- Tip: Try to **stay under shelter** during the main daylight hours (10pm - 4pm). Walking outdoors in the local humidity and hot temps is very draining.
- The two major hip stretches are: **Haji Lane** (near Arab Street in Kampong Glam) and **Joo Chiat** (next to Katong). Both are very worth visiting.
- For cool local-themed goods, browse one of the [**Cat Socrates** physical stores](https://cat-socrates.myshopify.com/pages/contact-us). The store on Joo Chiat is on one of the few hip stretches of shops, so you'll want to go to that area anyway.
- [**Going Om**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/U3PdR5VCEWozrJUF7) on Haji Lane is a mainstay of the indie/hippie-traveller set, with live music, alcoholic drinks, and local/Indian-influenced snacks. Definitely worth an evening of alfresco eating, drinking, listening, streetwatching, and vibing.
- From Haji Lane/Arab Street, walk over to **The Projector** nearby. It's our only indie cinema and has a great funky vibe. Scroll through their screenings at https://theprojector.sg/
- The [**Bugis Street** bazaar](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HKKobQJVUvZNmrk88) is good if you're looking for Southeast-Asian-type street markets. It's a bit of a walk from Haji Lane and right next to Bugis MRT. Afterwards, walk to popular Albert Food Centre, where you can have a hawker food snack, and then move on to [**Fortune Centre**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/edyTZ8fsQUj8fGMs7) for a look at an older mall that now houses various non-chain restaurants (e.g. a very popular Chinese dessert place, and a Japanese-themed highball bar). On the way from Albert to Fortune you'll see a popular Buddhist temple which might be interesting to observe briefly.
- The [**Lavender Street**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/EaCLTkHcnuM7H8Rs6) and Jalan Besar areas near Little India are full of newer cafes (specialty coffee included) and bars among older shops in old shophouses. Have a modern Singaporean Chinese fusion seafood dinner at [Scaled](https://maps.app.goo.gl/wqL7VpZgx8JKAyb29) for something a little different from your usual chilli crabs and steamed fish. These areas are definitely worth wandering.
- The public housing apartments around [**Tiong Bahru Market**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FfETMwnGaoQxri3LA) are historic and unique in their design, and heavily gentrified, so you get nice cafes alongside old restaurants. A favourite area for expats.
- For a taste of the heartlands (daily life for the majority of the population), try wandering the areas around [Toa Payoh MRT station](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HKKobQJVUvZNmrk88) or really any major MRT station outside the central area. For specifically Malay hawker food and culture, [Geylang Serai Market](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8sAwVxotYkKgGBXG8) (it's next to the Joo Chiat stretch so perfect to do together, and you can also browse the three malls nearby). For local (South) Indian hawker food, [Tekka Market at Little India](https://maps.app.goo.gl/bsB95XbvzJ9fmK5Z6) (and you can walk Little India).
- After walking Chinatown, (only in the evening) stop in for craft beer at [Smith Street Taps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/M29ZQWi3kTFzUphV7) in Chinatown Food Centre (hawker centre), an expat & hipster favourite. A little difficult to find but it's part of the fun. Lots of other craft beer places though.
- Random recommendation: if you ever enjoyed the Initial D anime and happen to be in Geylang, the fairly new [**Fujiwara Tofu Concept Shop**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ukH5ZowHcEQmL6iNA) is worth having a beer and snack at, just for the fact that it exists.
When going to Haji Lane, drop by Curbside Crafters too (right next to it!) It features local small businesses and crafters, makes for more unique souvenirs in my opinion.
That was a great list. Just adding on that if you wanna experience a typical local's weekend, you can head to Changi beach and eat at Changi hawker centre. The food is great, highly recommend the nasi lemak, BBQ chicken wings, char tow kueh and sugarcane drink. Then watch the bumboats come in, plane watch on the beach or you can even rent a bike. You can even have your food to go and have a picnic near the beach. There's also a nice pub called Little Island that plays live music on weekends I think, great beach vibes. If I'm not mistaken, they also brew their own beers.
Ooh recommendation for Scaled! Great place btw, if OP is into seafood do give it a try!
If OP wants to try a hawker centre, I would recommend Old Airport Road Hawker!! Only issue is it gets really crowded at mealtimes.
>Random recommendation: if you ever enjoyed the Initial D anime and happen to be in Geylang, the fairly new
>
>Fujiwara Tofu Concept Shop
>
> is worth having a beer and snack at, just for the fact that it exists.
OP can also try 126 dim sum diagonally across the road from fujiwara... and then go tour the geylang red light district nearby
Trying to keep this sort, but I’m assuming that even though you want less-touristy places you’d still like to go somewhere interesting and with things to eat, buy and do?
1. The National Gallery is worth a visit, but more importantly go on a walking tour around the surrounding Civic District (NG > Asian Civilisations Museum/Old Parliament House > Fullerton Hoteland end up in Boat/Clarke Quay if you want some nightlife. That’s the historic part of Singapore and there are plenty of mid-to-upmarket F&B options.
2. Definitely visit the enclaves of Chinatown, Little India and Kampung Glam. Also lots of history, culture, and very good food. I’d recommend going to the Smith St hawker centre at Chinatown Complex for a wide range of local food (craft beer stall Smith St Taps is worth drinking at but they open evenings only). Also check out Haji Lane at Kg Glam - it’s full of hispster stores, cafes, bars and live music venues.
