5 of Our Favourites Places to Visit this Ramadan in Singapore
Ramadan Kareem to all our Muslim friends who are observing this holy month! As we are streamlining (and easing of) COVID-19 measures, we hope this will gear you up for the festivities. We personally like visiting historical structures and the different enclaves around Singapore where we can go on a shopping spree (yes to new clothes, new curtains, cookies, food!). In actual fact, there are so many places to explore with your friends and family hence to save your time, we have rounded up our 5 favourite places to visit this Ramadan. Continue reading!
Image by laughingmango from Getty Images
1. Sultan Mosque
Sultan Mosque a prominent landmark located at the heart of Kampong Gelam, has always been one of our favourite places to visit for Ramadan. It has been a place for cultural, social and religious activities where many muslims will gather in the vicinity of the mosque to await the prayer call in order to break the fast during sunset during Ramadan.
Good news! From 1 April to 8 May 2022, One Kampong Gelam will be organising a Cinta Cahaya Ramadan. Other than fairy light decorations and projection mapping, there will also be Ramadan Bazaar at Kandahar Street and Sultan Gate which will serve halal food during Ramadan this year. Yes, correct, physical bazaar is finally returning to Kampong Gelam! There’s still little information on the theme but we are already more than excited that there will finally be a bazaar along with the Geylang Bazaar (check point 3), PSYCHHHH!
Image by Mika Haziq
2. Geylang Serai
The Geylang Serai Malay Market and Food Centre is the place that our parents will love to visit in the morning to get fresh ingredients from the market. Above the traditional wet market, there is a halal food centre where there are food from over 60 food stalls for you to choose from. Other than raw ingredients from level one there are ready-to-eat food at level two! From small bites like Rojak to the traditional Nasi Padang and even chendol to beat the tropical heat. You can even get goldsmiths, pastries and groceries all in the same building. Trust us, it’s such a convenient place for anyone to drop and grab whatever they want!
Image by Tobias Krohn from Shutterstock
3. Geylang Bazaar
Our all time favourite place to visit is definitely the Geylang Bazaar! It is the time of the year where you will see lights and food along Geylang Serai again. It has been 2 years since the last Geylang Bazaar and we are extremely happy to share the news that Geylang Bazaar is back this year! However, to prevent the spread of Covid-19, it will be scaled down with lesser shops. The bazaar will feature 8 halal food stalls and 32 non-food stalls. Although the bazaar is not returning at full capacity, we encourage you to head down to show your support to the participating stalls anyway. However, do remember to observe the prevailing Safe Management Measures to keep yourself and others safe.
Image by Olaf Protze / LightRocket from Getty Images
4. Malay Heritage Centre
The Malay Heritage Centre is a cultural centre which is located at the Sultan Gate of the Beach Road in Kampong Gelam. It is a place which showcases the history, heritage as well as the culture of the Malay Community in Singapore. A place that provides cultural exposures and learning opportunities for the visitors.
Every year during Ramadan, Malay Heritage Centre will have different activities lined up. For example in 2021, it has the #KasiOnRayaFest which takes place online and offline which is a hybrid festival that lights up for Raya. We will definitely update here once more activities are confirmed!
Image from klook
5. Joo Chiat Complex
The Joo Chiat Complex is definitely the place to visit during Ramadan. It is located in the Joo Chiat, locality nearer to the eastern side of Singapore. In the 1960s, it was one of the popular trading points for Malays, Chinese and Indians in Singapore. To date, the Joo Chiat Complex is an indoor mall where you can get your Raya needs such as decorations, traditional kueh, jewellery, a brand new baju kurung, plastic table cloth, textiles, knick knacks or even new curtains and carpets. This place definitely gotta be one of the destinations to visit this Ramadan with your friends and family!
So, which of these will you visit first? Although Singapore is very frequently and affectionately referred to as the “Little Red Dot” by both Singaporeans and foreigners alike, there are many places to explore and we sincerely hope you found this list helpful. Ramadan is really a meaningful occasion to look forward to so don’t let a pandemic dampen your spirit – there is still so much you can do! Wishing all our Muslim friends a safe Ramadan!
