The Istana
A white Palladian mansion in large parkland off Orchard Road, built in 1869 as Government House for the British governors. It is now the office of the President and Prime Minister, and the grounds are opened to the public on a few holidays each year.
- Where
- Singapore, Singapore
- Grade
- National monument
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 5 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 1.3069, 103.8431
Get the The Istana stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at The Istana. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Singapore volume with your photos and a note.
Near The Istana
Emerald Hill 0.7 km
A short, sloping street just off Orchard Road lined with terraced houses once owned by wealthy Peranakan families. Many of the homes are in the Chinese Baroque style, with carved doors, coloured tiles and shuttered windows.
Newton Food Centre 0.7 km
An open-air hawker centre on Newton Circus, busiest in the evening. It is known for satay and for seafood stalls grilling stingray and cooking chilli crab, and it appeared in the film Crazy Rich Asians.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple 1.0 km
A temple to Kali in the middle of Little India, begun as a shrine in 1855 and built up as a temple by Bengali labourers in 1881. Its tower of painted figures rises over Serangoon Road, and it was known in its early days as Soonambu Kambam Kovil.
Little India 1.0 km
The Tamil heart of Singapore, known in the community as Tekka, across the river from Chinatown. Its markets, flower-garland stalls and temples are at their busiest during Deepavali and Thaipusam, when the streets fill with lights and processions.
Abdul Gaffoor Mosque 1.2 km
A mosque on Dunlop Street in Little India, built in 1910 by Shaik Abdul Gaffoor on the site of a smaller wooden mosque. Above its entrance is a sunburst crest of Arabic calligraphy, and it has been a national monument since 1979.
The Battlebox 1.2 km
A bomb-proof command bunker dug under Fort Canning Hill, from which British commanders ran the defence of Malaya and Singapore in the Second World War. Its underground rooms are now a museum that retraces the last days before the surrender in 1942.
Orchard Road 1.3 km
A 2.5 kilometre boulevard of department stores, malls, restaurants and coffeehouses in central Singapore. It takes its name from the nutmeg and pepper orchards that once lined it, and it is at its busiest at night and when the Christmas lights go up.
Sri Krishnan Temple 1.3 km
A Hindu temple on Waterloo Street built in 1870, the only Tamil temple in Singapore dedicated to Krishna and his consort Rukmini. Many devotees also pray at the Chinese temple of Kuan Yin next door, a habit known locally as cross-worshipping.
More national monuments in Singapore
Questions
Where is The Istana?
The Istana is in Singapore, Singapore. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Emerald Hill (0.7 km), Newton Food Centre (0.7 km), Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (1.0 km).
How do I get the The Istana stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at The Istana and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Singapore volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to The Istana before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Singapore volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.