Orange-tiled shophouse roofs from above, a golden mosque dome among them

ZKang123 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Where to stay in Kampong Glam & Bugis

The Malay-Arab quarter around the Sultan Mosque: Arab Street's textile shops, Haji Lane's bars and Bussorah Street's restaurants, with Bugis's markets and malls immediately south. Compact, low-rise and awake in the evening, it is the most atmospheric ground in the city centre and the one that most rewards being on foot. The cost is written into the same sentence: it is small, and it is loud until late.

Price level · Mid-range

Singapore

Area scorecard

Scored 0–10 by Where Stay Guide. No overall total: every traveller weights these differently.

Sightseeing: 7.5
Walkability: 8.5
Transport: 8.5
Food: 8.5
Nightlife: 8.5
Quietness: 5.5
Families: 6.0
Value: 8.0
Airport / station: 8.0
First trip: 8.0

Best for

A second visit, or a first one that wants a quarter rather than a district
Travellers who want to drink somewhere with character
Longer stays

Choose elsewhere if

You want the bay or the museums at the door
You sleep lightly
You are travelling with young children

Our picks in Kampong Glam & Bugis

Best in the quarter

The Sultan

Our pick for Kampong Glam because it is a row of restored shophouses on Jalan Sultan, inside the quarter rather than on the road around it, a few minutes from the Sultan Mosque and the shops on Arab Street.