For some, public holidays mean longer weekends and it's time to head overseas for a well-deserved break.
But for the rest of us, this doesn’t mean that Singapore is less interesting and you should stay at home. This Deepavali, join us as we go around Little India and other parts of Singapore like a tourist! Soak in the Deepavali festivities by heading down to ethnic enclave Little India! Get yourself a treat of traditional candies, a flower garland, or a Henna tattoo to commemorate the day.
HOUSE OF TAN TENG NIAH 37 Kerbau Road Singapore 219168
Be prepared to jostle with a sea of tourists as you navigate the brightly coloured shophouses that make an Insta-worthy backdrop. (Psst, this is where we had one of our past outdoor shoots!)
Located in the heart of Little India, Tekka Market is a vibrant area where both locals and tourists love. From fresh produce and meat to Indian spices and dried food, you will definitely be spoilt for choice! After all the grocery shopping, you can also head to Tekka Food Centre for a delicious meal.
DEEPAVALI FESTIVAL VILLAGE Campbell Lane & Hastings Road (next to Indian Heritage Centre) 10am - 10pm (till 6 Nov only)
While you're in the heart of Little India this festive season, don't forget to check out Deepavali Festival Village. Expect a bustling stretch of stalls offering colourful ornaments, festive delicacies and ethnic wear.
SAJEEV DIGITAL STUDIO 23 Kerbau Road Singapore 219161 Opens daily 10am - 10pm
Along the streets of Little India, you may have noticed this unassuming old school photo studio. But you may not have realised that Sajeev Digital Studio is actually well-known for shooting portraits of foreign workers, who will send the photos back home for match-making purposes. Besides the wide range of backdrops and interesting props that the studio provides, what caught our eyes are the photographs that adorned the wall studio. The owner of this studio, Mr Sajeev told us that most of these photographs are at least a decade old! If you take a closer look around the studio, you can also see portraits of families, friends and tourists in bright-coloured ethnic costumes with eye-catching props.
NON ENTRÉE DESSERTS 204 Rangoon Road, Hong Building Singapore 218451 Opens Tue-Thu 2pm - 10pm, Fri 2pm - 11pm, Sat 12pm - 11pm, Sun 12pm - 10pm
For foodies with a sweet tooth, Non Entrée Desserts should be on your must-try list. Not your run-of-the-mill cafe, Non Entrée Desserts boosts a creative menu of sweet treats that masks itself as an entree.
We ordered the Salted Egg Avalanche, which consists of a salted egg lava cake atop a thin piece of almond nougatine and pumpkin gelato. The warm savoury-sweet salted egg molten lava is not as overpowering as we thought, and the sweet pumpkin gelato goes really well with this cake. We also enjoyed the crunch that the almond nougatine adds to this dish.
MUSTAFA CENTRE 145 Syed Alwi Road Singapore 207704 Opens 24 hours
Need some shopping? Anytime at Mustafa Centre. For the uninitiated, Mustafa Centreoffers a unique market-style shopping experience with a wide range of products you can get at low prices. Also, there is a supermarket which sells a huge range of produce from all over the world. So if you have been hunting for spices or produce that is only available overseas, you most probably can get it here!
It is no wonder why Mustafa Centre opens 24 hours; you definitely need more than a single trip to cover the entire shopping centre.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish our Hindu customers a Happy Deepavali! We hope you enjoy exploring these places as much as we do!
