Say “Nightlife” and naturally, Singaporeans think of “bars and booze”. That’s just the tip of the things-to-do-at-night iceberg though, as we uncover other nightlife alternatives to bars, dance music and beer goggles.

By Edwin Tam

Q: What’s worse than a hangover?
A: Waking up hungover and next to a dog. Naked.

Of course, this will never happen to us. It might happen to a friend of a friend or your cousin’s dog groomer.

Just never to us.

That is until we walk into a bar, quaff a few pints of Long Island Tea, don a pair of beer goggles, mosh and smoosh through the clubs and finally, wake up hungover and naked next to…you know what.

“But but, what can we do in Singapore at night!” cry our most indignant friends. “It’s even worse that MoS is closed now!” No doubt that clubbing void will be sorely felt. How can we ever replace a most iconic nightspot?

As it turns out, the answer is: “Quite easily.” In fact, this little red dot has an abundance of nightlife – from sports to chill-out activities and even ghost hunts – if you know where to look.

Games
Dominate the world, become a property tycoon, or even build continents from scratch. That is just a smattering of what boardgames – think of them as low-tech versions of LAN games – have to offer. Try them at speciality boardgame cafes such as Mindcafe.

Not forgetting video game fans, E2Max@Cine is a floor filled with the latest electronic games such Rock Band and Super Mario for the Wii, PC games such as World of Warcraft, and oodles of Anime and DVDs.

Mindcafe
Address: 60A Prinsep Street, Singapore 188664
Tel: 6334 4426
Website: www.themindcafe.com.sg
Opening Hours: 2pm to 11pm (Mon to Thu), 2pm to 3am (Fri, Sat & eve of PH), 12pm to 11pm (Sun)
Rates: $3 per hour per person (Mon to Thu), $3.50 per hour per person (Fri to Sun)

E2Max@Cine
Address: 8 Grange Road, Level 9 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Singapore 239695
Telephone: 6235 9249
Website: www.e2max.com.sg
Opening Hours: 12pm to 1am (Mon to Thu), 12pm to 4am (Fri & eve of PH), 11am to 4am (Sat), 11am to 1am (Sun & PH)
Rates: $2.80 to $3.80 per hour (PC games), $6.50 to $9 per hour (Console games), $5.50 to $6.50 per hour and $6 per DVD title (Anime and DVD rooms)

Ghost Hunts
The folks from Asia Paranormal Investigators (API) and Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI) are the experts on Singapore’s spooky side. They conduct sightseeing tours to haunted spots such as Choa Chu Kang Cemetery where hell deities are asked for winning 4D numbers, the Old Commando Barracks with the Devil’s face a feature on a barrack’s walls, and Punggol House where people supposedly died trying to tear it down.

For API founder Charles Goh, his ghost tours are “opportunities to see places that do not fit in our modern areas. I want to explain to people what they were like in the past, and why these places are left as they are.”

Check with them for prices and current tour schedules, and don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes.

Asia Paranormal Investigators
Tel: 9878 8669
Email: charles@api.sg
Website: http://api.sg

Singapore Paranormal Investigators
Email: Ghoulish@spi.com.sg
Website: www.spi.com.sg

Indoor Soccer
The hip-hop version of soccer – for its free-flowing and irreverent style – is played on indoor Astroturf pitches that are open 24 hours, seven days a week. Remember to book your pitch before busting a move. As the “brudders” from The Cage say, “Just tell the prata-man that you will come by much later.”

The Cage
Address: 38 Jalan Benaan Kapal, Singapore 399635
Tel: 63449345
Website: http://new.thecage.com.sg
Opening Hours: 24 hours
Rates: $50 per hour from 6am to 6pm, $90 per hour from 6pm to 6am (Mon to Fri), $90 per hour (Sat to Sun)

Night Cycling
Night cycling has its perks: less traffic, cooler weather and lots of hawker centre pit-stops. Planning a route can be daunting however, so leave it to Terra Outdoors which conducts cycling jaunts that cater to all levels of fitness.

From easy park connector rides (40 km, four hours) to their annual round-the-island trip (120km, eight hours), safety vehicles and bicycle marshals keep you safe and sound on your two-wheeled adventure. Check cycling schedules and sign up on their website.

Terra Outdoors
Address: 57 Geylang Bahru #01-3509, Singapore 330057
Tel: 9773 9539
Website: www.terraoutdoors.com
Rates: $15 to $25 per person depending on the event

Movies
A staple of nocturnal activities, owls can have the luxury of very late-night movie screenings on Fridays and Saturdays at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard (3am movie screenings) and Golden Village Plaza Singapura (2am movie screenings).

Music
The live bands at Wala Wala and Timbre always draw in the audience while providing great music at the same time. We like EIC (Wednesday at Timbre and Friday at Wala Wala) and Unexpected (Thursday and Saturday at Wala Wala) for their candour and soulful songs.

Timbre
Address: 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936
Tel: 6338 8277
Website: www.timbre.com.sg
Opening Hours: 6pm to 1am (Sun to Thu), 6pm to 2am (Fri to Sat)

Wala Wala
Address: 31 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore 277689
Tel: 6462 4288
Website: www.imaginings.com.sg
Opening Hours: 4pm to 1am (Mon to Thu), 4pm to 2am (Fri & eve of PH), 3pm to 2am (Sat), 3pm to 1am (Sun)
Rates: Entry fee of 1 drink

Supper
Mosi Café is a quaint establishment on Haji Lane off Arab Street. The first Moroccan café here offers a wide spread including koftas (must try!), tajines, couscous and other Mediterranean fare.

The more daring of supper-hunters should cross the causeway and head for Bayleaf Food Park – a waterfront area of food stalls and restaurants – where Mee Rebus costs RM4 while seafood starts from RM40. From Malaysian Customs, walk westwards for 2km on the pedestrian path along the Straits of Johor.

Bayleaf Food Park
Address: Danga Bay, Jalan Skudai

Mosi Café
Address: 32 Haji Lane, Singapore 189225
Tel: 9450 2561
Website: www.mosicafe.com
Opening Hours: 10am to 2am
Rates: Mains from $10 to $19, Sheesha from $14