Little India is a district of the city of Singapore, the center of the city's Indian community. A healthier version ofIndia, this district maintains its identity without becoming a mere tourist attraction and is one of the most colorful and attractive places in the city.
To know
How to orient yourself
Little India (Singapore): full screen map.
How to get
North-East MRT line, stations of Little India is Farrer Park near Serangoon Road are excellent access points. The station of Bugis on the East-West line is within walking distance (see Bugis).
Finding a taxi in Little India is difficult, especially on weekends. Better to book by phone or move away from the main roads.
How to get around
The main street is Serangoon Road, which starts at Rochor Canal Road and continues north to Serangoon to finish in Punggol. The main part is a few blocks away and can be walked around.
What see
The main attraction is Little India itself. A colorful and lively place where you can breathe an authentic Indian atmosphere with a lot of Bollywood-style music in the background.
- Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, 141 Serangoon Road.
Free. The busiest and oldest temple in Little India, it dates back to 1881 although the current structure was completed in 1986. Take off your shoes before entering.
Free. The busiest and oldest temple in Little India, it dates back to 1881 although the current structure was completed in 1986. Take off your shoes before entering.What to do
The party of Thaipusam, at the full moon of the lunar month of Thai (usually between January and February). Male devotees attach to the body of the called ornaments kavadi and they walk in procession all day. The women carry only a pot of milk on their heads and follow the procession which starts from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road and continues to the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple on Tank Road.
In the period of Deepavali, the festival of lights, Serangoon Road is decorated and outdoor markets are held. Also in this case the date follows the lunar calendar but is generally held between October and November. Before Deepavali the party of Thimithi where male devotees walk on hot coals at the temple of Sri Mariammam a Chinatown. The procession begins at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road and continues to Chinatown early in the morning where the coal walk is then held.
Every Sunday evening half a million workers from the subcontinent flock to Little India for the day off. Most are friendly but drunken brawls can break out and there is a large police presence.
Shopping
The central streets of Little India are lined with stalls selling all kinds of Indian products. But there are also two truly unique shopping malls, not just for Little India but for all of Singapore.
- Tekka Market, 665 Buffalo Road. Walking distance from Little India MRT station. Tekka (as it is known here), has numerous stands selling Indian, Malaysian and Chinese food which draws people from all over Singapore.
- Tekka Mall (The Verge), 2 Serangoon Road. This is Little India's most modern shopping mall and the only one with air conditioning.
- Mustafa Center, 145 Syed Alwi Road (Near Serangoon Road near the Farrer Park MRT station), ☎ 65 6295 5855. Department stores at discount prices, you can really find everything at bargain prices, from watches to appliances, clothing and airline tickets. Note that many other smaller “Mustafa Centers” have sprung up around Serangoon Road, but the original and largest is the one in front of Syed Alwi Road.
- Sim Lim Square, 1 Rochor Canal Road. Not really in Little India, it's sort of a giant electronics mecca. But be warned: the first two floors are for tourists who are often misled about the price. On the upper floors are the real bargains, ideal for computer enthusiasts who can find unmissable bargains. Across the street is the Sim Lim Towerwith other shops but considerably smaller.
- City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Road (North East Line Farrer Park MRT Station). Eco-friendly shopping mall in Singapore. There are many products and services, promotional activities. The City Square Mall is a miniature city center, where you can meet people, shop and learn more about the importance of environmental protection.
Other places are more geared towards the Indian market:
- Little India Arcade, Campbell Lane. Clothing, accessories, incense and sweets (# 01-16).
- Naranjan Electronics, 154 Race Course Road (Farrer Park MRT). Small electronics shop and phones at bargain prices. Please note: it does not offer any service or warranty, and as many products would not be salable in Singapore it is not possible to return them.
How to have fun
Race Course Rd has several night clubs and pubs. Desker Roadit is an area to be avoided and infamous especially on Sundays.
Little India has quite a few stalls sarabat offering local drinks, in particular Teh Tarik (literally "pulled tea", a Malaysian variant of the sweet, Indian lactate chai), also available iced. A particularly popular one can be found at the intersection of Perak Road and Dunlop Road, next to the mosque.
- [link not working]Prince of Wales Backpacker Pub, 101 Dunlop Street, ☎ 65 6299 0130. Australian pub-hostel relocated to Singapore, live music almost every night and fun themed nights (for example, free drinks for men wearing a skirt). Drinks around $ 10 (half price for hostel guests), dormitory $ 18, private room with window and private bathroom $ 60, air conditioning.
Where to eat
A specialty of Little India is fish head curry, a Singaporean dish only. It is one of the strangest looking and named dishes that you can find: it is cooked so long that the meat comes off just looking at it, you just have to remove the bones from the bottom of the plate and put them on the table. The eyes are not eaten, but according to the Chinese, the connective tissue behind is the best part of the dish.
There are two types: Chinese and Indian. In Little India, of course, the Indian variant, spicy and hot, is eaten more often. This specialty is eaten in restaurants in the area itself Race Course Rd, between Little India and Farrer Park MRT stations.
