Singapore is filled with some of the most iconic destinations you’ll ever find in the world, including attractions like the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, Universal Studios, the Merlion Park, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens, to name a few. The city-state, however, is also home to a myriad of underrated, if not underappreciated spots.

These five spots perhaps don’t have the pomp and grandeur of the abovementioned sites, but these possess a certain beauty, grit, and calm for locals and tourists who are looking for places that are off the beaten path.

Former Queen's Theatre

The stark white and imposing facade of the beautiful former Queen's theatre would be hard to miss when in Guillemard Road. According to the Singaporean government's heritage portal Roots, the theatre opened to the public in the 1930s and was popular among the residents of Geylang Serai. It was renovated by the Shaw Organisation in 1949 and screened films in Malay, Indonesian, and Egyptian. Despite its popularity then, the theatre shuttered in 1982 and its site is now occupied by Grandlink Square. Take a trip to Guillemard Road to see this queen of cinemas and marvel at what was once the main stomping ground of Singapore's cineastes!

Location: Former Queen's Theatre, 511 Guillemard Road

Pearl’s Hill City Park

If you need to take a break from the rabble of the crowd and the chaos of the city, one of the places you should check out is Pearl’s Hill City Park. This nine-hectare lush oasis provides tranquility for those who seek it, thanks to its still pond, Tembusu trees, and lotus plants. It is built around a reservoir atop a hill and used to be known as Mount Stamford, after Sir Stamford Raffles. The reservoir is the main source of freshwater to Chinatown and is one of 13 reservoirs under Singapore’s Protected Areas and Protected Places Act, as per the National Library Board.

Location: Pearl’s Hill City Park, Along Chin Swee Road and Pearl's Hill Road

Hampstead Wetlands Park

This 3.23-hectare green spot, developed by JTC and NParks, is tucked in the Seletar Aerospace Park. Hampstead Wetlands Park is known as a sanctuary for birds, plants, and other wildlife known to inhabit freshwater ecosystems, providing shelter, nesting spots, and resting grounds to these creatures, as per NParks. It is the perfect location to unwind and destress after a stressful week, especially if you naturally love nature.

Make sure to bring binoculars and a camera to view the birds in the area, as well as other flora and fauna. Visitors in the park are strictly not allowed to swim, fish, feed fish, release animals, open fires, barbecue, smoke, and cycle.

Location: Hampstead Wetlands Park, 1 Baker Street

Bincho at Hua Bee

Don’t say we forgot about our foodie readers! An underrated spot you should visit in Singapore is Bincho in the heritage neighborhood of Moh Guan Terrace. Established by Executive Chef Asai Masashi in 2013, Bincho is located behind the almost-80-year-old Hua Bee restaurant and transforms into a grungy yakitori resto and bar in the evening. It takes inspiration from Japanese culture, transporting its diners into the “cyberpunk, dystopian-esque alleyways of metropolitan Japan.” Bunch offers a lunch and dinner set menu, an a la carte, as well as a bevy of drinks and cocktails!

Location: Bincho, 78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-19

Yunnan Garden

Yunnan Garden is one of the most underrated parks you’ll find in Singapore. This gem of a park is located within the Nanyang Technology University (NTU) campus and offers not just greenspaces but also waterscapes and a boardwalk to the public. As per an NTU press release on Feb. 6, 2022, Yunnan Garden was built in the 1950s and is one of the university’s main attractions.

The nine-hectare garden boasts of over 1,000 new trees from more than 80 species, a 5.6-metre-high waterfall, themed mini gardens, and a stormwater management system. Oh, and if you want to take photos and share them in your Stories, you can easily do just that, thanks to the garden’s Wi-Fi connection!

Location: Yunnan Garden, 12 Nanyang Drive