Exploring The Island

If you have from two to four hours in Singapore, Neha Gupta Kapoor suggests authentic activities to experience here.

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Tours per se provide a comprehensive understanding of the city with insights, and lesser known facts and stories from licensed tourist guides. Similarly, in Singapore there is a tour for everyone from families with toddlers to business travellers. With a wide range of interest areas covered by tours, including nature, food and history, visitors can expect an immersive experience of this city.

THE INTAN

The Intan is a heritage shophouse in the idyllic neighbourhood of Joo Chiat. The nature of the building is revealed only upon entering it — that’s when you realise it is a museum dedicated to Peranakan culture, and is not just someone’s home.

Peranakans are descendants of Chinese and other Southeast Asian immigrants who migrated to and intermarried locals of Malaysia and Singapore. The community was recognised in the early 1800s.

Everything in The Intan is a collector’s item of Peranakan culture. Once inside, you are seated at one of the antique Peranakan chairs placed around a well-matched coffee table and are served nyonya kueh kueh (snacksized cakes and pastries) before the tour.

Beside the main door is a large altar that has been painstakingly put together with porcelain bowls, beadwork, stools, and candle stands amongst others.