What’s one way to make a staycation feel more like a vacation? If you plan an activity or two around it — better yet if it’s one at a tourist attraction. Even cooler? If the hotel has exclusive tie-ups that bring you unique experiences that go beyond an admission ticket.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ latest collab with the Wildlife Reserves of Singapore has resulted in specially-tailored staycation packages that let guests get up close with the animals — no, not in the hotel room, but at the Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Night Safari or Jurong Bird Park.

Both M Social Singapore and Orchard Hotel (above) are offering these staycay packages — prices start at $186++ for the former, and $242++ for the latter.

Basic staycation packages come with admission tickets to the Singapore Zoo or Night Safari. Free-and-easy tours with a personal guide and a private buggy are available with an additional top-up.

If you want to go the whole hog, there’s also the option to upsize your staycay to one that includes exclusive private, behind-the-scenes experiences with the WRS team and the orangutans or pandas (hi, Kai Kai and Jia Jia!). The Millennium Wild Experience with the Pandas and the Millennium Wild Experience with the Orangutans are valid for stays from Sep 20 to Dec 31, 2020.

Stay-home notice guests at both hotels get to be part of the action too — without stepping out of their rooms, obviously. The hotels also offer virtual wildlife experiences with WRS’ ‘Hello from the Wild Side’ programme (we attended one recently) that allow them to interact with the animals and the zookeepers virtually. Read about our experience here.

Orchard Hotel is at 442 Orchard Road. M Social Hotel is at 90 Robertson Quay. More info at https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/WRS.

Photos: Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Wildlife Reserves Singapore