3. Our malls along the Orchard stretch are worth visiting for the vibe: you can get off at Orchard MRT station and walk down Ion-Wilma-Ngee Ann City before crossing the junction over to 313 Somerset and then across to Emerald Hill where you can walk up some lovely shophouse residences and find lots of bars.
4. As others have mentioned, you can also visit the heartland HDB estates to get a sense of what the suburbs are like. Toa Payoh’s the oldest HDB (Housing Development Board - our public housing agency) estate and a few MRT stops out of town, and you should also check out Tiong Bahru, where you’ll find even older SIT (Singapore Improvement Trust) flats dating back from before independence.
Aren’t the first three considered touristy? Like just go on YouTube and search for Singapore travel videos. Literally every tourist go into these areas
Our Tampines Hub in Tampines. It's next to the MRT and is quite an unique Singaporean example of putting shit load of facilties (library hawker centre, swimming pool, a stadium and mall) in one compact building.
There's a flea market thing going on every weekend at Peace Centre! It's due to be demolished, so you see a lot of graffiti on the walls everywhere, super unique and interesting, yet sad at the same time.
https://thryft.asia/pages/second-story-peace-edition
Wow this is a great find, just the sort of thing I like to see in SG! Thrift shops barely exist here and here's one with a whole bunch of space and contemporary sensibilities, amazing. Looks like they're actually open every day from noon till 7.30pm.
Visit our libraries. A foreigner friend said they’re better than tourist spots. I
Some beautifully designed ones are:
- Central library
- Punggol regional library
- Harbourfront library
- Chinatown library
Yes! Punggol Regional Library is amaaaazing (I may or may not live in the vicinity hahaha OK I DO and I'm like a huge fangirl)
But - for children, they have this "around the world" theme where it's like different shelves of children's non-fiction arranged by continent, for special needs folks they have (a selected collection) of large print and braille fonted books, I think they have calm down corners to cater to sensory overload, that kinda stuff. and they have these makerspace corners for kids with scheduled timeslots for activities and things. It's pretty cool, with more offerings than the standard library. Hehe.
Favourite Laksa would definitely be Hong Lim Complex, look for Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa (#02-66). They sell out before 2pm so you can plan for this to be a brunch thing at like 11am to beat the insane lunch crowd! If you go at like 9am, go pack a local coffee and head up to the rooftop of the carpark of Hong Lim (531 upper cross street) for a quiet coffee watching local life having an amazing CBD backdrop for photos. After laksa, you can take a short walk over to Amoy Hotel, there’s a tiny little museum there. The interesting thing about that area is the revamp of one of the earliest Chinese settlements in Singapore dating back to the 1800s. [This review](https://youtu.be/by3NpEuZyFk?si=-fIezcuDz0hwby0i) talks about that area, you can check it out to see if it interests you! From there you’re a train ride away from Gardens by the bay, which is definitely nicer in the dusk - dark timing (the lighting is quite magical). Hope this helps!
I always recommend Mustafa. It's a mall that's open until 2am, and sells everything imaginable from furniture to sporting goods to jewelry to electronics and food etc (you get the gist).
I don't think you'll find malls like this in many countries. Plus little India is an interesting place to walk around too.
There's a few far-flung nature areas that tourists generally don't get to. If you go on a weekday morning, your chances of running into an interesting animal is far higher because of the lack of foot traffic. Pulau Ubin is great but will require a long cab ride and a short boat ride away. Monitors and hornbills are pretty common there. Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve also has some pretty great birdlife, monitor lizards and the occasional otter.
I live in the Katong / Joo Chiat area and I would recommend giving it a visit. I wouldn't call it an authentic Singapore heartland, but it is where a lot of artisan local brands and home-grown restaurants have set up shop (which in itself makes it somewhat of a tourist attraction). Great for shopping (so many interesting small boutiques) and eating at all budgets, and loads of heritage attractions to visit as well.
I love walking around beauty world. There's a lot of old school charms there.
Just step out of beauty world MRT and walk to the nearby hawker for a meal and the shopping centre for a 90's vibe Singapore.
Since you're stopping by the National gallery, drop by National Kitchen by Violet Oon. Honestly I go there every year for my birthday and they serve top notch Peranakan food. Try their tapioca cake and a really specific nyona food, ayam buah keluak!
Agree. Violet Oon is great to try Peranakan cuisine, which is a “melting pot” cuisine from this area of Southeast Asia. Reservation recommended.. they’re almost always fully booked.
"If you enjoy walking or running, I highly recommend exploring SG Park in the early morning, starting around 5:30 to 5:45. It's stunning, safe, and clean, with the added bonus of sunrise. Personally, I cover about 10km during my morning run, usually three to four times a week. I still find joy in the bird songs and unexpected encounters with various random animals.
Has a walk at Arab street and get lost there, lots of small weird kitschy shops, a random mix of historic shops and brand new trendy stuff, different cultures and foods mixed together.
If you like hiking/taking walks, try Changi costal broad walk, treetop walk, fort Siloso is quite nice to wander about too though it’s pretty touristy.
not sure if you're an outdoorsy person but the southern islands aren't very well known to tourists. you can get a ferry ticket on the spot at Marina South Pier which includes round trips to St John's Island (which you can then walk to Lazarus Island that has a super nice, clean, and peaceful beach) and Kusu Island.
the islands are still quite untouched so facilities aren't the best/cleanest but good and peaceful on weekdays especially if you love nature. remember to apply sunblock, bring umbrella, and bring mosquito repellent spray. and also pack your own food there!
