Being the world’s most powerful passport, Singapore should be on your top destinations to travel. If the passport power is not compelling enough, take a deep dive into the life of Singaporean’s here. Singapore from the life of a resident is nothing less than an eclectic mix of peace, adventure, grandeur & some kaya toast 😉 After you have explored all things touristy in Singapore, listen to the roar of the Merlion & go around adorning a local’s shoe.
On the suggestion of a friend, our first stop was Bukit Timah, a residential area in the Western part of Central Singapore. We reached to this township via Downtown MRT line. As recommended by the friend we went on a short morning hike to the Bukit Timah nature reserve, hosting some of the most diverse ecological systems. Hiking up till Bukit Timah hill which is perched at 163 m it is home to the rainforest. The first sight of this hike was a blend of young & old hiking up the paved trail as part of their morning workout. There began our most local stance of exploring Singapore’s life, as they know it!
Fitness seems to be of utmost importance, irrespective of age & that was our motivation to keep climbing upto the top of the summit, to absorb all that people were hustling for. The most beautiful part of it all was that several routes were allocated for different levels of hiking, ranging from easy, moderate & difficult, pin pointed on maps at regular intervals. Apart from hiking there are designated routes for biking & jogging for an uninterrupted experience for the visitors. This made the hike all the more enjoyable and certainly a pat for the management for such attention to detail.
The forest ecosystem is maintained in its most natural setting, and each tree has an information board to display. We completed the hike with the other locals on the top of the summit of this highest point in Singapore & traced our route back to a friend waiting outside the reserve. Enroute we took a pit stop for breakfast with locals [Not at Tiffany :)] A bite of Kaya toast & Copi C was just the joy after a morning hike, which I was certain I’d like to take away with me.
We then spent some time at the friend’s house & his beautiful terrace facing the forest covers of Bukit Timah. The sheer joy of getting a peek into a locals life was a trip in itself. We next got on a bus to the MTR to ride us back to Orchard Road. It was an early morning window to the natives morning routine, and we were worn out by then. After some rest & leisure strolling we decided to dine out at the famous Clarke Quay riverside restaurant. It was a vibrant evening by the river, with some good food & street market glimpses in between the arcade. Seaweed sushi, was our most local pick to try & it didn’t fail to surprise how filling the food is on the stomach. Rice is a staple ingredient for most of local dishes and a quick dinner is all we could fit in our bellies after the long day!
The following day we took leisure route to East coast park, where locals usher to relish some family time. We got down at Bedok MRT to take a quick walk of 7 -10 mins to reach The East coast Park. With our heads fixated on a slow day, we decided to spend the entire afternoon until sunset, just like any other local. Bicycle rides, children making sand castles, live grilled food of picnic goers & lazy Sunday siesta of Corporate workers, all are visuals to live for here!
We walked along the park until we found a sweet spot to relish a pan view of this South eastern coast of Singapore. A cool drink & a hot sun are a good combination by the coast, of course eateries were just a stone’s throw away & we grabbed some quick bites for lunch. Seeing the locals there a rush of home dawned on us, each human living for weekends – how beautifully we are united by a common need of familial bonds! I soon perched myself on a small rock facing the water & awaited impatiently for the sunset. It was not until 6.00 pm that the hues of the sky steadily changed from shades of pastel orange to clementine & it was all that I needed to fall in love with water all over again.
Seeing children play until the last call by their mothers to head back & taking the last hues of the sunset orange we dived into the most local visions of Singapore. The stomach was full of love & companionship, which we took back as our day’s reward. The next was the last day of our stay & we were determined to take every bit of Singapore back with us.
The next day we started our local jaunt towards noon & headed straight to China Town, the epitome of Chinese settlement & their history. Walking past the street market & local restaurants we chanced upon the famous Buddha Tooth relic temple. This Buddhist temple & museum houses Buddha’s the tooth relic of 7.5 cm, unusual for a human to have. The temple is dotted by local visitors offering incense rituals to the temple & chanting hymns of Buddhism. The architecture of the temple has strong imprints of Northern Chinese & the Tang dynasty. Divided into four storeys the temple exhibits a 15 feet statue of Buddha enshrined along with a small museum exhibiting the eminent monks & bodhisattvas.
Right outside the Temple premises are street vendors & restaurants selling complete meals & souvenirs to carry back as memories. We enjoyed the trip down the China Town buying authentic Chinese memorabilia. From China Town’s vibrant streets & architecture we moved further to Bugis street on the suggestion of a local shopaholic. From the Bugis MRT we walked to a potpourri of food, clothes & durian (Jackfruit). The market & its natives have durian edibles in form of chocolates, pastries & what not – you see how local markets teach so much about the local way of life. We picked a bag full of chocolates & some last buys from wholesale stores which are the go to place for budget picks. Getting out of Bugis street with bags full of everything Durian, assured us that this was the place to be for a local’s day shopping list.
The following day we checked out from Orchard to try an experience of living in a pod. The Space Pod as they call it was something undeniably smart & Space friendly (pun intended) for those looking at bed & breakfast, alone. The pods can comfortably accommodate double occupants & is quite an experience with all the space like vibes. This day we explored the locales of Lavender & its famous Arab Street. Walking around these streets at night was a home like experience with local families dining out on the Arab street’s famous restaurants, however we settled for some locals sitting for some dim-sums & rice at a restaurant. The Arab Street houses some fine historic shops, authentic arabian delicacies & and the Arabian Nights view of the Sultan mosque. The transition from Orchard road to Lavender is massive, with more working class families & the glimpses of an average life of a hard working Singaporean.
For the last day, we began our day after breakfast, destined to Botanical Garden MRT. We were engulfed with awe in no time of entering the premises of this UNESCO World heritage site. This 74 hectare garden, spellbinds the visitors with lush green & the most rarest of rare species of flora. The time spent here is nothing less than therapy with an actual meditative tree. The magnificence of the place stands a testimony to the art of preservation & appreciation of nature in the lives of Singaporeans.
The gardens also houses one of the campuses of Singapore National University, crossing which we made our way out to the MRT. The next stop for us was the Marina Bay area, for the delight of the eyes. We got off at the Bayfront MRT & began walking towards the Facebook office building, to get a glance of what goes behind Meta. Soon we found ourselves in the middle of the epitome of Corporate culture & its grandeur. The professionals walking around for a quick lunch break, business stalwarts enjoying a luncheon & the youth of Singapore relishing their adult success. All the visuals were a delight to witness & as we walked further towards the Marina Bay centre, we spent some time watching the light dim from the floating Apple store. The steady colours of the sky replacing the lights emanating from the heart of this city was truly magical. We soon found ourselves hoarding with the locals for ‘Spectra – a light & water show’.
Standing amidst the locals in the centre of cosmopolitan, witnessing a choreography of water accompanied by lasers, mists, projections & a majestic orchestra encompassing the native roots of Singapore; we were nothing less than smitten! With goosebumps all over my body, I couldn’t help myself from replaying the music in my head & reliving the sheer beauty of it all. Singapore indeed is truly Asia with all its man made charms & pure aesthetics. One must see it the local way!