In Little India, Indian cuisine is eaten, both in the northern and southern variations, the prices are also lower than the Singapore standard, the portions are generous and even vegetarians will be able to find something for them. Here you eat the Indian way, with your hands, but if you want you will be served cutlery.
Moderate prices
- Countryside Cafe & Bar, 71, Dunlop Street (Opposite side of Sim Lim Tower, the road leading to the Bar), ☎ 65 6292 0071. Cozy Bar and Cafe with international beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks and a wide choice of Western, Indian, Thai and Japanese cuisine.
- Selmor Restaurant, 48 Serangoon Road, Little India, 217959. Cheap Indian restaurant, the food is really good.
- Jaggis North Indian Cuisine, 34 Race Course Road, ☎ 65 296 6141, fax: 65 296 0780. Excellent Tandoori cuisine also for meat lovers.
- [link not working]Jungle Tandoor Restaurant, 102 Serangoon Road Junction of Cuff Road, ☎ 65 6299 0 400, fax: 65 6775 0 300. Restaurant for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, Tandoori cuisine. Very lively and jungle themed atmosphere. Recommended by all major guides.
- Kasturi Restaurant, 1 Roberts Lane, ☎ 65 6299 5510. Meals from $ 2 and up. North Indian, Pakistani and Bangli cuisine.
- [link not working]Komala Vilas, 76-78 Serangoon Road, ☎ 65 6293 6980.
11:30-22:30. A Singapore institution with vegetarian Indian cuisine. The lower floor is a fast-food type, the upper one is a restaurant. - Saravana Bhavan, 84 Syed Alwi Road, ☎ 65 6297 7755. 08:00-23:00. The Singapore branch of a restaurant a Chennai, vegetarian cuisine. Full lunch for $ 4.80 or order what you want for a few dollars. Try the rava dosa, at $ 2.60.
- Sagar Ratna, 103 Syed Alwi Road (In front of Mustafa Cafe). Opened in 2005. Franchise of a strictly vegetarian South Indian restaurant in Delhi.
- 1 Madras New Woodlands, 14 Upper Dickson Road (50 meters on the right from from Serangoon Road), ☎ 65 62971594. 5/10$. 07:30-23:30. This restaurant is located in a somewhat quieter part of Little India (as it is located on one of the side streets). It is a pure South Indian vegetarian restaurant. Special dishes to try here are the "Keera Adai" (which is a type of pancake from theSouthern India stuffed with spinach) and sambhar Vadai. Other dishes like dosa, vadai and idli are also great for their price.
11:30-22:30. A Singapore institution with vegetarian Indian cuisine. The lower floor is a fast-food type, the upper one is a restaurant.Average prices
- Banana Leaf Apolo, 54-58 Race Course Road. Mon-Sun 10: 00-22: 00. Well known for South Indian cuisine, many come here for the curry fish head which even in small format is remarkable.
- Khansama, 166 Serangoon Road, ☎ 65 6299 0300. Downstairs a cheap coffeshop (under $ 5) and a mid-level restaurant upstairs ($ 5/10). Generous portions and known for chaat appetizers and Tandoori dishes.
- Khansama Tandoori Restaurant, 166 Serangoon Road Junction of Norris Road Road, ☎ 65 6299 0 300, fax: 65 6775 0 300. Restaurant for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, Tandoori cuisine. Very lively atmosphere and highly recommended by tourists and locals alike.
- Lagnaa, 6 Upper Dickson Road (East of Serangoon Road, on the south side of the road), ☎ 65 6296 1215. Main courses around $ 9 (à la carte). Delicious food and nice host. Upstairs you are barefoot in a very relaxed atmosphere. It also offers cooking classes. Not particularly cheap or authentic but highly rated. Try the rum-chai.
- Muthus Curry, 72-78 Race Course Road. Exit plates 16/25 $ (service 3/4 $). Mon-Sun 10: 00-22: 00. Where the curry fish head was born, today managed by the founder's son.
High prices
- Delhi Restaurant, 60 Race Course Road. 30$. Higher standard restaurant with uniformed waiters. North Indian cuisine and menus also for non-vegetarians.
Where stay
Together with the neighbor Bugis, Little India is the area for backpackers and hikers, with many hostels at great prices. Warning: many hostels in the Desker Road area serve the prostitution market.
Moderate prices
Hostels
- [link not working]ABC Premium Hostel, 91A, 93A & 95A Owen Road (1 minute walk from MRT Farrer Park station exit D), ☎ 65 6298 9390, @[email protected]. Beds from $ 20 including breakfast. With wifi and locker. Extra comfort, great location, spotlessly clean and friendly staff.
- Bunc @ Radius Hostel, 15 Upper Weld Road (10 minute walk from Little India MRT Station Exit C.), ☎ 65 6262 2862. Bed from $ 29 including breakfast. With wifi and locker.
