Places in Singapore You Must Visit: Bugis

Bugis Junction, that is located right above Bugis MRT Station, is Singapore's first glass-covered, air-conditioned shopping streets in the middle of a nostalgic architectural setting. From Chinese-style shop houses with five-foot walkways, Bugis Junction offers a touch of historical charm while serving the needs of the modern shopper.

The building used to be shophouses that belonged to the Bugis people of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Nowadays, Bugis Junction is a place where people come together to shop, dine, be entertained and enjoy the unique shopping experience. It consists of four sections: Bugis Junction Tower, Parco Bugis Junction, BHG Bugis Junction and Hotel InterContinental Singapore.

Located in the Bugis arts, culture, learning and entertainment district along Victoria Street, Bugis+, which formerly known as Iluma, has become a well-known landmark with its illuminated 'crystal' facade. For the comfort of shoppers, it is also now connected to Bugis Junction via a bridge at its level 2.

This unique mall offers great eating places like the delicious Korean barbecued chicken wings, as well as many Japanese food like specialty ramen and curry rice that would be difficult to find in other places. It is a favourite place for the youths of Singapore to hangout because many arcades and game stations can also be found here.

Drop by Arab Street, an ethnic neighbourhood in Singapore, which is located only one block away from Bugis area.

Bugis Street is probably more famous that the shopping mall just across it, Bugis Junction. Many foreigners confuse them, naturally, as the are close to each other and have the names that sound the same. Bugis is the name of the whole area, much like Orchard Road or Chinatown. While Bugis Junction is a mall and Bugis Street itself is an outdoor "market".

Bugis Street is named so because it is a stretch of 'Street'. Deemed as the largest street shopping location in Singapore, it is kind of outdoor as it was started with street-side stalls. Until today, the first floor does not have the privilege of air-conditioner. Since it's semi-outdoor, the prices there are a lot more modest than the Junction and a lot of things can be bargained.

Just across a narrow street behind Bugis Street is an area called Albert Street that forms junctions with Waterloo Street, Bencoolen Street, Prinsep Street and Short Street. Named after Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria of England, the area today has individual stalls that sell accessories, clothings, other interesting souvenirs, and cheap delicacies.

Other than that, it is also famous for Fu Lu Shou complex, a shopping mall that specialises in Daoist and Buddhist religious paraphernalia. It is particularly notable in that it also contains functioning religious shrines integrated into certain stores --the tenants and consumers here blur the line between mall and temple.

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple can also be found in the nearby Waterloo St. Drop by to get your palm-reading session done, or just to enjoy a point where religion meets busy urban life.

• Albert Court Village
• Bayview Hotel Bugis
• Carlton Hotel Singapore
• Fragrance Hotel
• Hotel 81
• Hotel Bencoolen
• Hotel Grand Pacific
• Ibis Singapore
• InterContinental Hotel
• Landmark Village
• Marrison Hotel
• Naumi Hotel
• Oxford Hotel
• Parkroyal on Beach Road
• Park View Hotel
• South East Asia Hotel
• Summer View Hotel
• Victoria Hotel