With Halloween creeping up, it felt only right that this week’s date night got a spooky twist. 👻 We decided to revisit a familiar favourite for dinner and then dive headfirst into one of Singapore’s strangest, most surreal attractions — Haw Par Villa — for their Halloween event.
Where?
📍99 Buona Vista Kitchen – Chinese restaurant, 22 South Buona Vista Road
📍Haw Par Villa, Pasir Panjang for Haw Ror Villa 4 (Halloween special!)
What?
We kicked things off with dinner at 99’s, one of our go-to spots for tasty, no-frills Chinese food. Long-time readers might remember we’ve been here before (see previous blog post here) (and yes, it’s rare we do repeats!) but when a place delivers, why not?
The food came out fast and steaming — exactly what you want from a good hawker-style dinner. We shared a spread that could easily have fed four:
🍜 Mee goreng – spicy, smoky, and just the right level of kick to warm us up for a night of thrills.
🍚 Egg fried rice – fluffy, fragrant, and delicious on its own or as the perfect partner to everything else.
🥬 Baby kailan with garlic and oyster sauce – crunchy greens coated in a glossy, savoury sauce (and packed with enough garlic to ward off anything undead).
🦐 Salt and pepper prawns – crispy, juicy, and so addictive we were practically fighting over the last one.
🐖 Crispy pork belly – tender inside, crunchy outside, and a must-order every time.
Simple, satisfying and exactly what we needed before heading into something far less predictable.
Then… on to the spooky stuff!
With full bellies (and breath that could kill a vampire at twenty paces), we made our way to Haw Par Villa for their Halloween special.
Now, if you’ve ever been to Haw Par Villa, you already know it’s weird. Equal parts theme park, moral museum, and fever dream, it’s famous for its bizarre sculptures and dioramas depicting Chinese mythology and the afterlife. Even on a normal day, it’s a place that makes you say “what on earth is going on here?” every few steps. Add Halloween into the mix, and things got even more surreal — and, somehow, even more fun.
We started in Zone 2, where a guided murder mystery awaited us. Actors led us through a storyline involving a cult, a suspicious death, and a hunt to identify the cult leader. It was part theatre, part clue-solving, part “what have we got ourselves into?” — but it was surprisingly engaging and a light, spooky warm-up before the real frights began.
As the sun set, the shadows started to stretch across the strange statues and grinning demons that fill the park. The atmosphere shifted — suddenly those smiling tiger sculptures looked a lot less friendly.
We grabbed a quick drink at a pop-up bar in between zones (bonus free vodka — always a plus!) before heading into Zone 1, where things got properly eerie.
This section began with a short video on ghosts in Asian culture — from vengeful spirits to floating heads and hopping ghosts (the pocong). It was fascinating and funny… right up until I realised we’d soon be meeting some of them in real life.
The live-actor walkthrough was next, and oh my word, it was terrifying. I’m not great with horror at the best of times (translation: total wimp), and I became prime target number one for every single jump scare. At one point, even the hopping ghost that had made me laugh in the video moments earlier sent me screaming down the corridor like a banshee.
To say I provided the evening’s entertainment for everyone else would be an understatement.
Finally, we reached Zone 3, which combined puzzle-solving with more horror. We were meant to hunt down QR codes to crack riddles and reveal a special code — which we diligently did — only to discover we didn’t actually need it at all. So much for our detective work!
The night finished with the legendary Ten Courts of Hell, a permanent attraction that depicts (in lovingly gruesome detail) the punishments awaiting sinners in the afterlife. Normally, it’s creepy enough on its own, but for Halloween, it had been turned into a full-on haunted walk-through.
Cue: more screams from me, more laughter from my husband and friends!
WOW Tips
⭐ Eat before you go — the scares are better on a full stomach!
⭐ Bring insect repellent and plenty of water — it’s outdoors and warm.
⭐ Wear comfy shoes; you’ll be walking (and occasionally running).
⭐ Arrive just before sunset — the park looks amazing as the light fades.
⭐ Don’t overthink the QR code puzzles — just get in line for the haunted bits!
⭐ If you scare easily, stay near the bravest person in your group… or you’ll be every actor’s favourite target.
Worth it?
8/10.
A truly unique date night! From spicy noodles and garlicky greens to ghosts, gore and giggles, it was equal parts terrifying and hilarious. The setting of Haw Par Villa was the perfect backdrop for something this bizarre — it’s already one of the oddest places in Singapore, so adding Halloween just amped up the weirdness.
What HE said…
“99s is good (just like last time). Haw Par Villa is super weird — Halloween is definitely the best time to go see it. Bring a scaredy cat person with you – they turned out to be a focal point for all the jump-scare actors. (I’m sure he’s talking about me!). My favourite funny (and jumping) ghost is a pocong.“
7/10.
Wrap-Up
Date Night #37 was something completely different — equal parts food, fear and fun. We’ve had romantic dates, chill dates, and active dates… but this one was pure chaos in the best way.
If you’re looking for something unique to do around Halloween in Singapore, this is one to bookmark for next year. Just maybe bring someone brave to hide behind. 👻
How are you celebrating Halloween this year? If you have any spooky suggestions – tell me in the comment box below! Next week is a surprise date night for my birthday present… can’t wait!
Wanna see?
📸 For photos from the night, check out Instagram.
