We started our second day in Singapore with a wander through Chinatown. Once again, it felt like we were in a whole new place, despite the fact it had only taken a ten-minute metro ride to get there.
Chinatown felt a little more refined than Little India, less run down, but it was equally as busy and colourful. Each house was individually decorated in different colours and patterns, Chinese lanterns swung above our heads and there were bright, vibrant market stalls everywhere. It was hard to not succumb to that many stalls and we eventually did do a little shopping (there is a bridal-like kimono now hanging in my wardrobe).
We also came across an under-cover plant market, with rows and rows of greenery. So many different types of cacti, luscious orange trees and elaborate plant towers. It was really fun to wander through and examine all different types of exotic flowers.
There isn’t proper aircon because that would be bad for the plants so there isn’t the usual relief from the humidity that is common when you step indoors in Singapore. But that’s a small price to pay for the being surrounded by all the gorgeous plants, and for the amazing food. I went for the eggs and guac smash and Alice went for the French toast (I did have a teensy bit of regret when I saw hers ngl). Both were presented beautifully and were so tasty. It was a great place for a lazy brunch.
Next up on our list was Haji Lane, in the neighbourhood of Kampong Glam. Described to me as the ‘hipster area’ of Singapore, I had no idea if I was going to like it or not (something described as ‘hipster’ could go either way in my opinion) but, as it turned out, it was one of our favourite areas. I keep banging on about how so much of Singapore is colourful but Haji Lane took it to another level. Put it this way, every single shop, restaurant and wall could keep your Instagram grid busy for a looooong time. That street art was some of the best we saw in Singapore.
Haji Lane is a shopping area but a very different one compared to all the other shopping areas in Singapore. For one, it’s outdoors and two, it’s just the one street rather than a shopping mall the size of a town. It’s full of independent boutique shops, quirky cafes and restaurants. Each shop is full of the most beautiful jewellery, vintage dresses, unique candles and interior decorations. There’s cute juice bars, an Amsterdam-inspired café and selfie coffee; where you can get your selfie printed on top of your latte. Who knew you needed such a thing eh?
Despite it being just the one street, we spent several hours there, wandering around the shops, trying on vintage dresses and sipping juice in one of the juice bars.
We loved Haji Lane so much that we went back on our final day where we spent the morning having our nails done at The Nail Artelier, lunching in I Am, and snapping those gorgeous walls. This is also where we discovered the Sultan Mosque just round the corner, which 100% looks like something out of Aladdin. It’s beautiful, surrounded by little market stalls and really tall palm trees.
I loved this area of Singapore – definitely worth checking out!
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