My first thought was of highly social and adorable rodents enjoying a soak in the water when I heard the name “Capybara Bathing”. However, it is actually the name of an Australian wellness brand that debuted its first international studio on Tras Street in February, and embodies community like these semi-aquatic mammals do.
Capybara Bathing opened its first Surrey Hills studio in April 2024, located near Sydney’s CBD in Australia. Like its outpost here, it offers similar facilities such as a hot stone sauna, steam room, hot benches, a mineral pool, and the cold plunge.
Its trademark concept of slow, social bathing rituals sets it apart from other bathhouses and cold plunge concepts in Singapore. “Unlike more private wellness experiences, our bathhouse is designed to be communal. This allows people to move through a shared environment, sit alongside each other, and participate in shared rituals such as sound bath sessions or the Aufguss [German for “infusion”].
“In Aufguss, Nordic traditions, heat, crushed ice, scent, music, and towel swinging come together with guided breath and meditation. This is an uplifting ritual for the body and mind,” says Nicole Chew, the Singaporean partner and director of Capybara Bathing. The company was founded by a six-person Australian team consisting of designers, ceramic artists, and spa enthusiasts: Natalie Cheung; Rebecca Qin and Daegeon Song of the pottery studio Project Snail; and Justin Lo, Nicholas Souksamrane, and Sebastian Tsang of the Sydney architectural practice Studio Blek. Cheung and Qin oversee operations in Australia, while Chew and Benz Tang, also a partner and director, were recruited to set up and run the Tras Street studio.
Lo and his Studio Blek team were responsible for the outpost’s minimalist design and interiors. In addition, Singapore-based Plunt.co’s landscaping design contributed to the bathhouse’s inviting, cosy atmosphere, while handcrafted pieces throughout the space came from local pottery studio Mud Rock Ceramics.
I checked into Capybara Bathing Singapore last month with two friends and began my bathhouse journey at the steam room, where the thick, warm mist embraced me like a soothing cocoon. It melted away the muscle tension from an intense workout earlier that day, in just 10 minutes.
After rehydrating with complimentary barley tea, we headed for the hot stone sauna for 15 minutes. The rich, woody aroma of cedar filled the air, and the heat, hovering between 85 and 90 deg C, felt purifying, promising a radiant glow that seemed to seep into the skin.
Having warmed up, we were ready for the three-minute cold plunge—six to eight deg C! The tingling cold was painful at first, but once I’d eased myself in, the sensation became mood-lifting. Last but not least, the 38- to 40-deg C mineral bath was a treat for the senses. Afterwards, we relaxed in the Nordic-inspired hot lounge (Singapore’s first) to unwind on the warm bench with a refreshing ice scrub.
The spatial design was intended to bring guests through zones of compression and release, according to Chew. “The smaller, more personal spaces are followed by the open, larger social spaces distinguished by their textures and the colours of finishes. The user can move between these at their own pace.” she explains.
Chew aims to provide an environment where one can disconnect from external distractions and reconnect with oneself. This is an opportunity many of us rarely allow or feel hesitant to embrace, she adds. To enhance this experience, Capybara Bathing Singapore offers bespoke programming, including sound, movement, meditation, aroma, and guided recovery.
As an example, guests can participate in a 15-minute Soak in Sound session in the mineral pool every Friday, where sound vibrations quiet the mind and invite the body to rest.
Also, each month, Meiyan Cheong-Lawrence, the studio’s manager, conducts Flow & Soak, which includes her 45-minute vinyasa flow yoga class followed by a 75-minute bathing session with a sound bath in the hot mineral pool and the Aufguss to help guests unwind and reclaim their rhythm.
“Yoga has had a quiet but profound influence on how I have approached my well-being over the last 15 years,” muses Chew. “It taught me that ritual doesn’t need to be complicated and that it’s about consistency, awareness, and the way you show up to a moment. Adding a bathhouse ritual just makes it all the more rejuvenating.”
