Sultan Mosque Archives - Sengkang Babies

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We were invited to experience Village Hotel Bugis’ new kids themed room. Since it is the school holidays, we decided to extend our staycation one more night, so that we get to see more, do more and EAT more 🙂

Where do you want to go today? The neighbourhood around our hotel contains a lot of gems, would you love to explore Indian, Muslim (Arab) or Peranakan cultures? Let us provide a short orientation around our hotel, most attractions are within 15 minutes walk.

North East – Explore all the mural arts and cafes along Victoria street
East – Exotic Haji Lane, Arab and Muscat street. Walk another 10 minute to reach Army Market (Golden Mile).
South – Food desserts! Liang Seah, Purvis and Seah Street. Suntec City is just a slow 15 minutes walk.
West – Albert Centre (Hawker Centre), Bugis Junction, temples (Chinese and Indian)

Run 2 km South to reach Singapore Flyer, and 3km to reach Gardens By the Bay 🙂

Colourful kids themed room, bright and with cartoon wall paper. Hello hello, there is a cute puppy too 🙂

Love the attention to details, special kids-friendly toiletries.

Decorative swan towels on our bed (connecting Deluxe room).

Beautiful view from our connecting (Deluxe) room, do take note the kids’ room might offer minimum window view.

Hotel Lobby, and more importantly Internet-access :p

Village Hotel Bugis is next to Golden Landmark shopping centre.

We did 15 to 20k steps every day easily. Amazingly, our car stayed in the carpark throughout our staycation, everything on our Singapore itinerary was in close proximity 🙂

Let us introduce you to two prominent landmarks around our hotel. You can spot them from every corner.

The colourful Green, Yellow, Blue and Red blocks at Rochor Centre has been appearing on instagrams. We can see the colourful landmark all around but alas they will be demolished Q4 2016 🙁

You can see Sultan Mosque’s Golden Dome from every corner, it looks majestic day and night.

More landmarks along Rochor and Ophir Road.

If you need to venture further away, Bugis Station MRT is just 5 min away from Village Hotel Bugis. It takes just 35 min from Changi Airport MRT to Bugis station.

Explore Geylang, Vivocity, Orchard Road, or run to Sports hub. Take the MRT to Bras Basah and you will reach Art Museum, National Museum.
(To foreign visitors, nobody is selling Bras at Bras Basah MRT or Bras Basah Complex)

Rochor (Waterloo) is famous for Albert market, Kuan Inn Temples (四马路观音堂), and ice cream 🙂 Tourists would go for the trishaw rides.

Seems like Fu Lu Shou, Sim Lim Square, Sim Lim Tower and OG has been around the corner for decades.

Bugis Junction, food and shopping galore.

Kampong Glam area is just one junction away. One of the highlight for our staycation is the various goodies at the Ramandan bazaar 🙂

After Iftar at Sultan Mosque, maybe Muslim families will settle their dinner along Muscat street.

We will recommend the three dishes below (longest queue) but worth the wait. They are Beef noodles, Satay burger and Nasi Briyani (very spicy! )

Malay Heritage Centre, I feel like having a picnic on the green lawn (after the Month of Ramandan).

Walk past Arab street to view the carpets and handicraft. You can visit Iraq and Afghanistan (Baghdad and Kandahar street respectively) in Singapore too 🙂

Dinner time in our aircon “home”.

Supper BK, it is pretty safe to walk 10 minutes towards Bugis Junction area for more food options.

Adults prefer murtabak from Zam Zam, one junction away. This is where I get my Teh Tarik kick at 10pm too 🙂

SengkangBabies Instagam photos are telling you 3D2N not enough!

Whether you are tourists who wish to immerse in Singapore’s multicultural diversity (Arts, Cultural, Spiritual, or Food), or Singaporean trying to find some gems around Kampong Glam. A Village Hotel Bugis staycation will be a good base to start your research and exploration 🙂

More tips about Village Hotel Bugis and attractions. Do visit this attractions nearby Village Bugis Hotel if you have the time.

