SINGAPORE'S LITTLE INDIA AND KAMPONG GLAM
- Mark Stevens
- Nov 13
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 16
3rd in a five blog Series
LITTLE INDIA
DISCOVER LITTLE INDIA'S HIDDEN GEMS
A NEIGHBORHOOD OF UNITY
As you ascend the escalator from the MRT you are hit with the soft aroma of Curry & Spices that let you know you’re in Little India. From the instant you pop up onto the streets it's bustling with activity, and you find yourself in a different world altogether.
You will quickly realize that Singapore's Little India is a welcoming place, and certainly the locals make you feel that way. trust me when I say, you are in for an incredible experience.
Indians in Singapore are stedfast in their families and diverse faiths, evidence of this are the many Temples, Mosques & Churches which are the center of culture in this tight-nit community. Indians recognize and respect many different faiths, and everyone comes together for many of the different holidays & festivities...
In Little India everything centers around three main roads Race course Rd., Serangoon Rd. & Jln Besar, with Serangoon Rd. being the main street in the neighborhood. There are at least 2 dozen or more side streets connecting these main highways packed with Restaurants, Markets, and shops of all kinds. Most Streets are lined with a verity of different shops and always busy.
Markets, Restaurants, and Jewelry stores sit side by side with brightly colored Shophouses that offer for sale everything from Sari's & Scarf's to the finest gold jewelry in Asia.
As a first time visitor you can find Little India overwhelming. It can be a lot to take in so don't rush, take your time and enjoy the day discovering and photographing this incredible neighborhood. Be sure and take lots of great photos, do some shopping, and enjoy the wonderful food in Little India's many restaurants.
TIPS - For Photography in Little India
You will make good use of the wide-angle lens on your smartphone or a 20mm for your camera while photographing the stunning Architecture and Street Art in Little India.
Be sure and take photos of buildings and street art from different angles. Get in close and work different angles as demonstrated in the photos above
Don't forget to capture the little things along the way, Statues, souvenirs, anything interesting you come across.
Look for contrast of colors in your photos.
Don't be shy and ask interesting looking people you meet for Street portraits. Plus, get some selfies with restaurant & stahl owners at Hawkers and restaurants.
Learn more about using the MRT & BUS system to quickly get around Singapore? See our Blog Using Singapore's MRT & BUS System to save time and money
Discover more about SINGAPORE'S SIX STYLES OF HERITAGE SHOPHOUSES
LITTLE INDIA
MARKETS-HAWKERS AND RESTAURANTS
Masala Dosa - Tandoori chicken or Fish - Biryani-Rogan Josh - Vindaloo Mutton - Chicken Tikka Masala - Naan or Korma
FLAVOR THE MOMENT
Now is your chance to experience a whole new world of flavors, and Singapore is one of the best city's in the world to do it. Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam are well known for their verity of delicious cuisine.
Throughout this blog I'll direct you to some famous Hawkers and Restaurants, along with some hidden Gems for some well known dishes. However there are far too many fantastic eateries and dishes for me to list in this blog. My best advise is to follow your nose and let your stomach be your guide...lol
If you would like to learn more about exploring Hawkers & Markets in Singapore see our Blog Hawkers & Markets - Fine dinning and Street food, this is an opportunity for great local portraits and selfies with locals.
CUISINE IN LITTLE INDIA
Who knew so many different spices existed. Discovering the Markets in Little India is an amazing experience, there are fruits and spices from all over the world.
This is your chance to try many of Singapores exotic local fruits like Jackfruit & Cempedak, Mangosteen, Salak, or many of the different types of Lychee's like Rambutans that are available at Singapores incredible Markets. If you're really feeling bold and adventurous you can try what the Singapore Locals call The King of fruits, "The Durian Fruit" .
Truly good Indian cuisine is the perfect blend of flavors and spices in every bite, so hungry travelers are in for a real treat when dinning in Singapores Little India. Here you will find cuisine from every region of India such as Dosa, Tandoori Chicken, Mutton Vindaloo and more.
Personally, I recommend lunch at the Tekka Center Hawker, then after a long day exploring Little India go for dinner & drinks at the Banana Leaf Restaurant.
There is dinning for every travelers budget, so enjoy some delicious Biryani and Tandoori chicken at the Hawkers or splurge and treat yourself to a classic experience of Fish Head curry at the Banana Leaf Apolo restaurant.