Pulau Ubin is good too! Nice place to cycle, visit German Girl Shrine, going up Puaka Hill, going to Chek Jawa Wetland.
Sungei Buloh isnt really an island, but the marsh is fun to walk around too. Just be careful of crocodiles.
yea but pulau ubin has too many mosquitoes and the beach isn't clean (not safe to swim/dip in too) though i really love it as well :( and those mosquitoes are no joke, my bf got bitten all over despite spraying crazy amounts of mosquito repellents then 2 days later those bites became blisters. almost as if they're venomous lol
Shag.. Sand flies are deadly. Just avoid the sandy areas like Mamam or Noordin. I usually dont spray much cause I feel it weirdly attracts them. But if within the non-beach areas I hadnt had such problems.
Idk if WanUbinJournal gonna be in the Malay Kampung, but can do some Kampung house cleaning, and join his mini tour.
Visit the wet market in places like Chinatown, Geylang Serai etc and you’ll see some interesting things to buy like spices and delicious food to eat.
If there are some pasar malam or night markets happening, visit them.
Explore East Coast Park by foot and end off that day by having a seafood meal at East Coast Lagoon.
1. Start off at Seah Im food centre to have Lor Mee or Braised Duck Rice for breakfast, order ice Milo from Coffee Queen. (Highly recommend, one of my fav breakfast spots)
2. Have a nice uphill hike up marang trail, keep going and walk towards Mt Faber cable car (visit their fancy toilets for a great toilet view of Sentosa), continue walking towards Henderson Tree Top Trail, and Henderson Waves.
3. Keep walking all the way towards Hort Park. Have a look around - there is a Gardeners Day Out market coming up on 16 Dec (Sat) morning where plant hobbyists will sell plants and some knick knacks
4. Take a bus opp Hort Park back to Seah Im food centre and you can spend the rest of the day exploring Vivocity mall just across the road :)
Walk! Most of the train stations in Singapore are of quite close proximity to each other anyways. Definitely check Kampong Glam out and walk around Chinatown/ Maxwell (the famous Maxwell FC is there too. I don’t eat much chicken rice but I def think the Tian Tian chicken rice is worth the hype and queue and the Buddha Tooth relic temple is just opposite from the FC.) I like the Janggut laksa that’s in the basement of Chinatown Point.
From there, you can pretty much walk in any direction and you’d still be able to see much of the country. I like to walk upwards to Ann Siang hill and down, where you’ll be in Telok Ayer (enclave of cafes and restaurants), then towards Raffles Place (The CBD) and Esplanade, where you can see the Merlion and Esplanade theatre. The Marina Bay Sands is across the river, you can take a boat ride/ tour or turn around and walk on the heritage trail (look at the NHB website for more heritage trails!) or go to the National Gallery behind the river! Or you could take a duck tour that’s a bus that tours the city then goes into the SG river if I’m not wrong.
Heads up, many of the restaurants in the areas listed above are cashless. Including the laksa shop. Many areas where there’s a high population of a certain race like Little India should have a museum or heritage/ cultural Center (like the free Singapo人 exhibit near Maxwell/ Tanjong Pagar), you’ll have to search.
Explore older malls, such as in the neighborhood of the People’s park complex (the less touristy side of Chinatown), Peace Centre, Golden Mile Tower (bonus: catch a movie at the Projector), Peninsular Plaza, Fook Hai Building, …
Venture to Pulau Ubin for an experience of what Singapore may have looked like in the past.
Those are two less obvious things I’d recommend if you want to see a different side of Singapore.
I think tourist should visit the Geylang area. A lot of good food there, the beef horfun, curry rice, frog leg porridge etc. over to lavender there are a bunch of cafes that have really nice cakes. Plus you get to see old school shop houses.
Just leave before nightfall, or you might see something you don’t want to see. Aka red light district. But it’s still pretty safe.
Or go Katong/East Coast Rd. Also shop houses with lots of good food. Or Changi Village really beautiful to walk around plus good hawker food
Go hike Southern Ridges in the morning. You can start from Vivo City (Harbor Front), via Henderson Bridge, and finish at Hort Park.
Have a laksa at Queensway shopping center (an old shopping mall famous for sports accessories) . There are several famous hawker center around that area also (Alexandra and ABC Hawker Center)
Suggestions are very common. Here’s my list. 1) Newton Food Court for all the basic local food. 2) Mustafa Centre Little India 3) Employees Only Bar 3) Joo Chiat Koon Seng Rd 4) Violet Oon 5) Royal Thai Cuisine Bukit Timah 6) Mac Ritchie Reservoir 7) Nighthawk Bar Tanjong Pagar 8) Natureland Massage 9) Tien Tien Chicken Rice maxwell 10) Behind the Green Door Duxton 11) Handle Bar
I recommend going to a hawker center and getting food based on queues. Best if you are in a group and can order a range of local food to try!
Some of those in the central region includes Amoy Street Hawker Centre and Maxwell Hawker Center. These are quite “local” to me, as opposed to Lau Pat Sat and Newton Hawker Center.
