Mother's Day Wellness Retreat at Montigo Resorts, Nongsa

Over the weekend, our mums headed to Montigo Resorts, Nongsa, for a well-deserved Mother’s Day celebration and wellness retreat, jointly organised by Skin Inc and Mummyfique. Here they learned about the five pillars of wellness for a holistic reset, to return to their families well rested, rejuvenated and recharged.

Arrival at Montigo Resorts, Nongsa

Sheila Sim, Brie Benfell and Germaine Fraser arriving at Montigo Resorts, Nongsa

From top left:, clockwise: Sheila Sim, Germaine Fraser, Ho Ching Lin, Nellie Lim, Michelle Hon, Tjin Lee, Audrey Tan, Jessica Tham, Amanda Leong, Samantha Chan, Gidania Wong, Norfasarie Binte Mohd Yahya, Cordelia Low

Middle Row, from left: Joycelyn Chua, Kimberly Tan, May Chua, Wanting Wang, Roxanne Gan, Sabrina Tan, Regina Chow, — From top left:, clockwise: Sheila Sim, Germaine Fraser, Ho Ching Lin, Nellie Lim, Michelle Hon, Tjin Lee, Audrey Tan, Jessica Tham, Amanda Leong, Samantha Chan, Gidania Wong, Norfasarie Binte Mohd Yahya, Cordelia Low
Middle Row, from left: Joycelyn Chua, Kimberly Tan, May Chua, Wanting Wang, Roxanne Gan, Sabrina Tan, Regina Chow, Cindy Tan and Sarah Cheng
Front Row: Katherine Sng, Sharon Tang and Tay Kewei

Amanda, Samantha, Wanting and May leaving in their buggy for a resort tour.

Just a short 45min ride away from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, the guests arrived at Nongsapura Ferry Terminal and the Montigo staff whisked them away to the resort with express clearance. Arriving at the resort, the mums were warmly greeted with a refreshing drink, towels and traditional dance by local dancers.

5 Pillars of Wellness

For this retreat, the intention was to focus on self-care to help improve mums’ mental, physical and emotional well-being and help them take care of themselves so they could in turn take care of their families.

Social

To fill their social cup, mums had ample time to bond during the activities, and of course, during meals. Hence, they could create meaningful connections with the other mums around them, share their daily challenges and build a supportive community. In turn, these help build emotional resilience, improve communication, and increase self-esteem.

Over the next 36 hours, they tried the best cuisine Montigo Resort, Nongsa had to offer.

Warung Montigo

Daphne Maria of Skin Inc introducing the five pillars of wellness to the guests.

Michelle shared, "We just had our lunch at Warung, and it was absolutely delicious."

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Toasting to a restful wellness retreat weekend ahead.

First, they sampled Warung Montigo’s local Indonesian cuisine, featuring traditional familial recipes from the Riau Islands and beyond. A brigade of local chefs prepared these dishes, including gado gado, a blanced vegetable salad with peanut sauce and Ayam Pangang Berempah, roast chicken with complementary side dishes.

Dinner Under the Stars at Panoramic

Table arrangements and decor at Panoramic for dinner.

Under these chafing dishes were Nongsa Fried Rice, Fried Noodles, butter mixed vegetables, roasted sweet potato and corn on the cob. Some favourites included the fresh grilled lobster, and tender beef steak.

Additionally, dessert options included baked cheese cake, creme brulee, fruit tarts, lemon cakes, chocolate cakes, brownies, ondeh ondeh, choux, and sliced fruit.

Sabrina, founder of Skin Inc, Leny Suparman, group CEO of KOP Properties, and Gidania, co-founder of Mummyfique

Cheryl, Kewei, Sabrina, Sharon, May, Gidania, Wanting and Sheila

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Next was dinner under the stars at Panoramic, with views of the ocean and Singapore in the distance, accompanied by live music. Added surprises included fireworks and guests were also treated to impromptu performances by homegrown singers Kewei, Sarah and Norfasarie.

Breakfast at TADD's

Guests started their second day with a breakfast buffet spread at poolside restaurant TADD’s, serving local and international favourites. Some examples include homemade pastries, bircher muesli, or the live cooking stations serving up Mee Soto and roti prata. Rounding up this spread are fresh pressed juices, the nourishing traditional Indonesian herbal tonic jamu, barista-made coffees and teas.

Exclusive Lunch at Hinotori

Sabrina, Leny, Tjin, Ching Lin and Gidania

Sydney, Cindy, Katherine, Jessica, Roxanne, Cordelia, Audrey and Regina

Sabrina and Leny thanking guests for coming on this wellness retreat.

The interior of Hinotori, Montigo Resorts, Nongsa's newest Japanese restaurant with Kimono ceilings. The restaurant seats 45 people, with private dining for 12.

Guests had the exclusive privilege of being the first ones to try the Japanese izakaya cuisine at Hinotori. One of the dishes in the lunch menu: potato salad, mango tartare and crispy sushi. Other dishes included tuna crudo, dragon and soft shell sushi rolls, all paired together with cocktails like Japanese Slipper or Sencha Gin Tonic.

Toasting to having lunch at the brand new Hinotori.

Sabrina, Kewei, Sharon, May, Leny, Wanting, Brie and Germaine posing against the sakura tree backdrop.

Guests were also the first to try the newest addition to Montigo’s portfolio of dining options, Hinotori. This contemporary Japanese izakaya is set within a cliffside mirrored jewel box that overlooks the South China Sea.

Emotional - Journaling and Mindfulness Workshop

As for emotional wellness, the workshop aimed to help mums build their resilience, learning healthy ways to cope with difficulties. Examples of these include practicing gratitude every day, learning from mistakes and seeing challenging situations as opportunities for growth.

The workshop included some self-care tips for mums like Michelle

Guests received a 2024 Gratitude planner from Hey Revel, designed by GML Gallery, and a DIY perfume kit at the Journaling and Mindfulness Workshop. The planner helps mums not only keep track of all their activities, but also helps them manage their emotions and hold boundaries. Image credit: Cindy Tan

Germaine pouring the fragrance into her scent bottle.

Sydney and Audrey posing at the workshop

To help mums with their emotional wellness, mums learned useful self-care tips in a journaling and mindfulness session that included a DIY scents workshop to harness the benefits of essential oils.

Spiritual - Art Therapy through Tie Dying

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Ching Lin and Tjin with matching tie-dye shirts

Norfasarie preferred to stick to a cohesive colour scheme with yellows, oranges and reds.

Amanda's tie-dye shirt with a watercolour effect.

Next, guests tried their hands at tie-dying to create a unique memento for themselves and their families. Art therapy is shown to help increase serotonin, but improving blood flow to the part of the brain associated with pleasure. Additionally, it can help foster new ways of thinking. Other benefits include lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression, while providing inspiration and pride in their work, boosting self-esteem and confidence.

Massage for Overall Wellness

Guests also enjoyed a pampering 60 minute massage at the award-winning Montigo Wellness Sanctuary, choosing from Indonesian, Montigo or Thai massages. Be spoilt for choice in the single or couple suites or in the authentic Sumatran hut for group massages. Nestled in the tranquil forest, close to the beach, the sound of the waves will be your personal soundtrack during the pampering session.

Regina said, “Grateful for the thoughtfully planned massage session that all of us mummies absolutely need!” She added that she fell asleep soon after the massage began.