Daily Rhythms of Toa Payoh Town
Need a change from mainstream attractions? Why not experience the local daily rhythms by sauntering through Singapore's 1st housing estate?
Visit the local "wet markets", sample delicacies at heritage food stalls, stroll through community gardens cultivated by residents, peek into a community centre, walk through the myriad housing typologies, learn about local religious and unwritten practices and more!
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Braddell MRT Station
- This station if part of the 1st phase of Singapore's MRT station when it opened in 1987. It is also the built very close to the public housing block.
Vantage view point
This viewpoint presents the northern part of Singapore and on a clear day, you even see Malaysia. We will also get up close to the public housing unit and see the unique ways how residents use the limited corridor space for plants, storage and even laundry!
Hawker Centre
This is one of the most popular hawker centres in the region and it has hawker stalls that won many awards and legions of loyal customers. We will stop here for some sampling. We will also visit the "wet" market to learn about meat, seafood and vegetable variety and sources.
Community Garden
Unlike the usual parks and green spaces, this garden is tended by volunteers from the community. We will see a myriad of herbs, vegetables and fruits. If we spot a friendly gardener in action, we may even engage in a plant chat!
Heritage Gallery
This cos gallery features the education and social development of Chinese in Singapore and we can also see the mobile movie theatre from olden days on display.
Public housing gallery
We will see the changes in public housing over the past 5 decades from a functional space approach to one that is guided by sustainability and community needs.
Ending Point
Toa Payoh MRT Station
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide Fee
Hawker food & drinks
Transfer from/to hotel
Tour Important Information
This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes. Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Important message from the supplier
I am happy to make changes to the itinerary (where possible) to cater to your needs. I have 3 teenagers and would love to engage young people on my tours. I am also willing to explore how the tour can be catered to wheelchair users and any other needs.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Caleb L.
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights, but in looking with new eyes" by Marcel Proust has increasingly shaped my travel approach in recent years.
When I recall my most memorable overseas trip experiences, the highlight is often not a mainstream tourist attraction, but a serendipitous encounter off the beaten path. I hope to guide you to your serendipitous encounter.
I love to travel ... my style is to spend more time with authentic local neighbourhoods visiting local markets, and shops, speaking to locals (language permitting), blending in (try!) and engaging in the daily activities of the locals. This also shaped my guiding approach; I seek to unearth local stories, unwritten practices, nuances of community dynamics, unique botanical features etc. (not regurgitate info from Google search results).
I am equally comfortable discussing policy & governance comparisons, explaining municipal matters, sharing cultural nuances, tracing historical developments or pointing out minutiae like a tile design, a leaf's drip tip, an orchid's sepal. In my free time, I enjoy exploring, learning and sharing insights about this little island of Singapore.
I attended UIUC in Illinois, USA for 3 years, worked for a German MNC for 5 years helped coordinate a 100 pax orphanage project in Indonesia for 12 years, so I am passionate with learning and sharing about different cultures. I am an adult educator at a polytechnic in the evening and enjoy guiding during my free time in the mornings.
I have been a heritage guide since 2016 and have developed over 15 unique walking tours and clocked over 100 tours for schools, churches, seniors and other social groups. I am also a tourist guide licensed by STB (Singapore Tourism Board).
Reviews
Pearlyn P.
“Familiar yet new”
Caleb made the trail interesting and enriching as he shares from his knowledge and experience. He enhanced the whole experience by using old archival shots of places visited and shared many interesting facts and stories about places that are familiar but filled with rich history that I was not aware of. It was an enlightening journey and I enjoyed it.
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Caleb L.
Pearlyn, Thanks for your encouraging feedback! Caleb
Shelley B.
“Take this tour to learn about how Singaporeans live!”
We asked Caleb to show us what everyday life is like in Singapore - and he gave us the perfect tour. He gave us a thoughtful and insightful look at the city’s culture and community which we would highly recommend to anyone who wants to see more than the touristy spots of Singapore. Caleb walked us around a local public housing neighborhood (more than 80% of Singaporeans live in public housing) so we could see all aspects of HDB life, including services for seniors, schools and day care for kids, fitness centers, how neighborhood elections work, and more! We also went into a few galleries that gave more details about how neighborhoods are designed and how urban planning has evolved. Along the way, we stopped to try some local foods he recommended. It was a highly informative and engaging tour that helped us understand and appreciate Singapore from the inside out.
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Caleb L.
Shelley, Thanks for your encouraging words! I enjoyed the conversations we had during the tour.
Rebecca L.
“An Enjoyable and Informative Bike Tour of Waterfront"”
A leisurely and enjoyable way to see the waterfront scenic view of Singapore without tiring your legs with too much walking. Caleb knows his bike route well as he cycles the route regularly. He also gives concise commentary of the attractions during the stops and has a wealth of knowledge, shown by his comprehensive answers to all our questions.
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Caleb L.
Good weather, beautiful scenery, good company = Great cycling experience Thanks for your review!
$130/ per group
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Cycle the Marina & Kallang River precinct
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Before Sunrise walking tour
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