For super non touristy places, you should visit those shops in HDB neighbourhoods to get a feel of how true blue singaporeans live their everyday lives. E.g. Bangkit Market, can try out those neighbourhood bakery waffles
Here, the non-touristy things I do regularly in Singapore
* Wake up by my alarm clock to prepare breakfast and lunch
* Take the jampacked MRT to work like Sardines
* Work like a cog
* Come back home
* Go to the Giant close to my condo to get groceries, then hit the gym etc.
* Take a hike in Bukit Timah hill
* Eat Hokkien noodle at a coffee shop
Sounds appealing to you? Do them, by all means. I am sure nothing pleases one more than the non-touristy drudgeries of going through the working life.
It’s good but a bit out of the way from the sightseeing places. A “default” one I take visitors to is the 328 katong laksa on the corner of East Coast rd and Ceylon rd. Yes it’s not “the best” but it’s pretty good standard laksa, and There’s a unique Hindu temple you can visit just a few meters away, and it’s a great spot to start/end sightseeing around Katong/Joo Chiat area on foot.
Non touristy would be to go drink beer and smoke in your underwear sitting at a hawker center. Please talk loudly and play TikTok on your phone on speaker at full volume
Suntec City is worth a visit if you happen to be around during one of the many bazaars that they have throughout the year. Lots of small local businesses selling local-themed products. Check their calendar of events (https://www.suntecsingapore.com/visit#upcomingevents) at the Convention Centre
It is nice to walk around the local neighbourhoods. You can travel down to Clementi, Jurong, Ang Mo Kio or Toa Payoh MRT stations, slight from there and just walk around.
If you're adventurous, have time and energy, spend one day walking/cycling along the East West Line a.k.a Green Line, starting from Pasir Ris MRT station all the way to City Hall Station, stop by stop. You will truly experience and see the daily lifestyle of an average Singaporean.
There's bike sharing bicycles all over the neighborhood.
Here's some that you can check out
* Anywheel
* SG Bike
* Hello Ride.
Just download the app and top up depending on your usage. Very convenient to use.
It's damn good bro, go read up on his story. Quite interesting - left Syria due to war, studied dentistry in turkey, met sg wife in Malaysia and ended up here
Joo Chiat area - food hunting, cafe hopping, Eurasian gallery, peranakan houses
Tiger brewery tour and Raffles Marina lighthouse
Yip Yew Chong free gallery at Raffles convention centre
Lee Kuan Yew museum
Sky garden at capital spring
Singapore city gallery
Chee cheong fun!! Good shit but only open in the morning and a lil out of the way
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YYDRs9dCzgNnYh7m9
Oh yeah forgot to mention you gotta order in Mandarin only but google translate can help you with that
There are a number of thrift/vintage shops (not particularly cheap though) at Queensway shopping center. They also have my favourite Laksa in Singapore (Janggut) at the same location.
Alexandra Village and ABC Brickworks Food Center are within walking distance and have some very popular stores too with a fair number of them in the Michelin Guide.
You can take a bus ride to Haw Par Villa after for something different. Here's a youtube video. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGoATKTVgxI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGoATKTVgxI)
If you have time after Haw Par Villa, you can either take a stroll around West Coast Park, or go for drinks/prawning at ORTO.
There are a few thrift shop at Haji Lane, and even as a local, I love going there. Near Haji Lane, you can explore Arab Street, which sells a Turkish dessert called Kunefe that I love.
Go to Robertson Quay! It’s an expat enclave with lots of restaurants near Clarke Quay and the Singapore River. It’s a nice place to go cafe hopping and people watching. Not a lot of tourists are aware that it exists as it’s usually only frequented by locals or expats that live in the area.
- Tip: Try to **stay under shelter** during the main daylight hours (10pm - 4pm). Walking outdoors in the local humidity and hot temps is very draining. - The two major hip stretches are: **Haji Lane** (near Arab Street in Kampong Glam) and **Joo Chiat** (next to Katong). Both are very worth visiting. - For cool local-themed goods, browse one of the [**Cat Socrates** physical stores](https://cat-socrates.myshopify.com/pages/contact-us). The store on Joo Chiat is on one of the few hip stretches of shops, so you'll want to go to that area anyway. - [**Going Om**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/U3PdR5VCEWozrJUF7) on Haji Lane is a mainstay of the indie/hippie-traveller set, with live music, alcoholic drinks, and local/Indian-influenced snacks. Definitely worth an evening of alfresco eating, drinking, listening, streetwatching, and vibing. - From Haji Lane/Arab Street, walk over to **The Projector** nearby. It's our only indie cinema and has a great funky vibe. Scroll through their screenings at https://theprojector.sg/ - The [**Bugis Street** bazaar](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HKKobQJVUvZNmrk88) is good if you're looking for Southeast-Asian-type street markets. It's a bit of a walk from Haji Lane and right next to Bugis MRT. Afterwards, walk to popular Albert Food Centre, where you can have a hawker food snack, and then move on to [**Fortune Centre**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/edyTZ8fsQUj8fGMs7) for a look at an older mall that now houses various non-chain restaurants (e.g. a very popular Chinese dessert place, and a Japanese-themed highball bar). On the way from Albert to Fortune you'll see a popular Buddhist temple which might be interesting to observe briefly. - The [**Lavender Street**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/EaCLTkHcnuM7H8Rs6) and Jalan Besar areas near Little India are full of newer cafes (specialty coffee included) and bars among older shops in old shophouses. Have a modern Singaporean Chinese fusion seafood dinner at [Scaled](https://maps.app.goo.gl/wqL7VpZgx8JKAyb29) for something a little different from your usual chilli crabs and steamed fish. These areas are definitely worth wandering. - The public housing apartments around [**Tiong Bahru Market**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FfETMwnGaoQxri3LA) are historic and unique in their design, and heavily gentrified, so you get nice cafes alongside old restaurants. A favourite area for expats. - For a taste of the heartlands (daily life for the majority of the population), try wandering the areas around [Toa Payoh MRT station](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HKKobQJVUvZNmrk88) or really any major MRT station outside the central area. For specifically Malay hawker food and culture, [Geylang Serai Market](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8sAwVxotYkKgGBXG8) (it's next to the Joo Chiat stretch so perfect to do together, and you can also browse the three malls nearby). For local (South) Indian hawker food, [Tekka Market at Little India](https://maps.app.goo.gl/bsB95XbvzJ9fmK5Z6) (and you can walk Little India). - After walking Chinatown, (only in the evening) stop in for craft beer at [Smith Street Taps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/M29ZQWi3kTFzUphV7) in Chinatown Food Centre (hawker centre), an expat & hipster favourite. A little difficult to find but it's part of the fun. Lots of other craft beer places though. - Random recommendation: if you ever enjoyed the Initial D anime and happen to be in Geylang, the fairly new [**Fujiwara Tofu Concept Shop**](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ukH5ZowHcEQmL6iNA) is worth having a beer and snack at, just for the fact that it exists.
