One of a Singapore local’s favorite things to do is a spooky night tour. Shutterstock/Athpol In Singapore’s fast-paced culture, there’s always something new to see or do. A local’s list of must-do activities ranges from unique local tours to haunted theme parks.
Visit Insider’s hub for travel guides, tips, and recommendations. As a country, Singapore is extremely fast-paced. We’re constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve in everything we do, including the fun stuff.
That’s why there’s always something new to do or see here, whether it’s a special art exhibition, an exciting pop-up food fair, or a newly opened billion-dollar attraction that took years to plan and build. As a local, I like that getting out and doing things doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Depending on what sort of experience you’re after, sometimes you can fill your itinerary with visits to historic sites and fun activities that are all free.
Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy the sights and sounds of Singapore. Go hiking or bird-watching. Enjoy the outdoors at the Sungei Buloh wetland reserve.
Shutterstock/Danny YeHiking in land-scarce Singapore isn’t the same as hiking the Appalachian Trail, but we refer to it as hiking nonetheless. With immense amounts of greenery, we have some lovely routes and parks. As a birdwatcher and nature lover, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a personal favorite of mine.
It’s Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park and a major stopover point for migratory birds, some of which come from as far as the Himalayas and Siberia — like the Mongolian plover and the common sandpiper. Local species can also be found in the reserve. I’ve seen white-bellied sea eagles nesting high up in local trees, and you can catch them in action hunting for breakfast at the reserve’s Eagle Point.
Another reason folks drop by Sungei Buloh is to try and spot crocodiles. There are signs all over, warning the public to keep an eye out for them, but I find them an uncommon sight these days. Another hiking spot to add to your list is Clementi Forest.
This one’s somewhat new, having been “discovered” during the pandemic, and unlike other green spaces in Singapore like MacRitchie Reservoir or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Clementi Forest doesn’t have any official trails. You simply follow the routes that have formed in the ground over time from other hikers who have come and gone. A popular entry point is located right by a bus stop opposite Ngee Ann Polytechnic, a local college, and once you get to the main part of the trail, you’ll be greeted with lush greenery and towering trees.
Nothing maintained or manicured here — just a wild forest and, if it’s been raining, lots of mud. Get here around 7 a. m.
for the best sunrise views and photos. Explore the Katong/Joo Chiat neighborhood. Filled to the brim with modern cafes and traditional dining, the Katong/Joo Chiat neighborhood has it all.
Nicole Descalsota for InsiderFor a tiny nation, Singapore has many distinct, lively neighborhoods. Each one is different, and there are even cultural precincts dedicated to ethnic groups: Chinatown, the Chinese cultural precinct; Little India, the Indian cultural precinct; Kampong Glam, the Malay cultural precinct; and Katong/Joo Chiat, the Eurasian precinct. My pick is Katong/Joo Chiat for its eclectic mix of modern cafés like Common Man Coffee Roasters — a great lunch spot — traditional dining places like Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, gorgeous shophouses like those on Koon Seng Road, and the precinct’s proximity to East Coast Beach.
There’s something about Katong/Joo Chiat that makes me feel like I don’t need to go anywhere else. It’s got a little bit of everything, and I love how all the things to see and do are close together, making it perfect if you want to spend the day exploring the area. And if you want to stay overnight, there’s an abundance of boutique hotels.
Enjoy culinary and visual feasts in the Tiong Bahru neighborhood. The Tiong Bahru Food Center houses several hawker creations, including prawn noodles, chicken rice, and chwee kueh. Marielle Descalsota for InsiderMy second vote for best neighborhood in Singapore goes to Tiong Bahru, the nation’s oldest housing estate that is now beloved by hipsters.
Art-deco buildings pepper the streets, as do trendy cafés like Tiong Bahru Bakery — whose Kouign Amann is a must-try dish — and Plain Vanilla Bakery — which serves the best cupcakes I’ve ever had. If you do decide to wander around the district, look out for the cool street art. Many of these murals illustrate different facets of Singapore, from our past to our present, like Bird Singing Corner at 61 Seng Poh Lane by Yip Yew Chong, a local artist.
Other neighborhood highlights include Tiong Bahru Food Center for incredible hawker creations like prawn noodles, chicken rice, and chwee kueh — steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish — and the quaint Qi Tian Gong Temple, a one-of-a-kind religious site dedicated to a Taoist deity, the Monkey God. Marvel at architectural wonders. Travel back in time to vintage Singapore at People’s Park Complex in Chinatown.
