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Lesser-known places in Singapore

Singapore's odd corners are a short MRT ride away: a Chinese mythology park, the last village island, an old cemetery forest and a wetland with crocodiles.

All cities · Full Singapore guide · Unusual near me

7 of 7 places

  1. Haw Par Villa

    • Odd one
    • Daytime
    • Not for everyone

    A 1937 park of painted statues from Chinese folklore, built by the Tiger Balm brothers, with a walk-through of the Ten Courts of Hell.

    Getting there
    Haw Par Villa MRT (Circle line).
    Best time
    Morning, before the heat.
    Cost
    Park free; Hell's Museum about S$18–20check
    Visit with respect
    Do not climb statues.
    Not for everyone
    The hell scenes are graphic; not for small children.
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    Approximate position 1.2830, 103.7820 · Singapore

  2. Pulau Ubin

    • On the water
    • Early morning
    • Daytime

    An island of old kampong houses, quarry lakes and mangrove, with the Chek Jawa boardwalk over the tidal flats.

    Getting there
    Bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal; bicycle hire on the island.
    Best time
    Morning; check low tide for Chek Jawa.
    Cost
    Bumboat about S$4–5 each waycheck; bicycle hire about S$10–20check
    Visit with respect
    Keep to marked paths; wild boar live here, so do not feed them.
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    Approximate position 1.4045, 103.9570 · Singapore

  3. Bukit Brown Cemetery

    • History
    • Daytime
    • Not for everyone

    One of the largest Chinese cemeteries outside China, with tiled tombs and stone guards gone green under forest.

    Getting there
    Lornie Road entrance; Caldecott MRT then 15 minutes' walk.
    Best time
    Morning; volunteer walks run some weekendscheck.
    Cost
    Free
    Visit with respect
    Do not stand on tombs; families still visit at Qingming.
    Not for everyone
    Overgrown paths, mud and mosquitoes.
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    Approximate position 1.3380, 103.8190 · Singapore

  4. Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery

    • Temple, church or shrine
    • Daytime

    A 1900s monastery in Fujian style, the oldest Buddhist monastery in Singapore, with a seven-tier pagoda in the middle of Toa Payoh estates.

    Getting there
    Toa Payoh MRT, then 10 minutes' walk.
    Best time
    Morning.
    Cost
    Free
    Visit with respect
    Shoulders and knees covered.
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    Approximate position 1.3290, 103.8570 · Singapore

  5. Tiong Bahru estate

    • Street or quarter
    • Early morning
    • Daytime

    The first public housing estate, from the 1930s, with rounded Art Deco blocks, spiral back stairs and a market hawker centre upstairs.

    Getting there
    Tiong Bahru MRT, then 10 minutes' walk.
    Best time
    Breakfast at the market.
    Cost
    Free
    Visit with respect
    These are homes; do not climb stairways.
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    Approximate position 1.2850, 103.8320 · Singapore

  6. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

    • Park or garden
    • Early morning
    • Daytime

    Mangrove boardwalks where estuarine crocodiles bask, migratory birds stop from September to March and mudskippers climb roots.

    Getting there
    Kranji MRT then bus, or taxi.
    Best time
    Early morning at low tide.
    Cost
    Free
    Visit with respect
    Stay on the boardwalks; crocodiles are wild.
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    Approximate position 1.4460, 103.7300 · Singapore

  7. Henderson Waves and the Southern Ridges

    • Walk
    • Evening

    A wooden bridge shaped like a wave, 36 m over a road, on a 10 km chain of parks and forest walkways.

    Getting there
    Start at Mount Faber or HortPark.
    Best time
    Late afternoon to evening.
    Cost
    Free
    Visit with respect
    Carry water; there are few shops.
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    Approximate position 1.2760, 103.8150 · Singapore

How places get on this list
  • Fewer visitors than the city's top sights: no place on the usual first-day list.
  • Open to the public: a street, park, market, museum or place of worship anyone can walk into, or a tour anyone can book.
  • Legal and safe to visit as described. We leave out private property, closed or fenced sites, abandoned buildings, active rail lines, rooftops and rock pools known for drownings.
  • Where access is limited (Hanoi's Train Street, Berlin's Spreepark, Barcelona's bunkers), we say what the rules are and how to see it without breaking them.
  • Prices, hours and access rules change: anything marked check was right when written but should be confirmed on the day.

Checked 2026-09. Coordinates are approximate; use the map links to find the entrance.