4 Wet Markets Offering Fresh and Affordable Groceries In Singapore

Just like the shopping centres and community parks, wet markets have been the glue that binds our communities together. Get the freshest and cheapest ingredients when you head down these wet markets early in the morning!

*Please note that the regulations in these wet markets are subject to changes to follow the COVID-19 restrictions. It goes without saying that your safety remains a top priority.

#1: CHINATOWN WET MARKET

The Chinatown Wet Market is one of the unique wet markets in Singapore as it stores exotic meats such as live frogs, eels, and turtles. It is situated in the iconic Chinatown Complex building. This market offers both the eccentric and familiar ingredients for your special recipes. After shopping, you can head upstairs to explore the meals sold by the food vendors. These vendors sell old-school Singaporean food like popiah, dumplings, and lor mee.

Location: Chinatown Complex, 335 Smith St., 050335

#2: TEKKA CENTRE

Tekka Centre is the largest wet market in Singapore with 284 stalls. Its wide space is home to fresh produce and dry goods for all kinds of needs. This market is haven for both food enthusiasts and fashion lovers. Nestled in the heart of Little India, the Tekka centre is a melting pot of diversity. Greet the vendors and ask for quality seafood. The centre is known for its famous Sri Lankan crabs!

Location: 665 Buffalo Rd., 210665

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#3: CHONG PANG MARKET + FOOD CENTRE

The Chong Pang Market + Food Centre has captivated both the nearby patrons and the distant customers for several years. This wet market serves quality meats and produce as early as 5 AM. Apart from shopping, you may visit this place to get a satisfying digestive experience. The dozens of food stalls serve hungry residents until late at night. Try the famous Chong Pang Nasi Lemak while you are there.

Location: 105 Yishun Ring Rd., 760105

#4: ADMIRALTY WET MARKET

Part of the newly renovated premises at the Admiralty Place Neighbourhood Centre, the Admiralty Wet Market offers fresh ingredients for your daily meals. It is a short walk away from the Admiralty MRT Station. Its newly renovated premises features improved ventilation and lighting as well as a more efficient layout to enhance your shopping experience.

Location: Block 678A Woodlands Ave. 6, 731678

Singapore’s wet market is one of the best places for bargain hunters. What are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves and have an interesting experience with these four wet markets.

Sources: 1 & 2

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5 Inexpensive Pleasures Found In Singapore

Pleasure is a purely instinctive reaction lasting for 30 seconds to 2 hours. While happiness can be elusive, sources of pleasure are fairly easy to come by. We all need to indulge in pleasurable moments that will not break the bank! Add icing to your cake by checking out these suggestions that will help you savor the day.

INDULGE IN RICH CULTURE AND HISTORY

Explore the rich history dating as far as 1887 as you step into the halls of the National Museum of Singapore. Beneath its 19th-century colonial exterior is its cutting-edge technology, which it uses as a means to present the nation’s legacy and development. Its galleries take you on an immersive voyage with modern lenses. The new exhibition entitled “Home, Truly: Growing Up with Singapore” is up until August 2021.

The museum opened when the country moved into Phase Two. Please follow the COVID-19 guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. It is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm.

INDULGE IN NATURAL WONDERS

Help your body benefit from having a healthy dose of sunlight and fresh air as you go outdoors. Treat yourself with nature’s beauty as you stroll the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Gardens has been renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee on July 2015. It is the first and only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This recognition speaks volumes on the wonders that this 82-hectare Gardens holds.

With more than 150 years of history, the Gardens will continue to play an important role as a leading tropical botanical institute and an endearing place to all Singaporeans. Visitors are asked to have a maximum group size of 8 individuals. A distance of 1 meter from other groups is also required. You must also keep a distance of 3 meters from others during exercises.

INDULGE IN FASTER CONNECTIONS

Being stuck at home for the majority of 2020 taught us the importance of having fast and reliable internet connectivity. We need this to stay connected to our friends and family members, to collaborate with our co-workers, and to order necessary household items online. Do not settle for slow and choppy internet services! Upgrade your current phone or internet plan by checking with your internet service provider.

Ask if it is possible to upgrade to a fiber optic or a high-speed cable. For instance, StarHub offers 2Gbps Fibre Broadband for as low as S$62.90 per month and 1Gbps Fibre Broadband for as low as S$39.90 per month.

INDULDGE ON YOUR INTERESTS

Take this time as an opportunity to indulge on your interests. What are some things that you want to do, but have no time for? It can be great for your mental health to work towards your new goals. Improve your skills by searching through fitness centers that provide free or inexpensive remote classes. You may also look for online music and dance lessons. Lastly, you can download free apps that will help you learn a new language or two.

While you’re at home, there are many great opportunities to use online learning to improve your skills. Yoga studios and fitness gyms are offering remote classes, many for free. Music and dance teachers are teaching lessons online. Why not use this time to learn a new language, learn to code, learn new cooking skills or find a new hobby?

INDULDGE ON MUCH-DESERVED SELF-CARE

With everything that happened during the past year, you deserve to take care of yourself. Self-care is not selfish! Self-care allows you to be more productive and motivated to tackle other upcoming tasks. Moreover, you will be able to support local restaurants and artisans.

Naiise has a plethora of self-care items such as bath bombs, teas, and candles. Bath bombs sell for as low as S$10. Interestingly, one bath bomb includes a 24kt gold leaf. I would love to try that!

