One of the things we need to consider when traveling is booking a hotel so that when we get to a country we won’t need to worry about accommodation.
Geylang (Chinese: 芽笼, Tamil: கேலாங்) is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west. ( Source : Wikipedia )
Things get a little bit surprising when my boyfriend and I figured out shocking things around Geylang. We didn’t have enough time to research about the place that we were staying in since we were both got busy before we travelled.
The first day we spent in Geylang was just a normal day but we started to be suspicious with the things that are strangely happening around especially at night. Anyway it didn’t bother us that much. Staying in Geylang is still worth it.
I’ll share to you the 5 shocking things we experience when staying in the street of Geylang.
Affordable Hotel Prices
Photo Credit : Booking.com ( Hotel 81 Gold Geylang )
Booking for a Hotel in Singapore is quite expensive especially that some rates may vary on weekends. The average hotel cost for a night is about 130+ Singapore Dollars = 5,000 PHP / 94 USD but staying in Geylang is twice cheaper. Surprise !
For a 4 night & 5 day booking, we only paid 255 SGD = 9,750 PHP / 185 USD, more likely around 64 SGD/night = 2,447 PHP / 46 USD. That makes Geylang as one of the most affordable places to stay for a budget-worthy trip.
Check out their Rates here below.
Currency = Singapore Dollars / S$
We stayed in this hotel pictured above. It was an amazing experience for us despite the location. The Hotel staffs are very hospitable and we felt well-accommodated.
I am a Filipina with a Japanese boyfriend and they treated us fairly so I would highly recommend this Hotel 81 Gold in Geylang Road.
Book now, pay later at Booking.com below.
Budget Mart everywhere
One shocking thing that I love about Geylang is the convenience. Whenever we go out from the hotel, we would pass by several budget marts just meters away. The nearest to our place was “Budget Value” where we get to drop by for 1 S$ Soy drinks & 2 S$ Beers. That’s pretty cheap!
Quiet Road
Streets in Geylang are also considered residential areas so expect a quiet road in the morning and at night. Who wouldn’t want to wake up and take a peaceful walk around.
Every time I open the window from the hotel, I notice that our hotel’s street is usually quiet. Cars are few and even bicycles are not so common.
Monks in the Street
I’m not sure why but whenever we start going out in the morning and getting to the nearest station, we usually notice monks passing by the street. These monks seemed to be Tibetan Buddhist Monks.
Red Light District
This is the most shocking thing about staying in Geylang based on our experience. We weren’t able to do some research about the place but when we did, we found out that Geylang is considered as a ” Red Light District “. A district active in sex trade, prostitution and licensed brothels.
In Singapore, Prostitution is legal. For some people who is basically looking for hook-ups & pleasure, Geylang is an ideal place. These are the street numbers where a number of brothels can be found: Lorong 24, 26, 28, 30.
Since we are staying in Lorong 20, Geylang , we often notice some people selling medicines & stuff on the streets for sexual activity. It shocked us because we had no idea at all in the first place.
There were women who would stand nearby posts and wait for a customer . These women were referred as ” Freelance Prostitutes “.
These things became normal for me and my boyfriend every time we get back to our hotel at night.
We just both made sure that we were safe and we don’t get involve with these activities.
Is it Safe for Tourist to go around at night?
Yes it is safe, but you have to be extra careful. If you don’t want to get involved with their nightlife activities or be mistaken for a customer or prostitute, just refrain from standbying around the Red Light District.
How was your Geylang experience? Leave us your comment below.
very useful information thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing the blog. I feel so excited to read it.