I was previously in Singapore for the Great Singapore Sale. One of our favourite shopping centres while we were there was Tangs Singapore which had some really fantastic deals. One of their great deals was a little mini pampering session if you spend S$100 and above on a single receipt. You get to choose from 3 different pampering options – a 15 minute head and shoulder massage, an express manicure service or a 10 minute Garra Rufa experience!

The Garra Rufa fish were provided by a popular fish spa – Kampong Fish Therapy that specialise in spa treatments by the famous “Doctor Fish”. Recently opened, it has proved to be tremendously popular with the locals who flock there to have the dead skin on their feet nibbled away by little Garra Rufa fish.

The Doctor Fish were kept in a little aquarium and there were quite a number of them inside the clear water. They were small and slender fish with sucker like mouths which looked very different from the tilapia type fish I encountered in Kenko Fish Spa. When I put my fingers into the water, the little fish immediately headed for my fingers and I could feel a strong sucking sensation as they nibbled away.

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Look at how they went for my fingers!

There is a slight pins and needles feeling combined with a ticklish feeling when you initially put your hand in. However, it feels quite comfortable after a while and it is really fascinating to watch the Gara Rufa fish swarming around your hands.

The fish were so attached to my fingers that they didn’t let go, even when I lifted my fingers and the fish close to the surface of the water! The Doctor Fish only let go of its sucking grip on my fingers after I lifted them out of the water. My fingers did feel smoother even with that short experience and it certainly felt cleaner!

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This, folks, is a real Garra Rufa fish!

I noticed that most of the Garra Rufa fish tend to lie quietly towards the bottom of the tank whenever they were not “in service”. They usually only became really excited if someone places a hand into the water and they very quickly rush to nibble the dead skin away.

The Kampong Fish Spa provides the following services at the following prices:

  • Hand (30 mins) – S$28
  • Feet (30 mins) – S$38
  • Hand & Feet (30 mins each) – S$60
  • Body – $58

They are available at 275 Thomson Road, Novena Ville #01-06.

Do try them for an interesting fishy experience!