Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
62
Sunday, they'll be closed; in that case, head
straight to the Sultan Mosque instead. See
p. 169.
2
Sultan Mosque
Just off Arab S treet, y ou can 't miss the
towering onion dome of this mosque. The
most historic in Singapore, its grounds are
open, so feel fr ee to explor e within its
walls, including the ablutions ar ea, where
worshipers wash up before prayers accord-
ing to Muslim tradition, and a small grave
site with unmar ked stones. I nside the
front entrance, they can pr ovide r obes if
you're w earing shor ts or a sleev eless top .
Come before the noontime pray ers, espe-
cially on F ridays; other wise, y ou may be
asked to wait until they 're finished. N on-
Muslims are not permitted inside the main
prayer hall. See p. 137.
3
Malay Heritage Centre
Just a 2-minute str oll fr om the mosque,
the M alay H eritage Centr e is inside the
restored palace of the original sultanate.
The staff her e is r eally nice and can also
chat about the local M alay cultur e fr om
their personal experiences. See p. 136.
Take a taxi from Arab Street to the Chinatown Heri-
tage Centre.
4
Chinatown Heritage Centre
Say goodbye to Malay culture and hello to
Chinese
and
a w elcome r espite fr om the
midday heat (it 's air-conditioned!). The
streets surrounding the center ar e packed
with souvenir shops with tons of curious
finds, plus some beautiful art and antiques
galleries, so be sur e to wander ar ound a
bit. See p. 128.
5
Yue Hwa
This Chinese emporium is practically a
museum of Chinese handicrafts, filled
with floor after floor of fabulous shopping.
Excellent buys her e include r eady-made
silk clothing, embr oidered handbags,
carved jade, potter y, and cloisonné.
Unusual buys include musical instr u-
ments, men's coolie outfits, and plenty of
strange Chinese interpretations of Western
goods. See p. 168.
Take a taxi from Yue Hwa to Thian Hock Keng Temple.
6
Thian Hock Keng Temple
If you see any one Chinese temple in S in-
gapore, this is it. O ne of the earliest built,
it is a meaningful tribute to theTaoist gods
and goddesses that hav e guided the Chi-
nese community her e. Try to get her e
before 5pm so y ou hav e time for r elaxed
exploration
.
See p. 132.
7
Night Safari
If you come from temperate climes, this is
a rar e chance to see nocturnal animals.
This is the one place wher e all S ingapor-
eans bring their foreign visitors, and I have
yet to see anyone walk away unimpressed.
Also, an easy dinner can be had from local-
and fast-food stalls at the par k entrance.
See p. 147.
4
3
THE BEST OF SINGAPORE IN 2 DAYS
On your second day, continue to explor e life at gr ound level with a morning meander
through Little India, the heart of Singapore's Indian community. After lunch, escape the
afternoon heat at the Asian Civilisations Museum, then finish your day with a Singapore
Sling at Raffles Hotel.
Start:
Taxi to Serangoon Road or MRT to Little India station.
1
Serangoon Road
A long strip wher e the locals come to buy
spices (check out the old grinding mill on
Cuff Rd. just off S erangoon), flowers (see
the sellers making jasmine garlands b y the
roadside), Bollywood DVDs (you can hear
the music blaring out into the street), saris
(you can have one made for yourself), and
all kinds of cer emonial items, many of
which make ex cellent gifts. This is one of
