This page covers Sports, Shopping, Entertainment and Sightseeing
Sports
Singapore has an array of sporting facilities all over the island. Popular sports and outdoor activities include gym, swimming, jogging, running, badminton and football. Below is a list of sporting facilities near the campus.
Note: Due to Covid 19, opening hours and services may differ. Safe distancing measures are in force in most places. For more info, please refer to the respective service provider's website
Note: Due to Covid 19, opening hours and services may differ. Safe distancing measures are in force in most places. For more info, please refer to the respective service provider's website
Gym - ActiveSG
Most private gyms' membership fees are above $100 per month and require a 12-month contract. The best option would be the government-run ActiveSG gyms found all over Singapore. These gyms are well-maintained and have treadmills, machines, fixed weights and free weights. They charge only $3.30 per entry, and there is no booking required.
Opening Hours: 7am to 10pm Rates: $3.30 per entry - Can walk in List of Gyms: https://www.myactivesg.com/Facilities/Gyms Nearest Location to ESSEC: Clementi 518 Clementi Avenue 3 Getting there: Bus 14 to Clementi Sports Hall and walk 3 mins west |
Football - Anglo Chinese Junior College
A junior college that is located opposite ESSEC that rents out its’ football field
Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 9:00am to 7:00pm (no floodlights) Rates: $200 per hour Location: 25, Dover Close East Avenue 3 Getting there: Cross the road from ESSEC Level 1 entrance. 3 mins walk To book: Email lakshmanant@essec.edu |
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
- Fight G ESSEC's go to place for MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiujitsu. Low prices for packages, Waiver of Annual membership fee, and a one time subsidy.
Opening Hours: Sat 3:00pm to 7:00pm, Sun 9:00am to 7:00pm Location: 41C, North Canal Road Getting there: MRT to Clarke Quay and walk 4 mins southeast. To book: Contact Thanneer lakshmanant@essec.edu |
Swimming - Queenstown Swimming Complex
Government-run swimming complex, popular with locals. Entry fee = $1.30 per entry
Opening Hours: Mon, Fri, Sun - 8:00am to 9:30pm, Tue, Thu, Sat – 6:30am to 9:30pm Location: 473, Stirling Road Getting there: MRT to Queenstown and walk 5 mins north |
Track & Field - Queenstown Stadium
Football field & 6-lane track. Free admission for jogging from 4.30am to 8.30pm
Opening Hours: 7:00am to 10:00pm Location: 473, Stirling Road Getting there: MRT to Queenstown and walk 5 mins north |
Badminton - Clementi Sports Hall
Government-run Sports Hall catering to various sports. Rates from $4.60 and hour.
Opening Hours: Daily 7:00am to 7:00pm Location: 518, Clementi Avenue 3 Getting there: Bus 14 to Clementi Sports Hall and walk 3 mins west To book: https://www.myactivesg.com/Facilities/clementi-sports-hall |
Shopping
A list of places, where you can chill out, have a nice cup of coffee, enjoy a nice meal. explore, shop till you drop or just enjoy the sights, sounds and smells!
Note: Due to Covid 19, opening hours and services may differ. Safe distancing measures are in force in most places. For more info, please refer to the respective mall or enclave's website
Note: Due to Covid 19, opening hours and services may differ. Safe distancing measures are in force in most places. For more info, please refer to the respective mall or enclave's website
Star Vista
The nearest mall to our campus, it houses numerous shops & restaurants and a 5000-seat auditorium. It’s conveniently located next to Buona Vista MRT
Getting there: Walk 5 mins north of campus Places to Eat: Ah Mei Prata, Canton Paradise, EspresSOUP, Gelare, GreenDot, Gyu-kaku Japanese BBQ, The Kitchen, Morganfield’s, Porn’s, Wrap & Roll Website: https://www.capitaland.com/sg/malls/thestarvista/en.html |
Holland Village
Holland Village is a popular shopping and dining destination for younger Singaporeans and expats. It is dominated by over 150 eateries and watering holes, along with some specialist shops.
Getting there: MRT to Holland Village and walk 2 mins west Places to Eat: Bar Bar Black Sheep, Breko Café, Crust Gourmet Pizza, El Patio Mexican, Harry’s, Kanpai Izakaya, La Nonna, Provence, Qasr Grille & Mezze Bar Other Places: Holland Road Shopping Centre, cheap electronics at Lucky Store Website: https://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/places-to-see/holland-village/ |
Orchard Road
The main shopping belt of Singapore. A beautiful road just to walk along, it hosts everything from cafes and high-end designer brands to 5-star hotels.
