Singapore is a bustling metropolis filled with modern skyscrapers and futuristic architecture, but beyond its world-class restaurants and over-the-top tourist traps, the city is also home to under-the-radar gems and off-the-beaten-track treasures.
LessFancy digging into the freshest catch of the day at a modern kelong, floating on the waters between Pulau Ubin and Changi Point Ferry Terminal? Take a 15-minute boat ride to the Smith Marine Floating Restaurant where you can tuck into a wide spread of seafood like sambal mussels, chilli crab, calamari, and lobster with pumpkin sauce. If you want to upgrade the experience, head to the resto's pond and catch your very own seabass or snapper.
This particular lamppost on the furthest end of Tuas is quite the attraction among the cycling crowd in Singapore. It all began when the popular Love Cycling Singapore Facebook group started an event to travel all the way to the west – Tuas – called “Song Song to Jurong”. The group's founder was the first to place a sticker on the lamppost to mark the endpoint of the route, and now cyclists always slap a sticker on the post as a sort of ritual.
Don't listen to what you hear in the songs – here's one waterfall you should be chasing. Located in the far West of Singapore is Yunnan Garden. Inspired by lush and landscaped traditional Chinese gardens, you'll find plenty of features in this park that pay homage to literature, culture and architecture.
There are plenty of spaces in Seletar that feel like a step back in time, and Boh Geh Uncle Canteen is definitely one of them. This makeshift canteen is a popular spot for those working in the area: cyclists, joggers and also curious sorts. Don't expect anything for the 'gram – firstly, photos and videos are not allowed in the canteen, which is part of the former Seletar Camp that has been around since 1969.
Hidden in the industrial CleanTech Park in Jurong is a tranquil eco-garden. The five-hectare park covers over four main zones – the Summit Forest, the Wildlife Corridor, the Stream Ravine and the Freshwater Swamp Forest. The eco-garden is also home to plenty of flora and fauna including birds, dragonflies and several species of butterfly.
While The Oval is bustling with the brunch crowd, next to it is the tranquil Hampstead Wetlands Park. Though just a small pocket of green in a somewhat industrial area, this former marshland has seen been spruced up so that it looks like a lush English garden with a pond – complete with lily pads. There's a short trail loop you can take which will take you through the forested area and along the waterside.
Step back in time at Kampong Lorong Buangkok, Singapore’s last surviving village. A quick respite from the city, the last kampong in Singapore will give you a glimpse into how simple life used to be. There’s also plenty of photogenic spots for you to snap a photo with your significant other. Do be respectful when visiting as there are still families living in the kampongs.
It's been deemed as the most expensive haunted house in Singapore. But enter if you dare – 'cos if you're not spooked by the supernatural, you can get caught by the law for trespassing. Nonetheless, it's worth knowing that Singapore has an actual haunted mansion. The now-abandoned house is located in the deep woods of the Holland Road and Tyersall Road area. It was once occupied by a Sultan of Johor, but now sits empty, decayed and covered in vegetation.
Formed by a group of Singaporean clay artists, this rustic hideaway is replete with local flavour and history. Be sure to visit this cultural gem and feed the 'dragon' – what's said to be the city's last elongated kiln that 'eats' and 'breathes' fire – before rumoured urban redevelopment projects reclaim this humble pottery abode.
The former three-storey creative space that was home to artists and creative types may have been demolished, but in its place is a cooler, more interesting building. In a sea of grey buildings, The Mill stands out with its Art Deco style, complete with a gothic tower. And if the design looks a little familiar, that's because one of the towers of The Mill was designed by the same team who worked on the iconic Parkview Square in Bugis.