Exploring the Last Village in Singapore - Best Kept Secret

Singapore is the best country I’ve ever visited and lived so far. With its stringent laws, it is the safest, cleanest and the most perfect place to live. I was fortunate enough to live and experience this beautiful island city-state for few years.

What comes to mind when one thinks of Singapore is Changi Airport, high-rise buildings, manmade wonders, Asian cuisines, and cosmopolitan cultures. While Singapore is famous for it's popular sightseeing destinations like Merlion and Marina Bay Sands, many do not know that this county has a village hidden within its busy blocks.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok, dated back to 1956, is the last surviving village in Singapore. This gem is tucked right in the middle of the city living easily accessible for a short-day trip. Kampong means “Village” in Singlish, a colloquial language used in Singapore.

It was originally a swamp and highly prone to floods which was later inhabited and developed by some Chinese and Malay families. About 30 families currently live here and call it home. The community living here is very close knit and visitors are welcomed with love and warmth.

During my time in Singapore, I witnessed well-built infrastructure and high-rise apartments. Be it indoor waterfall at Changi or manmade Rainforest at Gardens by the Bay or amazing theme parks at Sentosa Island, this country never fails to entertain you. Though I appreciated the city side of Singapore, I sometimes wondered how Singapore felt like before all this development happened.

While I was leaving Singapore permanently, I decided to make the most of my last few days and took a break from work during which I visited the Kampong and it gave me an entirely different perspective about Singapore. The roads here are filled with mud and sand and yet very clean and the skies are filled with cables passing from one pole to the other. The houses here are very spacious and independent from one another, unlike the typical condominiums otherwise found in Singapore. There is a front lawn and backyard filled with lush greenery in each house. The air here felt pure lack of any pollution and water is served from clay pots. It took me back to my childhood days when I used to visit my grandparents' village in India.

Kampong Lorong Buangkok is a surprise getaway in a busy daily schedule. Located within the city it is easily accessable. I was delighted to find this place and left Singapore with loads of memories wrapped in my head. This experience of visiting the last living village in Singapore is something that I’ll remember and cherish forever.