Getting there: MRT to Orchard, Somerset or Dhoby Ghaut and walk up. Shopping Malls: 313@Somerset, Centrepoint, ION Orchard, Ngee Ann City, Orchard Gateway, Paragon, Plaza Singapura, Tang, Wheelock Place, Wisma Atria Stores: Audemars Piguet, Balenciaga, Burberry, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Coach, Dior, Dolce Gabbana, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hermes, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Massimo Dutti, Patek Phillipe, Prada, Zara Cinemas: Shaw Lido, Cathay Cineleisure, Golden Village Plaza Singapura Website: https://www.orchardroad.org/ |
Chinatown
This market has yummy Chinese food on the streets with an array of shops that sell T-shirts, artifacts, souvenirs, cheap goods – great gift options for everybody. During the Chinese New Year, the whole place is lit up for celebrations.
Getting there: MRT to Chinatown, and walk up Places to Eat: Chinatown Complex, Chinatown Food Street, Ah Tai, Din Tai Fung, Oriental Chinese, Song Fa Bah Kut Teh, Tian Tian Chicken Rice, Xiao Ya Tou Attractions: Al-Abrar Mosque, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple, Masjid Jame, Sri Mariamman Temple, Thian Hock Theng Temple Website: http://www.chinatown.sg/ |
Little India
Commonly known as Tekka by the Iocal Indian community, Little India is full of Indian restaurants; businesses selling Indian goods, sundry, flowers and jewelry located in quaint shophouses; numerous Indian places of worship; and shopping centres such as Mustafa and Jothi Store. In the last decade, the back lanes have become bohemian with tourist-oriented services such as backpackers’ hostels, boutique hotels, new restaurants, tattoo places, and massage parlors.
Getting there: MRT to Little India or Farrer Park and walk up. Places to Eat: Ananda Bhavan, Aromas of India, Gayatri, Gokul, Jaggi’s, Kalash Parbat, Khansama Tandoori, Komala Vilas, Tekka Centre, Zam Zam Attractions: Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Abdul Gafoor Mosque, Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Sakyamuni Buddha Gaya Temple, Sri Vadapathra Kaliamman Temple, Central Sikh Temple Website: https://www.littleindia.com.sg/ |
Arab Street
Basically, a miniature version of the Middle East, Arab Street boasts authentic Arab cuisine and shops selling carpets, perfumes and other Arabic & Islamic goods. It’s a popular spot for football (soccer) fans to gather during weekends and watch the EPL while enjoying mouth-watering kebabs, and shawarmas.
Getting there: MRT to Bugis and walk 5 mins east. Places to Eat: Alaturka, Beirut, Byblos Grill, Derwish, Istanblue, Tabbouleh Other Places: Aladdin’s, Anglia, Dilip Textiles, Poppy Fabric, Rishi Handicrafts Website: https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/arab-street-singapore-guide/ |
Entertainment
Singapore has an amazing array of entertainment options from award-winning theatre productions, cultural events, clubs, pubs, bars, cinemas, bowling alleys, VR games, laser tags and what not. For event listings, please check out:
- http://www.singapore-guide.com/nightlife/
- https://a-list.sg/
- www.eventbrite.sg
- https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/
- https://www.timeout.com/Singapore
- http://www.singapourlemag.com/
Clubs
If you enjoy nightlife, then you won’t be disappointed by Singapore’s nightclubs. However, if you want to have a nice time, don’t forget to dress up and bring your ID (student pass or passport since some bars are not satisfied with an ISIC card)
1. Attica: two rooms with different atmospheres (R&B and commercial / techno) Opening Hours: Wed-Thu 10:30pm-3am; Fri-Sat until 4am Location: 3A River Valley Rd, Clarke Quay, #01-03 (near Clarke Quay MRT) 2. Kilo Lounge: One of the best techno night clubs with great DJs and many French! Opening Hours: Tue-Fri 5:30pm-3am; Sat 7pm-4am Location: 21 Tanjong Pagar Road (near Tanjong Pagar MRT, exit A) 3. ZOUK: One of the biggest nightclubs in Singapore with several rooms. They usually play commercial music and sometimes invite worldwide famous DJs. For 25+ people, the Capital, Zouk’s VIP room is really nice to hang out, only with table reservations but expensive! (around SGD 160 per pax). Opening Hours: Wednesday – Friday – Saturday Location: 3C River Valley Road, The Cannery |
Bowling
Another popular past time for locals is bowling. The one nearest to our campus is
West Bowl Location: 12, West Coast Walk Getting There: Bus 198 from Essec Business Sch, alight 5 stops later at Clementi Stadium, walk 1 min Details & Rates: https://www.csc.sg/westwoodbowl/rates.aspx |
Cinema
Moviegoing is a popular pastime in Singapore. A standard ticket costs between $7 to $9.50 for weekdays, and between $11 to $13.50 for weekends/ public holidays. For the premium screens with reclining couple seats, food service, blankets e.g. GV Gold Class or Cathay Platinum, prices range from $25 to $38. Surcharges apply for 3D and IMAX screenings. It can be cold in cinemas, so please bring your sweater. Look out for student discounts and offers on selected credit/ debit cards Most cinemas are conveniently located near MRT stations. Listed below are the 3 closest to our campus
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Sightseeing
Singapore has numerous attractions to keep someone busy for a few days. Some sights like Chinatown and Little India were covered in an earlier section. Here are some of the other highlights in Singapore.
