S I N G A P O R E
Originally, I decided on visiting Singapore because of it being a smart travel point to get to Bali (Find the Journey post on Bali here). Friends told me that my 10 days for “Spore” are just about seven days too many and that I would get bored. Guess what – you were wrong. After visiting Singapore in 2018 I returned a year later to spend another 10 days or so. I still enjoy it as much as on first sight. I fell in love with Spore and I consider myself to be in a long distance relationship with the city. In the end, I have collected my 18 Best Instagram Spots in Singapore and want to share them with you now.
The little red dot on the map in South East Asian belongs to my favorite city in the world. Though it’s geographically small, Singapore is an economic giant. It is Southeast Asia’s most modern city. The city blends Chinese, Malay, Arab, Indian and English cultures as well as religions. Its unique ethnic diversity affords visitors a wide array of sightseeing and plenty of culinary opportunities to choose from. My favorites include Popiah and Laksa from one of the many Hawker centers.
| Impressions |
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| Arriving in Singapore |
I arrived in Singapore on a sunny Saturday morning and though I did not see a lot of the airport that time I quickly understood why it’s the number 1 airport worldwide. It was super fast to pass immigration, picking up luggage and getting to my hotel.
When taking the public transport I first wasn’t convinced of Singapore being all modern. However, once closer to the heart of the city the vibes immediately changed. One thing I immediately noticed after leaving public transport was how clean and wide the streets were. There was no parking on the sides of the streets. Moreover, everything looked very clean in public compared to my home town in Germany. I’ve read that there are strict rules on littering, chewing gum, smoking and eating local food favorite fruit: the durian. I quickly realized how serious the government is about these rules. As a tourist I appreciate the cleanliness a lot. I wonder if locals agree on all the fines though.
| Singapore Photography Spots |
Spending eleven nights in Singapore gave me a lot of freedom to explore outside the tourist area. In fact, you won’t find many touristy pictures in this travel blog since I didn’t focus on them. Instead, I preferred exploring the areas where locals actually lived. I truly believe that you learn a lot more about a community if you (literally) see what they see every day.
That being said, you can find a lot of great spots in Downtown area of the city. My research list included well over 25 places I wanted to include while exploring on the way. Moreover, there is also a lot to see in the West of Singapore as well as in the East near the airport. Although It would take quite a while to get from one point to another if you don’t plan a travel route ahead. Well, let’s get started with my 18 Best Instagram Spots in Singapore.
1. Fort Canning Park
Located close to Orchard shopping street this park offers a nice relaxing atmosphere. A connecting tunnel from the busy street side to the park has become quite the IG spot with many people queuing up for a picture here. This spot works best with a wide lens since you will get the full circle in a lookup shot.
2. Orchard Library
Not far away from our first Singapore Architecture Spot you can find a Minimal dream location. Located in a higher floor of the busy Orchard Mall you can get this angle on the bookshelves. Please make sure to use electric shutter or turn on silent mode – It’s a library after all.
3. People’s Park Complex
Located in Chinatown, People’s Park Complex is an apartment block next to the big food court around. The building is very hard to miss when passing by but getting to the roof of the mall can be quite the challenge. You can either walk up the car park stairs or enter the mall first and head to the highest floor and take the exit to the car park. Please be aware that taking pictures of that building is not allowed unless you have asked for a permit. There is no security checking but it’s up to you. Don’t bring a drone though.e
4. Paya Lebar Industrial Estate
Looking for some leading lines? Look no further. State Housing complexes in Singapore are rarely boring. Paya Lebar is definitely not one of them. The splash of blue and yellow make the white facade an eye-catcher and a playground for photographers.
5. Pan Pacific Hotel
Ever wanted to take an elevator up more than 30 floors while being outside of the building? That’s what it takes to get up to that viewing angle. If you aren’t checked in at this hotel it can be rather difficult to get up there. Waiting for someone to pass by is another time consumer. Totally worth it though, right?
6. Marina Square
Speaking of hard places to get. The iconic Marina Square Maze is probably one of the most confusing spots to get to on this list. Getting there includes entering a mall, leaving through the correct fire exit door and taking the correct stairs. You will be rewarded with a photograph unlike any other maze.
7. Bugis+
This is probably my favorite of these 18 Best Instagram Spots in Singapore list because I passed by this mall every day. The facade is so simple yet structured enough to have a nice repeating pattern. I love this spot so much because it took us quite some time to figure out how to take this photograph. Let’s just say it includes some fire exit doors. Again. Oh, and the on taking the shot is somewhere on the other side of the street.
