The first Jews to settle in Singapore were of Arab-speaking Sephardic Jews from Iraq. They migrated to Singapore after Raffles established it as a trading post in 1819.  The first synagogue, a two-storey shophouse, in the Boat Quay area was established in the 1840s. Sadly, the building on Synagogue Street is no longer standing. However, it was replaced by two magnificent synagogues, both National Monuments, on Waterloo Street and Oxley Rise. Our tour will cover the Maghain Aboth synagogue in Waterloo Street and the more newly established Jews of Singapore Museum.

We begin our tour at the Jews of Singapore Museum, which opened in 2021, and traces the 200-year history of the Jews here. You will find out why the early Jews made Singapore their home and learn about prominent members of the Jewish community. You will also learn about Jewish rites and festivals.

Next door, at the Maghain Aboth Synagogue which was built in 1878. It is Asia’s second-largest and South East Asia’s oldest synagogue. You will get to see the amazing collection of elaborately decorated Torah scrolls in the Ark and admire its architecture.

By the end of the tour, you will have gained insights into a close-knit community which has, despite its small size, contributed significantly to Singapore’s development.

We will end the morning with lunch (optional at own cost) at the kosher café and shop at the kosher supermarket in the building.

The area of Bishan, located in the northernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore, consists of Government HDB housing and private residences, retail/shopping malls and some light industries. It has a fascinating history of nearly 200 years not known to many young Singaporeans and most foreigners.

All of Bishan today sits on what was once a huge cemetery of nearly 400 acres established by the Cantonese and Hakka immigrants in the 1820s.  Within the cemetery was a village with a thriving community with its own school, market and cinema.  During WW2 a fierce battle between the British and Japanese was fought in the cemetery. 

In the late 1970s the government acquired the land for development, the graves were exhumed, and the remains moved to a new columbarium specially built for that purpose. 

Join our Explore Singapore! tour for a visit to the columbarium and its temples as well as its heritage gallery where you will learn about the history of Bishan and see this unique “condo for the dead”. 

As an expatriate or citizen living in Singapore, have you ever wondered how its legal system works? Join Explore Singapore on a guided tour of the current Supreme Court and find out about it and much more.  Our guide will tell us the significant developments in Singapore’s legal history and major legal milestones. We will also find out why the Supreme Court had to move from the old building (now part of the National Gallery), with its rich architectural history to the present one. 

Have you ever noticed the strange “flying saucer” which sits on top of the court building? During our tour you will learn about its function. As you enter this Norman Foster designed building be sure to admire the luminous appearance of the marble panels on the ground level.  We will have an opportunity to look inside a courtroom and see the state -of –the- art technology within. Finally, we will enjoy the panoramic view of the civic district and Singapore’s waterfront from the Viewing Gallery.

For more than two thousand years, Chinese people have used a system of medicine – traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which is different from western medicine. The underlying concepts and theories of TCM treat man’s body, mind and emotions (or spirit) as a single entity, and its practices take a holistic approach in prevention and cure. Another unique principle of TCM is the emphasis on balance or harmony within the body and its relationship with external forces in nature.

In addition to prescribing medicinal herbs, TCM often includes nutritional therapies, physical treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, massage or Tuina, and therapeutic exercises such as taiqi and breathing exercises. TCM is increasingly recognised as a credible alternative medical system in various countries outside China.

If you are curious about TCM, join us at a TCM centre where you will learn about the basic principles and practices. We will also tour the centre where you can see herbal and other exotic medicines, as well as visit the dispensary where medicines are dispensed.

The poet Rumi once wrote: “There’s hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness. We are

lutes, no more, no less. If the sound box is stuffed full of anything, no music.” So goes a

metaphor to the fourth pillar of Islam: Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Join Khir Johari, Malay culture enthusiast, as he takes you to the heart of Ramadan

celebration in Singapore’s Kampong Gelam, where he grew up. Find out how Ramadan is

observed, the various traditions related to this Islamic holy month and their significance.

Khir will explain the custom and practice of fasting and what it means to him personally.

Discover the foods associated with fasting, and the eventual preparations for the end of

Ramadan festivities, that is the Hari Raya Puasa.

After his talk Khir will lead us through the bazaar to explain the various foods being sold. We

conclude by experiencing breaking fast at a typical Muslim restaurant, the way many

Muslims do (food included in fee).

A newspaper report on the opening of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Centre in June 2008 said its modern design and zen-style décor “could raise the eyebrows of the traditionally inclined”. Everything about the centre – from its concept and design to construction materials - is completely unlike conventional Buddhist temples. There are no red and gold pillars nor green-tiled roofs with colourful qianci (cut and paste ceramic) decorations. Instead, visitors are bound to admire the bright airy main hall with soaring ceilings and special lapis lazuli wall, the serene calligraphy room and ultra-modern columbarium. The entire centre exudes an ambience of calm and peace.

Join us for a guided tour of this unusual and modern temple and learn about this branch of Buddhism. We will end the tour with an optional lunch (at own cost) at the centre’s teahouse with delicious and healthy vegetarian food prepared by the centre’s own staff.

Throughout the ages, Indian women have been drawing kolams (geometric designs) at their doorsteps or in their courtyards as a welcome sign every morning. Traditionally they use rice powder mixed with water. Nowadays many have switched to commercially available dry coarse powder.

This form of art from South India serves three main purposes: a religious ritual, a social activity, and a channel for artistic expression for the commoner. It is an ephemeral art that is kept alive not in galleries, but in the common man’s home. It is not meant to be permanent. Like life, it has to be constantly regenerated (the life of a kolam is usually just one day).

Join Explore Singapore! to learn about kolams and its variations throughout India like the Rangoli in the North and Alpana in the East. Experience the joy of learning how to create these geometric designs on paper and discover the benefits it brings, such as improved concentration and creativity amongst others.

Reclaiming land from the sea is a time-honoured pastime. A major reclamation in the 1880s filled in the Telok Ayer Basin, enabling the building of major roads in the Central Business District (Cecil Street and Robinson Road) but leaving a large fish market high and dry.     

Chinese temples are sited near water, like the one on Phillip Street – close to the river and the seafront – Yueh Hai Cheng Temple, the oldest Teochew temple in Singapore. It won a UNESCO award for cultural heritage conservation for the painstaking restoration in the 1990s, two hundred years after its original construction. This is where our walk begins, with our guide explaining the two main deities and the tales depicted by the carvings and ornate roof sculptures.

Phillip Street is parallel to Market Street, which leads to … the Old Market, or Lau Pa Sat, so named when the new Ellenborough market was built. Its monumental cast-iron (from Glasgow) octagonal frame restored and still beautiful. An architectural marvel, like the Chinese temple.

Lau Pa Sat is now a food court for office workers. There our walk ends and some may want to try a well-known Singaporean breakfast of kopi, kaya toast & eggs.

Want to find out more about our programmes? Click here to download a PDF .