Culture Curious | Private Tours and Small Group Tours of Singapore

WHAT WE DO

We specialise in tours that run the gamut from history and culture to food and the arts. Packed with a suite of culturally immersive experiences, our tours are suitable for Small Groups looking for a fun yet safe exploration of Singapore and Private & Corporate groups that prefer unique experiences customised around their interests and needs.

Image hover effect image — Small Group Tours

Our selection of Small Group Tours revolves around food, history, art, and culture. Hankering for a participatory experience? Have a go at batik painting, an artisanal tradition that resonates with the Malay community. Or eat your way into hawker centres and dip into Singapore’s ubiquitous street food heritage. Click HERE for more information.

Image hover effect image — Private & Corporate Tours

Tailor your tours around your group’s interests and needs. From a corporate bonding to cultural immersion, behind-the-scenes visits at traditional purveyors, and off-the-beaten path journeys, we will partner you to plan and curate a safe and enjoyable experience. Click HERE for more information.

Some of Our Clients and Past Events

SINGAPORE TOURISM AWARDS 2020

We're happy to be a finalist for the Singapore Tourism Awards - Customer Service Category.

OUR TOUR EXPERIENCES

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culturecurioussg

Curious wanderings of hidden Singapore🇸🇬
Small Group, Private, Corporate Tours
Art▪︎Cultural▪︎Architecture▪︎Food

Friends that paint together stick together. 👯‍♂️🎨

Our Kampong Glam Street Art Tour & Workshop takes you on a relaxed walk to see selected urban art and hear interesting heritage snippets before you go wild with spray paint and art-making. Suitable for families and corporate bonding too 🤟

Min of 3 adult participants to go with safety measures and social distancing in place.

More info via link in bio or send us an email to rachel@culturecurious.biz for enquiries.

#culturecurioussg #artwalks #kampongglam #walkingtour #corporatetour #familytour #sgfamily #streetart

Finding gratitude in an unusual year from photos o

Finding gratitude in an unusual year from photos of some of the awesome tours we have had the pleasure of doing, including my last family tour of 2020 shown in the second pic.

Wishing everyone a brighter 2021, one of courage and hopefulness...Happy New Year! ☺🎆

#hello2021 #smallgrouptours #privatetours #walkingtours #tourguide #sgtours

India, renowned for its painted and dyed textiles,

India, renowned for its painted and dyed textiles, was engaged in production activities and trade along the Gujerat, Coramandel and Bengal coasts.

Trading companies such as the British East India Company and Dutch East India Company acquired Indian textiles in exchange for silver from Europe and Japan and traded them for spices cultivated in Southeast Asia.

During 19th century Singapore, the textile trade was buoyed by a flourishing maritime network when the British established a trading outpost on the island.

In Traveller's Tales, artist Lavanya Mani recreates the magic of the coveted Indian trade textiles and "fabricates" her own visual narrative of the colonial interest and acquisition of trade commodities and ports along the Coromandel coast.

Whether it springs up in your commute or greets y

Whether it springs up in your commute or greets you from a distance, it is hard to miss out "Momentum", an 18.5 meter tall sculpture by Isreali artist, David Gerstein, whose work draws inspiration from everyday life.

The best view? Probably a drive past the mammoth sculpture on Collyer Quay.

His amazing cut-out steelwork reminds me of Matisse's paper cut-outs - vibrant and packed with dynamism - apt for the weekend holiday as Singapore celebrates its 55th birthday.🤗
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#smallgrouptours #artwalks #publicart
#privatetours #walkingtours
#sgig #tourguide #visitsingapore #exploresingapore

Tours have begun to resume which means we're open

Tours have begun to resume which means we're open for business!

👍Your safety is our priority. All our tours follow strict safety management measures in line with government regulations.

Small group and private tours are also available for corporate and schools.

📩Connect with us at rachel@culturecurious.biz for enquiries.

#culturecurioussg #smallgrouptours #privatetours #walkingtours #sgtours #art #culture #history

#MindfulnessMonday: Sun Yu Li . . If you have take

#MindfulnessMonday: Sun Yu Li
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If you have taken a train at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station before, chances are you might have seen this work titled “Universal Language” by Sun Yu Li, a richly-coloured mosaic wall composed of prehistoric symbols such as hunters, deers, birds and fishes. Elsewhere in the station, the symbols can be spotted on the floors and columns, acting as visual wayfinding that leads commuters to various routes of the station.
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What began as a reflection on the beginnings in life and in objects has become a lifelong journey for Sun to develop the “Universal Language”, which decodes and traces back to the origins of knowledge fields. Just as how a simple dot leads to a line, then a plane and subsequently, into volume, he sees his works as abstract expressions of forms that derive from basic shapes such as circles and squares.
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SWIPE left 👈 to see his work titled Abundance III located at Suntec City Singapore.
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#publicart #artwalk #sculptures #contemporaryart #artoftheday #culturecurioussg #tours #tourguide #exploresingapore #travelasia #VisitSingapore

