Beyond Marina Bay, Orchard Road and Sentosa Island

This was my fourth time visiting Singapore. My first two trips were in my late teens and early twenties, with little financial independence, so I didn’t explore much (thanks to my parents for the Marina Bay Sands stays!). My third visit was in mid-2022, right after COVID restrictions eased, when Singapore reopened to vaccinated Australians. I thought I had seen enough of the island and wasn’t sure if I should return this year.

I decided to go back, but without many expectations.

If you are a first timer, it is an exciting place where you can experience diverse cultures in everyday life. Your list of ‘Must visit’ and ‘To-do’ in Singapore is also quite straight forward. There are many travel posts and social media posts recommending the usual places - Gardens By The Bay, Sentosa Island, Universal Studios in Singapore Sentosa, Singapore Sling on rooftop bar of MBS or Long Bar in Raffles place, Maxwell food courts, China town….

Here are some helpful blogs posts that shows places.

https://www.willflyforfood.net/the-first-timers-travel-guide-to-singapore/

Since I was headed to Malaysia for a friend’s wedding and found a good deal on a Singapore Airlines ticket, I figured I might as well make a stopover. I ended up spending four days exploring more local spots this time around.

When I googled phrases like “Where do the locals hang in Singapore,” “hipster spots in Singapore,” and “up-and-coming places,” a few key areas kept popping up:

• Joo Chiat

• Telok Ayer Street

• Tiong Bahru

• Jalan Besar

• Tanjong Pagar

• New Bahru on Kim Yam Road (apparently the latest shopping precinct!)

• Joo Chiat, Singapore

• Telok Ayer St, Singapore

• Tiong Bahru, Singapore

• Jalan Besar, Singapore

• Kim Yam Rd, Singapore

These are supposedly where all the cool locals hang out, so naturally, I had to check them out. I’ve written posts for each day, covering what I explored, did, and—of course—some juicy tips to help you get the most out of these areas and your day!