If you plan on holidaying in an Asian city, you might want to consider Singapore.

There may be many good reasons to make Singapore your first ever destination in Asia. First of all, the city is clean, orderly and safe for visitors to move around on their own. Then, if you are traveling to multiple Asian destinations, there is a bewildering range of full-service and budget airlines from Singapore Airport. Also, English is widely spoken here.

But above all, Singapore offers the cultures of three ethnic groups: the Chinese, the Malays and the Indians. What can be more rewarding than seeing three Asian communities in one destination?

Indeed, the descendants of Asian immigrants have made Singapore a melting pot of cultures, where age-old traditions still hold sway.

Discover these unique traditions in Singapore by visiting the so-called ‘ethnic enclaves’: Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India. Each of these lovely spots may be enjoyed on a leisurely walking tour.

Chinatown:

When Singapore’s founder Stamford Raffles set aside land for Chinatown, he dictated that the buildings should be made of permanent material. Thanks to Raffles and some conservation effort, Chinatown today remains a place to admire early-Singapore shophouse architecture.

Many of the original trades here, however, have been replaced by more upmarket activities like Chinese restaurants and tea houses. And as well. Opium dens, brothels and death houses (where the dying were condemned to) used to take up many of the shophouses here. Today, you’ll only see pictures and mock-ups of these trades in the Chinatown Heritage Center.

Nevertheless, Chinatown retains a strong sense of ‘Chinese-ness’.

Chinatown’s restaurants used to serve only local and southern Chinese food. Today, however, you’ll find many restaurants offering cuisines from other parts of China. These are run by first-generation immigrants who have come from various provinces in China. Singapore’s oldest Chinese temple – the very elaborate Thian Hock Keng Temple – is also found here. Worth a visit also are the quaint shops specializing in Chinese calligraphy, antiques and traditional costumes.

Kampong Glam:

Kampong Glam is so called because the gelam tree – a relative of the eucalyptus – used to proliferate this area.

Today, Singapore’s Malays continue to converge at Kampong Glam because the Sultan’s Mosque – Singapore’s largest mosque – is located here.

The Sultan’s Mosque has a fascinating history. It was rebuilt in 1928 after a major fund-raising project. Many of the poorer folks who donated to the building apparently raised funds from collecting and selling used bottles. If you visit the mosque, you’ll see its main dome sitting on a black rimmed structure made up entirely of glass bottles. It’s not difficult to explain why they are there.

Also worth doing here are the workshops at the Malay Heritage Center. You may spend a day molding your own pottery or creating your own batik art. Else, go to nearby Arab Street and get yourself a nice rattan laundry basket, an Afghan carpet or an exquisite piece of silk for that head-turning dress.

Little India:

The main road in Little India is Serangoon Road. Till today, it remains the focus of Singapore’s Indian community.

A nice walk starts near the Tekka Center. Here, prepare your nostrils for the overwhelming aroma of myriad spices and jasmine garlands, which the shops sell in abundance. You’ll also find a baffling assortment de-husked coconuts, limes, clay receptacles and the like, all of which are used for worship at the temples nearby.

Linger a while and admire the women in their blazingly colourful sarees as they haggle with the stall holders over the prices of groceries. This is as authentic as Singapore gets.

If you’ve never walked into a Hindu temple, the Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple on Belilios Road is a must-see. Here, you’ll first be awed by the realistic sculptures of Hindu deities. Inside, Hindu music creates a conducive atmosphere for devotees to worship. Visitors may join the proceedings, or simply marvel at the incredibly life-like statue of Hindu goddess Kali.

Bollywood music, curries and multi-colored sarees will also not escape your attention in Little India. If you love to shop and eat, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

The Melting of Cultures:

These ethnic areas are of course not mutually exclusive and there is a lot inter-mingling among Singapore’s ethnic groups. For example, you will find a Malay-frequented mosque standing gloriously in Little India and a major Indian temple smack in the heart of Chinatown. All these make for an enchanting visit.

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The 1st water cable-ski park will become a very hot and popular outdoor activity for Singaporean. It was located at East coast park Singapore.(This clip was taken by Nokia N93)

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Gabriel Tan is the editor of eTour Singapore.

See the photo tours of Singapore’s Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India at his website.

Historical city state Singapore one of the rich countries in the world with high per capita income. Consisting of 63 islands including mainland Singapore, the country with human maneuvering and natural beauty has emerged as a popular tourist destination in East Asia. Along with leisure travelers, Singapore attracts medical tourists from around the world. Singapore is developing itself as a medical tourism center in East Asia earning nearly USD 3 billion in revenue.

It’s true that the country is competing with its regional rival cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai in attracting investment and travelers; however, Singapore has successfully been able to manage top position among the before mentioned cities. Government of Singapore is sincere in promoting the country as an ideal tourist destination where travelers could find all fun and fiesta. The government has announced that the city area would be transformed into a more exciting place by lighting up the civic and commercial buildings.

The most sought tourist attraction in Singapore is ‘The Merlion.’ The Merlion was designed as an emblem for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1964 by Mr Fraser Brunner and since then has become apple of eye among travelers. Tourist attractions in Singapore such as Singapore Zoo, CHIJMES – The Singapore Art Museum, Clarke Quay, St Josephs Church, Fort Siloso, Little India, Chinatown Heritage Centre, Changi Village, etc. attract travelers from around the world.

Little India Hotels Singapore such as Cityhub Hotel, CityHub Hotel Singapore, Hotel 81 Rochor, Santa Grand Hotel Little India, The Claremont Syed Alwi, Value Hotel Balestier, Value Hotel Nice, Victoria Hotel Singapore, and many others offer premium quality accommodation facilities in Singapore. Located strategically, Little India hotels Singapore are affordable. All fundamental requirements of tourists are fulfilled at reasonable tariff.

Singapore Airport Hotels offer accommodation facilities to travelers wherein travelers with hours of travels could stay in comfortable bed forgetting their tiredness. Some Singapore airport hotels such as Lion City Hotel, Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel, Changi Village Hotel, Paramount Hotel Singapore, Crowne Plaza Hotel Changi Airport, etc. are extremely popular among travelers.

China Town Hotels Singapore namely Berjaya Hotel Singapore, Copthorne Kings Hotel Singapore, Furama RiverFront, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Holiday Inn Atrium, New Majestic Hotel, Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore, Riverview Hotel, Robertson Quay Hotel, Somerset Liang Court Singapore, Swissotel Merchant Court, The Gallery Hotel, and many others located in culturally rich China Town which is a major tourist attraction.

Orchard Road Hotels Singapore such as Concorde Hotel Singapore, Copthorne Orchid Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, Goodwood Park Hotel, Grand Hyatt, Hilton Singapore, Holiday Inn Park View, Hotel Royal, Meritus Mandarin, Orchard Parade Hotel, Park Hotel Orchard, Quincy, Riders Lodge, etc. provide premium quality facilities to tourists.

Marina Bay Hotels Singapore are popular for they offer beautiful views of beaches. Hotels such as Pan Pacific, Fairmont, Golden Landmark-A Far East Hotel, , Marina Mandarin, Albert Court-A Far East Hotel, Rendezvous Singapore, Mandarin Oriental, InterContinental Singapore, Carlton Hotel Singapore, and many others attract travelers from around the world.

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There are many of seafood restaurants at East Coast Park, Singapore. You can try up the local famous Chilly Crap here.

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Nancy Eben:
Hotels in Little India Singapore and China Town Hotels Singapore