Kampong Glam, Singapore (Arab Street and Haji Lane) – Awesome things you must see and do!

As 2017 is right around the corner, I’ve started to reflect on all of the things that I have yet to complete before 2016 is over. Once again, I’ve realized that I’ve completely neglected this blog and have not continued my ‘Summing up my Experience in Singapore’ entry in a while. Honestly, you guys should be thankful that I’m not a parent/pet-owner, I can’t even keep up with a blog — imagine me in control of someone else’s life *shudders*

Hence, in a bid to show some love to this blog, I will now share with you a brief (but informative) entry of my adventures in Kampong Glam (a.k.a. Arab Street) , Singapore.

Enjoy 🙂

Where do I begin when explaining the awesomeness of Kampong Glam, Singapore? I loved this area so much and I highly recommend that EVERYONE who visits Singapore drop by Arab Street and take a stroll through the small, charming lanes. The very first time I visited this area was with my lab buddy (and now my pen-pal :”) ) from the NUS laboratory that I was interning in. Noticing that I had my DSLR camera in tow, she promised that the place that she was taking me to was picturesque and full of culture.

The two of us took the mRT to Bugis station and made our way through throngs of late-afternoon shoppers near Bugis Junction. We continued walking down Victoria Street for about 15 minutes in the sweltering heat. I could feel my sweat gradually soaking my shirt (I did say that this entry would be informative, ehehh) and I could feel the strap of my DSLR adhering to my sweaty skin on the back of my neck. Finally, my friend motioned for us to turn onto Arab Street. I could see many shops dotting the lane with colourful garbs and rugs on display. As we walked further down, open air cafes became visible.

One of the many shops selling intricate rugs.

Saw these beautiful lanterns throughout Arab Street.

This store was by far the prettiest as their lanterns were arranged in such a symmetrical shape at the front of the store (see pic below).

I actually got my profile picture taken in this really nice store on Arab Street. NOTE, when I took my pic, I wasn’t told anything about photos. However, after my friends tried to take a picture here, they were told that photos were not allowed. Hence, if you do happen upon this store, make sure to ask the owner before you take a photo!

However, the crowning jewel of Arab Street was definitely the Sultan Mosque that stood in the centre of the hustle and bustle. With a beautiful golden dome and a palm-tree lined pathway leading up to its entrance, this was definitely the most picturesque part of the area.

The Sultan Mosque and the palm-tree lined lane leading up to this beautiful place of worship.

Another side street with views of the mosque.

On another note, there are many nice souvenir shops surrounding the mosque. If you are planning on  buying gifts or souvenirs for friends, this is one of the areas that I recommend you visit as the prices aren’t bad and the souvenirs are quite nice. Other areas that are also budget-friendly for souvenirs are : Bugis Market, and Chinatown.

Shops surrounding the pedestrian-only path in front of the mosque.

Some of the shops surrounding the mosque were great places to hunt for reasonably priced souvenirs. Notice the $2 sign on the left-hand part of this picture — this area was definitely one of the cheapest for souvenirs.

After visiting Arab Street with my lab mate, I found myself frequently revisiting this area. There was always something to see and do in this region and each trip was very enjoyable. However, one of my favourite parts of the Kampong Glam area was the ultra-hipster Haji Lane. This tiny street is pedestrian-friendly, and although it is a short street, there are many gems along this lane. There’s even a place where you can get a picture of yourself printed on the lid of your coffee cup/ bubble tea container!

A cool cafe along Haji lane with lots of greenery. You will see lots of quirky places like this  when walking along the street. Note, after a quick search I found out that this place is called ‘Going Om’. Here’s their website: http://www.going-om.com.sg

Haji lane had a lot of clothing stores as well! The clothing was super cute and definitely resembled items that you would find at Franscesca’s (in America) or Honey (Canada).

Came to this dessert restaurant with friends and had a slice of tasty chocolate cake. Pictured here is the upstairs seating area. It was a cozy place filled with students and other young adults. Sadly, I do not remember the name of this place.

Another shot from the same restaurant in the previous picture.

Furthermore, there is a side street that branches off of Haji Lane (connecting to Arab Street). There are large murals / amazing street art here that would definitely act as a nice backdrop for anyone interested in updating their profile picture ;).

Some of the cool street art seen around Haji Lane

People making use of the awesome street art.

In conclusion, I truly recommend that anyone visiting Singapore makes an effort to check out the Kampong Glam area! It has so much to offer and you should surely bring your DSLR along as there is so much culture and beauty to be captured!

BONUS: VISIT THE MALAY CENTER ALONG NORTHBRIDGE ROAD. This place is VERY CLOSE to the mosque (about a 5-7 minute walk). In this picture, we happened upon different groups of children dressed in traditional garb. They were nice enough to pose for pictures :”)

The peaceful grounds of the Malay Center.

Summing up my Experience in Singapore

Okay, I admit that I was M.I.A. on this blog for the second half of my trip. But in my defence, things really became hectic both in and out of the lab as my departure date approached. You see, at the beginning of my trip, I thought 11 weeks would be more than enough time to explore Singapore and other neighbouring areas.

I was so wrong.

The first 1.5 months flew by and before I knew it, there was only one month left. In my panicked haste to complete everything on my Singapore To-Do List, this blog was left behind in the dust and I basically compartmentalized it to the back burner of my consciousness. (Dat metaphor  though 😉 ).

It is officially the second week of August, and I have been home for almost 3 weeks now. It’s funny because seemingly insignificant moments of walking through unknown Singaporean streets, being jostled by the bus driver’s sudden stops, hearing the tumultuous thunder, and feeling the humidity on my skin have been moments that stuck with me as fond memories. Needless to say, I really miss Singapore and the people that I met during my exchange.

A lot of things happened during my time in Singapore and quite frankly, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sum it up in a single blog post. Hence, I’ve decided to write a series of blog posts in the coming weeks. Each post will be dedicated to a specific site/attraction that I had the chance to visit. I think this will do each region justice and it will also be easier for me to organize and recollect stories from each place.

Sooooo, below I have a little layout of each series that will be posted in the future. I’m really excited to write each post. However, the post that I am most excited to complete is the Hong Kong blog! I still can’t believe that I had the chance to visit HK — the story behind this is a bit crazy so I can’t wait to share it! And, of course HK will be the very last blog post in the series because a little suspense is always good 😉

Scroll down to see future blog posts:

1. Little India

2. Arab Street/ Kampong Glam area

3. Clarke Quay (pronounced ‘Kee’ — I still can’t get over this)

4. Marina Bay area

5. Gardens by the Bay

6. Holland Village

7. Orchard Road

8. Sentosa Island

9. Chinatown

10. Pulau Ubin, Singapore

11. Future Worlds + Big Data Exhibit at the ArtScience Museum

Bonus:

12. Johor Bahru, Malaysia

13. Pulau Bintan, Indonesia

14. Hong Kong