Tioman Island

Pulau Ubin is an island of just over ten square kilometers off Singapore's northeast coast, and one of the country's last kampongs, or traditional villages. You come to cycle a rented bike through forests and past flooded quarries to the mangroves and mudflats of Chek Jawa. Its Malay name means 'Granite Island': From the 19th century onwards, its quarries supplied granite for projects including the Johor Causeway and Horsburgh Lighthouse. In the 1970s, several thousand people still lived here; most moved away after the quarries closed.You can rent bikes in the village at the jetty. From there, paths lead to Chek Jawa in the east and to the mountain bike park at Ketam Quarry. The crossing by bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal takes about ten minutes.

Mandai in northern Singapore is the city-state's hub for zoological parks. On the edge of the Upper Seletar Reservoir, in the Central Catchment area, there are now five parks: the Singapore Zoo (opened 1973), Night Safari (1994), River Wonders, Bird Paradise (moved from Jurong in 2023), and the newest park, Rainforest Wild Adventure. They are operated by the Mandai Wildlife Group, known as Wildlife Reserves Singapore until 2021.With the opening of Rainforest Wild Adventure's eastern section in May 2026, the roughly ten-year transformation into Mandai Wildlife Reserve is complete. You can spend a full day here and switch to the Night Safari in the evening. The Mandai Wildlife West and East entrance areas, with restaurants, are accessible without a ticket. You can reach Mandai by MRT and shuttle buses.

Katong and Joo Chiat form Singapore's eastern Peranakan district, a residential area of vibrantly decorated shophouses, old coffee houses, and small family businesses. You come here to see the shophouses along Koon Seng Road and eat Peranakan cuisine like Katong Laksa and Nyonya rice dumplings right where it originated.Until the 19th century, this area housed coconut and cotton plantations. Entrepreneur Chew Joo Chiat, dubbed the 'King of Katong,' acquired vast tracts of land, gifted the city the street now bearing his name in 1917, and sold plots to developers. In the early 20th century, wealthy Peranakan families settled, constructing the district's characteristic houses. In 2011, Joo Chiat was designated Singapore's first 'Heritage Town'. Since 2024, you can easily reach the district via the Thomson-East Coast Line.

Little India along Serangoon Road is Singapore's historic Indian quarter. You come for the Hindu temples, the biryani eateries, the Tekka Centre, and the 24-hour Mustafa Centre. It began as a cattle trading district: Indian immigrants, many of them cattle farmers, settled here, and in 1915, the Kandang Kerbau Market, named after the cattle trade, was established. The area was only named Little India in the 1980s at the initiative of the Singapore Tourism Board; in 1989, it was heritage listed. Many Singaporeans still call it Tekka today.Between the temples, eat at the Tekka Centre or Bismillah Biryani on Dunlop Street; afterwards, the Indian Heritage Centre is worth a visit. During Deepavali and Thaipusam, the district becomes a festival ground. The Little India MRT station is located on the North East Line and the Downtown Line.

The Botanic Gardens in the Tanglin district is an approximately 82-hectare park featuring lakes, themed gardens, and the National Orchid Garden. Since July 4, 2015, it has been listed as the first and, to date, only tropical botanical garden on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It was established in 1859 by an Agricultural and Horticultural Society at its current location. Under Director Henry Nicholas Ridley, who took office in 1888, research into rubber cultivation was conducted here; his methods helped Malaya become the world's largest natural rubber producer.The Gardens are freely accessible daily from 5 AM to midnight. You can stroll from Swan Lake at Tanglin Gate across lawns and themed gardens to the National Orchid Garden, which is the only paid-admission area. Two MRT stations are located directly at the entrances: Botanic Gardens in the north and Napier in the south.