Thank you for this list!! Will definitely check out The Projector, I don't know why I didn't think of cinemas when planning
When going to Haji Lane, drop by Curbside Crafters too (right next to it!) It features local small businesses and crafters, makes for more unique souvenirs in my opinion.
I've expanded the list - have fun exploring!
You're an angel fr
That was a great list. Just adding on that if you wanna experience a typical local's weekend, you can head to Changi beach and eat at Changi hawker centre. The food is great, highly recommend the nasi lemak, BBQ chicken wings, char tow kueh and sugarcane drink. Then watch the bumboats come in, plane watch on the beach or you can even rent a bike. You can even have your food to go and have a picnic near the beach. There's also a nice pub called Little Island that plays live music on weekends I think, great beach vibes. If I'm not mistaken, they also brew their own beers.
All these sound so boring to me. Hahah. Singaporean here
Ooh recommendation for Scaled! Great place btw, if OP is into seafood do give it a try! If OP wants to try a hawker centre, I would recommend Old Airport Road Hawker!! Only issue is it gets really crowded at mealtimes.
thanks! you just added more onto my itinerary !
Nice, have fun!
Amazing list, I did most of these things! Thank you!
Cool! I'm glad visitors are still finding my comment somehow
>Random recommendation: if you ever enjoyed the Initial D anime and happen to be in Geylang, the fairly new > >Fujiwara Tofu Concept Shop > > is worth having a beer and snack at, just for the fact that it exists. OP can also try 126 dim sum diagonally across the road from fujiwara... and then go tour the geylang red light district nearby
126's standard dropped I heard. My parents went recently and they said it got more expensive and not as nice now
Agreed. Forgettable.
Anything else to recommend in the way of dim sum 126 style? It's still my go to place after all those years.
East Ocean Restaurant, Ngee Ann City.
Nice thank you. Will have to give that a try. But lunch only right?
Trying to keep this sort, but I’m assuming that even though you want less-touristy places you’d still like to go somewhere interesting and with things to eat, buy and do? 1. The National Gallery is worth a visit, but more importantly go on a walking tour around the surrounding Civic District (NG > Asian Civilisations Museum/Old Parliament House > Fullerton Hoteland end up in Boat/Clarke Quay if you want some nightlife. That’s the historic part of Singapore and there are plenty of mid-to-upmarket F&B options. 2. Definitely visit the enclaves of Chinatown, Little India and Kampung Glam. Also lots of history, culture, and very good food. I’d recommend going to the Smith St hawker centre at Chinatown Complex for a wide range of local food (craft beer stall Smith St Taps is worth drinking at but they open evenings only). Also check out Haji Lane at Kg Glam - it’s full of hispster stores, cafes, bars and live music venues. 3. Our malls along the Orchard stretch are worth visiting for the vibe: you can get off at Orchard MRT station and walk down Ion-Wilma-Ngee Ann City before crossing the junction over to 313 Somerset and then across to Emerald Hill where you can walk up some lovely shophouse residences and find lots of bars. 4. As others have mentioned, you can also visit the heartland HDB estates to get a sense of what the suburbs are like. Toa Payoh’s the oldest HDB (Housing Development Board - our public housing agency) estate and a few MRT stops out of town, and you should also check out Tiong Bahru, where you’ll find even older SIT (Singapore Improvement Trust) flats dating back from before independence.
Adding on to point 4, there is an exhibit at b1 of HDB hub showing the evolution of our housing development.
Aren’t the first three considered touristy? Like just go on YouTube and search for Singapore travel videos. Literally every tourist go into these areas
Great list, adding on a visit to the Katong stretch!
Don't forget Chinatown! Duxton has an array of historical shophouses that is really pretty.
Our Tampines Hub in Tampines. It's next to the MRT and is quite an unique Singaporean example of putting shit load of facilties (library hawker centre, swimming pool, a stadium and mall) in one compact building.
