NDP 2026 Giveaway: Win 4 Tickets For Your Family!

[vanessaliang4]

I’d pick Pulau Ubin. Granted, it’s been a while since I’ve visited, but it’s one of the places I’d love to bring a first-time visitor to.

Most people expect Singapore to be a futuristic city filled with skyscrapers and modern attractions. Pulau Ubin, however, offers a completely different perspective. Rich in history and culture, it preserves Singapore’s kampung heritage and gives visitors a chance to experience nature, cycle through scenic trails, and catch a glimpse of what life here used to be like.

As a local, what I appreciate most is the sense of peace and serenity. It’s the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. I also love that a visit supports the small local businesses on the island—I still remember renting a bicycle from one of the family-run shops and having a meal at the restaurant by the jetty.

More than just a tourist attraction, I think Pulau Ubin tells a unique story about Singapore’s heritage and reminds us how far we’ve come while preserving a piece of our past.

Honestly, just writing about it makes me want to hop on a bumboat this weekend and spend the day exploring the island again.

[zining]

If an overseas friend is visiting Singapore for the first time, I would definitely take them to Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay waterfront!
​Why? It perfectly captures the essence of Singapore as our vibrant ‘City in a Nature’ while showcasing iconic modern architecture like the Supertree Grove and the cooled conservatories. Taking a stroll along the waterfront promenade in the evening, catching the light show, and enjoying some local food nearby gives first-time visitors an unforgettable blend of our lush greenery and futuristic skyline. It’s the ultimate introduction to what makes our little red dot so special!

[Shawn84]

If an overseas friend is visiting Singapore for the first time, i will bring him to gardens by the bay as its one of the iconic spot for Singapore and is a good place to chill.
Thereafter, we can proceed to satay club to enjoy one of the Singapore food !

[chekchekchek]

If an overseas friend visited Singapore for the first time, I’d bring them to the Chinatown Heritage Centre.

I took my kids there a few months ago, and it turned out to be one of those visits that stays with you. The centre recreates the actual cramped shophouse living conditions that early Chinese immigrants endured in the 1950s and 60s — tiny cubicle rooms, communal kitchens, even a recreated opium den. My kids, who are used to spacious HDB flats and condos, were genuinely shocked to see how a single family, sometimes even multiple families, lived in a space smaller than our living room.

That’s exactly why I’d bring a friend there first. Singapore today is shiny, efficient, and modern — Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay tell one story. But the Heritage Centre tells the other half: how a nation of immigrants, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs, built the country we see today through sheer grit and community. It’s a 30-minute visit that gives you more context for everything else you’ll see in Singapore afterward.

It’s also just a great first stop logistically — it sits right along Pagoda Street, so after the museum you can walk straight out into the sights, smells, and chaos of actual Chinatown: incense shops, hawker stalls, souvenir stores, and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple just down the road. My kids went from looking at a recreated 1950s kitchen to eating a plate of char kway teow ten minutes later — the whole street becomes a living extension of what they just saw inside.

For an overseas friend, that mix of learning Singapore’s origin story and immediately experiencing it in the streets outside makes it more memorable than starting with the postcard spots.