Orchard Road

Orchard Road runs about two and a half kilometres from Tanglin to Dhoby Ghaut and was, as the name says, a road through nutmeg and pepper orchards until the plantations failed in the 1860s. It became the shopping street from the 1970s and now carries a continuous run of malls, most linked underground so the whole street can be walked in air conditioning. Rain trees arch over the road itself, and the Christmas lighting each year is a fixture.

Background

Orchard Road, usually called just Orchard, is a 2.5 km road in Singapore's Central Area, lined with department stores, malls, restaurants and coffeehouses, and it draws young people especially at night. The surrounding Orchard Planning Area, set by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, is bordered by Newton to the east and north, Tanglin to the west, River Valley to the south and Museum to the southeast, and it is made up of three subzones: Orchard, Somerset and Tanglin.

Source: Wikipedia, "Orchard Road"

The main sights

• The mall run - a continuous line of shopping centres, linked underground.
• The rain trees - the arched canopy over the road, planted for shade.
• The Christmas lights - the annual display along the whole street.
• The Istana grounds - the presidential estate, opened to the public on some holidays.

When to go

Year round; the Christmas lighting runs from November into January. Weekends and sale periods are extremely crowded. Weekday mornings are calmest.

What to expect

It is malls, and the same international brands as anywhere else; anyone hoping for local character will not find it here. Weekend crowds are heavy. Prices are high and the outlet shopping is elsewhere.

Nearby

Emerald Hill is off the street, and the Botanic Gardens are west.

Key facts