IG-worthy places to explore in S’pore if you can’t afford to travel overseas

Are you tired of Instagramming eggs Benedict and Marina Bay?

Does the thought of visiting yet another run-of-the-mill cafe strike you with despair?

Do you love to travel, but shudder at yet another trip to Bangkok?

Not to worry, here are six weird and wonderful places in Singapore guaranteed to refresh your spirit and Instagram page.

1. Try butter coffee at Heap Seng Leong

Heap Seng Leong has been around since the 1950s. In fact, very little about it has changed since then; it’s a little time bubble that refuses to burst.

In other words, it’s the perfect place for people seeking a heritage experience.

The entire coffeeshop is a little dim and the air slightly stuffy (save for a couple of lazy rotating fans) but there is a steady stream of customers who come for the Kopi Gu You (Butter Coffee).

As its name suggests, this is literally a cup of coffee with a small slab of butter. In the past, this was done to soften the harsh taste of Robusta beans and give it a caramelised flavour.

Kopi Gu You gives you more energy than a normal cup of kopi because of the fats from the butter. That’s great if you’re a labourer. Not too ideal if you spend most of your day on your backside.

It has a nice aroma, but those who are trying it for the first time might find a little hard to get past the layer of oil on top of the coffee.

Still, it’s something you should try at least once.

2. Singapore’s only Leaning Mosque

You don’t need to travel to Italy to see a leaning tower.

The Hajjah Fatimah Mosque is Singapore’s very own Leaning Mosque.

Pro tip: You can head up to the 16th floor of block 18 Jalan Sultan, which is adjacent to the mosque, to get this birds eye view of it.

Built between 1845 and 1846, the mosque is over 170 years old. While that is impressive, the mosque’s defining feature is its leaning minaret.

The minaret of the Hajjah Fatimah Mosque tilts at a six-degree angle because of moisture seepage and shifting of the handmade bricks used in its construction.

When the mosque was gazetted as a National Monument in 1973, restoration works were done to waterproof the dome and minaret to prevent it from tilting any further.

The mosque is also known for its mixed features which were borrowed from various cultures, making it truly an icon of multicultural Singapore.

The mosque’s onion-shaped dome is indicative of the Indo-Saracenic style favoured by British architects in the 19th century.

The lancet windows are fitted with stained glass and the minaret is decorated with European pilasters with Doric capitals, while the parapets of the mosque are also decorated with Chinese glazed green tiles.

3. Birds eye view of Kampong Glam

Next head over to Textile Centre and make your way to the 24th floor where you can catch this gorgeous view of Kampong Glam:

Take a moment to enjoy this view atop Textile Centre where it is quite windy and quiet.

Once the seat of Malay royalty, the district has been gazetted as a conservation area since 1989.

The two most famous landmarks in the Kampong Glam district are the Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Centre, which used to be the home of the former Malay Sultan.

Today, the area is home to retailers of gemstones, rattan handicraft and religious paraphernalia as well as sumptuous food.

If you’re looking for a bite, you can check out Stack which has a really good tri tip beef sandwich:

If you’re in the mood to walk, you might find some rather fascinating murals - a visual feast for your eyes and your Instagram page.

This mural (located along 29 Sultan Gate) by famed local mural artist Yip Yew Chong depicts the way coffee was traditionally made in the past.

If you look closely, you can spot the coffee bean roaster as well as a couple of coffee socks that were used to brew coffee in the past.

If you’re looking for something more colourful, perhaps the ones at Haji Lane are more your cup of tea.

Aside from being a tourist spot, Haji Lane is known for its hipster aesthetics. The artistic enclave is home to many local craft and jewelry shops as well as a delightful range of food.

Of particular note are their vibrant shophouse murals which stand out from the strict pastel colour scheme that conserved shophouses have to abide by.

4. Weird but beautiful shophouses

Speaking of shophouses, our next stop is Sam Leong Road where you can find some rather unconventional ones.

These are Late-style shophouses which have a distinctively schizophrenic look also known as the Singapore Eclectic.

Constructed between the 1900s to 1940s, these shophouses boast a mixed bag of styles featuring a blend of Spanish glazed tiles, Chinese animal reliefs, and Malay eaves.

Vibrant and intricate, these are designs that you will never be able to see at your HDB estates. 

Petain Road, a short walk away from Sam Leong Road also has some Late-style shophouses although these are more visually ornate.

Here, the defining features are glazed ceramic tiles that depict different types of flowers.

Fun fact: Petain Road was named after Henri-Philippe Pétain, a French WWI hero who unfortunately became a Nazi collaborator. Yikes.

5. Futuristic set of American TV show

Our next stop can’t be more different from shophouses.

Marina One Residences is a swanky condominium located just outside Marina Bay MRT station.

Built in 2018, residential apartments here cost up to S$2.5 million each. But what really stands out is its futuristic design.

It is so out of this world that it was featured as a backdrop on American TV show Westworld. It’s not hard to see why. The place looks like a theme park that got ravaged by Godzilla.

The combination of cold metal and lush greenery makes it appear like a dystopian utopia which wouldn’t look out of place in a comic book.

Despite that, the place still has a weird charm about it. On the ground floor, you’ll find a lush garden complete with a beautiful, modern water feature.

This strangely serene place would be a good place to stop and relax.

6. Forest walk at night

Towards the end of the day, make your way down south.

The Southern Ridges’ Forest Walk is a popular walking trail for those who want to get close to nature.

Try walking the trail at night when it’s cooler and when there are fewer people jostling for space. You’ll have the walk pretty much all to yourself save for the occasional runner.

Elevated above the canopy of the Telok Blangah Hill forest, the 1km walk is very serene and relaxing. You will get a wonderful view of the trees as well as the neighbouring Telok Blangah HDB blocks.

Plus, the walk is adequately illuminated so you can be assured you’re not walking completely in the dark.

Take a moment to breathe in the clean air and listen to the soothing sounds of the forest.

Huawei P30 Pro: Versatile alternative to a camera

If you’re looking to visit and photograph some of the more unique spots in Singapore, perhaps one of the places on this list might interest you.

For the average Instagrammer who does not want to lug around a bulky camera, the Huawei P30 Pro is a good, versatile alternative because it has three lenses - a 40-megapixel lens, an ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto lens.

In particular, the Huawei P30 Pro is able to execute a 50x zoom because its software takes information from two cameras at different focal lengths to retain detail when you zoom in.

Another strong feature on the Huawei P30 Pro is its Night Mode which is able to capture a lot of details even in the dark. The phone does this by stacking several layers together during a longer exposure.

If you’re deliberating over getting a Huawei phone, both Challenger and Courts are offering a full refund if your Google Mobile Services (such as Gmail, Google Maps, Google Chrome, Google Play, Google Gallery, and YouTube), Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp apps do not work within two years of purchase.

Definitely a phone camera worth bringing along when you #TravelWithHuawei

All photos in this article were taken with the Huawei P30 Pro and were minimally edited (only cropped, rotated and resized).

This sponsored article allowed our writer to go out sightseeing on a work day. All images by Joshua Lee.