- G4 Station Backpackers Hostel, 11 Mackenzie Road (3 minutes walk from Little India MRT Station Exit A), ☎ 65 66334 5644. Bed 40 $ per person,. Booking via the website is even more convenient. Breakfast, free pc, wifi and locker. Very clean.
- Footprints Hostel, 25A Perak Road (5 minutes walk from Little India MRT Station Exit C.), ☎ 65 6295 5134. Bed from 22 $. Free breakfast, internet, wifi and locker.
- Ali's Nest, 23 Roberts Lane (off Serangoon Road, near Farrer Park MRT), ☎ 65 62 91 29 38. Rooms $ 20 / $ 30 including breakfast. Perhaps the cheapest in Singapore but customers have complained about the dirt. There are no signs so you have to call.
- [link not working]Empire Residences, 202A Syed Alwi Road (On the corner of Jalan Besar, close to Mustafa but away from the MRT), ☎ 65 91009123, @[email protected]. Bed 22/35 $, single room from 80 $. New hostel. Free wifi and breakfast.
- [link not working]Fragrance Hostel, 63 Dunlop Street (Second block east of the intersection with Clive Street), ☎ 65 6295 6888, @[email protected]. Bed 20 $. New and clean if a little crowded. All rooms have air conditioning, dorms with 6 bunk beds. Part of the Fragrance Hotel chain and within easy reach of Little India MRT, in the center of Dunlop Street and the Little India district.
- Hangout @ Mt.Emily, 10A Upper Wilkie Road (7 minutes walk from Little India MRT Station Exit A), ☎ 65 6438 5588. Bed $ 40, double $ 120. Recently renovated, with few frills and lots of fun. Colorful and with IKEA furniture, it feels more like Oslo than Singapore. Free use of PCs, rooftop bar, laundry and security lockers. Nothing fancy but it is clean and pleasant. Close to shops and restaurants that can be reached down the hill.
- The Inn Crowd, 73 Dunlop Street. Bed $ 20, double $ 59. Cozy hostel with an excellent website. They offer a scooter ride to visit the city and its districts. Prices include breakfast and internet access.
- Pass By Bed and Breakfast, 245 Jalan Besar, ☎ 65 6396 0812. Bed $ 18, double $ 45. Nice, clean and with friendly staff. All rooms have air conditioning. Simple breakfast, free internet. Attention: the mattresses are covered with a plastic sheet with the sheets on top.
- [link not working]Prince of Wales, 101 Dunlop Street, ☎ 65 6299 0130. Bed $ 20, double $ 40. Free breakfast, like wifi and locker. It also has a bar where parties are held almost every night and an outdoor garden with live music. It can be a bit chaotic but if you are a party animal this is the place.
Hotel
- Ambassador Hotel, 75 Desker Road, ☎ 65 6392 3944. 90$. It's self-proclaimed a fine hotel, but it's seedy and in the center of the red light district. Same chain as Aspinals and Claremont.
- [link not working]Aspinals Hotel, 83 Syed Alwi Road (Near Mustafa), ☎ 65 6392 3944. 90$.
- Claremont Hotel, 301 Serangoon Road (Near Mustafa), ☎ 65 6392 4855. 90$. Check in: 02/04/2012, check-out: 05/04/2012. Recently renovated.
- Penta Hotel, 33 Birch Road (Near Mustafa and Farrer Park MRT station), ☎ 65 6299 6311. 70$. Check in: 02/04/2012, check-out: 05/04/2012.
- [link not working]Shing Hotel, 165 Kitchener Road (Walking distance from Mustafa and Desker Road), ☎ 65 6291 2565. 40/70$. Nothing special.
- Tekka Boarding Service, 462 Serangoon Road, ☎ 65 6297 5038. Single $ 35, double $ 45. New.
- [link not working]Tekka Hotel, 22 Belilios Lane, ☎ 65 6225 3378. Single 59 $, double 69 $. No frills in the heart of Little India. Internet in the room. Cockroaches galore.
- Royal India Hotel, 88 Syed Alwi Road (Opposite side to Mustafa), ☎ 65 6297 7488. 100$. Another budget hotel, offers discounts on bookings.
Average prices
- [link not working]Albert Court Village Hotel, 180 Albert Street (Close to Little India MRT Station, one block from Sim Lim Square and partly to the new Lasalle College of the Arts), ☎ 65 6339 3939. 120$. Tastefully renovated.
- Parkroyal on Kitchener, 181 Kitchener Road (5 minutes from Mustafa and Farrer Park MRT), ☎ 65 6428 3000. 135$. Probably the best hotel in the district.
- Perak Hotel, 12 Perak Road, ☎ 65 6299 7733. 150/180$. Small and elegant private house in Peranakan style building.
How to keep in touch
Useful information
- LaundryMart Express, 22 Boon Keng Road, 01-37 (Boon Keng MRT Exit B.), ☎ 65 6294 2256. $ 5 per 10kg which includes washing, drying, detergent and fabric softener. Coin operated self-service launderette open 24 hours.
Other projects
Commons contains images or other files on Little India (Singapore)
