I Wander

Travel & Food, Itineraries & Guides, Hotel Reviews

Singapore

Kampong Glam: Wandering Singapore’s Arab Quarter

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Singapore’s small size belies the cultural diversity evidenced by its traditional ethnic quarters. This entry will be the first of hopefully three parts – with this first one covering Kampong Glam, a traditional Muslim enclave which has seen recent gentrification due to its proximity to the downtown core.

the sultan mosque – you can’t miss it!

One need not go far to witness something resembling more of the Near East in this Southeast Asian tropical island. In Kampong Glam, minarets and hookah joints prevail over churches and coffeeshops. To be sure, it feels foreign while still maintaining the orderliness and efficiency that Singapore is known all over the world for.

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Discovering Singapore’s Outlying Islands

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all aboard!

… and I’m not talking about Sentosa here. What most people don’t realize is that Singapore isn’t just made up of just one island (or two, if you count Sentosa). Believe it or not, this tiny city-state is actually made up of 63 islands — most of them being uninhabited! I had the chance to check out some of these islands last year with friends and it showed me yet another side of Singapore that I hadn’t known previously despite living here for several years.

A short ferry ride from the Marina South Pier via Island Cruise (SGD 15, roundtrip, inclusive of stops) transports one from the hustle and bustle of an ultramodern city to tiny, mythical tropical islands lined with lush palm trees and some of the best beaches in Singapore. The ferry ride took us to three of the more well-known southern islands (aside from Sentosa). First stop was the larger St. John’s Island – a great getaway for those planning for a swim and/or a picnic.

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Wink Hostel: Indulgence on a Budget in Singapore

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I often have friends asking me for recommended places to stay in Singapore. Although I am familiar with most of the hotels in the country, I’m not sure whether it’s a wise idea to rely on a local resident to provide this kind of advice (just kidding!). Seriously speaking, I think for now I do have one to recommend. I normally don’t write an entire entry about a hotel (in fact, I never have!) but I thought this particular one deserves a special mention. Also, if someone asks me again next time, I’ll have this to refer to.

I’ve stayed in all sorts of places. I’ve stayed in a hostel where all I got was a filthy bunk bed. I’ve stayed in one-of-a-kind boutique hotels and I have stayed in chain hotels. There’s one concept I haven’t tried though — that’s the capsule hotel which is found all over space-deprived Tokyo. If given the chance to go there next time, I would want to stay in one. When I found that Singapore recently opened a lodging that took inspiration from this concept, I knew I had to check it out.

exterior of wink hostel

The trendy and charming Wink Hostel in Singapore’s Chinatown has been open since October and I’ve known it for about just as long. Located just one block away from the Chinatown MRT station, the hostel is an easy 3 minute walk and is conveniently located right at the commercial area of Chinatown near the souvenir shops and restaurants, and about 8 minutes away from the bar district and Raffles Place (where I work!).

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Singapore Walking Tour: Why You Should Do It at Night

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For a country that has often been branded by its detractors as dull, Singapore’s nightscape is everything but. A world apart from the day, the same buildings which look neat but otherwise unremarkable against the sunlight turn into a homage of modern construction with an added layer of mystery, sleekness and futurism once the sun sets.

the amazing singapore skyline at blue hour… the building where I work is one of the buildings shown in this picture

As a (almost) local here, I witness this spectacle almost every night from where I work. Despite the sweltering heat, I sometimes prefer to walk above ground on my way home (rather than on the underpass) just to see this when I need a break from the masses of drone-like men and women making the commute home. The skyline looks even better during blue hour – that few minutes when the sun sets but just before it completely turns into night.

Many tourists do the standard walking tour of Singapore around this area, no doubt about it. But I find that barely anyone does it at night, which is a shame. The perfect time for a walking tour around the Civic Center / CBD area is actually at night. Not only is it cooler at this time, but everything appears sleeker than usual, even sultry. My suggested Downtown Singapore walking tour after the jump.

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Welcoming the Tiger Year

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Chinese New Year is again upon us! The long weekend that accompanies this holiday in Singapore is usually marked by family reunions and hearty feasts. Make no mistake about it. This is probably the time of the year when Singaporeans are at their most hospitable state. Tradition goes that people (even strangers) can’t be repelled for a home-cooked new year’s dinner, which occurs throughout the week. Sweet.

The city is generally quiet during this time of the year as almost all shops are closed. A smattering of events are usually done to coincide with the new year’s celebrations, including the “River Hongbao” cultural exposition.

the entranceThis year's event is notably lackluster and tacky, considering I was there last year and the lighting installations then were much more impressive. Still, it's a free event. And if you've got nothing to do during this long holiday, might as well check it out. There are performances held daily at around 8pm in the evening.the god of fortune

year of the tiger

another dragon

pandas on a swing - possibly the lamest display of them all

wishing area

The lighting installation can be found at The Float @ Marina Bay, just behind Esplanade. It runs until the 20th of Feb (open til 11pm).