Named after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II,

Named after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Queenstown has several historic firsts. Developed in 1952, it was the first satellite town in Singapore with the first Housing Development Block flats (originally initiated by HDB's predecessor, Singapore Improvement Trust and later completed by HDB), first public library, first polyclinic, first sports complex and first flatted factory.
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Fast forward to 2013, the government announced redevelopment plans in light of modernisation, sealing the fates of many of these first blocks of flats along Tanglin Halt Road and Commonwealth Road.
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Here's a throwback to 2019 when I brought a group of students to visit the Queenstown neighbourhood and @mycommunitysg a small museum that gives voice to the social memories of the old town. We also did a walking tour of Tanglin Estate and discovered these old school purveyors of childhood biscuits, florists and Chinese medicine halls which are quite exciting for the youths who were preparing for a community arts festival.
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#sgheritage #exploresingapore #singaporeinsiders #cultures #tours #queenstown #visitsingapore #sgig #tripadvisor #travelasia #culturecurioussg

Happy Mindful Monday! Our travels are often absor

Happy Mindful Monday!

Our travels are often absorbed with vivid imagery of places and cultures we encounter. This is no different for Singapore master potter Iskandar Jalil whose trip to Scandinavia became the genesis of his 'Iskandar blue' glaze (see first photo) where he was capitivated by the intense blue waters.
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Another striking feature seen in some of his works is Jawi Arabic script (see second photo) which is applied onto the surface of stonewares with a calligraphy brush; some of these writings are Koranic recitations of Muslims asking for Allah's guidance in their daily actions big or small. In the words of the master potter, 'we cannot be innovative or creative if we do not cultivate tools from our own heritage.'
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1st photo:
Iskandar Jalil. Tapestry. Stoneware. Undated. 43.5 x 24 x 8 cm and 48 x 30 x 11 cm. Collection of Singapore Changi Airport
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2nd photo:
Iskandar Jalil. Interplay Between Traditions and Contemporary Forms : #2 Jawi Arabic Scripts. Ceramics/ Stoneware with Oxides/ Glaze. 2002. H47.5 x W24.5 x D:24.5cm. ART-2 Gallery Pte Ltd.

On #WorldEnvironmentDay , we are reminded of food

On #WorldEnvironmentDay , we are reminded of food security, especially after visiting a local urban farm last year.
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In land-scarce Singapore where 90% of our food is imported, how can we strengthen our food security? Enter urban farmers who literally scale to new heights, growing pesticide-free produce while incorporating hydroponic technology and advocating sustainable zero-waste. More than just a farm to table fad, growing vegetables locally and sustainably brings greater access to fresher food. Afterall, we are what we eat!
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👈 SWIPE left to see a photo of our site visit at Singapore's first urban commercial rooftop farm located above a mall and entertainment complex in #OrchardRoad. .
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#culturecurioussg #walkingtours #futurecity #sustainability #foodsecurity #exploresingapore #singaporeinsider #sgig #environmentallyfriendly #urbanfarm #urbanfarming #city #cityliving

Eclectic and quaint, the shophouse is a vernacular

Eclectic and quaint, the shophouse is a vernacular architecture unique to Southeast Asia, which comprises of a shop on the ground level and residence above.
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In the 1820s, the growing trade under British administration brought a wave of immigrants who made the shophouse their home. From coolies (hard labourers), letter writers to families, immigrants co-exist on the second/third levels, separated by partitioned cubicles with narrow air vents, leaving little room for privacy and ventilation.The shop frontage has a "five foot way", aptly named after the actual width of the corridor which also functions as a thoroughfare for itinerant hawkers and street entertainers.
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Constructed between 1840s and 1960s, it has undergone multiple iterations, just like the one here (first photo) covered in delightful colours and popular with Instagrammers. Today, shophouses are considered prime property and popular among home seekers and F&B busineses with the recent guide price for a shophouse going at SG$12 milion (US$8.6 million) based on a floor area of 4,257 sq ft.😳
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👈 SWIPE left to see a picture of a recreated cubicle for a family of eight from a conserved shophouse in Chinatown. The room is filled with household items, living little room for movement; the storage cabinet is hung on a bamboo to keep food safe from pesky rats.
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Note: Photos are taken pre-COVID.
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#culturecurioussg #exploresingapore
#sgig #singaporeinsider #tours #walkingtours #tourguide #chinatown #shophouses #historylover #culturevulture

❤ #blackouttuesday

❤ #blackouttuesday

New month. New beginning. . . Called the horse rac

New month. New beginning.
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Called the horse racing calendar, it may look jarring at first but has all the important dates: Chinese lunar calendar dates, Islamic dates, Hindu dates, daily dos and don'ts (according to Chinese traditions), horse racing dates and even the 12 zodiac signs and corresponding years of birth. Set in large fonts and big enough for scribbling notes, it is particularly popular with older folks.
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In Singapore, the calendar is commonly distributed by gas companies to households as a way of advertising their services while in Malaysia, the calendar is also used by community leaders to publicise Meet-the-People sessions.
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However in recent years, the calendar is gradually being phased out and replaced with digitised format (1st picture). I guess nothing can replace the feeling of tearing off a monthly calendar and counting down to engagements and personal milestones.😆 This calendar even has an inspiring image of #ArashiyamaBambooForest !🎋
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👈 SWIPE left to see a picture of the physical calendar from 2015. Can you guess the 12 zodiac animals? Hint: 2020 is the year of the rat.🐀

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