Little India & Kampong Glam
The Bugis district takes its name from its first inhabitants, the Bugis, pirates from Sulawesi in Indonesia who arrived in Singapore well before colonial times. Later, a small Chinese community from Hainan settled in what is now Bugis Junction, before moving to Beach Road in the early 20th century. Before the Second World War, the Japanese community settled in Bugis. Many young girls from impoverished regions of Japan came to work as prostitutes. After the Second World War, the Japanese were driven out of Singapore by the British, and a few years later the district became known as Singapore's red light district. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Bugis was known the world over for its colorful atmosphere and its population of transvestites who joined the passing sailors. It's hard to imagine that Singapore's reputation was built not on finance or policing, but on transvestites and transsexuals! From the 1980s onwards, the district underwent extensive rehabilitation. Bars and transvestites have since given way to a bazaar where you can buy all sorts of souvenirs.
Kampong Glam, which means "the village of gelam trees" in Malay, was a small Malay fishing village before Raffles arrived in Singapore in 1819. When Raffles drew up a plan for the city in 1822, dividing it into different ethnic quarters, he left the Malays their original quarters. In addition to the Malays, Muslim merchants from Indonesia and the Middle East had established themselves in this district, opening shops and restaurants. The street names bear witness to their presence: Arab Street, Haji Lane, Baghdad Street, Kandahar Street and Muscat Street. During the day, you can visit the Sultan Mosque, built in 1825, and the Malay Heritage Centre, the former palace built for Singapore's last sultan. This is a very pleasant area in which to stroll, shop in the trendy boutiques of Haji Lane and, in the evening, enjoy a drink or smoke a hookah.
According to Raffles' plan, the first Little India was located south of the river, at Chulia Street, in today's business district. After Raffles' departure, the Indians moved to the Rochor Canal, needing water for their crops. Around the river, there was nothing but swampland and tigers prowled. As a result, Indian farmers became renowned tiger hunters. Today's Little India grew up around Tamil buffalo farming. Little by little, other economic activities began to emerge. Today, many workers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan - the workforce behind Singapore's growth - come to Little India. Take advantage of the weekend to discover the lively atmosphere of this district. Indian temples, fruit and vegetable stalls, the smell of jasmine and spices against a backdrop of Bollywood music: welcome to Little India!
From Fort Canning to Marina Bay
From Fort Canning to Marina Bay, two places for the same city. The first, Fort Canning, is steeped in history, the first settlement in the 13th and 14th centuries; the other, Marina Bay Sands, is the new symbol of a city looking to the future. Between the two, the colonial district where the numerous buildings such as the Parliament, the City Hall, the Supreme Court, the Padang, the Singapore Cricket Club, the churches (St. Andrew's, Good Shepherd, the Convent of the Child Jesus, St. Gregory the Illuminator), the museums (the Singapore History Museum, the Museum of Asian Civilizations), not forgetting the mythical Raffles Hotel, are all remnants of the past grandeur of the British Empire. Most of these buildings have been preserved after 1965 and restored.
Chinatown and the CBD
The nerve center of the Central Business District (CBD) is Raffles Place, formerly known as Commercial Square. In the 1850s, it housed the offices of shipowners. Merchants could watch loading and unloading from Collyer Quay. Thanks to its proximity to the river, commercial activity began here. Since then, tall bank towers have replaced commercial offices. Among the district's emblematic towers is the OUB Centre, built by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange in 1986. A few colonial buildings remain, including the Fullerton Hotel, formerly the Central Post Office, the Boathouse, former headquarters of the Port of Singapore Authority, and the redeveloped Clifford Pier and Collyer Quay. Further south, Lau Pa Sat is one of Singapore's most famous hawker centers, beneath its elegant white-painted wrought-iron structure, imported from Glasgow in 1894. Still to the south, amid the buildings, we find the Wak Hai Cheng Bio Taoist temple, the "Temple of the Calm Sea", dating from 1826, a small space of tranquillity in the heart of the hustle and bustle. The CapitaSpring tower, 88 Market Street, is a must-see, 280 meters high, home to greenery within, and it's possible to visit it (rooftop and 17ᵉ on the 2ᵉ floor), the view over Singapore is breathtaking. Continuing along Church Street, you quickly get a feel for the Chinese ambiance. Renovations have unfortunately killed off Chinatown's neighborhood life a little, and the streets are now rather bustling with tourists. Having been destined for destruction, the neighborhood has now been restored or, better still, rebuilt.
Orchard Road and its surroundings
When you think of Orchard Road, you think of shopping, hotels and restaurants. Yet orchard means "orchard". When Raffles arrived in Singapore, the area around what is now Orchard Road was planted with betel nut palms and gambas owned by some wealthy Chinese and Malay families. Later on, nutmeg and pepper plantations were also developed as well as orchards, hence the name Orchard Road. From 1870, the Europeans who were rather settled on Beach Road (around the Raffles) came to settle around Orchard Road, in the district of Tanglin, to seek some greenery. While walking along Orchard Road, don't forget to go to Emerald Hill to admire the beautiful shophouses built at the beginning of the last century by the rich Peranakan families. Further down Orchard is the Istana, the presidential palace built in 1869 for the governor. Open to the public four times a year, the estate includes administrative and residential buildings, a large pond, a golf course and even a cemetery. Finally, at the very end of the street is the Cathay Building, built in 1935 and which housed the British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation's film studios, now transformed into a shopping mall after being occupied by the Japanese during World War II.
Nature Reserves and the North
Singapore is the second most densely populated country in the world, after Monaco, yet if you go to the center and north of the country, you'd think you were on an almost untamed island. The lungs of the island, there are still stretches of primary and secondary forests, man-made lakes, reserves... Perhaps you'll come face to face with a wild animal? To give yourself the best chance of doing so, take a trip to the zoo.
Changi and the East Coast
At the end of the 19th century, the Malays began to leave Kampong Glam and settle in the Geylang district. Some had already settled there because of its proximity to the sea. There were coconut, rubber and cassava plantations. According to Malay architecture, houses were built of wood, slightly elevated and grouped into villages called kampung. After independence, however, urbanization replaced these traditional dwellings with more modern residential areas. Today, Geylang is a popular district and surely one of the liveliest on the island. Another district is Katong and its main street, Joo Chiat. In the 19th century, the area was also covered with plantations, and Joo Chiat was nothing more than a muddy path linking Geylang Serai to the sea. The street was named after a wealthy Chinese man, Chew Joo Chiat, who owned the plantations and agreed to have the path turned into a road. After the First World War, he sold his land and the plantations were turned into housing. Wealthy Peranakan Chinese flocked to the area, building magnificent shophouses in the 1920s. Europeans also built beautiful colonial villas along Mountbatten Road, which at the time ran alongside the sea. Today, the Katong/Joo Chiat district offers a charm unrivalled in Singapore. Here, you can stroll with your nose in the wind to admire the colorful facades of the restored shophouses. But gentrification is just around the corner: make the most of it, as long as this district retains its authenticity.
Jurong and the West Coast
This part of the island was developed on the sea from the 1970s. The westernmost part is industrial while the eastern and central part consists of HDB housing areas as well as various amusement parks such as Jurong Bird Park. The Mount Faber Park in the south is connected to the Kent Ridge Park by the Southern Ridges, which is a very pleasant 9 km walk with a view of Jurong Island, opposite; this artificial island, on which the petrochemical industry in Singapore is concentrated, is one of the 10 largest petrochemical complexes in the world. Shell inaugurated its largest refining center there in 2010. Access to the island is strictly forbidden.