Madras New Woodlands Restaurant- 14 Upper Dickson Rd. Singapore. 207474
The Banana Leaf Apolo- 48 Serangoon Rd., Singapore 217959
Khansama Tandoori Restaurant - Little India- 166 Serangoon Road Junction of, Norris Rd., 218050
Royal Indian Restaurant- 227 Jln Besar, #01-01, Singapore 208904
Tekka Centre- Large Indian Market & Hawker- Bukit Timah Rd.
Tekka Place- (Shopping Stores) 2 Serangoon Rd., Singapore 218227
Indian Supermarket- Great photos here. 58 Cuff Rd.
TIPS
For your daily excursions
Arrange for an MRT-Bus Card as soon as you arrive.
A wide angle Lens (20mm) comes in handy and works well for Singapores many narrow streets.
A Polarizer and Natural Density filter for really bright sunny days.
Wear a Hat & Sunglasses (Polarized), it can be bright & sunny in Singapore.
Bring along a backpack with a change of cloths, shirt & shorts.
Carry a small sweat towel as its hot here, and an umbrella (for sun and rain).
Carry a couple of packs of tissues... Hawkers never have them at the tables.
Carry at least $100-150 in small bills. Taxi's and Hawkers rarely have change for large bills.
Drink lots of water (All Day), whenever the heat gets to you just pop into a cafe or bistro to cool off. Don't give up and go back to your hotel just because you're a little hot... That said, if you feel unwell seek attention and take care of yourself.
HAWKERS & MARKETS
Read more about exploring Hawkers & Markets in Singapore see the link to our blog and read... Hawkers & Markets- Fine dinning and Street food.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Little India is one part of Singapore no traveler should miss. There is so much here to see and do Shopping, Dinning, Museums, Arcades, everything is all in one neighborhood.
Try some Indian hand painting (Mehndi or Henna) at the Little India Arcade located across from the Tekka Center on Serangoon Rd., or purchase a Sari or Scarf for yourself or someone special back home.
Indian Heritage Centre: (Price $2-4 SGD) Opening hours: Tue-Thu 10am-7pm; Fri & Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am- 4pm
Little India Arcade: Indoor market in a 1920s building housing a range of small traders selling all manner of products. 48 Serangoon Rd, #02-07, Singapore 217959
Mustafa Centre: (A must stop & shop while in Singapore)145 Syed Alwi Rd, Mustafa Centre, Singapore 207704
City Square Mall: 180 Kitchener Rd, Singapore 208539
Tan Teng Niah: Popular with photographers, this unique, colorful Chinese villa.
37 Kerbau Rd, Singapore 219168
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Little India boasts some of the most beautiful Temples, Mosques and Churches in Singapore.
To learn more about discovering & photographing Singapores Temples-Churches & Mosques see our Blog Temples-Mosques-Churches Singapores Places of Worship
TEMPLES - MOSQUE'S - CHURCHES
Kampong Kapor Methodist Church- (Beautiful in Photos) Kampong Kapor Road, Singapore 20867
Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple- (This Temple is stunning to photograph) 555 Serangoon Road, Singapore 21817
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple- Stunning photos here. 397 Serangoon Road, Singapore 21812
Masjid Abdul Gaffoor- 41 Dunlop Street, Singapore 20936
Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple- (15 meter Buddha inside…) Great photos here.
Racecourse Road.
TIPS
Photography Tips: Temples can be difficult to photograph and challenging at best. White balance can be difficult to get perfect in camera, many times you will have a Red, Yellow or Gold hue throughout your entire photo.
Use grey cards to calibrate your white balance before you begin your photo session for the best results.
Place a grey or white card at the edge of your photo during composition, you can crop it out after using it to correct white balance in post processing.
First get some good shots of the entire Temple, Mosque or Church, and find good foreground objects to add some depth and interest. Try different angles and perspectives.
Move in closer getting shots of smaller and smaller groups of items.
Get shots of individual items like statues and deities, candles and anything else of interest.
Look for interesting angles which make your photos stand out, like the photo above.
Respectful Note: Look for signs about photography as you enter these locations and obey them. Many tourists like to photograph Temples, Mosques & Churches, just remember they are places of worship so please be respectful while doing so.
Some Temples do not allow photography at all, some allow it in certain locations and some require a small fee, if not, please consider leaving a small donation$…
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
WALK THE PATH FEW DARE TO TAKE
Discover what most travelers never see
I know from experience that if I truly want to discover a country or city, I need to get away from the main tourist sections. I'm not saying don't explore Singapores main tourist areas, you definitely should as they are beautiful and part of the Singapore story. That would be like going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel tower...
However there is something exciting about venturing into parts unknown, as It's here where you stumble upon hidden gems and see how locals really live their daily lives.
