'''Little India''' is, as the name promises, the center for the large Indian community in Singapore. While a rather sanitized version of the real thing, Little India retains its distinct identity without degenerating into a mere tourist attraction and is one of the most colorful and attractive places to visit in Singapore.

Get in

The North-East MRT line's '''Little India''' and '''Farrer Park''' stations, near Serangoon Road, are convenient entry points into the area. '''Bugis''' station on the East-West line is also within walking distance (see Bugis).

Getting taxis in Little India can be difficult, especially on weekends. It's best to either book by phone or head to the major roads on the edges to flag one down.

Get around

Little India's main drag is '''Serangoon Road''', which starts at Rochor Canal Rd and continues northward to Serangoon itself. The action is tightly concentrated a few blocks on either side of the road, and can be easily covered on foot.

See

Little India's primary attraction is the town itself. Here too you can find the gaily painted shophouses that are an icon of Singapore, but now the Chinese signs (almost) disappear to be replaced with Tamil, Hindi, Bengali and other more exotic Indian scripts. Stores hawk ''saris'' and gold bangles, spices and incense waft in from the doorways and Bollywood's latest soundtracks blare from every other alleyway.

  • Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. 41 Serangoon Road. ree. ttp://www.sriveeramakaliamman.com/. Little India's busiest and oldest temple, dating back to 1881 — although the present structure was completed in 1986. The temple is particularly busy on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Be sure to take your shoes off before venturing inside.

    Do

    The most extreme thing to do in Little India is to join the festival of '''Thaipusam''', held yearly during the full moon in the lunar month of Thai (usually Jan/Feb). Male devotees attach ornate shrines to their flesh with piercing hooks known as ''kavadi'' and walk across town in a day-long procession. Female devotees would usually just carry a pot of milk on their head and join the procession. The procession starts from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road and proceeds to the Sri Mariammam Temple in Chinatown.

    Around '''Deepavali''', the Hindu festival of light, Serangoon Road is festively decorated (with lights, of course!) and open-air markets are set up to sell Deepavali goodies. Like Thaipusam, the exact date is set by the lunar calendar, but it takes place in October/November and is a public holiday. Near the beginning of Deepavali, the fire walking festival of '''Thimithi''' is held, where many male devotees will walk across a platform of burning coal. Though the actual fire walking takes place at the Sri Mariammam temple in Chinatown, the procession starts at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road and makes its way to Chinatown early in the morning where the fire walking commences.

    A more low-key event happens every '''Sunday evening''' when a half-million workers from the subcontinent turn up in Little India to hang out on their day off. Most of the crowd is friendly enough, but inevitably a few get into drunken fights and there's a heavy police presence about to keep an eye on things.

    Buy

    The central streets of Little India are packed with stalls selling all sorts of Indian goods. Two giant shopping centres, however, are unique not just in Little India but all of Singapore:

  • Mustafa Centre. 65-62955855. 45 Syed Alwi Road. ff Serangoon Rd near Farrer Park MRT. ttp://www.mustafa.com.sg/. Singapore's supreme discount department store: floor after floor of absolutely ''everything'' at rock-bottom prices, ranging from Rolex watches and washing machines to fresh mangoes, bags of lentils, tailored suits and airline tickets. Open 24 hours; the exchange counters in front are probably the best place in Singapore to exchange any currency you can think of (and many you can't) at competitive rates. '''Note''': There are now many mini-Mustafa outlets scattered along Serangoon Rd, but the original and by far the largest is the one facing Syed Alwi Rd.
  • Sim Lim Square. Rochor Canal Road. Not actually in Little India but right across the street, Sim Lim is Singapore's Akihabara, a giant electronics mecca squeezed into one building, with hundreds upon hundreds of tightly packed specialist stores offering some of the most competitive prices for computers and consumers electronics in Asia. The first floor is for tourists, the upper floors and the back corridors are where the real deals can be found. Watch out for pricing tricks (omitting tax, selling included accessories separately, etc) and the occasional outright substitution fraud; unless you know exactly what you're doing and/or need something unusual, you might want to shop at Mustafa instead. Check out the pricelists at VR-Zone [http://www.vr-zone.com/sls/], comparing shops in Sim Lim, before you go. '''Sim Lim Tower''', just across the street, also has a few shops but pales in comparison sizewise.