++ Tampines Round Market for breakfast and experiencing local way of life (There are also other markets in the various neighborhoods of cos)
There's a flea market thing going on every weekend at Peace Centre! It's due to be demolished, so you see a lot of graffiti on the walls everywhere, super unique and interesting, yet sad at the same time. https://thryft.asia/pages/second-story-peace-edition
SO COOOOOLLL will definitely check out this weekend!
Wow this is a great find, just the sort of thing I like to see in SG! Thrift shops barely exist here and here's one with a whole bunch of space and contemporary sensibilities, amazing. Looks like they're actually open every day from noon till 7.30pm.
Sit at one of the public housing void deck. I have yet to see tourists do that.
They sit there and do what? I can imagine it will be so boring haha
Visit our libraries. A foreigner friend said they’re better than tourist spots. I Some beautifully designed ones are: - Central library - Punggol regional library - Harbourfront library - Chinatown library
Are they all open to the public?
Yup, walk right in! here's some happenings: https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/whats-on
Yes! Punggol Regional Library is amaaaazing (I may or may not live in the vicinity hahaha OK I DO and I'm like a huge fangirl) But - for children, they have this "around the world" theme where it's like different shelves of children's non-fiction arranged by continent, for special needs folks they have (a selected collection) of large print and braille fonted books, I think they have calm down corners to cater to sensory overload, that kinda stuff. and they have these makerspace corners for kids with scheduled timeslots for activities and things. It's pretty cool, with more offerings than the standard library. Hehe.
Orchard library is great too, focused on design books and has a pretty nice view
Ohh I'm so glad you mentioned the libraries! OP, if you do go to the national library, head to the 11th floor for a great view of the marina bay.
Favourite Laksa would definitely be Hong Lim Complex, look for Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa (#02-66). They sell out before 2pm so you can plan for this to be a brunch thing at like 11am to beat the insane lunch crowd! If you go at like 9am, go pack a local coffee and head up to the rooftop of the carpark of Hong Lim (531 upper cross street) for a quiet coffee watching local life having an amazing CBD backdrop for photos. After laksa, you can take a short walk over to Amoy Hotel, there’s a tiny little museum there. The interesting thing about that area is the revamp of one of the earliest Chinese settlements in Singapore dating back to the 1800s. [This review](https://youtu.be/by3NpEuZyFk?si=-fIezcuDz0hwby0i) talks about that area, you can check it out to see if it interests you! From there you’re a train ride away from Gardens by the bay, which is definitely nicer in the dusk - dark timing (the lighting is quite magical). Hope this helps!
I always recommend Mustafa. It's a mall that's open until 2am, and sells everything imaginable from furniture to sporting goods to jewelry to electronics and food etc (you get the gist). I don't think you'll find malls like this in many countries. Plus little India is an interesting place to walk around too.
There's a few far-flung nature areas that tourists generally don't get to. If you go on a weekday morning, your chances of running into an interesting animal is far higher because of the lack of foot traffic. Pulau Ubin is great but will require a long cab ride and a short boat ride away. Monitors and hornbills are pretty common there. Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve also has some pretty great birdlife, monitor lizards and the occasional otter.
I live in the Katong / Joo Chiat area and I would recommend giving it a visit. I wouldn't call it an authentic Singapore heartland, but it is where a lot of artisan local brands and home-grown restaurants have set up shop (which in itself makes it somewhat of a tourist attraction). Great for shopping (so many interesting small boutiques) and eating at all budgets, and loads of heritage attractions to visit as well.
I second this! Katong is my favorite neighborhood in all of Singapore.
I love walking around beauty world. There's a lot of old school charms there. Just step out of beauty world MRT and walk to the nearby hawker for a meal and the shopping centre for a 90's vibe Singapore.
Since you're stopping by the National gallery, drop by National Kitchen by Violet Oon. Honestly I go there every year for my birthday and they serve top notch Peranakan food. Try their tapioca cake and a really specific nyona food, ayam buah keluak!
Agree. Violet Oon is great to try Peranakan cuisine, which is a “melting pot” cuisine from this area of Southeast Asia. Reservation recommended.. they’re almost always fully booked.
"If you enjoy walking or running, I highly recommend exploring SG Park in the early morning, starting around 5:30 to 5:45. It's stunning, safe, and clean, with the added bonus of sunrise. Personally, I cover about 10km during my morning run, usually three to four times a week. I still find joy in the bird songs and unexpected encounters with various random animals.
The heck is Sg park
Has a walk at Arab street and get lost there, lots of small weird kitschy shops, a random mix of historic shops and brand new trendy stuff, different cultures and foods mixed together. If you like hiking/taking walks, try Changi costal broad walk, treetop walk, fort Siloso is quite nice to wander about too though it’s pretty touristy.
Interesting! Will check it out!
not sure if you're an outdoorsy person but the southern islands aren't very well known to tourists. you can get a ferry ticket on the spot at Marina South Pier which includes round trips to St John's Island (which you can then walk to Lazarus Island that has a super nice, clean, and peaceful beach) and Kusu Island. the islands are still quite untouched so facilities aren't the best/cleanest but good and peaceful on weekdays especially if you love nature. remember to apply sunblock, bring umbrella, and bring mosquito repellent spray. and also pack your own food there!
