By Joseph Jones
Issue 91 - February 2010

Singapore has clubs galore; some boast their own clubhouses and facilities, some are just groups of like-minded people coming together. Either way, they remain a tried and trusted way of meeting others who share your interests, culture or background. Here, two expatriates share their experiences as members of a couple of Singapore’s best-known clubs: the Hollandse Club and the British Club.

The Hollandse Club
Alex Branco
British-American

Alex and her family joined the Hollandse Club in December 2009, six months after they arrived on the island. The club’s tropical ambience attracted them, as did its child-friendly environment. “It’s the primary reason we joined the club,” says Alex. “The staff members are very friendly with children.”

Friends are welcome to eat at the club, though members will be charged a small daily rate for their visitors to have access to all the facilities. Family members who are visiting from overseas can apply for a 30-day pass.

These facilities include a popular pool. “Our eight-year-old son is a fish,” says Alex. “We can’t get him out of the water. But we also make great use of the terrace dining area and the gym.”

The Hollandse Club hosts events such as wine tastings, too, and one very useful perk of membership is a reciprocal club programme that allows members access to other international clubs around the world.

Alex’s favourite feature of the Hollandse Club, though, is its level of service, which she describes as truly exceptional.


22 Camden Park
+65 6464 5225
www.hollandseclub.org.sg

The British Club
Chrissie Simons
British

“Before we arrived,” says Chrissie, “my husband Paul and I debated the pros and cons of joining a private club. We had categorically decided that we wouldn’t – until we got invited by another family to visit the British Club. We found it so easy and refreshingly familiar that we decided to eat our words and take the plunge.”

Chrissie and her family joined the British Club in April 2007, six weeks after they moved to Singapore. Their decision was based on many factors, one being the possibility of participating in British events like St David’s Day and Bonfire Night, especially in the early stages of their move, when bouts of homesickness were common.

Both of the children have weekly swimming lessons at the club, at reduced prices, while Chrissie also enjoys the odd facial and massage. “It’s a great, guilt-free way of using the loyalty points the club issues on a monthly basis.”

The club is very child friendly; Chrissie’s daughter even had a movie and disco birthday party there. Another of Chrissie’s favourite features is the fantastic restaurant in the Mountbatten Room. “My mum and dad came over from Wales to visit this Christmas and were backwards and forwards to the Club – without us in tow!”

“Enjoying a swim in the beautiful jungle setting is one thing I’d definitely miss about the British Club were we to leave,” says Chrissie, “as well as all the fantastic memories of the great times we’ve experienced with friends and family.”

73 Bukit Tinggi Road
+65 6467 4311
www.britishclub.org.sg