Singapore: An Exciting Stroll through Little India

I have to admit that I'm a bit at a disadvantage when it comes to verifying the authenticity of ethnic neighborhoods. After living in Japan for a while, I can say that Japantown in San Francisco is pretty good. But I've never been to China or India, so visiting Chinatown and Little India in Singapore doesn't give me anything other than the hope to get a feel for each country's culture.

That said, it was obvious that Chinatown was geared toward tourists. Hong Kong is westernized China, but it did have some realness to it... and Chinatown was not quite real. I'm not saying it's bad. But it's touristy.

 But I quickly appreciated the sights, sounds, and smells I encountered when I traveled to Little India.

 Yes, you can buy Indian clothing. But this shop is there for Indians.

 There are food markets which had Indian shoppers browsing.

 There were a lot of those flower things. I believe I missed Deepavali, which is a Hindu festival, by a week.

 Little India is located a bit further from downtown Singapore, and it's full of Indians going about their daily lives.

 One of the best parts of visiting this neighborhood was peeking down the back alleys. It was more real. Trash, carts, people hanging out talking.

 Chander Road is the heart of the neighborhood. You'll find some restaurants and tourist attractions here or nearby.

 The main streets running around and through the neighborhood are full of shops selling pretty much everything. Some stores are for tourists, but most are practical. It's like the Indian version of Mission Street in San Francisco.

 The stores are great!

 Interesting sign partly for the subject matter, and partly for the inclusion of five languages.

 This is Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. Don't ask me how to pronounce that.

 It is a Hindu temple with elaborate decorative elements. It was closed in preparation for Deepavali but I could enjoy the outside.

 Above are some detail photos of the decoration.

 The historic buildings here are still in the same general style as you see around the rest of town.

 A little more realness that makes this neighborhood so enjoyable.

 If you're looking for some good Indian food, you have a lot of choices here. Plus, the stores have a lot of cheap goods - clothing, decorations, and rugs (see the photo below).

I started in the southwest corner of the neighborhood: Sungei Road (Bukit Timah Road) and Race Course Road. Serangoon Road runs north-south and is the commercial center of the area. Just wander and see what you find!

Singapore: Shopping at Sungei Road Thieves Market (Flea Market)

 Dating back to the 1930s, the flea market at Sungei Road got its start selling stolen goods, leading to its name as the Thieves Market. For over 80 years, vendors have sold their wares here, where the rent is free and there are no refunds. As such, buyer beware. But you never know what you'll find here.

 Unfortunately, there has been a lot of turmoil at the site of the flea market, It has been "torn down" but rebuilt a few times, and about five years ago half of the market was closed off to build a new MRT station. And in 2017, the entire market will most likely be closed. The peddlers have requested a new location to move the market, but so far their wish has not been granted.

 Now in the shape of a "T" with about 80 stalls (though one source in my research said there are over 300), the market still offers a wide range of guaranteed-used goods. Expect to find housewares, clothing, and knickknacks, all of which would be good souvenirs. Come to bargain and bring small bills to help the negotiations, and be aware of your surroundings just in case.

Right now, the market seems to be open daily 1:00-7:00 PM. The center of the market is at the intersection of Larut Road and Pitt Street, most easily accessible from Bugis MRT Station.

There are other flea markets in Singapore, though I didn't have the opportunity to visit any.

A Quick Stroll Down Orchard Road: Singapore's Main Shopping Street

 When looking for a trendy spot to eat, it's easy to turn to Clarke Quay. The indoor shopping mall also has a good selection of standard mall stores for standard mall shopping. But tourists don't want malls. They want Fifth Avenue in New York. Ginza in Tokyo. Or Orchard Road in Singapore.

 The proliferation of international high-end name brand goods throughout Asia means that any city worth its salt will now have a district or area full of stores with the hottest brands.

 From Burberry to Armani, Singapore has it all; that's what you'd expect from a world class city. There are also Japanese stores like Takashimaya, seen above.

There are several malls here too, some nicer than others. I found one mall, not pictured, that seems to be nothing but basic souvenirs and mall-style restaurants. But that was my point for being there; I'll post about the food later but know that you'll be satisfied with a quick lunch here. Or enjoy something nicer in the upmarket restaurants or cafes.

As you can see from the photos, there were pedestrians and cars everywhere despite being a rainy evening. Robinsons and TANGS are the two long-time department stores of Orchard and Singapore. If you're looking for truly luxurious shopping, the Marina Bay Sands resort will have everything that will suck your wallet dry.

Orchard, Somerset, and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations are all in the area and plenty of buses stop in the shopping district.

Singapore: Clarke Quay Area

 Clarke Quay has a history as a port in Singapore, and some of the remaining infrastructure has been restored in the redevelopment of the area after port operations were moved. Shopping and dining options can be found on both sides of the river.

 I never once saw anyone actually ride it, but there's a pretty impressive-looking reverse bungee ride there, too.

 No, I didn't eat at Hooters. But there's one there. Several of the warehouses lining the river have been converted into the commercial locations that exist now.

 In addition to colorful buildings, some original, some redeveloped, there is a very large mall. A local brewpub is in the building seen above, under that black sign to the left. I had planned on having a beer or two there but the timing didn't work out.

 The mall is pretty standard, and since I visited in November their lights and Christmas tree were up.

 Clarke Quay also has a subway station directly under the mall, and it and the nearby bus stop served as my transportation hub. My hotel was down a side street similar to the one you see above. While the redevelopment of Clarke Quay itself has removed a lot of the historical charm of the area, the nearby old buildings like you see above make the area interesting to walk through.

 I saw this one day walking around. It dates back a week or two before my visit. Could you imagine if they used these in the U.S.? There would be hundreds of signs on some street corners.

One building I went inside but didn't get to properly explore was this colorful building on the corner of River Valley Road/Boat Quay and Hill Street/New Bridge Road. The Old Hill Street Police Station houses an art gallery and several government offices.

Honestly, Clarke Quay was interesting to walk through, but for a tourist like me, there isn't much here. The shops are fairly standard, and the restaurants are upscale but generally gentrified. I would like to try that brew house and the reverse bungee ride, but with so many great food stalls scattered all over Singapore, I didn't have time, money, or stomach space to spare here. I see this more as a place for locals, or for tourists looking for a "safe" meal.