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A huge part of traveling the world is to see and learn about how the locals live life where we are, what they do and what they eat. We got to do a lot of that while in Singapore as we stayed in places where the locals live.
Not Just a Bed and a Room
We got so much more than the average hotel experience, with a room, bed and a nice lobby. Instead, we were introduced to the awesome concept of Eating, Playing and Exploring Like a Local and provided with a Village Passport we were ready to set out – or almost ready.
Sick in a Good Place
Unfortunately, we ended up with fever and two days in bed as a start. When being sick, you just want to be in a good place, so with Martin and I both sick, the bed was nice and big, and we could each sleep away as best we could. Meanwhile, the kids got all their Legos out and played with that, their books, and were just wonderful helpers, who even went out on their own to get us and themselves some food. They basically just wanted to get out of our room, so with Village Hotel Katong being located with a mall and grocery stores downstairs, it couldn’t have been easier or more convenient.
Exploring like a Local
Back on our feet, we were ready to go out and explore the neighborhood of Katong – like locals. Thankful to the concept of Village Passports called Live Like a Local, they had everything
presented to us in this little book. What to see nearby, eat and explore. We followed their suggestions and it was perfect. Seeing the old shophouses, the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple and the Kantong Antuique House and learning the history behind them. We were introduced to lots of great places to eat at authentic Peranakan restaurants, and our favorites were the Chicken Rice and Laksa. We were in such good hands, and the kids enjoyed leading the way with each their own Village Passport.
Changi Village
As always, we like to go local and explore different areas of a city, like we also did in Kuala Lumpur which you can read all about here, so we moved from Katong over to the east end of Singapore in the Changi, near the airport and right on the water. What a fun area to explore and quite the contrast to the hustling and bustling life in the city center of Singapore. There you feel the breeze in your hair, overlooking the water and the island of Paulu Ibin, famous for its diverse plant and wildlife.
Going for a Roof Swim
First thing arriving at our new hotel Changi Village, we went up to the roof for a swim in the pool with the wonderful view, which also became our happy yoga place in the mornings. We travel with our own mats and are always on the lookout for a great place to do our morning routine which includes yoga.
Eat Like a Local
As we headed out to explore the town of Changi, we of course brought our local Village Passport made by the Changi Village Hotel. This time we started with a lunch at the local Hawker (food court where the locals eat). We each walked around the food court and then met with each our tray with a local dish. It turns out that Laksi, Chicken Rice and dumpling soups are the family favorites. It’s a fun and special experience to be in these Hawkers, with locals originating from mainly China, India and Malaysia. I’m sure you can imagine the diversity in the food – it’s pure heaven for foodies like us.
Biking Around Changi
With full bellies we went and got free rental bikes, as offered when staying at the Village Hotel Changi. We opted for a tandem bike and two normal bikes and off we went. There are lots of green areas and parks to explore, which we did, along with the Changi Beach Park, with all the local having picnics and out with their friends and families. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. We went on the boardwalk all the way to the Changi Point, passing the airport with planes taking off right above our heads and watching lots of kite surfers. Getting the bikes is such a great way to explore the area.
Glas Pool
Back at the hotel, we this time went for the second pool at the hotel, this time by the restaurant to cool down. Lots of fun in this great pool where you can see everything going on above and under water.
From Changi we also made use of the free shuttle to head into Singapore city center a couple of times. There’s so much to see and do in the city as well, and we’ll of course have a blog post about all the city fun we had, coming very soon.
We couldn’t have been happier to stay at the Village hotels in Singapore and getting an experience of how the locals eat, play, explore and simply live. Thank you so much to the Village Hotel Katong and Changi. What great experiences we had, and we highly recommend visiting Singapore - also out of the city center.
The hotel mentioned in this blogpost was kind enough to host us while visiting in Singapore but know that we only recommend places we truly enjoy - all content is our own.