– You can actually enroll for a cultural infusion session at Sultan Mosque, break fast together with our Muslim friends (review)
– Thieves Market and famous Sungei Laksa
– Old school coffee (kopi), these two are my favourite aromatic kopi in Singapore. (Heap Seng Leong, PO 190010, 15min walk East) and (Keng Wah Sung, PO 389672, 3 MRT East to Paya Lebar then walk 5 min)

There are only two minor feedback from our stay:
a) Please lock the bathroom doors
b) Hotel can improve on rooms’ sound insulation

Thank you to Village Hotel Bugis (Far East Hospitality) for sponsoring 2D1N of our fantastic staycation. We were glad that we had extended one more night to explore the neighbouhood 🙂

Do follow StayFarEast on their Website and Fanpage.
You can find Village Hotel Bugis on Stay Village Website.

Address : 390 Victoria Street Singapore 188061
Deluxe room pricing : $195++ and $255++ (Weekday and weekend rates respectively)

Day 2 review here, more Photos are available on our Fanpage albums
Day 1 and Day 2

Daddy attended an orientation for non-Muslims to understand more about our Muslim friends, their beliefs, culture and the significance of Ramadan.

Living in Singapore, we sometimes take Racial-harmony for granted. We fail to understand that in other countries, some religion can be treated as demonic in the media, or worse, you can be humiliated or harm for simply belonging to another religion.

Under Brother Jason, we went through an orientation about Islam, Muslim and why do Muslim Fast.

Islam is a peace loving religion. Personally, Daddy beleves all Religions teach us to be good, we all need an open heart.

We have a German in our group and he relates how media has brandish Islam as a evil cult in the western world. He first came across a Muslim in Australia. When the Muslim starts chanting his prayers, our German friend and spouse got a shock ! They did not know that Muslims can be peaceful.

In Singapore, he quickly sign up for the Ramanda trials to understand more about Islam faith. He really appreciates Singapore’s multi ethnicity, where everyone is free to practice our own faith and beliefs.

Through the class, we also learn :
– when we bow and let our forehead touch the ground, we are letting go of our ego. Be humble.
– with our palms up, we surrender ourselves to a higher being. Open our heart and our mind.

– when we pray to God, we pray for forgiveness. We pray to be a better person.
– “Intention” is always more important than “Action”. As long as our Intention is sincere, we can help those around us.

– Sometimes, we can hear the morning prayer calls originating from the Mosques.
In the old days, Arabic was the common language, and when we hear the verses being broadcast, the prophet is actually calling for All to come and pray together. Praying is not exclusive for Muslims only.

What is Ramadan, and why is it so important for Muslims?

Why do Muslims fast? We get to know a little bit more about certain practices.

Life is good in Singapore, and we take a lot of things for granted. Do we know how it feels to go hungry? During Ramadan, whether you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, Muslims fast to identify with the less fortunate. During Fasting, Muslims experience hunger pangs, sore throat, experience what it is like, to be hungry.

Muslims breaks their fast with a date. Fasting allows one to appreciate our food more.

Non-Muslims have fasted too (although for shorter period). Remember how we have to abstain from food and water for six hours before our medical procedure? We feel hungry and thirsty when we recover right? Our Muslim friends keep to their faith, and fast for one month.

Remember, when we complain about food choices, “where and what to eat”, someone might not even know whether there is a “next” meal 🙁

For the second part of Ramdan trials, we tour the Mosque compound.

We did not know that Sultan Mosque can house 5000 people !

Love the stately domes surrounding the Mosque. The domes will be illuminated with blue and green light at intervals.

Break Fast together with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We all huddle around a hugh plate of rice. If you wish, you can eat direct from the plate with your right hand 🙂

Thank you Sultan Mosque, and our friends for the orientation. Daddy really got to know more about Islam and Muslims. For more photos, do pop by SengkangBabies’ fanpage album. Daddy will recommend that you pop by our friends ( PY and Rose ) blog account of Ramadan trails too 🙂

If Daddy should have mis-interpreted anything, please let him know so that he can amend.
Otherwise, Daddy would like to encourage more to participate in inter-faiths exchange.

To our Muslim friends, we wish you Selamat Hari Raya in advance.

Tag: Sultan Mosque

Ramadan Trials at Sultan Mosque