Image credits: unsplash.com

At a time when you have to be careful with your money, there are still affordable indulgences to enjoy. Consider an item or two on this list!

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Singapore – Hong Kong travel bubble to launch on November 22; air fares cost almost twice as much

You can soon travel to Hong Kong 

Singaporeans will soon be able to travel to Hong Kong for leisure. This comes after Minister for Transport, Mr Ong Ye Kung, announced the launch of bilateral air travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong.

According to Mr Ong, travellers from both cities can travel without quarantine, stay-home notices or controlled itineraries. However, travellers must take a pre-departure Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours before departure, and must obtain a negative test result.

There will be no restrictions on the type of travel or itinerary. Whether you’re travelling for business, for leisure or to reconnect with family, friends and loved ones, you can get on the ‘bubble’ and travel between Singapore and Hong Kong, and vice versa.

For the start, there will be a quota of one flight per day with 200 travellers per flight.

Air Fares Jumps On Travel Bubble Plan

According to travel website, Skyscanner Ltd, the cheapest price return air tickets from Singapore to Hong Kong will cost S$330 via budget carrier Scoot. The most expensive ticket can cost up to S$770 for a return flight with Singapore Airlines Ltd.

Air Fares Chart via Skyscanner

 

What Are The Restrictions And Requirements

Who can travel

Anyone who has lived in Hong Kong or Singapore for the last 14 days will be eligible to travel with the exception of Work Permit and S-Pass holders working in the construction, marine shipyard or process sectors in Singapore. Persons travelling to Hong Kong under the ATB arrangement must ensure that they meet the entry requirements of Hong Kong.

What is required for travellers

  • Singapore to Hong Kong: Apply for approval to take a pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test in Singapore here. Undergo a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in Singapore within 72 hours before the scheduled departure time of the designated flight from Singapore to Hong Kong at one of the clinics or testing centres designated by the Singapore Government, and obtain a negative test result report. Once you arrived in Hong Kong, you are required to take a Covid-19 test on arrival at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
  • Hong Kong to Singapore: Travellers can take the test at recognised clinics.  Download the TraceTogether app on mobile device and register mobile number and personal details on the app.

Where can I take the pre-departure Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test?
Pre-departure COVID-19 PCR tests for your travel may only be performed at selected clinics as listed here.

For more information on the requirements, click here.

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Important Things To Know About The TraceTogether Token

TraceTogether is a digital system, which the Singaporean Government had implemented to allow for better contact tracing in response to the effects of the pandemic in the country. The system was originally designed as an app and was later supplemented by a physical token due to the low-usage of the TraceTogether app.

October 26 (Monday) marked the start of the mandatory use of TraceTogether app or token at all Singapore cinemas. Venues with activities that involve larger groups of people will follow the same mandate. By the end of December, checking-in with the TraceTogether app or token will be compulsory in public venues such as restaurants, workplaces, schools, cinemas, hotels, healthcare facilities, and shopping malls.

This means that you will no longer be able to gain access to these places through the SingPass mobile app or by scanning SafeEntry QR codes with your phone’s camera. Instead, you can either use the TraceTogether app or token. The former includes a function for users to scan SafeEntry QR codes that are displayed at venues. The latter comes with a QR code that can be scanned for entry. Please do not cover the QR code attached to your token.

In the recent days, Singapore has hit about 50% participation rate in its digital COVID-19 contact tracing program. This is good news because having 70% of Singapore’s population using TraceTogether is one of the conditions that has to be met for Singapore to enter phase three. This is according to Education Minister Lawrence Wong, co-chair of the COVID-19 task force.

Before you collect your token at the community centre (CC), please check token.gowhere.gov.sg to know its availability. To prevent long queues from forming, members of the public have been encouraged to collect their TraceTogether tokens from the CC nearest to where they live. There is no need to collect a physical token, if you already have the TraceTogether app. You may download the latest version of the app at tracetogether.gov.sg.

Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation initiative Vivian Balakrishnan also highlighted that there will be more than enough TraceTogether tokens for everyone. These tokens can be collected at thirty-eight CCs around the country. It will be made available at all 108 CCs by the end of November.

Once you receive your token, check its light. The green light blinks, if your token is working. It should blink once every minute. Its battery lasts for six months and is not rechargeable. You may “dress-up” your token by putting your old first-generation AirPods case. It will fit nicely on that.

Image Credits: Putri Shaghira via Facebook

Lastly, the data stored in your token will be automatically deleted after twenty-five days. There will be room for more information.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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Phase 2: Bubble tea stores can be reopened on 19 June 20

You can finally have your BBTs

After two long months of wait, Singapore is currently moving to Phase 2 of reopening this Friday 1 Jun. Under phase 2, retail and food and beverage (F&B) dine-in will be allowed to reopen with safe distancing measures in place.

While it didn’t specifically mentioned about stores that retails predominantly beverages, packaged snacks and desserts, a check on the Go Business site by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) shows the list of permitted services and the corresponding SSIC codes that will be allowed to operate with effect from 19 June 2020.

SSIC codes starting with 56 basically means all restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, food courts, coffee shops and canteens, food kiosks mainly for takeaway and delivery, food caterers and stalls selling cooked food and prepared drinks will be allowed to open except SSIC code 5613 (Pubs).

Minister for Education, Ong Ye Kung, has confirmed this in his Facebook post yesterday (15 Jun).

We can’t wait to have our bubble teas.

Get $200 cashback (no min. spend) when you apply for a DBS/POSB Credit Card from 5 – 19 Jun 20!

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