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From trekking through the Green Corridor to crossing the Causeway into Singapore, there is no shortage of people trying to explore the little red dot on foot. We are that small after all.
However, British content strategist Sam Lynas is taking things a little further by adding food stops to his treks.
The 37-year-old first caught our attention in a YouTube video where he visited all six Nando’s restaurants in Singapore, starting at Jurong Point and ending at Tampines Mall.
“That’s about 40km there and my hardest challenge so far,” Sam tells 8days.sg, adding that he began these hikes last year.
Sam, who has been based here since 2018, decided to turn up the heat on his hikes — literally.
With each stop, he increased the spiciness level of his meal, working his way through Nando’s famed Peri-Peri hot sauces.
By the time he reached Tampines Mall 12 hours later, he was tucking into a chicken drumstick drizzled with ‘Extra Extra Hot Peri-Peri’ sauce.
While he enjoys spicy food, Sam jokes that “the next day was a very spicy affair.”
Interestingly, despite Nando’s being hugely popular in the UK, Sam had never tried it before.
“Now people are telling me I have to try it again when I’m back as the menu is very different,” he laughs.
His YouTube channel features similar food-hike challenges, including visits to Carl’s Jr. and Pizza Express. Looking ahead, he plans to push himself even further.
“My next video will have me walking to all three IKEA stores here for meatballs,” he shares.
And what about McDonald’s?
Sam laughs that with 151 outlets islandwide, “it would be the final boss in this game for me”.
So, what does Sam’s wife, with whom he shares a six-month-old son, think about “his little hobby?”
“She always laughs… then proceeds to say that I’m crazy,” he says.
Given Singapore’s convenient and efficient public transport system, walking might seem like an odd choice. But for Sam, it’s part of the charm.
“Only in Singapore can you hop onto a train and travel from one end to the other in an hour. You can’t do that in most countries which typically takes days of planning before you even start,” says Sam.
Looking ahead, he wants to explore something with a more local flair.
“I would love to do one with Old Chang Kee and have a curry puff at every stop,” he shares.
With 79 outlets, we suggest a mix of local snacks instead.
Since we were on the topic of local fare, Sam says he would love to do a local food-hike challenge, but isn’t confident of tackling it alone.
“I’m no expert and I feel like I don’t understand it well enough,” he says, before adding that collaborating with a local food expert on future videos might be the way forward.
Old Chang Kee, are you reading this?