It's probably the most "daring" thing I've ever done in recent times - to travel during a pandemic and clock in a total of 4 weeks of hotel-based quarantine (in Singapore and Thailand)! These are unusual experiences in unusual times. But half the battle is won when you enter a required quarantine with a positive, can-do approach. A hotel quarantine is not a breeze. But there are things you can do to make your stay as comfortable as possible within a confined space. In this post, I'm going to share all the resources and things you should consider bringing with you so that you are fully prepared for the long stay.
To set your expectations, the hotel facilities dedicated for quarantine in Singapore comprise of standard rooms. As a family with kids, you can request for two adjoining rooms with a connecting door (email at ICA_SHNhotelneeds@ica.gov.sg) OR you can look into upgrading to a suite which provides more space and even a kitchenette. Our family stayed in two conected standard rooms - these rooms do NOT have a balcony or open windows, there is no laundry service or room cleaning service, and there is a limited set menu from which to order meals.
With that said, below are some of the items I think are helpful to carry:
- Wet wipes or an all-natural surface cleaner (Ollie Oils has a good one) to clean surfaces in your room/living space/bathroom. It was especially handy becaue the kids would eat on a small table and inevitably drop food on the floor or dirty the table. So wet wipes were really handy!
- Room deodorizer or spray: With no open windows, there is no fresh air in quarantine. Add to that the fact that you're eating, sleeping, and exercising in the same space for several days at a stretch. A deodorizer really helps to freshen up the air and remove any odors or staleness in the air.
- The Laundress is a line of non-toxic products which I found very useful for travel: The "Crease Release" is a spray which removes wrinkles from clothing without the need for ironing (available via different websites in Singapore and Amazon). They also have laundry detergent and other cleaning items that you may want to check out!
- Plastic tupperware/boxes to store food left over from your meals: You'll find that you don't necessarily finish all the food and some food items are good to save for the next day. So some storage containers are helpful to have.
- Pack enough inner wear (i.e., undergarments) to last the duration of the quarantine if you don't plan to wash your own dirty clothes. Also, to reduce unnecessary laundry build-up, I feel there's no shame in repeating your outfits since you're indoors and sweat-free anyway
- Pack vitamin D supplements: In general, it's good to take vitamins! But more importanlty, since you're not exposed to the sun for a long stretch of time, preempt a vitamin D deficiency by taking your supplements
- Entertainment for grown-ups: Books/Kindle, embroidery kit, adult coloring books, your Apple TV device... whatever you need to keep sane and calm
- Entertainment for kids: Refer to my Instagram post with my recs (this warrants a separate post in itself!)
- A bit of indulgence: If you're with young kids, there may not be much time for relaxation but you can still bring a touch of indulgence into your quarantine. I suggest bringing some essential oils or ordering bubble bars or bath bombs from Lush to be delivered to your hotel
- Rental needs: www.happyshn.com is a website which allows you to rent items you might need for your quarantine, such as a microwave, exercise equipment, yoga mat, fans, vaccuums, portable washing machines, etc. It's a brilliant idea and we used it for renting a microwave - easy and fast delivery!
- Online workouts: I highly recommend doing short workouts or getting some movement into your day during quarantine. It really helped to boost our spirits and alleviated that "cooped in" feeling. There are tons of workouts you can do in your hotel room - search for PopSugar Fitness, Brian Syuki for walking-based workouts, and SELF for HIIT/cardio on Youtube (20-30 min workout routines worked great for me personally). In addition, you can pack resistance bands or light weights to support your workouts!
- Good delivery apps (Food Panda, Deliveroo, and Grab Food) and alcohaul.sg for delivery of spirits to lift your spirits! :) They helped to break the monotony of the hotel food and gave us something to look forward to whenever we ordered something.
