The 10 Best Hidden Gems Things to do in Singapore, Singapore

VISITS ARE STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENTS Founded in 2003, The Intan is a Peranakan heritage home-museum. The brainchild of antique collector and owner Alvin Yapp, The Intan (meaning 'rose-cut diamond' in Malay) enlightens its guests about the multi-facetted aspects of Peranakan culture through a kaleidoscope of rare historical artefacts, intriguing personal stories, and authentic dining experiences. Located in the heart of Joo Chiat, a traditional Peranakan enclave and Singapore's first heritage town (2011), The Intan offers personalised tours conducted by Alvin, which culminate with authentic Peranakan tea sessions and dinners inspired by his mother. The Intan also doubles up as a unique event space, having hosted a variety of activities that included jewellery exhibitions, art shows and violin recitals. Voted Best Overall Experience in Singapore's inaugural Museum Roundtable Awards, The Intan has been featured internationally on CNN Travel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. Singapore Travelholic lists The Intan as the top 5 Peranakan activities to do in Singapore. With a vision to promote Peranakan culture beyond Singapore, The Intan's collection has been showcased in places such as Croatia, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Moscow, London and Barcelona.

The Gem Museum is the first and foremost comprehensive gems and minerals museum in Singapore, open to the public. It is founded and set up in 2015 by Ms. Loke Huiying and co-founded by the director of Far East Gems and Jewellery, Mr. Tay Kunming. Ms. Loke is a certified trainer in gemmology and she has been training jewellery professionals and business owners since 2009. While Mr. Tay is a certified gemmologist, diamond trader and gem dealer. A husband and wife team, Kunming and Huiying work closely together to build a dream - a dream to spread their passion and knowledge on gemstones to many through building a company with global standards and creative platforms. The Gem Museum features a wide variety of gemstones and minerals from all corners of the world, educating visitors on the Mine to Market pipeline with regards to Value, Quality and Authenticity. It envisions being the international platform that bridge between the gemstone industry and the rest of the world.

A former underground command centre in Fort Canning Hill, the Battlebox was part of the Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II. It was here that Lt-Gen Percival made the fateful decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. Journey back in time to 1942 and discover the true causes of the Fall of Singapore and learn how an underground command centre functioned during the war.

Three generations old family run business of Oriental antiques, arts and craft in Singapore. Trading collectibles from porcelains, wood, jades, paintings, calligraphy and Yixing teapots. Organised Talks, auctions and exhibitions in the small 5000 sqft in the heart of Singapore Chinatown.

This 200-acre reserve, situated north of the island, is home to over 150 species of rare and exotic birds.

Singapore City Gallery is a great starting point to get to know the city for free. Located beside the Maxwell food centre in the historic district of Chinatown, this 3 storey visitor centre goes beneath the skin of the city to understand how the city came to be, that even though it’s a dense built-up city of tar, glass and concrete, it is still so green, has memorable buildings, historic districts and walkable streets. You can imagine and design your own version of Marina Bay or explore plans long into the future like Greater Southern Waterfront city. The main draw is an enormous model replica of the City Centre with uncannily accurate miniatures of building and streetscapes. Look out for an illustrative map drawn by Lee Xin Li. It will sure to bring back memories of Singapore, past and present. Before you leave, catch the dramatic 3-min Island Wide Model show screened every 20 mins at level 1.

Temporarily closed This museum honors POWs who endured the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II. Their stories are told with an impressive collection of personal artifacts and news coverage. A British internee returned to the museum decades after the war to recreate the murals he’d painted on the walls of the original chapel – a moving insight into how those held prisoner found hope and comfort in any way possible.

Location Information The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Kranji War Cemetery is 22 kilometres north of the city of Singapore, on the north side of Singapore Island overlooking the Straits of Johore. It is located just to the West of the Singapore-Johore road (Bukit Timah Expressway) on Woodlands Road, just to the south of the crossroads with Turf Club Avenue and Kranji Road. There is a short approach road from the main road. The Cemetery is known locally as Kranji Memorial and one must be sure of the address before boarding a taxi as most taxi drivers do not know the Cemetery. There are also bus stops on the main road facing the Cemetery. The Kranji MRT (train) terminal is a short distance from the Cemetery, approximately 10 to 15 minutes away by foot. A previous visitor has advised us that a small map of the route can be obtained from the MRT ticket office. Visiting Information Kranji War Cemetery is open every day 07:00-18:30. The cemetery is constructed on a hill with the means of access being via three flights of steps, rising over four metres from the road level, which makes wheelchair access to this site impossible.