We deviated from our weekly park hikes to visit the last remaining kampung in Singapore, Kampung Buangkok. Stepping into the village is like being transported into another world - the sights, sounds and smells were unlike anything the kids have experienced.
There are still about 25 families living here and the land it sits on is owned by one family. The original owner has since passed away so it is now managed by his son & daughter. And guess how much is the monthly rent? It averages about $7.50!!! 😱 Yes, join the queue behind me if you want to stay here too. 😁
Even though the public can enter the kampung & walk along the common pathways, it is still private land after all so it is only right if you seek the village chief, Miss Sng's permission if you intend to take any IG-worthy photos or videos.
OR you can sign up for Let's Go Tour 'Kampung Experience' tour where not only did we have a licensed tour guide pointing out various interesting sites within the kampung, we also entered two of the zinc-roofed wooden houses and played some retro games like five stones, pick-up-sticks and zero point!
Definitely brought back plenty of childhood memories for the wifey & me but most importantly, it showed the kids what life in Singapore was like back in the pre-80's. In fact, Ash learnt about the history about the formation of HDB in his Sec Sch History lessons - I'm told P3 Social Studies textbook covers this too - so there's nothing like watching history unfold right in front of your eyes... coupled with the guide's sharing of the transition difficulties villagers faced during relocation from kampungs to HDBs.
I love how the whole 2-hour tour was put together, especially how it intentionally added learning points from MOE's History syllabus. Great fun too for the kids, who were exposed to a rustic part of Singapore they could only see from photos in textbooks before this.
For more details about the tour, head to www.letsgotoursingapore.com/kampong-experience
