The small city state of Singapore in Southeast Asia unfortunately has a reputation for being a boring, rather sterile destination. However for those in the know, nothing could be further from the truth, for this spotlessly clean city does have some rather fascinating sights most of which can actually be enjoyed for free.
Go shopping or just browse at the many malls of Orchard Road
Orchard Road is Singapore’s main drag. This one way street that starts off at Orange Grove Road and extends all the way until the Dhoby Ghat MRT(subway) station is littered with shopping malls like Forum Galleria( great for kid’s toys and clothes),ION Orchards( a luxe designer shopping paradise), Wisma Atria( home to numerous middle range brands), Paragon(more upscale shopping), Ngee Ann City( home to Singapore’s Takashimaya store), Centerpoint, Orchard Central, 313 Orchard and more. These malls are full of stores that sell all sorts of products like apparel, lifestyle products, cosmetics, accessories, home wares, electronics and books which are sourced locally or imported from all over the world. Visiting the Orchard Road malls is a favored pastime of both tourists and Singaporean locals alike.
Safely enjoy the street foods of Singapore
‘Eating out’ is big in Singapore but eating out in this city state doesn’t always have to mean going out for a fancy dinner at an upscale restaurant. Singapore does have many fine dining, upscale restaurants but more importantly it has countless scrupulously clean ‘food courts’ or ‘hawker centers’ which are populated with stalls that sell a wide array of local delights like ‘Fried Carrot Cake’(not a cake per se but a savory dish that features a steamed rice flour cake and radish), Hainanese Chicken Rice(poached chicken served with fragrant rice and a broth), Mee Rebus(egg noodles served in a thick, spicy, slightly sweet gravy, garnished with boiled eggs, sliced green chilies, fried cubes of bean curd and splash of soy sauce) and more. These Singapore food courts are frequented by the locals who enjoy having some or all of their meals at the food courts as the food served here is generally quite inexpensive and flavorful as well.
Go rummaging in Singapore’s Chinatown
Singapore is a multi-ethnic enclave which is home to Chinese, Malay and Indian populations. Nowadays all these three major communities can be found all over the island but they continue to have their own distinct domains which have managed to retain some of their old world charm. Singapore’s Chinatown district is located in an area called Outram Park. The area which is home to several (now preserved) traditional Chinese shop houses is always busy as it attracts busloads of tourists who enjoy shopping at the various souvenir, apparel and antique stores that line the main streets of Chinatown like Pagoda Street, Smith Street and Temple Street.
Visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Located in the vicinity of Singapore’s Chinatown, is the imposing structure of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. This temple which also has a museum located on its upper floors has 27 foot tall handcrafted statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in its main hall. This magnificent statue is is surrounded by other smaller statues of the Buddha which are associated with various zodiac signs. The temple also has the traditional Chinese Drum and Bell towers, a tea house and a museum that displays various Buddhist artifacts. On the fourth floor of the temple is a stupa ( a buddist holy chamber) that holds the scared relic which takes the form of a tooth that belonged to the Buddha Shakyamuni. This tooth relic can be viewed by the public only at the time of the daily ceremonies which are conducted three times a day at the temple.
Take a walk down Little India
As its name suggests Little India is home to Singapore’s ethnic Indian community. The Indian community of Singapore can trace its origins to pre-colonial times when Singapore was considered to be a part of the ancient Indian kingdom known as Greater India. Subsequently Indians also arrived in Singapore in the early 19th Century to works as laborers. The Indian community of Singapore laid down its roots in a area of Singapore known as Serangoon Road which until today is home to numerous Indian stores(including the gigantic Muhammad Mustaffa store which is a favored shopping haunt in Singapore), Indian restaurants and Indian temples some of which have tall, brightly colored, intricately carved towers which are characteristic of South India and are known as ‘gopurams’.
Explore the Living Galleries at the National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore which is located on Stamford Road is housed in an imposing colonial building. This museum is the oldest museum in Singapore and hosts many temporary and permanent exhibitions. The Museum does charge an admission but if you want to visit it for free your best bet is to get to museum between 6pm and 8pm every day when it offers free admission to its Living galleries.
Become one with nature at the Kranji Nature Trail
The Kranji Nature Trail is a two kilometer verdant trail that links two wetlands, the Kranji Reservoir Park and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve which are two preserved natural habitats that lie in the North Western section of Singapore. These virgin wetlands contain diverse natural habitats like grasslands, lush forests, mangroves and sandy beaches all of which are a relative rarity in a city whose skyline is dominated by numerous heaven touching skyscrapers. The Kranji Nature Trail is easily accessible via public transport and should be considered a must-do for any nature lover on a visit to Singapore.
Take a trip to Kusu Island
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Singapore and escape to a relatively deserted island, then you should consider taking a ferry from the Marina South Pier and heading out to Kusu Island which lies on the Southern tip of Singapore. This island whose name translates as ‘tortoise island’ or ‘turtle island’ is a popular haunt for day trippers from Singapore who venture out to the island to visit the Da Ba Gong Chinese Temple that is located here or even just to enjoy a day of sun and sand at the beach, for the island is equipped with two lagoons which are perfect for swimming.
Enjoy an evening of good food and wine at Dempsey Hill
The Dempsey Hill area of Singapore is a popular nightlife destination in Singapore. This area once housed the barracks of the British Army, which was stationed in Singapore during World War II. Today many of these barracks have been converted into chic restaurants, bars and lifestyle stores like the Wine Company, The Barracks @House café, the Tippling club,P.S.Cafe, The Prime Society, Dome Café, Café Hacienda and The Red Dot Brew House which buzz with revelers all throughout the week but are especially busy on the weekends .
Discover Singapore’s indigenous flora at the Singapore Botanic Gardens
A veritable heaven situated in the heart of this busy city state, the Singapore Botanic Gardens extend over 157 verdant acres and contain many individual gardens like the rain forest, the evolution garden, the ginger garden and the National Orchid Garden and the Symphony Lake. The Singapore Botanic Gardens can be accessed for free but you have to pay a small nominal charge if you want to explore the National Orchid Garden.
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