Things to Do in Singapore for Free (or Next to Nothing

It will soon be summertime and travel is still out of the question for most. But think of it as an opportunity to explore your own backyard. Being Singapore-bound has boundless possibilities for fun and fascination, which don’t cost an arm and a leg. Here’s some inspiration.

Fun fact: London is 2.2 times bigger than the whole of Singapore!

WALK OVERSEAS – TO SENTOSA!

Skip the queue for the monorail at VivoCity and walk over water via the Sentosa Boardwalk. Entry is just $1 compared to $6 for driving in. The Boardwalk takes you right to the entrance of Resorts World Sentosa. From there, follow the signposts to your pick of beaches – Palawan, Siloso or Tanjong. Eat at one of the food courts or pack a picnic and have fun in the sun (with sunblock) and surf.

Note: For weekend visits, you need to book online to ensure safe distancing and avoid overcrowding. Reserve a time slot up to 5 days before your intended visit at: www.sentosa.com/beachreservations

Fun fact: The S.E.A Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is the world’s largest oceanarium.

TIONG BAHRU ART AND EAT BEAT

Head for Tiong Bahru – a fabulous hipster meets oldster neighbourhood that’s become something of a public art gallery. The amazing wall murals of YC Yip, a self-taught local artist, adorn many of the clean and foot-friendly lanes, and are great photo opportunities. You can actually pose in front of them and become part of the picture – make like you’re interacting with old-style kueh vendors, bird singing spectators and more. There are loads of quaint little independent boutiques, bookstores and gift shops to explore, too.

When hunger pangs hit, head for the famous Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre. The atmosphere is authentic and pretty much everything tastes wonderful.

Fun fact: Tiong Bahru is the site of Singapore’s very first public housing estate, developed by the Singapore Improvement

Trust (SIT). Before that, it was a cemetery – its name means

‘new cemetery’ in a combo of Hokkien and Malay.

BIG DAY OUT AT THE BOTANIC GARDENS

This one never gets old. Singapore’s world-famous Botanic Gardens are a short walk from Orchard Road, and a world away. Entry to the main gardens is free, and there are many interesting things to see and do.

Within the gardens, there are many little self-contained gardens with no entry fee. We love the Evolution Garden, where you can travel through 450 million years of time and see dinosaur tracks, fossils and petrified trees. Another favourite is the Jacob Ballas Children’s Playground, which is criss-crossed by educational nature trails, a stream and a suspension bridge. There are even tree-houses!

MULTI-FAITH EXCURSION IN CHINATOWN

Expats never fail to be tickled pink to see a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque and a Buddhist temple all within stone’s throw of each other in Singapore’s Chinatown, and all on South Bridge Road. A visit to all three is a triple cultural treat – and their diverse styles of architecture are quite spectacular.

Be sure to check out Sri Mariamman temple on South Bridge Road. Marvel at its intricate ‘goparum’ or entrance tower, covered in Hindu deities and finished with gold paint, and feast your senses on the ritual temple music and drifting scent of incense.

Fun fact: Ironically, Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple – the Sri Mariamman temple, is located in Chinatown. It is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, who is believed to cure the sick.

Pack a picnic and eat under a shady tree or one of the lovely little pergolas and rotundas around the gardens. If you’re pressed for time or have too much to carry (including small children who want to be carried when their little legs tire), you could always buy takeaway from Cluny Food Hall, near Cluny Road, or eat in and cool of under the air con.

Fun Fact: Singapore Botanic Gardens became Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015.

Just a few doors down is the neighbouring Masjid Jamae mosque on South Bridge Road. Its architecture blends elements from East and West, as seen in its palace-inspired façade, its Chinese green-glazed tiles and the Doric columns in its prayer hall. If you’re lucky, you might catch the quite-beautiful call to prayer, or ‘adhan’, which calls Muslims to leave worldly matters behind for a spell and pray five times a day.

Finally, head for the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum, a relative newcomer to the area that was built in 2007 at great expense. Built in grand Tang-dynasty style, it is home to what Buddhists believe to be the left canine tooth of Buddha.

Fun Fact: The Buddha Tooth Relic is housed under a giant domed structure, or ‘stupa’, which weighs 3,500 kilograms and contains 320 kilograms of gold!

FOUR FOR STARTERS

These four great days out cover all the elements of a great summer holiday – white sandy beaches, a splash of colourful local culture, great cheap eats, beautiful natural scenery, and stunning architecture. And that’s just a taste of what’s on the menu of Singapore’s afordable and diverse oferings.

When you’re hungry for more, plan an excursion to Little India for a treasure hunt around the infamous multi-storey 24-hour Mustafa Centre – a department store and more (that’s an understatement if ever there was one). Refuel with a cheap and delicious savoury South Indian pancake, known as a ‘dosa’ or ‘dosai’.

HEAD FOR THE SWISS CLUB

When you feel like just chilling with friends, having a hit of tennis, taking a dip in the pool, or eating something wonderful, just head to the Swiss Club. Head for Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, brimming with bio-diversity, and get a taste of farming. Follow it up with a visit to Jurong Frog Farm and Hay Dairies, where goats’ milk is produced and pasteurised.

Pull on your hiking boots and take on Bukit Timah, Singapore’s very own little ‘Everest’. You might pass a group of monkeys on your way up or down – whatever you do, do not feed them. You might even pass the Swiss Club’s very own recently formed trekking group!

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE SWISS CLUB’S TREKKING GROUP?

Contact Elvis at elvis.tan@swissclub.org.sg

WIN a seasonal dessert!

FAMILY FUN PHOTO CHALLENGE

Email a photo of your family at Sentosa, Tiong Bahru, Botanic Gardens or Chinatown to marketing@swissclub.org.sg with the subject ‘Family Fun Photo Challenge’, along with your name, Membership number and contact number. The best photo will WIN a seasonal dessert and appear in the next issue of 'Relax'. The winner will be notified by email.