The Stories and Histories Across the Singapore River

(45 reviews)

Singapore audio tour: The Stories and Histories Across the Singapore River

This is a 1.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Singapore

$6.99

Access all 45 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

In this walking tour, modern buildings shine alongside heritage sites as new and old Singapore come together. We'll cover lots of ground, venturing where the younger generations eat, play and study.

Beyond the monuments in front of your eyes are histories hidden in plain sight. You’ll dive into the lives of former communities, but also learn about the unique cultural context of Singapore today.

Together, we're going to uncover the incredible stories simmering beneath the surface of this island-city.

This is a one-of-a-kind tour for the curious traveller, especially because we're exploring areas which tourists don't usually find themselves in. Prepare for ghosts, naked buttocks, and convent schools to reveal themselves to you.

Tour Producer

Min Yi

1 tour

A serial walker who's lived in Istanbul, Boston, and Sydney and who's walked all over from Iceland to Vietnam, Bosnia to Canada. Born in late April of 1993.

Preview Location

Location 1

McDonald's Fountain

Welcome to Bugis and welcome to our walking tour! My name is Min-Yi, and I’m going to be your guide. I’ll tell you more about myself a little later on, because we have lots to explore right now.

Before we get going, I'd like to tell you more about this area. Take a seat on... Welcome to Bugis and welcome to our walking tour! My name is Min-Yi, and I’m going to be your guide. I’ll tell you more about myself a little later on, because we have lots to explore right now.

Before we get going, I'd like to tell you more about this area. Take a seat on either side of the fountain between McDonald's and Starbucks in the open courtyard.

Today, we'll be walking through a part of Singapore where the past mingles with the present, and where the youth of Singapore live, work, and play.

The heritage of Singapore is dense and layered, which is inevitable for a city-state with not much space. We’ll see refurbished buildings whose present-day functions would not be allowed at all in their original, pious institutions. We’ll brush past museums, hotels, and schools. And then, we’ll end with a tale or two of Singapore’s haunted history.

Let’s start with the history of the Bugis area, which has always been buzzing with energy.

The Bugis people of South Sulawesi in Indonesia used to sail through a nearby canal to trade with merchants. They were here so much, that the area was named after them. They were also so famous as bloodthirsty pirates, that the Dutch and British ships soon learned to fear the Bugis man, or the Boogey Man.

We're going to get going now. With the fountain and McDonald’s behind you, head toward the main road and turn right just before Topshop. If you see plenty of pedestrians, you’re at the right place.

I'll tell you more as we walk. History works in interesting, serendipitous ways, and the appeal of the Bugis area in the 20th century can be traced to earlier times. You see, the Bugis people recognize five distinct genders within their culture, including three non-heteronormative ones. Perhaps, knowing this about the Bugis culture, the transgenders of Singapore chose the Bugis area to be theirs. We’ll talk more about the party culture of Bugis in the 1950s at our next destination, the street that started it all.

Today, Bugis is an extremely popular area for food, shopping, and all types of entertainment from IMAX movie theaters to karaoke.

As you walk to Topshop, let me tell you how VoiceMap works. VoiceMap uses your location to automatically play commentary, so you can just put your phone away and focus on your surroundings. I'll give you directions to keep you on track throughout. There might be a bit of silence now and again, but you can just keep walking and my voice will kick in at each location. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

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Major Landmarks

Bugis Street
Church of St Joseph's (Victoria Street)
Raffles Hotel
CHIJMES
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
SAM at Bras Basah (SJI)
National Museum of Singapore
Fort Canning Park
Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)
Clarke Quay

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
151-152 Rochor Rd, Singapore 188426
Total distance

3km
Final location
36 Carpenter St, #01-01, Singapore 059915
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

At Bugis MRT Station (East-West Line, station 12/Downtown Line, station 14), use Exit C to enter Bugis Junction Mall. Once inside the mall, walk to the other end of the floor and take the escalator up. You’ll see a McDonald’s straightaway. The fountain on the left side of McDonald’s is where we begin.

Show Directions

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Bugis Street, St. Joseph's Church, Raffles Hotel, CHIJMES, Cathedral of the Good Shepard, Singapore Art Museum, National Museum of Singapore, Fort Canning Park, Gothic Gates, Spice Garden, Old Hill Street Police Station, Clarke Quay

Best time of day

Note that one of our destinations, the National Museum of Singapore, opens its doors from 10am - 5.30pm daily.

Precautions

An umbrella and a bottle of water will serve you very well on our 3km walk together.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”