couple of boats and people doing water activities, leaving the rest of the beach empty. The crystal clear water and pristine beach condition is the perfect spot for pre-wedding or even a family shoot, as the chances of getting photobombed is low. Our next door neighbours came well prepared with a tripod and light set up to execute their DIY photoshoot with their pet dog.
Lazarus Island Tiny House: Booking opens from April 2023
We walked back to the Tiny House after soaking our feets to grab some snacks, water, and stuck on the insect repellent patches before heading out to explore the rest of the island.
Heading towards the boat jetty direction, we walked further down to the glass house with public toilets for both males and females, which happened to be in the middle of washing while we were there, and the toilets looked generally clean. According to the Tiny House website, you can hold events at the glass house.
Walking trails, GoGreen rentals, and water sports activities
Other suggestions from the Tiny House website on the activities that you can do include walking trails around the neighbouring islands, fishing with your own gear, and cycling with bicycle rental from GoGreen available at St John’s Island. GoGreen also offers rentals for kick scooters, beach mats, automatic waterproof tents, and kites too, but the GoGreen kiosk only operates from Fridays to Mondays. You can look forward to water sports activities such as kayaking and stand up paddling that will be operating from June 2023.
None of the suggested activities were available for us then, except for the walking trails. Thankfully, both of us are avid weekend hikers that enjoy walking, and we landed ourselves at Kias Island to catch the beautiful sunset with the unblocked serene sea view. We saw a range of different kinds of birds flying at low heights, it would have been a great place for bird enthusiasts to be at. Flying kites on the huge open grass patch would have been a wonderful way to end our day. The open area is a great place to bring your pets and little ones as they can enjoy running about freely.
Tiny House Outdoor BBQ
Street lights are available near the Tiny House location, but not at the rest of the island. Therefore, we headed back soon after the sunset to have our barbeque dinner. As the smokeless grill can only be used outdoors, we made use of the extension socket and brought the smokeless grill machine out. There are chairs and an outdoor table provided for each Tiny House unit.
Do you know that the smokeless grill machine runs on electricity, and no charcoal is required? We packed our steak and sausages in a cooler bag prior, and that is our lovely dinner for the night. The rest of the night was spent chilling at the outdoor patio with the cool night breeze and chatting over the complimentary canned beers that you can find in the fridge.
Main Disadvantage: Bad Wi-Fi
The biggest gripe that I had throughout the day was the terrible internet connectivity!
There was no chance for me to use the 4G network by StarHub at the Tiny House and the WiFi provided did not help at all. I got to be connected to the 4G network in some parts of Lazarus Island, while the rest of the time, I had to rely on my husband’s SingTel network by joining his personal hotspot.
Trying to catch a Netflix show on the smart TV tells it all, as the screen keeps going into “loading” due to the poor WiFi connection. We checked with our neighbours in the morning and they were also faced with lousy internet speed too. If you are thinking of going to the island to do any form of remote work, this is an important factor for you to take note of.
Sleep Experience: Decent
The mattress and pillows are moderately comfortable. There are 2 charging ports at the side of the bed, but what would be better is a spot for us to place our phones and spectacles. The part which we are still puzzled about until today is the weird knocking sounds that we encountered at about 6am.
The curtains are unable to close fully, with a small gap so I was able to see some lightning streaks across the sky. I could not tell if it was raining, but my initial thought was “Oh, maybe the staff is at the door to tell us to keep our shoes in, since it is about to rain”. My husband went to the door and saw no one. The weird knocking sounds persisted until about almost 8am, after which we went out for a short morning hike.
Tiny House Check Out
Referring to the Tiny House’s instructions on handling waste, you should separate your waste accordingly and have the recyclables in the recycling bin. Apart from keeping the house tidy and switching off the lights and air conditioning, you will also be expected to return the keys to the same lockbox and muddle the code.
All of the Tiny House guests, including us, gathered at the boat jetty before boarding the ferry at 11.30am sharp. The ferry uncle chatted with us and told us to wait for a bit more, in case we are expecting more people to be on board. So, expect some waiting time.
The houses are powered mainly by solar energy, and built from sustainable materials like recycled plastic and wood fibre.
Lazarus Island Tiny House: Booking opens from April 2023
Lazarus Island Tiny House Verdict
We really enjoyed our time there, even though the total time spent on the island was less than 24 hours, we were content and it was well worth it. The price you pay will not be as cheap as a budget hotel stay, but a night at the Tiny House is on the lower end when compared to a room at a slightly spacious boutique hotel.
While on our nature walk, my husband mentioned that he would like to book a stay for his parents to bring along his almost 13 year old papillon dog, named Papi. “She (Papi) does not have much time left,” my husband said. When we were at Kias Island, he also blurted out that Papi would have loved the big open patch of grass to run on. We also talked about coming to Lazarus Island again after he is able to walk, hopefully before he turns 2, so that he can join us for free.
If connecting to the peaceful nature beats having bad internet connectivity, then Lazarus Island is an excellent place for you.
For those that are looking to stay for more than a night, you will need to think about how you are going to prepare sufficient food for your meals. Expect to be drenched in perspiration since it is going to be hot and humid, hence you will also have to prepare enough clothing as there is no laundry service of sorts. The Tiny House website also states that daily housekeeping will not be provided during your stay.
Lazarus Island Tiny House: Booking opens from April 2023
What is Lazarus Island Known For?
Lazarus Island is a small island among Singapore’s Southern Islands known for its tranquil and beautiful beaches with clean white sand and clear waters. Day trippers frequent it as a recreational hot spot and its lagoon is often where recreational boaters stop to frolic in the water.
It currently has only basic public amenities like toilets, shelters, benches and rubbish bins.
Part of this story first appeared on The Straits Times.