A modern metropolis with a storied past, Singapore is an interesting city to explore if you seek to enrich your urban-meet-historical knowledge.
One great way to do this is by taking a guided tour around the city. If you’re staying at Grand Hyatt Orchard during your visit, take advantage of the hotel’s recently launched “Stories of Orchard” walking tour.
“This walking tour is our invitation for guests and local community to appreciate Orchard Road the way we have come to understand it: as a district with genuine depth, whose character was shaped long before the first mall opened its doors,” Edouard Demptos, general manager of Grand Hyatt Singapore, says in a press statement.
The luxury hotel, in celebration of its 55th anniversary, partnered with Ho Yong Min (who prefers to go by Yong) to curate a meaningful experience that comprises a stroll along Orchard Road.
On the walk, Yong will peel back the historical layers of the area – a living record of Singapore’s transformation from colonial-era fruit farms to one of Asia’s most recognised major cities.
The trail begins from the hotel and covers places that include Somerset and Emerald Hill before returning to present-day Orchard Road.
If the walk piques your interest to learn more about Singapore’s historical side, you’re in luck because you can engage Yong for other walking tours.
Yong is the brainchild behind The Urbanist Singapore, a platform that brings the island nations’ history to life through heritage walks.
In addition to Orchard Road, Singapore’s grandest landmarks and multicultural Telok Ayer are places you can explore as Yong guides you through their histories.
He also runs “Best of Both” with Jane’s Singapore Tours. Walking tours under this banner include places like Stamford Canal and Telok Blangah.
