Heritage
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Our co-founder & CEO Catherine Heald loves Singapore's architectural contrasts, between old Chinese, Indian & British buildings and the city's gleaming new towers.
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Price is based on double or twin hotel room occupancy and includes accommodation, transfers, car/driver, English-speaking guide, activities and entrance fees, breakfasts and some casual lunches while touring. Flights and optional special activities will be quoted separately. Most personal expenses, including dinners, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments and gratuities can be paid on the spot while traveling. Prices may vary depending on season, choice of accommodation and other factors.
Peranakan, meaning ‘locally born’ in Malay, refers to descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay archipelago - modern day Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. This identity, starting as early as the 12th century, was formed when Chinese traders intermarried with local women and adopted South East Asian social practices and local language. Discover the traditions of 12-day weddings, intricacies of beadwork, and handmade kebayas. Taste Nyonya food, tour an antique Peranakan home, and meet the people at the forefront of keeping Peranakan culture alive. The Peranakan story is one of adaptation - come see how it endures in modern day Singapore.
Arrive at Changi Airport and meet your guide for your private transfer to your hotel. Relax and unwind from your flight for the rest of the day. In the evening, to kick-start your foray into Peranakan culture, we recommend dining at a casual local restaurant such as House of Peranakan Cuisine in the Katong neighborhood, a small restaurant managed by a Peranakan family for three generations that serves home-cooked Nyonya food in claypots.
Today, start with Joo Chiat, the heart of the Peranakan enclave of Katong, dotted with colorful pastel-hued shophouses with ornate facades. Many of these heritage buildings are now home to various trade and craft shops, some selling Peranakan antiques, food, and fabrics. Visit a shophouse famous for its Nyonya rice dumplings and be welcomed by its owner. Sample the famed rice dumplings and sweet bite-sized snacks. Learn about the kebaya, the traditional blouse-dress, and intricate beadwork girls needed to excel at in order to get married. Then, try your hand at creating a small piece of beaded-design. Take a walk around the heritage neighborhood, stopping at traditional shops such as Rumah Bebe to see antiques and modern kebaya fashion. While in the neighborhood, have lunch at a local Peranakan restaurant to sample popular dishes such as Katong laksa, a seafood noodle soup flavored with coconut milk and spices. In the evening, enjoy an exciting evening with an acclaimed historian of Peranakan culture at his home, where he has amassed an impressive collection of traditional, authentic Peranakan antiques. Savor Peranakan treats, exclusive crafted cocktails created by the host, and live jazz music.
Visit the Peranakan Museum, guided by the curator, which houses the world’s finest collection of Peranakan artefacts such as rare pagoda trays and ornate wedding beds. Next, take an exclusive look at a beautifully preserved and restored Peranakan home furnished with furniture and household wares, giving visitors a glimpse into a real early 20th century home of a prominent family. Get a look into another Peranakan family home at Katong Antique House, a living museum and gallery. Meet the owner, the President of the Peranakan Association of Singapore, who inherited the shophouse from his grandfather and spent decades collecting items and furnishing the home. Take a drive through Emerald Hill, today a trendy upscale neighborhood, where homes of wealthy Peranakan families feature Chinese Baroque architecture were built in the early 1900s. For dinner, try a modern and upscale take on Peranakan cuisine. Violet Oon, a Singapore Nyonya named Singapore’s food ambassador, has two restaurants specialising in Nyonya food while Candlenut, an upscale restaurant helmed by a Peranakan chef, has garnered international attention and earned 1 Michelin star.
by South China Morning Post 
by Departures 
