No trip to Singapore can be complete without venturing out to the beautiful Sultan Mosque, near the colourful Haji Lane and within the Arab quarter/ Little India area of Singapore. 

After having the most expensive coffee of OUR LIVES after we visited the best sunrise spot in Singapore, we were ready for our next adventure and quickly located the bus stop necessary for our visit to Haji Lane, Sultan Mosque and Little India. 

It is usually necessary for backpackers to travel using the bus system in Singapore due to its cost efficiency, as your only other choice is private transport. In Singapore, that comes in two forms; expensive taxis or the Grab app. Prices will still be higher on the Grab app (think Uber) than on a bus. Still, sometimes it’s worth paying for convenience if the budget allows, especially as bus travel times are significantly longer as they often avoid a direct route. Despite popular tourist spots being within close proximity to one another, bus times are long. Still, it is a seamless experience, plus you get a scenic tour of the city, which you may not get if you opted for a taxi. Plus, it’s cheaper, WAY cheaper!

One more note about bus travel within Singapore, you can use most contactless cards for the entire transport system within Singapore, whether it be Bus or Metro. When travelling to Singapore, we used our revolut cards. You can sign up here.

Upon exiting the bus, we were reacclimated to the dry Singaporean air, but we had made it to our first stop; Sultan Mosque. 

As we approached the mosque, we saw signs everywhere saying the mosque was currently closed due to Sultan mosque undergoing refurbishment, however in an odd moment of good fortune, it turned out that today was the first day the public would be allowed to visit the mosques as the majority of the refurbishment had already been completed. We were overjoyed and wandered around Sultan Mosque; the mosque is a marvel and looks incredible with a clear sunny sky. We were grateful for the warm humidity at that first sighting. 

Upon entering, an adorable man ensures you have dressed appropriately. If not, then free long pants are supplied for both men and women, as well as free tops to cover up the shoulders and arms of both sexes. There is no prejudice here. 

We were free to roam Sultan Mosque; however, we couldn’t enter the main prayer hall because of new prayer mats being installed. Besides the aesthetics of the Sultan mosque, the stand out of Sultan mosque were the plaques within the mosque, which provided good information about Islam. Well worth a read, and we mention much of that information in our video.

Upon leaving Sultan mosque, we wandered the streets nearby and the road directly in front of Sultan Mosque (with the astronomical restaurants on either side and lovely palm trees,) providing fantastic photo opportunities. Do not miss it.

After a quick bubble tea pit stop, where we were met by some lovely Malaysians, we headed to Hajji Lane and took a stroll around. These streets of Singapore were genuinely colourful.

Our final stop was Zam Zam restaurant, where we tried a new dish neither of us had ever heard of him before; Murtabak. It’s a roti cooked atop eggs on a giant hot stove and filled with a filling such as chicken or vegetables. Next, the roti is folded like a crepe, and more eggs are added. Yeah, we didn’t really get it either, so we’re happy we recorded it, and you can watch it here.

I seem to ramble on at the best of times. Still, I can’t help but wonder that without the sudden change to our flight itinerary, we perhaps never would have sampled the wonderful dish known as murtabak.

That’s not a great consolation to make up for expensive Singapore, but we’ll take it. Always find the wins, no matter how small they may be, that goes for anything in life, not just travelling. 

Toodles