The Forgotten West

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Western Singapore is usually regarded as a drab and unappealing side of the country which travelers can very well do without. As a hub for heavy industry as well as near- identical high-rise government housing, the left side of the island lacks the quaint, colonial charm which the center or Katong in the east offer. If it were not for the heavily publicized Jurong Bird Park, few visitors would take the extra effort of going there. Admittedly, this area is also one of my least visited in the island.

Recently, the government announced a revitalization plan that aims to turn Jurong into an alternative commercial center to Raffles Place.  Plans include a number of office buildings, condominiums, hotels and of course – shopping centers. While these are several years away, visitors to Singapore should be aware that the west has a lot of hidden gems to offer even now. The good thing about these places is that you will often find yourself as the only non-resident visitor. Many of these places are not in tourist maps, so pay close attention.

pagoda

The Chinese Gardens is perhaps the most well-known attraction in Western Singapore after Jurong Bird Park. Yet, only locals take the time to visit the well-landscaped greenery right next to an artificial lake.

lotus pond

inside the pagoda

more pagodas

tropical interpretation of a japanese garden

chinese bridge

chinese gate

Admission to the gardens is free, except for a few paid sections such as a turtle museum. There is also a Japanese Garden inside, containing a tropical interpretation of zen.

Only a short drive from Chinese Garden is Bukit Batok Town Park. It looks like any other Singaporean park, except for this huge piece of granite rock formation that doesn’t look out of place in Guilin or Halong Bay.

huge piece of granite

From here, Singapore’s tallest is a stone’s throw away. The monkey-filled Bukit Timah Nature Reserve reaches as high as 163.6 meters., easy and highly manageable by mountain-climbing standards. At least climbers can get to brag that they’ve scaled a country’s tallest peak, even if it’s a small nation like Singapore.

The tallest peak in the country - at a manageable 163.63 meters

How to get there: Chinese Gardens and Bukit Batok Town Park are straightforward destinations and can be reached via the Chinese Garden MRT and Bukit Gombak MRT stations respectively. Bukit Timah is a bit tricky. Taxi drivers should know the place, but for those on the cheap – buses 67,75,170 and 184 go there.

Rock Steady

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One of my favorite spots in Singapore has got to be Punggol Beach, which is situated at the northeastern end of the island just a few meters away from Malaysia. It’s one of the last remaining places in Singapore that still has a semblance of wilderness that is more authentic than the well-maintained nature reserves scattered around the country. I have been to Punggol Beach around 3 times now. Each time I go, I see a new paved road or construction that may very well force this small parcel of land to conform to the efficiency and orderliness which the rest of the island adheres to. Huge swathes of swampland and  grass fields have been replaced with concrete, and new housing flats are starting to dot the immediate landscape.

Thankfully, the beach itself is still there. Compared to other beaches in the country, the one in Punggol is not as crowded. Common visitors include fishermen, young parents trying to gather shells with their children and the occasional photographer. During weekdays, it’s even possible to have huge sections all to yourself. What makes this place so picturesque, especially at low tide, are the big rocks resting by the coast. These complement the surrounding waters very well. The only drawback from the place is that the industrial zone right across in Malaysia, are all too visible.

punggol is usually regarded as a boring new town that's simply a duplicate of the rest of residential singapore. this is true to an extent - but a large part of it is still undeveloped

The interesting portion of Punggol is near the end of the island. Otherwise, the rest of the town looks just like any other in Singapore – high rises, condominiums, government housing and the ubiquitous shopping center.

lalang field

Grassy “lalang” fields such as these are being bulldozed and disappearing fast. Land is precious in a small country such as Singapore and these places are prime candidates for the next seaside condominium development.

waves crashing into the rocks

The best time to visit this beach is during low-tide, when the rocks jut out from the sea. It makes for a nice view especially when the waves crash into the rocks, creating a silky water effect.

the waters can sometimes be calm just before it turns to night

The beach has a a beautiful but eerie feel to it, especially just before the sun sets. No surprise, as it’s the site of a gruesome World War 2 massacre which killed hundreds. The place was never fully cleaned up, and some visitors still manage to find bones from those who were killed there.

the lights behind are from malaysia

How to get there: The beach is a bit tricky to find. It’s not advertised in the tourist guidebooks or maps from the tourism board. However, there is a bus that goes there. Your best bet is to take the subway to Hougang station, and transfer to Bus #82 at the bus stop right outside the subway station. Take it all the way to the end. Believe me, you’ll know once you’ve reached the end.

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