Usually when the City's tourist department or Google tells you about the 5 best temples to visit, it's mostly the 5 best places for shopping in the area. So set aside a day or two and get off the beaten path.
For more information about getting off the beaten path in Singapore see our Blog Singapore Off the beaten path Sengkang, Punggol, Choa Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, Geylang, Katong, Bedok, Joo Chiat…..
Shophouses at 40 Petain Rd - Stunningly beautiful, historic row of Shophouses. (See Google Map)
Historic Shophouse Buildings- (See Google Map) 298 Jln Besar, #01-01 Allenby House, Singapore 208959. Beautifully restored and colorful, Stunning Photos. After you visit and photograph the Shophouses at 40 Petain Road it worth it to to visit this building.
Heng Moh Seng - Two of the most beautiful Restored Historic buildings in Singapore.
117 Jln Besar, Singapore 208837 (See Google Map)
KAMPONG GLAM
Kampong Glam and the Bugis areas have been the center of the Muslim and Malay’s in Singapore for centuries. It's also the cultural section of the Arab and Malay community in Singapore.
There is so much to do in this area you are guaranteed to have a memorable time. It's also one of the best places for photography in Singapore with countless Instagramable places.
Everything you want to do is here, Shopping, Cultural Museums, Art Galleries, Incredible food and Pubs are on every street. I'll list a few places of interest and must see places along with some off the beaten path sites that will help you plan your day discovering this fascinating neighborhood.
A great location to start your day discovering Kampong Glam is at the Masjid Malabar Mosque located at 471 Victoria St, Singapore 198370. When you arrive, cross to the other side of Victoria St. for your best photos of this beautiful Mosque. This is a Stunning Mosque and will be your first of many fantastic photos you create during this incredible journey.
Next walk slowly along Victoria St. towards Arab St. photographing the lovely shops and street art you see along your way.
Be sure and get some Selfies and do a quick visit at the Click Art Museum before you continue on to Arab St.
Haji Lane, Arab Street, Baghdad Street are just a few of the must see and explore streets in this colorful neighborhood. Here you will discover many craft shops, art galleries restaurants, Pubs & bistro’s.
One can easily spend the day here, so do your research and make a good plan for exploring the area.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS:
Bring along a Ultra-wide lens (Below 20mm) as the streets in Kampong Glam are vary narrow.
When photographing the Sultan Mosque take note of the tile work on the ground at Muscat street, it makes a great foreground for your photos.
For a stunning photo of the Sultan Mosque, use the Arch located on the corner of Muscat Street as a frame for the Golden Dome of the Sultan Mosque.
RESTAURANTS
Cuisine in Kampong Glam
Dine at one of the many ethnic resturants in Kampong Glam, below are a few however there are dozens of fine resturants packed in this incredible neighbourhood.
Anatolia Restaurant SG (Greek) - 58 Arab St.
Mavi Turkish Restaurant & Grill (Turkish) - 17 Baghdad St.
Sultan Turkish Restaurant - (Turkish) - 30 Bussorah St.
Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant (Turkish) - 15 Bussorah St.
Cappadocia Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant - 67 Bussorah St.
Nur Fayidha Restaurant (Halal) - 2 Pahang St.
YuCun Claypot Curry Fish Head - 29/31 Sultan Gate
See our Blog for more information on Singapores Restaurants-Hawkers and Markets
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Haji Lane
Children Little Museum - 57 Aliwal St.
Vintage Camera Museum - 8C Jln Kledek
Aliwal Arts Centre - 28 Aliwal St.
Malay Heritage Centre - 85 Sultan Gate.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Masjid Malabar Mosque - 471 Victoria St.
The Sultan Mosque - 3 Muscat St.
Our Lady of Lourdes Church - 50 Ophir Rd.
Hajjah Fatimah Mosque - 4001 Beach Rd.
Llearn more about Photographing Singapores Places of Worship, see our blog Temples-Mosques-Churches Singapores Places of Worship
Closing Remarks
Ilonka and I would like to thank you for reading our Singapore Street Shots Little India Blog. We hope you will create fantastic memories, stunning photos and find some new friends exploring Singapore.
We look forward to hosting more incredible Blogs & Photo-walks that allow you to create stunning photos of Singapore’s Hidden Gems, both on and off the beaten path…
Don't forget to LIKE & FOLLOW Singapore Street Shots Facebook Page and post some of your stunning Little India photos, along with a short story about your Singapore experience.
Cheers,
Mark Stevens & Ilonka Guenther
Business Owners, Photographers & Travelers
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