I planned to write only one article about Singapore because we stayed only 5 days, but one post it’s not enough for this city. I can’t really choose my pictures. The memories about the multi-culture city come back to me with each photo.
Little India
We arrived in Singapore Saturday after found our host on his place, drop our luggage and discovered around, we went to Little India.
It’s a colorful quarter, with a lot of little houses. It’s completely different from the idea I had about Singapore. We learned later the small colored house called shophouse. It’s a traditional house, the first floor is used for the shop and the family lived on top. Arcades will shelter you from the sun or the rain.
We spend a lot of time head in the air to appreciate the colors and details of the facades.
Lose yourself in the alleys, visit the temples between two houses.
Chinatown
After Little India, we explored Chinatown. The quarter is really touristic, you can find a lot of shop with souvenirs and you can also find a street just for food. Chinatown is as colorful as Little India but with more garlands of lanterns, it’s a bit too much but it’s a part of the place.
In this quarter, you can find a nice Hindu temple, Sri Mariamman Temple. When we went there, they were organizing a célébration and some part of the temple was closed. The temple is beautiful and brangs us back to our memories of Sri Lanka.
Further in the street, you will find a big Chinese temple, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. You can be here during the monks’s reading in the evening. We were lucky and arrived just before them. Inside is beautiful with all these gildings and these Buddhas. The temple is huge and it’s apparently possible to visit the upper floors. With a bit of chance, you can also be here for the dancing class during the evening.
A bit further again in the street you can discover the Jamae mosque, but we haven’t the time to visit it, unfortunately.
Arab street
It was the latest quarter we discovered and we really liked it. We found again the colorful shophouses everywhere, no big towers close and we forgot those one further. In this quarter you can visit the Sultan’s mosque with the golden roof and the tiny streets around. Don’t forget to come cover to go inside otherwise, they will give you some clothes. A visit area was created and it’s separate from the praying area.
In front of the mosque you will have the main street with restaurants, the place is nice and at the end of the street you can have a beautiful view on the mosque. On top of that, you can find a shop with a wooden facade, it’s a perfumer and you can find really beautiful smalls bottles of glass.
Arab street it’s also Haji Lane, the famous street. The atmospher is completely different here, we can find a littles fashion restaurants and shops. The most surprising are the stunning street art masterpieces whoses decorated the walls. We stayed there during a while trying to see everything.
Tiong Bahru
Was originally the Singapore’s fancy quarter in the 30’s but it was forgot in the 60’s. The came back of the area arrived in 2010 with the opening of new restaurants and shops. The quarter is completely different as what we saw before.
Lim Liak street is a surprising place where you can’t find any building with more as 3 floors and the style is art-deco. Here, they love concept stores, you will find some really pretty front windows. Take the time to drink a coffee and walk around, it’s really peaceful. In a National Heritage Board you will can find the story of the quarter.
Good place
Food court
Forgot the restaurants, in Singapore it’ better to eat in the food court. Big open space where you will find at least 10 smalls restaurants. You do the queue to order and you join everyone in the middle. It’s a must in Singapore. Oh have look before in front you will have the notation of the shop, “A” is the must of course.
Couchsurfing
We started to look for an accomodation in Singapore but we realised that was a way too expensive for us. So we advise you to do couchsurfing and maybe you will have the luck as we had and have an host who will have the time to show you the city.