    The other shopping options in Little India cater more to the Indian market:

  • Little India Arcade. ampbell Lane. A narrow pathway through a cluster of restored shophouses, filled to the brim with Indian clothing, accessories, incense and a rather good '''Indian sweet shop''' (#01-16).
  • Naranjan Electronics. 54 Race Course Rd. arrer Park MRT. Small shop for basic electronics like digital cameras and mobile phones, with bargain-basement prices. Try to check your goods before you leave though, as these guys have a strict (and theoretically illegal) no-returns-whatsoever policy. </buy>
  • Tekka Mall. he Verge. Serangoon Road. Little India's first and only modern air-conditioned shopping mall, and rather soulless when compared to the bustle outside. In the process of being rebranded as the IT-oriented ''The Verge'' in a bid to compete with Sim Lim, just around the corner. The adjoining '''Foodmore''' food court is not bad if you want something other than Indian food.

    Eat

    There are two types of fish head curry in Singapore, Chinese and Indian. Little India's fish head places unsurprisingly mostly serve the Indian kind, which is usually spicy and hot. Most specialty restaurants are on or near '''Race Course Rd''', conveniently located between the Little India and Farrer Park MRT stations.|print=fullpage}}

    The thing to eat in Little India is obviously '''Indian food'''. Both southern and northern cuisines are well represented, food is cheap even by Singaporean standards, portions are generous and '''vegetarians''' in particular will have a field day. Note that these are authentic Indian places and people around you will be eating the way Indians do, namely by hand — it's best to shed your inhibitions and dig in, although cutlery can be provided on request.

    Budget

  • Jaggis North Indian Cuisine. 4 Race Course Rd. 65-296-6141. 65-296-0780. ttp://www.jaggis.com/. 3 and up. Caters to meat-eaters too with a selection of tandoori dishes. Set meals available, or mix and match at the counter.
  • Kasturi Restaurant. Roberts Lane. 65-62995510. North Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cuisine, meals from $2 upwards.
  • Komala Vilas. 6-78 Serangoon Road. nd other branches around town. 65-6293-6980. ttp://web.singnet.com.sg/~komala/. 1:30AM-10:30PM. A Singaporean institution featuring purely vegetarian Indian food. Downstairs is fast food, head up for restaurant-style seating and serving. Sets start at less than $3 and even the largest platter of breads and dips will cost less than $7. Note that gourmands prefer the original outlet over the many franchised fast-food copies, and that not all dishes are available all day. South Indian set meal upstairs is $6.50 with top-ups.
  • Saravana Bhavan. 4 Syed Alwi Rd. 65-6297-7755. AM-11 PM. ttp://www.saravanabhavan.com. The Singapore branch of a restaurant chain from Khansama. 66 Serangoon Road. 65-62990300. Cheap coffeeshop-style eats downstairs (under $5) and a midrange air-con restaurant upstairs (mains $5-10). Generous portions if you don't mind their touts. Best known for its tandoori dishes and a wide selection of ''chaat'' appetizers.
  • Lagnaa. o. 6 Upper Dickson Road. 65-62961215. Delicious Indian food from a very friendly owner. Upstairs is barefoot only with a very relaxed atmosphere. Offers cooking courses and also a "slave" deal: work for 3 hours to have one wish granted.
  • Muthus Curry. 2-78 Race Course Rd. 0 AM-10 PM daily. ish head $16-25 (serves 3-4). Muthu's has a respectable claim to coming up with the idea of fish head curry; now run by the founder's son, this shop continues to draw the crowds.

    Splurge

  • Delhi Restaurant. 0 Race Course Rd. nd branch on Serangoon Rd. 30. Offers a more upmarket experience with vested waiters and a stack of awards posted on the wall. The menu features northern Indian food and has non-vegetarian selections as well; order a couple of Kingfisher beers to get ''pappadam'' with an excellent mint dip on the house.
  • Rangooli North Indian Restaurant. . Connaught Drive. 40. A stylish wood-enclosed area for dining which offer a wide selection of menu, both vegetarian and non vegetarian, even a couple of Chinese dishes. Their most popular dishes are Butter Chicken and Chicken Manchurian.

    Drink

    '''Race Course Rd''' has some funky pubs and bars. '''Desker Road''' is Singapore's dingiest quarter of ill repute and best avoided, especially on Sundays.

    Little India has quite a few ''sarabat'' stalls offering local drinks, especially ''teh tarik'' ("pulled tea", a Malaysian variant of sweet, milky Indian chai), also available in iced. A particularly popular one can be found at the intersection of Perak and Dunlop Rds, next to the mosque.

  • Prince of Wales. 01 Dunlop St. 65-62990130. ttp://www.pow.com.sg/. Brightly painted Australian corner pub/hostel transplanted in Singapore, with Gippsland Gold draught beer shipped in, near-nightly live music and bizarre theme nights (eg. free drinks for guys in skirts). Drinks around $10, dorms $20, windowless double rooms $42/50 fan/aircon. </drink>

    Sleep

    Along with neighboring Bugis, Little India is Singapore's backpacker district and has many hostels offering cheap lodging, as well as some of the most affordable hotels in town. Note that some of the cheap hotels around Desker Rd cater to the sex trade.

