Why A Singaporean Millennial Went On An E-Scooter Tour Around The Island — And The Amazing Lessons Learnt Along The Way

We know what you’re thinking: Why would a Singaporean need to go on a tour of Singapore? When the invite to go on Trails of Tan Ah Huat landed in our inbox, we were intrigued. Born and bred in Singapore, we weren’t sure what this heritage tour around Singapore could teach us that we don’t already know. As it turns out, much more than we expected. You know how you can spend your whole life walking past something and not think twice about it? And then something happens and your mind is blown and you see it in a whole new light? You get our drift.

If you’ve ever wondered what life was like for an early immigrant in Singapore, Trails of Tan Ah Huat might be for you. The four-hour tour purports to be a nostalgic, interactive journey through the Downtown Core and winding back alleys of Haji Lane. Your guide is a Chinese immigrant who’d lived through Singapore in the 1920s (okay, it’s someone playing the fictitious character, not a centenarian or a ghost) who will take you through his fictional life story. We’re not going to give away any spoilers to Ah Huat’s story, but just know he’s a medicated oil seller looking to peddle his wares to other immigrants in Singapore, and then, life happened.

The only catch: you have to choose if you want to traverse the island by bicycle or e-scooter. Now, we’re pretty sure our grandparents weren’t whizzing around the streets of Chinatown on e-scooters, but we sure were sure excited to go on this adventure. E-scooter noobs, fret not. You’ll get some time to practice before the tour begins.