My 4 days free & easy visit to Singapore (May 17 > 20 2026) Day 2 Singapore City

Chinatown, Singapore

Rain Vortex, Changi Airport
Singapore

Bugis Junction, Singapore

Bugis Street, Singapore 

Day 2 Monday May 18 2026 (Singapore City) - early morning familiarisation visit near Bras Basah, Waterloo & Bugis Streets (the art & cultural district of Singapore), after a breakfast in Albert Food Centre, we took a metro to the famous Orchard Road followed by Chinatown to meet up with 5 of my cousin brothers & sisters for a reunion lunch in a local restaurant; after the lunch, together with my cousin brothers / sisters, we explored the touristy place of Chinatown near the Pagoda Street, next we visited the Jewel & Rain Vortex (indoor waterfall) of Changi Airport; in the evening we visited the Bugis Street, Bugis Square & Junction, another great day for my short stay in Singapore !  

1) Oxford Hotel, Queen Street, Singapore - approx 230m from Bras Basah Metro station & within walking distance to Fort Canning Park, Albert Market & Food Centre, Bugis Street & Bugis Junction. 

2) Catholic Church of Saint Peter & Paul, Queen Street, Singapore - built in 1870, a Roman Catholic church in Singapore located within the Central Area known as the Bras Basah Bugis precinct of Singapore arts district. 

3) Bras Basah Metro Station, Queen Street, Singapore - appox 230m from Oxford Hotel. 

4) Singapore Management University (SMU), Victoria Street, Singapore - a publicly funded private university in Singapore, founded in 2,000, SMU is the 3rd oldest autonomous university in the country, modelling the education after the Wharton School.  

5) Fort Canning Park, Singapore - Fort Canning Park is one of the Singapore's most historic landmarks, the park is home to several gardens, a brief visit only.  

6) National Museum, Stamford Road, Singapore - founded in 1849, a public museum dedicated to Singaporean art, culture & history, external visit only. 

7) Waterloo Street, Singapore - a vibrant, multicultural enclave in downtown Singapore stretching from Rochor Road to Bras Basah Road, famous for its religious harmony, the street houses a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, synagogues, churches standing side by side, alongside bustling arts centres, vegetarian eateries & traditional fortune tellers.  

8) Sri Krishnan Temple, Waterloo Street, Singapore - established in 1870, the historic temple is one of the South India temples in Singapore dedicated to Lord Krishna & his consort, Rukmini.  

9) Stamford Arts Centre, Waterloo Street, Singapore - located within the Arts & Heritage District & the Waterloo Arts Belt, the Centre is a multidisciplinary arts space dedicated to traditional arts.    

10) Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, Waterloo Street, Singapore - a traditional Chinese Temple, a popular place of worship for devotees of Guan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy, founded in 1884.  

11) Albert Centre Market & Food Centre, Queen Street, Singapore - a multi-storey hawker centre known for Michelin-listed stalls, heritage eats & one of the Singapore dry goods markets, being close to our hotel, this food centre has become our favourite place for breakfasts & dinners ! 

12) Breakfast near Albert Food Centre 

13) Metro train ride from Bras Basah > Orchard Road, Singapore 

14) Orchard Road, Singapore - Singapore's premier 2.2km retail & entertainment boulevard, upmarket shopping malls in operation here are ION Orchard, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Tang's Plaza & Design Orchard. 

15) Metro train ride from Orchard Road > Chinatown 

16) Chinatown, Singapore - it is one of Singapore's most vibrant & culturally rich districts, offering a striking contrast of historic temples, colourful shophouses & incredible hawker food alongside trendy modern cafes, cultural institutions here include the 1827 Sri Mariamman Temple & the ornate Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum, the best overall street for tourists is Pagoda Street, the vibrant heart of the Chinatown Street Market is lined with beautifully restored heritage shophouses, hanging red lanterns, souvenir & street food stalls etc  

17) Re-union lunch in Yan Palace Restaurant, Upper Cross Street, Singapore - hosted by my cousin brother & sisters (a table of 11). Good Food. Good Time. Good Company !  

18) Walkabout in Chinatown (Mosque & Pagoda Street) after the re-union lunch with my cousin brothers & sisters. 

19) Metro train ride from Chinatown > Changi Airport to visit The Jewel & the Rain Vortex (Indoor Waterfall)

20) The Jewel, Changi Airport, Singapore - a nature themed entertainment & retail complex surrounded by & linked to Terminal 1, 2 & 3 of Changi Airport in Singapore, its centrepiece is the world's tallest waterfall, the Rain Vortex which is surrounded by a terraced forest setting; my last visit was in 2022 ! 

21) Metro ride from Changi Airport > Bras Basah after the Changi Airport visit & back to our hotel for a short rest. 

22) My solo evening walk from Oxford Hotel to Bugis Street, Singapore  - Bugis Street is one of the largest street-shopping locations in Singapore with more than 600 shops, popular with both locals & tourists, a shopping haven ! 

23) Dinner with my brother Weng & sister Mei in Albert Food Centre, Queen Street, Singapore - our group savoured a plate of roasted pork (S$4.00), roasted chicken drumstick (S$4.50) & BBQ pork ((S$4.00).  

23) Bugis Junction, Singapore - formerly known as Parco Bugis Junction, it is an integrated development located at Victoria Street, Middle Road & North Bridge Road in Bugis, Downtown Core in Singapore, the development consists of a shopping mall, an office tower & the InterContinental Singapore Hotel. 

24) Oriental Food Street, Bugis Area - serving the best food from various provinces of China ! 

25) Walkabout in Bugis Cube Shopping Mall, Bugis Junction, Bugis Square & Hylam Street, Singapore to get a feel of the night life in Bugis area.