Ever heard of the golden hour? It’s the period right after sunrise or just before sunset when the sun hits the perfect angle to bathe the skies in gold – the perfect time for you to capture beautiful, Insta-worthy scenery in Singapore.
It’s no sunrise at the Grand Canyon, but in a time of travel restrictions, you’ll have to take what you can get for now as you gaze at Singapore’s landscapes in (literally) new light. If you’re tracking down places to take pictures in Singapore or just want to enjoy gorgeous vistas, look no further.
Here are seven hotspots worth making the trip to.
SUNSET
SkyPark Observation Deck at Marina Bay Sands
• 11am to 9pm daily (closed from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays except for public holidays)
• Getting there: From MRT Bayfront Station, walk to the entrance of Sands SkyPark in Hotel Tower 3, take the elevator to Level 57
For those wanting to watch the sun dip among Singapore’s iconic cityscape, nothing beats catching it from the SkyPark Observation Deck on Level 57 at Marina Bay Sands.
The deck offers a bird’s-eye view of the city – from the skyscrapers of the Central Business District and the Supertree structures of Gardens by the Bay to the iconic durian domes of the Esplanade and the shophouses along Singapore River. You’ll get a full view of most of the panoramic wonders of Singapore from here.
Upper Peirce Reservoir Park
• Along Old Upper Thomson Road
• Getting there: Take bus services 163, 167, 169, 640, 652, 855 or 980 and alight at the Casuarina Curry stop. Make your way to Casuarina Road Car Park and enter via Old Upper Thomson Road.
Popular among runners and shutterbugs alike, Upper Peirce Reservoir Park might be a bit arduous to get to, considering that you’d have to walk a long stretch of road that used to host actual races back in the ’60s and ’70s as part of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Make it through a long, winding path, and you’ll enter a tranquil park with an unfettered view of Singapore’s largest reservoir. A dam separates Peirce Reservoir into two segments – Upper Peirce Reservoir and Lower Peirce Reservoir.
But this dam serves another purpose – being a solid spot for folks to sit by the waters and catch a beautiful Singapore sunset. With the reservoir stretching as far as the eyes can see, it makes a perfect setting for the golden hour when the waters catch the glow of the sun as it dips down behind the distant greenery.
SUNRISE
Punggol Waterway Park
• Sentul Crescent Road
• Getting there: From Punggol MRT Station, take the LRT to Sam Kee Station and alight to walk to the park’s entrance
If quiet spots are your jam, one underrated spot to catch the sunrise can be found in the north-eastern region of Punggol. Like stretching your legs? You’ll probably love Punggol Waterway Park’s 8.4km-long promenade, peppered with dozens of bridges and viewing decks along the river, so be sure to pack your towels and water bottles as you venture the vastness of this park.
Photo: musicexpression / Flickr
The position to look out for in the wee hours of the morning is the Sunrise Bridge, an aptly named section to watch the sunrise from a bridge that resembles an old-timey steel railway overpass. It’s a hark back to the old days of Kampong Punggol when it was a rural village known for fishing, poultry and pig farming.
Shutterbugs would love this area too. With an abundance of sights to see, the fusion of waterways, flora and fauna would make for beautiful photography backdrops during the golden hour. Waterway Point, located right next to the park, should be able to provide air-conditioned refuge and refreshments after the early morning hike.
Pasir Ris Park
• Along Pasir Ris Central
• Getting there: From Pasir Ris MRT Station or Pasir Ris Bus Interchange, walk to Pasir Ris Town Park and proceed up the path along Sungei Tampines
Travel further east to find another excellent spot to catch a sunrise in Singapore – this time among lush greenery at Pasir Ris Park. The charming park has a slew of activities for you to partake in, in addition to visiting its preserved mangrove forest.
Hit the Mangrove Boardwalk and keep strolling until you reach the three-storey Bird Watching Tower. Not only is this a tranquil place for bird watchers to observe fine feathered inhabitants, it’s also the perfect venue to catch the sun rising into the morning sky from up high.
An alternative spot in the vicinity would be none other than Pasir Ris Beach itself.
SUNRISE & SUNSET
Changi Boardwalk
• 7A Gosport Road
• Getting there: From Tanah Merah MRT Station, take bus service 2 all the way to Changi Village Bus Terminal and walk to Changi Point Waterfront Park
Changi Boardwalk is a popular place for sunsets for good reason. For one, the 2.2km boardwalk at Changi Point has a section dedicated to sunset chasers, appropriately called Sunset Walk.
Walk to the westernmost portion of this boardwalk to enjoy an unobstructed vista of the sea with the sun dipping into the horizon. If you squint, you can probably make out the lights of Punggol HDBs in the distance.
But don’t let the name trip you up – other sections of the boardwalk are just as great to catch both sunrises and sunsets from multiple angles. The Creek Walk lets you catch bumboats departing Changi Ferry Point Terminal, while the Beach Walk is a great spot to enjoy the scenery beside the beach.
As dusk falls, the lamp posts along the boardwalk will guide you back to where you started, with dozens of rest points and other amenities to be found along the waterfront.
Yishun Dam
• Yishun Avenue 1
• Getting there: From Khatib MRT Station, take bus service 117 and alight at the bus stop after Yishun Ave 8 to walk to Yishun Dam
For a district known for some pretty hair-raising headlines, this spot up north might be one of the more underrated places to catch sunrises and sunsets, depending on which side of the dam you sit on.
The stretch of road might be busy with vehicles travelling to and from Yishun and Seletar, but don’t let that put you off. Take a seat along the breakwater and breathe in the panoramic seascape, with Malaysia’s Pasir Gudang in view as the sun rises. Head on to the other side of the dam and you’ll see Lower Seletar Reservoir dipped in hues of gold during sunset.
The lengthy stretch of the dam will also ensure that you get some privacy and more than enough space to have a picnic, a romantic date or a spot of photography depending on the time of your visit.
Mount Faber
• Junction of Kampong Bahru Road and Telok Blangah Road
• Getting there: From Harbourfront MRT Exit D, make the long trek all the way up to Mount Faber via Marang Trail
One way to soak up the sunrise and sunset from up high in the city for free requires a fair bit of hiking up the country’s second-highest hill: Mount Faber.
The hilltop spot at the Mount Faber Lookout Point offers scenic views of the city skyline while reminding you that greenery exists in abundance, even in an urban district. After all, Mount Faber is covered by a secondary rainforest – though not as dense as Bukit Timah Hill, the highest point in Singapore.
Once you’re done snapping pictures of all the magnificent scenery or checking out the views of the Southern Islands, a heritage trail awaits those wanting to learn more about the history and natural heritage of the hill. Otherwise, gear up for another hike in the great outdoors from Henderson Waves (Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge) and down to the Southern Ridges, a 10km stretch of green open spaces that connect Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserve.
This article is adapted from Now Boarding by Changi Airport’s “7 Scenic Spots in Singapore for Sunrises and Sunsets”