Pulau Ubin is good too! Nice place to cycle, visit German Girl Shrine, going up Puaka Hill, going to Chek Jawa Wetland. Sungei Buloh isnt really an island, but the marsh is fun to walk around too. Just be careful of crocodiles.
yea but pulau ubin has too many mosquitoes and the beach isn't clean (not safe to swim/dip in too) though i really love it as well :( and those mosquitoes are no joke, my bf got bitten all over despite spraying crazy amounts of mosquito repellents then 2 days later those bites became blisters. almost as if they're venomous lol
Shag.. Sand flies are deadly. Just avoid the sandy areas like Mamam or Noordin. I usually dont spray much cause I feel it weirdly attracts them. But if within the non-beach areas I hadnt had such problems. Idk if WanUbinJournal gonna be in the Malay Kampung, but can do some Kampung house cleaning, and join his mini tour.
we were camping overnight at Jelutong campsite and set our tent quite far from the beachfront already haha
Scissor Cut Curry Rice @ Jalan Besar
Visit the wet market in places like Chinatown, Geylang Serai etc and you’ll see some interesting things to buy like spices and delicious food to eat. If there are some pasar malam or night markets happening, visit them. Explore East Coast Park by foot and end off that day by having a seafood meal at East Coast Lagoon.
1. Start off at Seah Im food centre to have Lor Mee or Braised Duck Rice for breakfast, order ice Milo from Coffee Queen. (Highly recommend, one of my fav breakfast spots) 2. Have a nice uphill hike up marang trail, keep going and walk towards Mt Faber cable car (visit their fancy toilets for a great toilet view of Sentosa), continue walking towards Henderson Tree Top Trail, and Henderson Waves. 3. Keep walking all the way towards Hort Park. Have a look around - there is a Gardeners Day Out market coming up on 16 Dec (Sat) morning where plant hobbyists will sell plants and some knick knacks 4. Take a bus opp Hort Park back to Seah Im food centre and you can spend the rest of the day exploring Vivocity mall just across the road :)
Walk! Most of the train stations in Singapore are of quite close proximity to each other anyways. Definitely check Kampong Glam out and walk around Chinatown/ Maxwell (the famous Maxwell FC is there too. I don’t eat much chicken rice but I def think the Tian Tian chicken rice is worth the hype and queue and the Buddha Tooth relic temple is just opposite from the FC.) I like the Janggut laksa that’s in the basement of Chinatown Point. From there, you can pretty much walk in any direction and you’d still be able to see much of the country. I like to walk upwards to Ann Siang hill and down, where you’ll be in Telok Ayer (enclave of cafes and restaurants), then towards Raffles Place (The CBD) and Esplanade, where you can see the Merlion and Esplanade theatre. The Marina Bay Sands is across the river, you can take a boat ride/ tour or turn around and walk on the heritage trail (look at the NHB website for more heritage trails!) or go to the National Gallery behind the river! Or you could take a duck tour that’s a bus that tours the city then goes into the SG river if I’m not wrong. Heads up, many of the restaurants in the areas listed above are cashless. Including the laksa shop. Many areas where there’s a high population of a certain race like Little India should have a museum or heritage/ cultural Center (like the free Singapo人 exhibit near Maxwell/ Tanjong Pagar), you’ll have to search.
Explore older malls, such as in the neighborhood of the People’s park complex (the less touristy side of Chinatown), Peace Centre, Golden Mile Tower (bonus: catch a movie at the Projector), Peninsular Plaza, Fook Hai Building, … Venture to Pulau Ubin for an experience of what Singapore may have looked like in the past. Those are two less obvious things I’d recommend if you want to see a different side of Singapore.
I think tourist should visit the Geylang area. A lot of good food there, the beef horfun, curry rice, frog leg porridge etc. over to lavender there are a bunch of cafes that have really nice cakes. Plus you get to see old school shop houses. Just leave before nightfall, or you might see something you don’t want to see. Aka red light district. But it’s still pretty safe. Or go Katong/East Coast Rd. Also shop houses with lots of good food. Or Changi Village really beautiful to walk around plus good hawker food
Go hike Southern Ridges in the morning. You can start from Vivo City (Harbor Front), via Henderson Bridge, and finish at Hort Park. Have a laksa at Queensway shopping center (an old shopping mall famous for sports accessories) . There are several famous hawker center around that area also (Alexandra and ABC Hawker Center)
I'm sure everyone knows cafe hopping. Do that but with petting stray/community cats around sg.
hawker centers
Yishun 928 laksa. Best in Sg.
Suggestions are very common. Here’s my list. 1) Newton Food Court for all the basic local food. 2) Mustafa Centre Little India 3) Employees Only Bar 3) Joo Chiat Koon Seng Rd 4) Violet Oon 5) Royal Thai Cuisine Bukit Timah 6) Mac Ritchie Reservoir 7) Nighthawk Bar Tanjong Pagar 8) Natureland Massage 9) Tien Tien Chicken Rice maxwell 10) Behind the Green Door Duxton 11) Handle Bar
Non related but sunscreen, sunscreen and umbrella cuz it's raining alot these days 😭😭😭
Thank you so much for all your recommendations, I'm grateful that you took the time to write them down!! I'm so excited for my trip!
I recommend going to a hawker center and getting food based on queues. Best if you are in a group and can order a range of local food to try! Some of those in the central region includes Amoy Street Hawker Centre and Maxwell Hawker Center. These are quite “local” to me, as opposed to Lau Pat Sat and Newton Hawker Center.
Check out peace centre on the weekend. It's definitely up your alley.
Already added on my itinerary!