Note: Due to Covid 19, some attractions are still closed. For those that are open, the opening hours and services may differ. Safe distancing measures are in force in most places. For more info, please refer to the attraction's website
Note: Due to Covid 19, some attractions are still closed. For those that are open, the opening hours and services may differ. Safe distancing measures are in force in most places. For more info, please refer to the attraction's website
Marina Bay
Situated at the heart of the city, Marina Bay is the lifestyle center of the city. It is where you can see the most innovative facilities and where huge activities take place. Surrounded by the famous Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, the Helix Bridge, the Singapore Flyer, the Esplanade Theater, the Merlion and Singapore’s famous office buildings and towers, this is the place to be. It is also where the F1 takes place in Singapore around the time school starts. As this is Singapore’s signature skyline, it is great just to take a walk around Marina Bay and click many pictures of all the sights there. You can also take a walk around Waterfront Promenade, which is beautifully illuminated at night, across the Helix Bridge and visit the Merlion, the national symbol of Singapore. But make sure to be back at your starting point on time, to experience Spectra, Southeast Asia’s largest light and water show –completely for free! Don’t forget to visit the Esplanade Theater, in which regularly concerts, and operas are played and performed. Once every month on a Sunday, there is a free concert! So, keep checking their website.
Website: https://www.marinabaysands.com/ |
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is one of Singapore’s most popular tourist attractions with over 6.4 million visitors annually. There’s the Cloud Forest mimicking a South American rainforest, Flower Dome hosting trees and flowers from different regions, and Supertrees, tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape. Every night, at 7:45pm and 8:45pm, the Supertree Grove comes alive with a coordinated light and music show known as the Garden Rhapsody.
Website: https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/ |
Sentosa Island
Hop on to the monorail at Vivocity or make your way through the cheaper boardwalk to reach Sentosa Island. Though, most attractions here are expensive e.g. Universal Studios Singapore @$75 per person!!!, you can opt for the other options. Grab your swimwear for a dip in the sea, rent a cheap bike or segues or even walk around for free shows and sight-seeing. This place is ideal for a one-day picnic.
Website: https://www.sentosa.com.sg/ |
Pulau Ubin
You can spend a great day walking or cycling through rustic roads under coconut palms, exploring shady trails in overgrown rubber plantations, checking out secluded beaches and flourishing mangroves. Admission to the island is free and this getaway is only a 10-minute ‘bumboat’ ride away from Changi Jetty. If you are too lazy to go by yourself, wait for the invite from Thanneer for an all-ESSEC trip.
Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/pulau-ubin-and-chek-jawa |
Other Attractions
Other attractions include Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park, National Museum of Singapore, National Gallery Singapore, Indian Heritage Centre, Chinatown Heritage Centre, and East Coast Park. You can find a listing of attractions at https://www.lonelyplanet.com/singapore/attractions/a/poi-sig/357350
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Make Singapore your own Adventure
For most of you it will be the first time in Singapore. And this is really something special. You are in a new place, in a new city, in a new country with new people. So, make the most out of it! Go for walks and strolls. Be adventurous and together with your friends discover China Town or Little India. Take a bus somewhere and just explore all these new places and faces that you meet. Do not be shy or scared; Singapore is a safe city.
Make it your own adventure, with experiences and impressions that no one can take away from you and share them with all your friends and family back home. Money cannot buy you that. So even with a small budget, living in Singapore can be a great experience and most definitely a real adventure! |
