Those unfamiliar with Singapore would usually explore the usual tourist spots like Orchard Road, Tiong Bahru and Sentosa.
But the heartland areas where the locals live rarely get a mention.
So, British YouTubers Jonty and Millie Tan, who currently live in Singapore, were pleasantly surprised to discover that the humble Redhill area had a lot to offer.
They documented their find in a YouTube video uploaded on Oct 20.
At the start of the 12-minute clip, Millie shared that she had come to Redhill some time back with their kids – Aspen and Milo – to visit a sports centre and had really liked the neighbourhood vibes.
Wanting to explore more, she brought Jonty along this time around.
First up on their itinerary was Redhill Food Centre.
“My first impressions of this neighbourhood so far are just that it is bustling with a lot of life,” Jonty shared.
“I’m thrilled about this hawker centre behind me. There are so many different options, it smells amazing.
Here, the family ordered chicken rice, curry mixed rice and minced meat noodles.
After their hearty meal, they explored the next door Redhill Market further and found gems such as a fish aquarium, as well as stalls selling dried and fresh produce.
“Finding wonder in this quaint neighbourhood was easy,” remarked Jonty.
In the midst of their exploration, Millie also took some time to recount the legend behind how Redhill got its unique name.
“The story is that a boy saved the village from a swordfish [infestation] and unfortunately, he died, and his blood ran down the hill so the area was called Redhill,” she shared.
And she’s not wrong. It’s a legend that has been passed down for generations, shared Roots.sg.
Temples and charity shops
Afterwards, they walked a little deeper into the neighbourhood to visit a temple called Zhen Ron Gong Temple, that had caught Jonty’s eye on Google Maps.
“I find temples and various different religious buildings fascinating,” he said.
And it certainly was an enriching experience.
Inside the temple, the family admired the traditional Chinese architecture.
Jonty also praised the amount of thought that went into one of the wall carvings of a horse.
“I love the detail in here,” he said in admiration.
They also took some time to just sit in the shade, relax, and enjoy themselves.
“This is such an underrated neighbourhood. It’s so quiet and so peaceful, there’s hardly anything going around here. There’s hardly anybody,” said Jonty.
Then, they checked out the Minds Shop, a social enterprise and charity thrift shop that sells pre-loved items like books, clothes and games.
“It’s definitely worth coming to check out places like this to see what you can get for a little bit less of the price than you would perhaps in another shop, while supporting a great cause too,” said Millie.
Later on, they went to a playground so the kids could stretch their legs.
As the little ones played, Jonty went on about how much he had really enjoyed his day in Redhill.
“I absolutely love this neighbourhood. I haven’t heard anyone really talking about it as a great place to be and hang out,” he said.
“It’s a very family-orientated place.”
He also shared how he appreciated how there are plenty of opportunities for residents to interact with one another.
“I love these collision spaces where people are forced to bump into each other and have [a] community and I think you can feel it in the air here. People are very friendly.”
Jonty and Millie have run the YouTube channel Wonderlust for three years and use the platform to share their adventures with their kids.
While they’re British nationals, they’re currently living in Singapore, Jonty’s birth country, and have over 9,000 subscribers.
In the comments, several praised the couple for showing the exciting side of Redhill.
Others also agreed that it indeed was an interesting underrated area in Singapore.
Others also recommended other places that the family can visit during future trips to Redhill.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.