Marielle Descalsota for InsiderThe Lion City is a photographer’s dream. From birds to man-made attractions like Gardens by the Bay, the list of subjects to shoot is endless. But if architecture is your thing, visit neighborhoods like Clarke Quay and Chinatown to strike more than one cool building off your list.
First up we have the Hill Street Building, aka the Old Hill Street Police Station. This national monument is known for its colorful windows: All 927 of them are painted in the shades of the rainbow. Cross the Coleman Bridge that spans the Singapore River and you’ll find yourself closer to Chinatown.
Here you can find two architectural wonders: Parkroyal Collection Pickering and People’s Park Complex. The former is a hotel designed to emulate a garden — the firm behind the space calls it “topographical architecture” — with visible layers of contoured concrete that are overrun with greenery, and the latter, which is seven minutes away by foot, gives you an idea of how Singapore’s old structures look with the high-rise green-and-yellow mega-complex at the heart of it all. Sign up for a not-so-ordinary tour.
Through Oriental Tours, you can hunt for ghosts through parks and cemeteries in Singapore. Oriental ToursTours can be off-putting, especially for seasoned travelers who shy away from tourist traps, but believe me when I say The Creepy Tales of Singapore is an exception. Run by Oriental Tours, the experience dives into the grim side of Singapore’s past with World War II stories.
You get your own ghost-hunting gear — tools like EMF detectors and dowsing rods — and look for spooky spirits in rumored-to-be-haunted places like Labrador Park and Bukit Brown Cemetery. See spooky exhibits at Haw Par Villa. Take a peak inside Chinese history and folklore at the eerie Haw Par Villa.
Journeys Pte Ltd (Management of Haw Par Villa)On a similar level, there’s a place so special in Singapore that I recommend every single visitor pop by if they want to see something different. Haw Par Villa is our very own nightmarish cultural park. Here you’ll find over 1,000 statues and giant dioramas depicting outlandish and horrific scenes from Chinese history and folklore.
There’s a special section of the park, Hell’s Museum, dedicated to the 10 Courts of Hell, which details various punishments for sinners in the afterlife. The 80s kids who grew up in Singapore know Haw Par Villa as the place our parents brought us to in order to “teach us a lesson,” but today, I look back at it with fond memories. It’s best to sign up for a tour (there’s one for Hell’s Museum specifically as well) because without one, you may not have as much cultural context to truly appreciate the exhibits.
For things that are scarier than ghosts and myths, refer to the underworld, but the kind with criminals. There are tours that cover this side of Singapore, which is shocking, seeing as how Singapore has strict laws for pretty much anything and everything you can think of (did you know walking around naked in your own home is an offense? Well, now you do). See Singapore’s legalized red-light district.
The main road in Geylang, Singapore’s legal red-light district. Marielle Descalsota/InsiderHosted by Citizen Adventures, I highly recommend the Geylang Adventures tour which brings you around Geylang, the only legalized red-light district in Singapore. I live in Geylang, and I can say that even though it’s notorious, it’s a highly misunderstood neighborhood that is slowly evolving due to gentrification.
During Geylang Adventures, you’ll explore alleyways and walk through dodgy areas, all while learning about social and environmental issues that impact underrepresented groups like foreign workers and sex workers. Take a tour through Chinatown led by ex-convicts. Triad Trails is the first of its kind: a guided walk around Chinatown led by ex-offenders.
Listen closely as they tell you about past lives — their own as well as Singapore’s — unearthing secrets involving gangs, secret societies, drugs, and crime. If you’re a true-crime junkie, don’t miss this one. Shop ’til you drop at malls and markets.
Check out Little India’s Mustafa Center for any and all of your shopping needs. Nicole Descalsota for InsiderOrchard Road is world-famous for its shopping — the strip is the place to be for glitzy malls and high-end brands. Go for ION Orchard and Paragon if labels like Gucci and Saint Laurent are your holy grail, but also look around spaces like In Good Company at ION Orchard B1-06 and Design Orchard at 250 Orchard Road for local threads and accessories.
If you prefer more affordable retail therapy, visit Haji Lane in Kampong Glam. This lane is filled with indie stores housing nifty finds — think vintage bags and affordable jewelry. Once done shopping, sit down at one of the many bars nearby for a much-deserved drink.
Bargain hunters and those who love variety should visit IMM in Jurong — Singapore’s largest outlet mall with more than 90 stores offering up to 80% discounts all year long — or Mustafa Center in Little India, a huge shopping mall open 24/7 selling everything you can think of, from electronics and clothes to groceries and fragrances. View Insider’s comprehensive guide to visiting Singapore. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/things-to-do-in-singapore-best-activities
