Emerald Hill

Emerald Hill was a nutmeg plantation subdivided from the 1900s and built up with terrace houses for wealthy Peranakan families, and the result is a lane of facades running uphill directly off Orchard Road: pilasters, carved timber swing doors, ceramic tiles, plaster reliefs and coloured glass, each house competing with its neighbour. It was among the first areas conserved in Singapore, in 1981, and the houses are private homes with a few bars at the bottom end.

What you actually see

• The terrace facades - ornate Peranakan fronts with tiles, carving and coloured glass.
• The pintu pagar - the carved half-height swing doors at the entrances.
• The uphill lane - the street rising directly off Orchard Road.
• The conservation - one of the first areas protected in Singapore, in 1981.

When to go

Year round; the street is viewed from outside at any hour. Morning light suits the facades. The bars at the lower end fill in the evening.

Honest expectations

These are private homes and there is nothing to go inside; the visit is walking a street and looking. It takes half an hour. The bars at the bottom are the only commercial part.

Nearby

Orchard Road is at the foot, and Somerset is beside it.