Singapore is known as a “city in a garden” as about a third of the island is covered by greenery. So take a break from the city, be surrounded by nature and discover the great outdoors at Singapore’s green parks.
Here are six parks to explore on the island. Best of all, the facilities in these parks are free for you and your family to enjoy!
1. Admiralty Park
31 Riverside Road
Getting There
• By MRT: A 15-minute walk from Woodlands MRT station
• By bus: Take bus 903 from Woodlands Bus Interchange and alight at Block 18 along Marsiling Road. Admiralty Park is just a 3-minute walk away.
The largest park in the north, Admiralty Park is home to over 100 species of plants and animals including Noni trees, Nipah Palm, Hedgehog Rattan, Portia Trees, Australian Mulberry tree, Wild Ginger, dragonflies, Long-tailed Macaques, grassland birds and Giant Mudskippers across 20 hectares of forest, mangrove, riverine and grassland habitats. The park is situated on a hilly terrain with a river, Sungei Cina, running through it.
Kids are in for a treat as the park has a nature playgarden inspired by its mangrove habitat. There are 26 slides and a variety of play equipment in the Junior Play, Adventure Play and Family Play zones which will guarantee hours of fun playtime for the young ones.
Junior Play has gentle slopes to cater for kids between 2 and 5 years old. Located near the junction of Woodlands Avenue 5 and Riverside Road, the playground features lime green tube slides leading down from the hill, taken over by open metallic ones from a terrace-like intermediary. There’s also a sand play area where parents can introduce their little ones to experiential play.
Over at the Adventure Play area, you’ll find two sets of roller slides which are over 30m-long. Start with the shorter blue-lined one before making your way down the 32m-long LED-lit High Adventure Roller Slide designed with curved angles.
The Family Terracing Play area has longer and steeper slides as well as climbing nets that are suitable for older kids. They will definitely have an awesome time zooming down the 23m-long and 9m-high double-barrel metallic tube slides.
2. Woodlands Waterfront Park
Admiralty Road West
Getting There
• By MRT: An 8-minute walk from Woodlands North MRT station
• By bus: Board bus 856 at Woodlands Bus Interchange and alight 11 stops later. If you’re coming from Yishun, you may board the same bus from the interchange.
Less than 2km away from Admiralty Park is Woodlands Waterfront Park which covers 11ha of land, comprising a waterfront promenade that is 1.5km long, walking and cycling trails, and lush greenlands.
There’s plenty to do at the park. Besides soaking up unobstructed views of the Straits of Johor, enjoying a spot of fishing along the 400m jetty or cycling down the longest jetty in Singapore, there’s a playground located behind the waterfront promenade with high play elements like bridges and towers for the little ones to explore. For a scenic escape, you can also trek or cycle across the park and challenge yourself on some adventurous trails.
Evenings are one of the best times to visit, and shutterbugs can look forward to a beautiful sunset that lights up the coastline with different hues of orange on a dry day.
If you have worked up an appetite after all the outdoor activities, head over to Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant (halal-certified) at the entrance of the jetty to feast on a variety of seafood dishes, soups, satay, stir-fried vegetables, fried rice, noodles and Western delights.
3. Labrador Nature Reserve
91 Labrador Villa Road
Getting There: Exit Labrador Park MRT station and follow the signs down Labrador Villa Road to the nature reserve.
Situated on a World War II site, Labrador Nature Reserve offers the unique experience of being able to explore Singapore’s rich biodiversity and military history at the same time. The park was one of 11 coastal artillery forts built by the British in the 19th century to defend Singapore’s waters.
History buffs can check out the war relics and replicas like machine gun pillbox, portcullis (vertical iron gate) and Labrador Battery, while outdoor lovers can go on a nature and coastal walk along the Alexandra Garden Trail, Berlayer Creek mangrove trail and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk. The trails will bring you through a myriad of habitats including mangroves, intertidal flats and lush secondary forest where you may catch glimpses of wetland birds, raptors, songbirds and marine life.
