Nostalgic tourists flock to Singapore’s last surviving village as Covid-19 keeps borders shut

Kampong Lorong Buangkok has seen a boom in local visitors after borders shut due to the pandemic

Tourists get a chance to wander around the kampong and chat with residents about what they are growing in their gardens

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A tourist takes photos of flowers in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last remaining village in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:00am, 6 Oct 2020Updated: 12:18pm, 7 Oct 2020

Hidden between the skyscrapers of Singapore’s urban jungle sits Kampong Lorong Buangkok – the only surviving traditional village in this modern city state of 5.7 million people.

Made up of 26 single-storey wooden houses, which were once ubiquitous across Singapore, the “kampong”, the Malay word for village, has seen a boom in local visitors after borders shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Most kampongs disappeared during Singapore’s rush to urbanise, but being stuck at home has left locals like 48-year old Jenn Lee, a day trader, craving for a bit of nostalgia to share with her son.

“I think it’s good that he does know that (there) is something like that here, it’s not just overseas like Malaysia, or Thailand, or the Philippines,” Lee said.

Singapore authorities have been trying to support local tourism through campaigns and have given citizens cash vouchers for staycations.

Tour operators argue there is plenty to discover in the country of only 724 square kilometres (280 square miles).