10 Must-Visit Singapore Film Locations Seen in Crazy Rich Asians

The following guest post was written by Emily Pham. I’ve added comments in italics here and there.

If you are a movie lover – even if you have not seen it – you must have heard the buzz about the movie Crazy Rich Asians. It is based on a best-selling book with the same name by Kevin Kwan and was the very first American movie in two decades to star an all-Asian cast. The film is famous not only because of its romantic comedy plot, well-produced, but also because of the amazing cast and outstanding filming locations in Singapore. Let’s check out those incredible film locations that you can visit in real life and enjoy an interesting trip in Singapore.

A view of the Singapore city skyline at night: a cluster of skyscrapers with some windows lit up. In the foreground is water and a merlion statue, brightly lit, pours water from its mouth into the water.

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1. Changi Airport

You may never think that an airport could appear on your travel destinations list. However, Changi Airport will change your mind. Its whole area can be a fantastic and significant destination in itself. The airport contains gazillions of restaurants, high-end shops, art installations, an infinity pool, and a movie theatre. There are even many beautiful indoor gardens with palm trees and attractive flowers like orchids or cacti. With its amazing features, Changi Airport has been named as one of the best airports in the world six years in a row. Sometimes, the locals come here to hang out even when they don’t have a flight.

A marble pathway with tropical plantings in raised beds beside it. In the center, on the other side of the pathway, a clump of bright purple orchids. — *Changi Airport orchid garden. Photo courtesy of Cindy Carlsson of **Exploration Vacation**.*

To read more about Changi airport, see this guest article by Cathy Carter.

2. Ann Siang Hill

Ann Siang Hill is a beautiful one-way street that is located in Chinatown, Singapore. The road is gorgeous with numerous old and colorful houses along the sidewalk. Most of the houses here are restored as restaurants, bars, shop houses and boutiques. With all of these exciting attractions, visitors will have a chance to wander around this beautiful road for hours and enjoy their time to admire one of the beautiful sides of Singapore.

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Text: 10 Must-Visit Singapore Film Locations seen in "Crazy Rich Asians"
Image: a view of Marina Bay Sands hotel, as seen from the bottom of one of the towers.

3. Chijmes

Chijmes is a heritage building that was formerly a Catholic convent and school. It was built in 1852, and now, this 19th-century building holds a beautiful array of bars and restaurants. There are major dining and shopping centers in the area too. With its glamorous Gothic style, this place is an ideal place for weddings, just like the characters in the movie. If you get a chance to travel to Chijmes, you will definitely be amazed by its fantastic white architecture. This great destination is a favorite location for celebrations and wedding photoshoots in Singapore.

4. Sentosa Island

Do you want to get away from the bustling city of Singapore? Would you like to explore a more interesting place as a tropical oasis? Let’s head to Sentosa Island. The island served as a bachelor party venue for Crazy Rich Asians, but in real life, it is more like a getaway destination for locals to come and have fun. Sentosa Island features some of the most beautiful beaches in Singapore with many fabulous attractions: for example, The Singapore Butterfly and Insect Kingdom, Universal Studios Theme Park, Sentosa Skyline Luge & Skyride and Resorts World Adventure Water Cove.

On this page, you can see a list of the different things to do on Sentosa Island and buy tickets ahead of time.

5. Marina Bay Sands

As one of the most iconic Singapore landmarks, Marina Bay Sands is a huge luxury resort complex, including a glamorous hotel and the highest infinity pool in the world.

a view of Marina Bay Sands hotel, one of the Singapore film locations, as seen from the bottom of one of the towers. It curves gradually up to the surfboard shaped top. — *The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is made of three towers connected only at the bottom and the flat top, where the huge pool is.*

With its elegant luxury views, it’s no wonder that this iconic resort appeared many times in the movie. If you want a taste of the gorgeous luxury lifestyle, you definitely need to check out this place. There are various great features in Marina Bay Sands that you also can enjoy such as art and science exhibits, a museum, two large theatres, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, casinos, restaurants and so much more.

If you do decide to splurge on a stay at the Marina Bay Sands, you can book it here.

6. Gardens by the Bay

Are you a nature lover? If you like flowers and greenery, this is the must-visit place on your trip to Singapore. Gardens by the Bay is home to 1,500,000 plants and trees from all around the world. You will fall in love with this place as soon as you arrive. With the fabulous diversity of plants, a waterfall and lakes, your journey seems never-ending in Gardens by the Bay. It’s one of the best places to enjoy nature in Singapore.

Under a very high greenhouse glass roof, a hill covered in greenery, with trees in front of it at the bottom of the picture. Sticking out from the hill are two curved walkways where people, looking very small, walk. Much of the hill is obscured by mist. — *Inside the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay. The structures you see sticking out from the “mountain” are walkways.*

There is also an amazing waterfront garden with temperature-controlled domes. There are many incredible attractions inside this place that you also need to check out such as Super Tree Grove, Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

Planning to visit Gardens by the Bay? Order your skip-the-line tickets here.

