Singapore Hidden Gems to Add to Your Itinerary

Known as Asia’s little red dot, Singapore is known for its many tourist attractions. Places like Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, and Sentosa are on most visitors’ itineraries. But while these places are flocked to by tourists, Singapore has a plethora of attractions that go unnoticed or unappreciated by the normal visitor. In this post, I’m going to talk about five Singapore hidden gems that should have a place on your itinerary.

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Singapore Botanic Gardens

The first of my Singapore hidden gems is also the country’s only UNESCO heritage site, and the only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO heritage list. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is actually not-so-hidden considering it takes up over 82 hectares. Not a lot of tourists take the time to visit this park, which is why when I visited I saw mostly locals milling about. You can find people on runs, doing Tai-Chi, or walking their dogs throughout the gardens. A lot of local wildlife call the Gardens home, including the hard-to-spot otters.

The gardens are divided into sections, with the most notable section being the National Orchid Garden, which costs S$15 to enter. The rest of the gardens are free though, which makes this a good place to go to if you’re on a budget. It’s huge, beautiful, and teeming with so many different kinds of plants it’ll make your head spin. People dismiss it as “just another park” but the amount of thought and care that went into its design should be appreciated more. This should become a staple of any Singapore trip.

Southern Ridges

Connecting the tops of three different parks (Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill Park and the Kent Ridge Park), the Southern Ridges are an absolute delight to walk through. Totaling over 10 kilometers in length, some of the ridges are made out of elevated steel walkways. The most famous of them are the Henderson Waves, which connect Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. This walkway is suspended over 100 feet above the ground.

The other areas of this park are worth exploring as well, such as the Hilltop Walk and the Forest Walk. The Forest walk has walkways that go from 3 meters to 18 meters above the ground and will have you traversing the tops of trees as you make your way up the hills. When I visited this place, there was nobody else around except for maybe five other runners. You can make the Henderson Waves a small detour from the Mount Faber cable car station if you’re coming from Sentosa.

Fort Canning Park

Situated in the middle of the Colonial District, Fort Canning Park goes largely unnoticed by most tourists in favor of other nearby attractions. But if you’re looking for a respite away from the city’s hustle and bustle that’s also near the city center, then this is definitely for you!

Featuring numerous attractions, Fort Canning Park could easily take you an hour or two to explore. My recommendation would be to head to the Battlebox, a historic underground World War 2 bunker that has since been converted into a museum. Aside from the Battlebox, you’ll find many interesting things within the park, including decommissioned canons, different kinds of gardens, and memorials. Definitely consider a visit to Fort Canning Park if you have extra time on your itinerary.

Tiong Bahru

Singapore’s oldest housing estate, Tiong Bahru is an art deco wonderland. Wander down narrow streets and crooked alleyways and get lost in a one of a kind Singaporean district. Have breakfast at Tiong Bahru bakery and taste a Kouign Aman, then head into the neighborhood and go mural hunting. Finish off your time here with a visit to the Tiong Bahru Market, one of the country’s preeminent hawker centers. Keep this place in mind as you build your itinerary.

Joo Chiat

My last hidden gem is a bit out of the way but definitely worth a visit. Joo Chiat is famous for its cozy cafes and interesting boutique stores. But its biggest draws are its monuments to Peranakan culture, starting with the shophouses along Koon Seng Road. These colorful shophouses were the traditional residences of the Peranakans. Peranakans are those who are of both Malay and Chinese descent.

Two museums in Joo Chiat take you into Peranakan culture even further. They are the Intan, owned by Alvin Yapp, and the Katong Antique House. These museums are full of antique Peranakan furniture and other fixtures designed to preserve the Peranakan way of life. To visit these museums you must make an appointment, so if these interest you definitely consider making an appointment.

These Singapore hidden gems are great additions to any itinerary. Consider visiting them if you have some extra time on your trip.

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