SINGAPORE, Dec 7 — Every so often you’ll hear a comfortable middle class Singaporean utter that annoying whine: “There’s just nothing to do in Singapore lah.”

I know I too have been guilty of this transgression because in the narrow passageways of HDB corridors, MRT carriages and air-conditioned mall underpasses, it is sometimes difficult to fathom the city as anything other than meticulously planned, efficient and somewhat predictable.

For many, the solution lies across the causeway. One unnecessarily protracted and painful drive later and you’re in one of the most diverse and beautiful countries in the world with beautiful beaches, stunning hill stations and a very favourable exchange rate.

This is usually my answer to the Singapore syndrome.

But the other day, constrained by our schedules and unable to hop the causeway, some friends and I found ourselves aboard a yacht sailing the open seas on the way to a string of sun-kissed islands.

This was no millionaires’ voyage however — we had purchased a deal from one of those online discount sites and clambered aboard a small chartered boat with some kerepok, drinks and paper-wrapped nasi lemak packets. Then with the wind in our hair and the smell of ikan bilis in the air, we set off. 

First, past the lines of bigger, fancier yachts, then, past a spectacular assortment of hulking cargo ships and engineering vessels until we hit a more scattered debris field of  smaller vessels which we traversed to finally reach the open sea.

Singapore is not just sparkly and modern as seen in this picture of the financial district. It has many surprises if one only cares to look. — Picture by Reuters

Here we headed due south across surprisingly blue water — until for the first time in my 30-year career as full-time Singaporean I saw the Southern Islands.

We docked a little off the coast at Lazarus Island — and threw ourselves into the sea swimming the short distance to a slim, vacant stretch of sand and sun.

Okay, so while it is not the quite the Seychelles (we even emerged from our little swim with a just a touch of oil clinging to our toes), but holding a cold beer and lying under the late afternoon sun without another soul in sight was pretty fantastic.

Forgive the cliché — but moments like this remind me that for all the stresses and frustrations one encounters in the day-to-day hamster wheel of Singaporean life — there’s still so much to our island home.

Even 700 km2 can hold surprises and just when you think you’ve seen it all something will come along to remind you that you haven’t, this is a city that will keep evolving around you.

I certainly never would have imagined you can take a 20-minute sea voyage and still be in Singapore, and this is really just one everyday adventures available on our island.

Since that weekend, I’ve found carefully researched lists outlining all sorts of other hijinks you could get into — from hot springs in Sembawang to fishing ports in Senoko.

Of course, it doesn’t always need to be such an excursion — even a leisurely stroll through the pretty neighbourhoods of Joo Chiat can be just the change of pace you need.

The point is all too often we easily fall into the trap of complaining about the big bland city life that we forget there’s also a lot that’s rewarding about our dot in the world.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.