    Budget

    Hostels

  • Ali's Nest. 3 Roberts Lane. ff Serangoon Road, near Farrer Park MRT. 65 62 91 29 38. ttp://www.alisnest.com/. 8-04-09. 0-047-09. orm $12, rooms $20-30. Possibly the cheapest hostel in Singapore, but for a reason: some travellers complain of bedbugs. No sign outside so look for the number. Price includes breakfast of toast and tea/coffee. Ali is helpful and well traveled.
  • Empire Residences. 02A Syed Alwi Road. orner of Jalan Besar. 65-91009123. ook@empiresg.com. ttp://www.empiresg.com. orm $18-$25, single $35 up. New hostel located at the northern fringe of Little India, near Mustafa but rather far from the MRT. Free wifi and free breakfast.
  • The Inn Crowd. 3 Dunlop Street. ttp://www.the-inncrowd.com/. orm $20, double $59. A friendly backpacker hostel with an excellent website. Prices include breakfast and internet access.
  • Hangout @ Mt.Emily. 0A Upper Wilkie Road. min uphill from MRT Little India exit A. 65-64385588. ttp://www.hangouthotels.com. orm $40, doubles $120. No frills, just fun!", proclaims the recently renovated Mt. Emily Hostel. Sparkling clean primary colors and IKEA furniture make the rooms feel more like Oslo than Singapore. Free internet PCs, rooftop bar, laundry facilities, lockers, etc.
  • Pass By Bed and Breakfast. 45 Jalan Besar. 65-63960812. orm $18, twin $45. ttp://www.passbybackpackers.blogspot.com/. Nice, clean and friendly staff. All rooms have aircon. Free simple breakfast and Internet. Be warned: the mattresses are covered in plastic, with a sheet on top.

    Hotels

  • Ambassador Hotel. 5 Desker Road. 65-63923944. ttp://www.ambassador.com.sg/. 90. Self-proclaimed charming boutique hotel, but it's smack dab in the middle of Singapore's dodgiest red-light district. Dingy inside - part of the same chain as Aspinals and Claremont.
  • Aspinals Hotel. 3 Syed Alwi Road. 65-63923944. ttp://www.aspinals.com.sg/. 90. Budget hotel near Mustafa.
  • Claremont Hotel. 01 Serangoon Road. 65-63924855. ttp://www.claremont.com.sg/. 90. Recently renovated mid-range hotel, around the corner from Mustafa.
  • Penta Hotel. 3 Birch Road. arrer Park MRT. 65-62996311. 2/11/2008. 7/11/2008. 70. Rooms are air-conditioned and the location near Mustafa and the MRT is fairly good.
  • Shing Hotel. 65 Kitchener Road. 65-62912565. 40-70. ttp://www.dragongrouphotel.com. Basic but adequate accommodation within striking distance of Mustafa — and Desker Rd.
  • Tekka Boarding Service. 62 Serangoon Road. 65-62975038. ttp://www.tekkaboarding-singapore.com/. 35/45 single/double. Brand-new hotel promising minimalist design and maximum comfort. The prices certainly are among the cheapest around.
  • Tekka Hotel. 2 Belilios Lane. 65-62253378. ttp://www.tekka-hotel.com/. 59/69 single/double. No-frills hotel in the heart of Little India. Internet connectivity in rooms. Cockroaches aplenty.
  • Royal India Hotel. 8 Syed Alwi Road. pp Mustafa. 65-62977488. ttp://www.royalindiahotel.com. 100. Another cheap hotel that's perhaps a small cut above the rest — their website advertises "homogenous tiles flooring", and offers discounts for advance booking.

    Mid-range

  • Albert Court Hotel. 80 Albert Street. 65-63393939" url="http://www.albertcourt.com.sg/. 120. Tastefully converted from pre-war shophouses, this boutique hotel is located diagonally opposite the Little India MRT Station, a block from Sim Lim Square and right beside the newly opened Lasalle College of the Arts.
  • Parkroyal on Kitchener. 81 Kitchener Road. 65-64283000" url="http://kitchener.singapore.parkroyalhotels.com/. 135. Probably the most upscale hotel in the neighborhood, 5 minutes from Mustafa and the Farrer Park MRT. Good value if you're willing to pay a small premium.
  • Perak Hotel. 2 Perak Road. 65-6299-7733. ttp://www.peraklodge.com. 150-180. A tasteful, small, private guesthouse in a renovated Peranakan-style building.