8. Yung Kuang Road Block 65
Located in the West of Singapore, this housing complex offers lots of possibilities to capture symmetry. The blue center line adds a little splash of color and makes your photograph stand out. That being said, please respect the people living here and keep the noise down.
9. Apple Store @Orchard
You don’t need to buy or own any of their products to stop by at their store for the two very photogenic spiral staircases. The staff actually encourages you to take pictures knowing they only benefit from the free advertising. This place is usually packed with people. So, make sure you got enough time to explore the staircase from different angles. I also liked the view from the top floor.
10. Spiral Staircases
Speaking of spiral staircases, Singapore has plenty of those to offer. I personally love them because of the perspective twists that are possible from a flat looking-down angle.
The photograph above is very close to the Marina Square Maze so it’s worth combining both spots. The composition is very minimal but the spiral lines are just mesmerizing.
My favorite spiral staircase can be found at Chinese Garden. Inside the multi-layered pagoda you will find those contrast-packed stairs with the yellow lines. Unfortunately, the whole park area (it’s huge) is closed for restoration until 2021.
11. Lone Tree
Looking for a dreamy nature photograph? Right next to Chinese Garden you can find this Lone Tree standing on a little hill. The twist is that it’s actually a sculpture made of metal. Could you tell?
12. MRT Stations
Not only do I love the public transport in Singapore because of it’s fast and inexpensive system but also because of the modern design. If you are into shooting stairs and escalators you’ll be happy to take the MRT.
One of my favorite MRT stations is located in Tampines. Very far off the city center area this spot especially shines at night (pun intended). Make sure to bring a wide or ultra-wide lens to capture all off the outer circle for a bigger scale.
13. Lasalle University
Located close to the Bugis+ spot, Lasalle University is an Arts college with a very unique design. It’s fun to explore the open space. Moreover, lots of glass facade offers plenty of possibilities for some reflection shots.
14. NCU – The Hive
Another must-visit as far as universities are concerned is the study area of NCU. Famously called “The Hive” it has now become an Instagram Hotspot with tourist buses going there for getting that picture.
15. Merlion Statue
One of iconic symbols of the city, the Merlion statue attracts masses of tourists every day and just cannot miss on this 18 Best Instagram Spots in Singapore list. The cringe-worthy tourist picture includes an open mouth with the water stream hitting the face. Inspired by that idea, why not filling up the water bottle? It’s humid and hot in Singapore after all.
16. Tampines TV Signal
This very cool TV “No Signal” design can be found in the Tampines area. There are actually a few blocks with this exact same design but some are partly covered by some trees. Just take the elevator on the opposite building up to the 8th floor or so to get the same angle.
17. HDB Housing
Singapore has many great government housing complexes with unique designs. By nature, most of them are not near the city center but more in the outer areas of the city.
For the Annual National Holiday many residents put up the national flag to celebrate their independence. I was lucky enough to travel to Spore in two years during that time. The picture below was taken at an HDB right next to Lasalle University. This year the facade is colored in a yellow-beige tone which is not as nice as last year though.
18. Future of Us Exhibition Area
Located in the famous Gardens by the Bay this now-closed exhibition area offers a nice structured facade. You can even see Marina Bay Sands in the background.
More Spots to visit
Even though I have been to Singapore for two 10-day-each-trips I still have many locations to explore. Here are some which didn’t make the cut for my 18 Best Instagram Spots in Singapore.
- Rochor MRT Station
- The Jewel (Airport)
- Capitagreen Singapore
- Robertson Quay
- Suntec Convention Exhibition Center
- Rowell Road
- SUTD
- Nanyang Primary School
- Art Science Museum
- Old Hill Street Police Station
- Maxwell Chamber
- Millenia Walk Fountain
- International Plaza
- WCEGA
- Boon Keng Sports Court
Final thoughts
I could easily include another 18 photographs for this 18 Best Instagram Spots in Singapore list but I will leave that for a future update. Singapore is my favorite city/country to visit and I will return to that beautiful place as often as I can.
I’d especially like to thank Singaporean local Josh (IG handle: @suspendtime) for inspiring me and taking lots of photographs together during my last stay. Want to see more great pics from Singapore? Check out his Instagram. While doing so, some other great Igers from Spore include Miguel (@momentos_sg) and the Yusman Twins (@YafiqYusman and @YaisYusman).