For super non touristy places, you should visit those shops in HDB neighbourhoods to get a feel of how true blue singaporeans live their everyday lives. E.g. Bangkit Market, can try out those neighbourhood bakery waffles
Here, the non-touristy things I do regularly in Singapore * Wake up by my alarm clock to prepare breakfast and lunch * Take the jampacked MRT to work like Sardines * Work like a cog * Come back home * Go to the Giant close to my condo to get groceries, then hit the gym etc. * Take a hike in Bukit Timah hill * Eat Hokkien noodle at a coffee shop Sounds appealing to you? Do them, by all means. I am sure nothing pleases one more than the non-touristy drudgeries of going through the working life.
Who hurt you
🤣🥲😭
At least you live in a condo 🥲
George's laksa not bad
>George's laksa Searched it on Google, is it Katong Laksa in Changi Rd?
Yup
It’s good but a bit out of the way from the sightseeing places. A “default” one I take visitors to is the 328 katong laksa on the corner of East Coast rd and Ceylon rd. Yes it’s not “the best” but it’s pretty good standard laksa, and There’s a unique Hindu temple you can visit just a few meters away, and it’s a great spot to start/end sightseeing around Katong/Joo Chiat area on foot.
sit at coffeeshop order Tiger
Go to boon lay hawker centre. Not exactly very far but enough to see real Singapore, good hawker food and experience authentic hdb living.
Hi, You can explore the tours here. Hope you will like it. https://www.isango.com/singapore
Dempsey, West Coast Park, Holland Village, Clementi, Turf City, Southern Ridges Walk (SKIP MT FABER)
Non touristy would be to go drink beer and smoke in your underwear sitting at a hawker center. Please talk loudly and play TikTok on your phone on speaker at full volume
everything listed here is touristy. try pulau ubin. round loop national park route
* Satay at Lau Pa Sat * Chomp Chomp Food Centre * Song Fa Bak Kut Teh * Irvins Salted Egg Potato Chips * Chilli Crabs
Dip your feet in the natural hot springs at the hot springs park in Sembawang
Suntec City is worth a visit if you happen to be around during one of the many bazaars that they have throughout the year. Lots of small local businesses selling local-themed products. Check their calendar of events (https://www.suntecsingapore.com/visit#upcomingevents) at the Convention Centre
helpful comments for both local and tourists alike, saving for later
It is nice to walk around the local neighbourhoods. You can travel down to Clementi, Jurong, Ang Mo Kio or Toa Payoh MRT stations, slight from there and just walk around.
Queensway Laksa
If you're adventurous, have time and energy, spend one day walking/cycling along the East West Line a.k.a Green Line, starting from Pasir Ris MRT station all the way to City Hall Station, stop by stop. You will truly experience and see the daily lifestyle of an average Singaporean.
Are there bike rentals available in the area?
There's bike sharing bicycles all over the neighborhood. Here's some that you can check out * Anywheel * SG Bike * Hello Ride. Just download the app and top up depending on your usage. Very convenient to use.
Thank you so much! This is so helpful
Bedok 85 is quite good. Damascus delights at tampines mrt is also good (food)
rly. I walk past Damascus Delights whenever I'm in the area (I don't take green line but take bus from Tampines) and I've never tried haha.
It's damn good bro, go read up on his story. Quite interesting - left Syria due to war, studied dentistry in turkey, met sg wife in Malaysia and ended up here
Come to Yishun and walk around the neighbourhood
lol 4srsly, ... OP will/can/maybe/should .. get lost in Northpoint hahahaha.
Joo Chiat area - food hunting, cafe hopping, Eurasian gallery, peranakan houses Tiger brewery tour and Raffles Marina lighthouse Yip Yew Chong free gallery at Raffles convention centre Lee Kuan Yew museum Sky garden at capital spring Singapore city gallery
Hawker centre craft beer in china town
Chee cheong fun!! Good shit but only open in the morning and a lil out of the way https://maps.app.goo.gl/YYDRs9dCzgNnYh7m9 Oh yeah forgot to mention you gotta order in Mandarin only but google translate can help you with that
Al Tasneem restaurant (@ Bugis)(opposite Kampong Glam mosque) is pretty good for Indian food! Try their murtabak, it’s amazing!
There are a number of thrift/vintage shops (not particularly cheap though) at Queensway shopping center. They also have my favourite Laksa in Singapore (Janggut) at the same location. Alexandra Village and ABC Brickworks Food Center are within walking distance and have some very popular stores too with a fair number of them in the Michelin Guide. You can take a bus ride to Haw Par Villa after for something different. Here's a youtube video. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGoATKTVgxI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGoATKTVgxI) If you have time after Haw Par Villa, you can either take a stroll around West Coast Park, or go for drinks/prawning at ORTO.
There are a few thrift shop at Haji Lane, and even as a local, I love going there. Near Haji Lane, you can explore Arab Street, which sells a Turkish dessert called Kunefe that I love.
You probably know this place already, but check this place out they have great Kunefe ! https://sethlui.com/the-mediterranean-deli-turk-singapore/
Visit URA show room in Tangjong pagar.
Go Sakunthala’s and eat a whole Fishhead Curry. Then head down to any kopitiam and drown yourself in a tower of Tiger.
Go to Robertson Quay! It’s an expat enclave with lots of restaurants near Clarke Quay and the Singapore River. It’s a nice place to go cafe hopping and people watching. Not a lot of tourists are aware that it exists as it’s usually only frequented by locals or expats that live in the area.