Singapore turns 60 in 2025, and there’s never been a better time to discover the hidden treasures of this fascinating southeast Asian country – whether it’s explorations of its lush chunks of primary rainforest, a hike around the island that has Singapore’s last kampong (village) or a cycle along a former railway that once connected Singapore with Malaysia.
Venturing beyond big hitters, such as Orchard Road, pays huge dividends. Here’s the lowdown on the places that provide the best insights into this fascinating country, and the best way to spend your holiday.
The best things to do in Singapore in 2025
1. Check out Geylang
Once-gritty Geylang is a brilliant place for an insight into the real Singapore. At its heart is Geylang Serai. Serai means lemongrass in Malay, and refers to the lemongrass plantations once found here. This is where you’ll find Singapore’s largest Malay community and the enormous Geylang Serai wet market, where you can wander between pyramids of fragrant spices and piles of the freshest fish. Its food court is a great place to sample Malay delicacies, such as goreng pisang (banana fritters). Afterwards, stop by the Soon Thian Keing Temple, which dates back to the late 1700s and has two roaring dragons perched atop its golden roof. Other Geylang highlights include crowd-free Lorong 24A, where you can admire colourful shophouses.
Read more: Bamboo bats, coral reefs and the country’s only village – discovering the wild side of Singapore
2. Cycle the Rail Corridor
The Rail Corridor is a 24-kilometre cycling and hiking trail that stretches from Spooner Road, to the south of downtown Singapore, to the Kranji MRT station, close to the border with Malaysia. Although the steam engines that once chugged along its tracks are long gone, reminders of its history are everywhere, including at the Bukit Timah Railway Station, built in 1932 and now a visitor centre (complete with the original track-switching levers). Various reserves and rewilding projects border the Railway Corridor, which is lined with 52,000 shrubs and trees;…
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