This travel post is written by Jasmine who blogs at Scissors Paper Stone. She visited the Amara Sanctuary Resort with her husband and her petite travellers, K (5 years) and J (8 years) in October 2014.
This holiday is suitable for families with young kids who would enjoy their own exclusive private villa and pool as well as the proximity to the attractions on Sentosa.
Last year, we seized the opportunity to take advantage of some very good rates at Amara Sanctuary Resort and booked a two bedroom villa for two nights at a low off-peak rate.
We chose the two bedroom villa because we knew it included access to our own private pool and I knew the kids would love that.
Nestled in Sentosa, the tranquil surroundings coupled with the occasional peacock strutting about the resort certainly made me feel like I had been transported out of Singapore.
There is no shortage of activities on Sentosa but if swimming and chilling is all that you have planned, the villa is a ideal spot to be.
I brought along some water balloons that we filled on the spot and the kids had a splashing time swimming after them and diving to retrieve them. When you are done with the water balloons, end the swim with a water fight.
As you enter the villa, you will be greeted by the pool. It isn't large by any standards but I thought it was an ideal size for my kids to swim in comfortably. The depth was the same throughout and there were a few steps for the kids to sit on.
On both sides of the pool are the bedrooms. There is a master bedroom and a twin room with two single beds. We were extremely fortunate to have booked our stay after they recently refurbished the villas. The villas were spanking new and it certainly made us feel extremely comfortable.
The master bedroom had a double bed and access to a rain shower and a brand new outdoor stone bath.
My favourite bit about the renovation was how the rooms had been designed to allow the natural light to stream in bringing in the outdoors.
In fact, the twin bedroom had been renovated to allow for a window that stretched across one entire wall which increased the amount of natural light and a glimpse of the greenery. It was probably designed to double up as a massage room but sadly, I didn't manage to find the time to schedule a massage.
It was an added bonus to find a Nespresso machine that kept us caffeinated during our short stay and complimentary mineral water bottles that ensured we were properly hydrated.
Outside the twin room is an alfresco dining area with a retractable canopy. We didn't use this much apart from the one time my husband read a book while sipping on his coffee.
The one thing that looked in need of refreshing were the pool side mats which looked like they were way past their time. Apart from that, we loved the villa and wouldn't hesitate to go back again if we manage to spot those low rates once again.
So if you are looking for a peaceful resort stay without having to hop on a plane, perhaps you might want to consider the villas at Amara Sanctuary Resort. It would certainly act as a good base to explore the rest of Sentosa.
