An interesting way to explore and learn about Singapore, her past and present, is to take the leisurely done tour by trishaw. These tours are operated by Singapore Explorer. They have two different routes of daily tours to the Little India and Chinatown.
If you are keen to explore and learn more about Singapore, it is strongly recommended you take both the tours. For those who want to take the Little India Trishaw Tour, you should head to Waterloo Street, near Sri Krishna Hindu Temple. Waterloo Street is nearby Bugis Village and you can reach easily by taxi or via the Bugis MRT Station.
Riding through Serangoon Road and its vicinity, the friendly trishaw rider will take you down the journey of Little India, bringing you back to the 1960s of Singapore. Many buildings you pass by are conservation houses; many had been restored to be exactly the same as they were when they were built. You will pass by temples and rows of shop houses, where you experience the vibrant and colorful culture of Singapore’s Indian community.
You can even smell the aroma of the spices used by the Indian community for their cooking, fragrances of fresh flower garlands used for worshipping purposes, sounds of lively Indian music and sights of colorful saris which is the clothing worn by the Indians. The tour which is approximately forty five minutes will definitely leave a lasting impression in you, it is a different Singapore.
The Chinatown Tour starts from Sago Lane, which is opposite the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. You can reach the location by alighting at the Chinatown MRT Station and walk along New Bridge Road to Smith Street. The Chinatown Tour will be a ride down memory lane around Singapore’s very own Chinatown. The route takes you through places where Chinese resided when they first came to Singapore. With them, the Chinese brought along their culture, practices and food that give Chinatown its own distinctive flavor, even till today. During the ride, you will be dazzled and impressed by the architecture of the Colonial days, which is a sharp contrast to the backdrop of the Central Business District where you can see many high-rise buildings.
Be captivated by the majestic Sri Mariamman Temple, which is an Indian temple, the Jamae Mosque and rows of traditional shop houses. See how the shop houses are different from those you see in the Little India tour and how vibrant the area is. You will see rows of eating houses, shops selling traditional food and necessities, Chinese medical products and many more.
One recommendation is after you are done with the tour by trishaw, head down the route by foot. Since you have already been introduced to the areas by the tours, you can take the routes again by foot with confidence. You will then slowly discover more interesting details about the two places.
