Kampong Glam was the district allocated to the Malay and Arab communities during Raffles' original 1822 plan for Singapore, and the Sultan Mosque at its centre has been there since 1824. The blocks around it have absorbed waves of change and have not lost the thread. Arab Street still sells the textiles, batik, and rattan goods it has sold for two centuries. The perfume shops along the back streets still stock oud and rose water and amber. The Haji Lane block that runs parallel to Arab Street is the city's most interesting fifty metres of independent boutiques, cafes, and bars, and the contrast between what is on that street and what is on Arab Street two blocks away is one of the things that makes the neighbourhood worth a few hours.
The Sultan Mosque is the visual anchor. Non-Muslims can enter outside prayer times and the interior courtyard is genuinely quiet in a way that not many places in Singapore are. The surrounding streets in the early morning belong to the neighbourhood rather than the visitors.
People who want Singapore's history from a different angle than the Chinese quarter or the colonial CBD. Anyone interested in textiles and craft goods at source rather than retail. People who want to eat Malay or Middle Eastern food rather than hawker Chinese. Visitors who want a neighbourhood that has a distinct identity and has not become primarily a tourist destination.
Not the right choice if you need MRT-adjacent accommodation or want quick access to Changi. The neighbourhood is walkable from Bugis but the hotel options are more limited than in the Orchard or Marina Bay areas.
Sultan Mosque at prayer time on a Friday, from outside the gates, for the sound. Arab Street for the textile and batik shops, which are working suppliers, not just souvenirs. The oud and perfume stalls on Baghdad Street and Bussorah Street, where the staff will put together a scent on request. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque on Java Road, a colonial-era mosque built by a Bugis businesswoman in 1845 and almost entirely unknown to visitors. The back tables at Blu Jaz Cafe on Bali Lane on any night of the week. Zam Zam on North Bridge Road for the murtabak, which has been at the same address since 1908.