On the hunt for ghosts or Instafame, Singapore walking tours have you covered

SINGAPORE — Having lived most of my 23 years in Singapore I thought I had seen it all. But have I, really? Have you?

Over the past couple of weeks, I had the chance to go on mini-adventures around town (one, a creepy ghost-themed tour, against my will) to explore and learn more about my country’s rich history.

The Singapore Tourism Board recently launched a S$45-million campaign to give local lifestyle and tourism firms a boost as tourism has been virtually wiped out.

Among these are companies that conduct walking tours around the island. While they formerly introduced tourists to Singapore’s top spots, they now have to pivot and try to give locals a fresh look at their own home.

I decided to (or rather, my editor decided that I should) give three of them a try.

‘Chinatown Murders’ by Tribe Tours

A serial killer is on the loose in Chinatown.

No, not really. But I woke up bright and early on a Sunday morning to (attempt to) catch the culprit anyway, as part of a murdery mystery game.

From the moment I met the tour guides and the other participants, it was go go go!

We raced through the streets of Chinatown against the clock to solve a series of challenging puzzles hidden in the facades of shophouses, wall murals by local artists and the gates of a temple, to gather evidence and narrow down the list of suspects to figure out who the murderer was.

As we made our way from one stop to the next, the narrative came to life. It almost felt like I had been transported back in time to walk amongst the Samsui women, moneylenders and gangsters that were key characters in the story.

Among my fellow participants were Mr Kevin Wong, 44, and four of his friends, all self-proclaimed escape and mystery game enthusiasts, who said he was impressed by how the game was neatly interwoven with the narrative and the environment.

“The way the puzzles were weaved into the entire fabric of the overall narrative made it very easy for us to identify with the characters portrayed in the game.”

He added that the game is challenging yet friendly enough for families with children to enjoy.

“The way the game was set up, it gave the entire Chinatown story a very down-to-earth and personalised feel. We were able to enjoy the intricate details of the historical tidbits because of that,” Mr Wong added.

The tour is priced at S$50.

#instawalk with Tribe Tours

I am Instagram-obsessed, I have to admit, and was pretty excited to join this walking tour, in the hopes that I would uncover some hidden gems and learn a couple of new tricks from a micro-influencer to up my Insta game. But that was not quite how it turned out.

This tour took us around Bugis, where we made stops at seven ‘Instagram-worthy’ spots, some of which were no-brainers  — you would likely have seen these spots splashed all over your friends’ Instagram feeds or taken photos there yourself.

Haji Lane? Typical. Atlas Bar? Been there, done that.

The tips that were shared during the walk were on simple composition techniques such as framing and the rule of thirds. The guide also gave some tips on how to pose, but those who are already experienced at posing for the gram would likely be familiar with such tricks. I sure was.

But the walk had other surprises. While I might not have gained enough knowledge from it to switch careers and become a full-time influencer, I did walk away with a greater understanding of what Bugis was like in the past. I enjoyed learning about the history of the area.

For example, did you know that Bugis Street was redeveloped in the 1980s to prevent an HIV epidemic in Singapore? I already knew that I should extend one of my legs forward to appear taller in a photo (one of the posing tips shared), but I did not know this factoid until I went on the tour.

The tour is priced at S$55.

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‘Creepy Tales Of Singapore’ by Oriental Travel and Tours

As we stood in a semi-circle in pitch darkness in the middle of Labrador Park, the second of this three-stop tour, the guides placed several lit candles that they had used to guide us to that very spot, on the ground before us.

My immediate thoughts: I did not sign up for a seance. I deserve a raise.

I hugged my arms and stared at my feet as they resumed their history lesson. They may have been talking about the Japanese Occupation or they could have started singing Baby Shark for all I know. Honestly, I could not pay attention.

The sheer darkness caused my other senses to be heightened. Was I hearing footsteps? Or was it one of the other guests shuffling behind me? Had this breeze been blowing all along? Get me out of here. Now.

Suddenly, the tour guide who was speaking paused and asked his partner to take over.

“I feel something… I feel something around me,” he said, stumbling backwards, the smile on his face disappearing.

“There’s this aircon feeling around me,” one of the guests said.

“I feel cold but only on my right side,” another replied.

I lowered my face into my hands. Nope. I did not sign up for this.

The tour guides whipped out a light-emitting “ghost-hunting tool” to “communicate” with the “entity” that was supposedly around us.

“Flash twice if you were a soldier,” he called out. It flashed. Twice.

They then handed out similar devices to those who wanted to see if something, or someone, was with them.

Three flashes meant it was close, five meant it was with you.

The guest who reported the ‘aircon feeling’ was the first to volunteer. Her device flashed five times. I hope she felt the S$150 she paid for this experience was worth it.

In case you are still wondering, I did not ask for the device. Ignorance is bliss.

I don’t want to give too much away about the tour to maintain the suspense, but yes, a cemetery is also on the itinerary.

If you are a thrillseeker with S$150 to spare or just hoping to learn a little bit more about Singapore during World War II in a spooky setting, this would be the perfect tour for you.

It could also be a different way to spend Halloween this year. Instead of dressing up as ghouls, you get to be amongst them for a night — possibly real ones, not your friends dressed up as sexy ghouls at the club.