7. Merlion Park

The merlion is the official mascot of Singapore. It’s a mythical creature with a fish’s body and a lion’s head. Merlion Park is located at One Fullerton, where you’ll find a statue of a merlion. The park also offers impressive views of Marina Bay, as well as being the perfect destination for tourists to take photos. There is a river cruise near the location for visitors to enjoy and explore more famous attractions on the Singapore River.

The Merlion statue is on the left of the picture, brightly lit up, as is the water spewing from its mouth to the right, into the river. It's nighttime, and tall buildings are in the background, with white lights in some of the windows against a black sky. — *Merlion Park. Photo courtesy of Julie Wetz of **Browsing the Atlas**.*

8. Hawker Centers

We are all passionate about food and visitors will definitely find some of the best Singaporeans delicacies in the famous “hawker centers.” A hawker center, typically, is an open-air group of various stalls that sell local food. And the most amazing thing about Singapore hawker centers is that Singapore is the only place where street food vendors actually get Michelin stars. There are hundreds of food stalls in many different hawker centers in Singapore. Coming here, visitors will have numerous options for delicious dishes from all over Asia as well as famous Singapore foods. One of the best hawker centers is the Newton Food Centre which appeared in the movie.

Outdoor, clearly at dusk, long lines of picnic tables, which all look completely filled up with people eating. To the right is a row of food stalls, lit brightly, and people stand waiting for their food. — A hawker center. Image by **Joongkeun Lee** from **Pixabay**

Read these other articles about Singapore:

9. Raffles Singapore Hotel

This is the luxury hotel where the main characters stay in the movie, especially the gorgeous Presidential Suite. Of course, this is a crazy rich world. If you are able to spend money to stay in one of these fantastic luxury suites in the hotel, it will be one of your most memorable experiences. There are various interesting features that you can enjoy in the hotel like beautiful gardens, a luxurious spa and a variety of restaurants.

One of the Singapore film locations: the lobby of the Raffles Singapore. A view down from a floor up onto an elegant lobby: white marble floor, chandeliers, armchairs, an oriental rug in the center. — *Lobby of the Raffles Singapore Hotel. Photo courtesy of Julie Wetz of **Browsing the Atlas**.*

Book the Raffles Singapore through this link.

10. Humpback Restaurant

This is the place where the main female character, Rachel, has a heart-to-heart conversation with her best friend. Located in Singapore’s Chinatown, Humpback Restaurant is a really great place to visit. It’s famous for a diverse menu of fresh seafood. You will definitely love the amazing taste of the seafood here and enjoy the view of the picturesque Bukit Pasoh Road.

Along with seafood, the restaurant also serves many delicious dishes such as fresh banana cake or an impressive cocktail menu. If you have a chance to come here, make sure that you try these outstanding dishes.

Singapore film locations

All in all, Singapore is undoubtedly an amazing destination with various attractive glamorous locations. Crazy Rich Asians is not only a great movie to enjoy but also one of the best ways for people to learn more about the charms of Singapore. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, check it out. You definitely will have a fun, entertaining time with the interesting storyline as well as knowing about many beautiful travel destinations in Singapore.

Author bio: I am Emily Pham. I was born in Vietnam – a country with many unknown beaches, historic sites, and tourist attractions. Understanding that Vietnam nowadays is a famous destination, I established the blog site vina.com to introduce the elegant beauty of Vietnam to friends around the world. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, our blog will provide you with essential information on where to go and what to do in our country.

My travel recommendations

Planning travel

Skyscanner is where I always start my flight searches.
Booking.com is the company I use most for finding accommodations. If you prefer, Expedia offers more or less the same.
Discover Cars offers an easy way to compare prices from all of the major car-rental companies in one place.
Use Viator or GetYourGuide to find walking tours, day tours, airport pickups, city cards, tickets and whatever else you need at your destination.
Bookmundi is great when you’re looking for a longer tour of a few days to a few weeks, private or with a group, pretty much anywhere in the world. Lots of different tour companies list their tours here, so you can comparison shop.
GetTransfer is the place to book your airport-to-hotel transfers (and vice-versa). It’s so reassuring to have this all set up and paid for ahead of time, rather than having to make decisions after a long, tiring flight!
Buy a GoCity Pass when you’re planning to do a lot of sightseeing on a city trip. It can save you a lot on admissions to museums and other attractions in big cities like New York and Amsterdam.

It’s really awkward to have to rely on WIFI when you travel overseas. I’ve tried several e-sim cards, and GigSky’s e-sim was the one that was easiest to activate and use. You buy it through their app and activate it when you need it. Use the code RACHEL10 to get a 10% discount!
I’m a fan of SCOTTeVEST’s jackets and vests because when I wear one, I don’t have to carry a handbag. I feel like all my stuff is safer when I travel because it’s in inside pockets close to my body.
I use ExpressVPN on my phone and laptop when I travel. It keeps me safe from hackers when I use public or hotel wifi.

Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller is a writer living in Groningen, the Netherlands. She is the owner and primary author of this website, Rachel’s Ruminations, a travel blog focused on independent travel with an emphasis on cultural and historical sites/sights. Read more here about her and about this website. Rachel also owns and operates a website about travel to UNESCO World Heritage sites.

rachelsruminations.com