Orchard Road 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
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Orchard Road is to Singapore what Fifth Avenue is to New York and the Champs-Elysees is to Paris - one long line of shops, shopping malls and hotels with shopping arcades stretching from the top of the road at Dhoby Ghaut where Plaza Singapura stands to the end where Tanglin Road begins.
There is more to Orchard Road than just shops. It has a couple of leafy parks, a presidential palace - the Istana, sidewalk cafes, and an enclave of some of Singapore's finest examples of terrace houses and shophouses of Chinese baroque architecture. In April 1999, as a symbolic gesture, Orchard Road was twinned with the Champs-Elysees.
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Shoppers' Paradise
Orchard Road starts at the junction of Bras Basah Road and Handy Road, at the intersection dominated by Cathay Building. Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, facing McDonald House, marks the beginning of the road.
Singapore's wall-to-wall consumerist nirvana is an assault on your senses - and your wallet. Faced with this immense stretch of towering shopping malls at Orchard Road, some will scream with delight, others will run screaming. From quirky, rundown Lucky Plaza to the imposing chocolate-coloured marble edifice of Ngee Ann City and the chic, exclusive grey of Paragon, it's possible to spend days here and never visit the same mall twice. It can be almost intimidating. Each shopping mall is like a little town unto itself, with specialty food stores, countless designer labels, Japanese teen fashion and antiques.
If the variety is endless at Orchard Road, then so are the crowds. Except for a blissful window of peace between around 10am and 11am, when you can have the shops almost to yourself, Orchard Road teems with people day and night. On Saturday nights, the huge bookshops are more crowded than many pubs.
History
Orchard Road - it wasn't always this way though.
Orchard Road derives its name from the sprawling orchards of nutmeg and pepper that dominated the area in the 1880s. The trees that shade the ever-present crowds are almost the only reminder that this area was, in the 19th century, an orchard lined with nutmeg and pepper plantations. From a vast plantation, the district has now become prime real estate, full of swanky shopping malls and condominiums and one of Singapore's most coveted business and residential areas. However, between the five-star hotels and hulking shrines to materialism, a few architectural relics from this time remain. When you've had your fill of the shops and chilly air-conditioning, escape is close to hand with the serene Singapore Botanic Gardens a short bus ride from the west end of the road.
Future
Believe it or not, there are plans afoot to make Orchard Road even bigger and brasher. The rare patch of greenery surrounding the Orchard MRT Station, a respite from the onslaught of glass and concrete, and a favourite meeting spot of Filipino maids, will soon have a huge mall on top of it; likewise the empty spot in front of Somerset MRT Station.
Orchard Road, like time, never stands still.
Getting There
Orchard Road is important enough to have three Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations: Orchard MRT Station at the eastern end, Somerset MRT Station in the centre and Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station at the west end. (Believe it or not, some of us Singaporeans prefer to take the train between them rather than walk.) Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station is an important MRT junction, from which trains fan off to City Hall MRT Station and Raffles Place MRT Station (Colonial District), Little India, Clarke Quay and Chinatown. Buses from Orchard Road and Scotts Road also fan out across the island.
Orientation
From the Colonial District, Bras Basah Road heads northwest to become Orchard Road, which then winds through the leafy glades of Nassim Road to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, or along Tanglin Road and Napier Road towards the expat enclave of Holland Road. Heading north from the western end of Orchard Road along Prinsep Street and Selegie Road brings you to Little India.
Top Few Things-To-Do
- Enjoy the lush greenery at the Singapore Botanic Gardens
- Have a drink at Emerald Hill
- Shop at some of the many shopping malls along Orchard Road
Tourist Attractions
Orchard Road has many interesting Tourist Attractions, including the following:-
Tourist Sights
Cuppage Terrace & Emerald Hill, Istana, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Tan Yeok Nee House
Places of Worship
Chesed-El Synagogue, Chettiar Hindu Temple, Church of Sacred Heart,
Notable Streets
Noteworthy Buildings
Shopping
Orchard Road is absolutely mind-boggling. Although some Singaporeans maintain that they can visit every mall in a day, human beings without supernatural shopping powers might spend three days here and not even see a quarter of it. Prices aren't necessarily the best, but the range is almost infinite.
The following is an overview of the main shopping malls found on Orchard Road, and reviews of some of the notable shops within them.
Shopping Malls
Centrepoint Shopping Centre, Delfi Orchard, DFS Galleria Scottswalk, Far East Plaza, Forum The Shopping Mall, The Heeren Shops, International Building, Lucky Plaza, Ngee Ann City, Orchard Emerald, Orchard OG Building, Orchard Cineleisure, Orchard Point, Orchard Towers, Pacific Plaza, Palais Renaissance, Paradiz Centre, Paragon, Park Mall, Plaza Singapura, Shaw House, Shopping Gallery at Hilton, Tanglin Mall, Tanglin Shopping Centre, Tangs, Wheelock Place, Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
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Visitors' Information
- Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT Station
- Bus: SBS 190; TIBS 171
