DESTINATIONS SINGAPORE | ASIA
green i
t’s our first chance to escape the city bounds, and I’m seeing a side of Singapore I never knew existed. Setting off from the city centre, we travel
past nature reserves and acres of green space, stop off at a hydroponic farm where herbs and vegetables are growing in low-carbon vertical gardens, then pause for lunch made with the freshest of locally grown ingredients at the Open Farm Community. Then we carry on to the northwest suburb of
Kranji, almost on the border between Singapore and Malaysia, and draw up at an organic community farm known as Bollywood Veggies. We stroll through row after neatly planted row of herbs, wafts of fragrant mint, lemongrass and coriander swirling in the warm air. The owner – known by everyone as Poison Ivy, though not nearly as fearsome as the name suggests – explains the medicinal properties of each plant as well as their uses in the melting pot that is Singaporean cuisine. It’s a far cry from the towering skyscrapers and
five-star hotels downtown, but with so much green space on offer for a city of this size, it shouldn’t really be a surprise. As Singapore ramps up its efforts
travelweekly.co.uk
Singapore has reinvented its tourist trails for the post-pandemic traveller, finds Katie McGonagle
to sell itself as a ‘city in nature’ and invites British travellers back to its shores via Vaccinated Travel Lanes, innovative new tours like this one are showing the city-state in a new light.
CREATIVE FORCES The visit to Bollywood Veggies was led by Karni Tomer, guide and owner of food-focused tour outfit Wok ‘n’ Stroll. But that’s not the only creative spot Karni loves introducing visitors to. Just the day before, she led me around Little India to explain the touching stories behind the area’s street art scene. From the richly textured painting of an elderly Chinese immigrant and a turban-wearing rickshaw driver, every wrinkle writ large across their faces, to traditional scenes of Indian folklore or quirky, colourful images showcasing the city’s whimsical side, this cultural district is brought to life through the energy and imagination of its residents. There’s also a chance for visitors to put their own
creative stamp on the city, with new Instagram- focused tours from local operator Tribe. When travel restrictions put a stop to inbound tourism in 2020,²
16 DECEMBER 2021
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PICTURE: Singapore Tourism Board/Yik Keat
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