Bugis Market (Bugis Street)

Bugis Village also known as Bugis Street Market is a good place for tourists and locals alike to pick up a souvenir or two such as fridge magnets and keychains. It is not a flea market, but more of the street's night market concept stores with fixed price.

You can find 'I love Singapore' or 'Singapore is a Fine City' T-shirts that go for three pieces for $10. But of course, it must look lame for locals to wear these T-shirts here or elsewhere. Not that we are not patriotic. I think one would look pretty hilarious wearing a 'no chewing gum' t-shirt. You cannot find chewing gum at Bugis Market or elsewhere in Singapore. So, do I miss chewing the sugary gum? Sometimes, but it is what it is.

Snowman at the roof of busy Bugis Market

If you are looking for inexpensive watches, you can get a $5 watch at Bugis Market. These are not fake branded watches like those found in some alleys in Bangkok and other parts of south-east Asia, but a no-brand watches. Some may think they look cheesy. But who cares as long as it works. A watch is a watch.

You can get five fridge magnets for ten dollars or three or four t-shirts for also ten dollars. But that means you will need to cough up $10 to realise some 'savings'. Great bargains as souvenirs for the visitors as you can then give your friends or colleagues back home a magnet or t-shirt each.

Rambutans and langsat. Tropical fruits stalls.

You can also find many shops selling shoes, clothes, handbags, smartphone, iPad and tablet accessories such as phone covers and folio cases and many other knick-knacks. Though the prices here are not necessarily cheaper than what you can find in the HDB neighbourhood shops, however due to the size of the market and the many stalls in one building, there are bigger range of products.

Just browsing around is quite an experience. Inside the market you can also find a row of snacks shops somewhere in the middle and there are also some eateries at the exterior, at the sides and at the back. At the back of the market, you can find stalls selling fresh tropical fruits like rambutans, mangos and langsat. There are also sellers selling the awesome smelling king of fruits, durians, that you can buy and taste on the spot, with some makeshift tables provided.

$5 watches at Bugis Market

Bugis market is conveniently located opposite Bugis Junction mall and Bugis MRT station. Behind the market is Albert Centre Food Centre. The hawker centre sells a variety of local dishes at very affordable price. You can get noodles for $3.50. So, after your shopping and browsing at Bugis Market you can have your meals at the hawker centre. Bugis Junction mall is a teens-centric mall.

At the basement of this mall, you can find many snacks shops such as the one that sells apple, peach and mango strudel for $3.50. For the tourists if you are looking for key chains and fridge magnets you can also head to Chinatown as Bugis Market can get really crowded and squeezy to browse around stuffs properly. Bugis market is open daily from 11am to 10 pm.

Bugis Street (Bugis Market)

Bugis area is historically linked to the Rochor-Kallang River basin trade in the 19th to mid-20th centuries with the indigenous traders of Bugis ethnicity from Sulawesi who settled in the area, hence the name.

Bugis area was once notorious as a haunt for sailors and transvestites. But it is now a youth-centric leisure and shopping area. Sadly, for those looking for the iconic flea market, Thieves Market at Sungei Road, near Bugis, it will soon cease operations from July 2017. Another memorable place will soon be gone forever.