Little India
What started as a colonial cattle yard became Singapore's South Asian heartland — locals still call it Tekka.
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Indian migrant workers came for the cattle trade along the Serangoon River and simply stayed after the European farmers moved out. The precinct was gazetted for conservation in 1989, locking in the buildings that line its streets. Two festivals — Deepavali and Thaipusam — transform the neighborhood entirely and are worth planning a visit around.
What to look for
- Tekka Market, one of the precinct's notable markets
- Conservation-listed buildings along Desker Road, Syed Alwi Road, and Jalan Besar
- Festival lighting and street activity during Deepavali or Thaipusam
Locals use the name Tekka rather than Little India — useful when asking for directions or navigating the market.
Little India is one of 30 sights worth the detour in Singapore, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Singapore pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Singapore
- Singapore Botanic GardensThe world's only tropical UNESCO garden — where 1920s rubber supplied half the planet's latex and orchids now carry diplomats' names.
- Marina Bay SandsA 150-metre infinity pool balanced on the world's largest public cantilevered platform, jutting 66.5 metres past the edge of its own tower.
- Marina Bay Street CircuitLewis Hamilton said this 4.927 km loop was twice as physically punishing as Monaco — and you can walk every metre of it.
- Marina BayThe entire bay you're standing beside was open sea until 1992 — 38 years of reclamation drained the anchorage and pushed the Singapore River's mouth inland.
- Gardens by the BayThe world's largest glass greenhouse anchors a 105-hectare park on Singapore's Marina Reservoir.
- Singapore FlyerFor six years this was the tallest Ferris wheel on earth — Las Vegas finally beat it in 2014, by just 2.6 metres.