Look out also for a replica of Dragon’s Teeth Gate (aka “Long Ya Men”) at the southern part of the park. This rocky outcrop was used as a navigational marker for seafarers from the 1500s. The original rock was blown up by the British in 1848 to widen the Keppel Straits for modern ships. Close by is a red steel beacon which is part of Singapore’s maritime history and served as a navigational guide to mark the shortest distance between Sentosa Island and the mainland.
To keep the kids entertained, there are two sandy playgrounds. The smaller one near Dragon’s Teeth Gate has see-saws, a swing and a merry-go-round, while the bigger one is equipped with slides, tunnels, a maze and a fireman’s pole.
4. Punggol Waterway Park
Sentul Crescent Road
Getting There: Leave Punggol MRT station through Exit A and walk towards Punggol Walk. You can also alight at Damai LRT station, walk towards Punggol Road and follow the path leading to the Waterway
Singapore’s first man-made waterway by the Housing Development Board (HDB), the 4.2km-long Punggol Waterway Park meanders through the entire Punggol Eco-Town and has four themed areas, namely Nature Cove, Recreation Zone, Heritage Zone and Green Gallery.
Take a leisurely stroll along the park amidst the greenery and calm waters, or if you prefer fast-paced activities, go cycling or inline skating along the smooth tracks by the waterway.
You can rent adult, child or quad bikes at Bikes @ Waterway at SAFRA Punggol. Plan for a two-hour cycling journey if you want to cover the entire route along Punggol Waterway.
The park is also home to five Insta-worthy bridges – Adventure Bridge, Jewel Bridge, Kelong Bridge, Wave Bridge and Sunrise Bridge – that are worth exploring, as well as a sand-play area for the young ones.
Be sure to check out the Therapeutic Garden which offers an elevated view of the waterway. It also has a wellness zone with plants that are sure to delight the senses.
5. Fort Canning Park
70 River Valley Road
Getting There: The park is walking distance from Clarke Quay and Fort Canning MRT stations
Once the site of a fort built by the British in the 19th century, Fort Canning served as a key defence location during World War II. Full of history and heritage, this hilltop park, named after Viscount Charles John Canning, Governor-General and First Viceroy of India, is home to a Heritage Gallery, Spice Gallery, sculptures and murals, colonial monuments and nine historical gardens.
The park’s green surroundings are perfect for a picnic. A popular picnic spot is under the large trees at Fort Canning Green. From the top of Fort Canning Hill, bask in magnificent views of the city.
Photo: Singapore Tourism Board
If you enjoy exploring the remnants of history, walking around the park will bring you closer to war-time structures like the Battlebox, a former World War II British underground command centre set within Fort Canning Hill. It was inside the Battlebox that the British decided to surrender Singapore to the invading Japanese military on 15 February in 1942.
Look out also for the Fort Canning Lighthouse, a significant monument during Singapore’s bustling harbour days.
No trip to the park would be complete without checking out the famous spiral staircase at Tree Tunnel, the most photographed spot of the park.
Kids will love the Jubilee Park playground where they can have loads of fun on the swings, a log scramble, see-saws, a sandpit, a “treehouse”, climbing nets and long slides built into the natural slope of the park.
6. East Coast Park
East Coast Park Service Road
Getting There: Take bus 16, 36, 55, 76, 31, 135, 155, 196 or 197 to Marine Parade Road and walk to the park via the East Coast Park Connector. Alternatively, you can take bus 401 from the city centre and get off at any of the stops along the way.
A popular recreational park with a 15km stretch of beach, East Coast Park offers something for everyone. It is well-loved by picnickers, beach lovers, cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers, kayakers, windsurfers, kite flyers, campers, anglers and more.
Rent a bicycle from one of the park’s bike rental stations and cycle leisurely on part of the Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network Cycling Trail, exploring the park’s eateries, recreation and entertainment facilities.
If you’re game for some adrenaline-pumping activity, try the 360-degree cable-ski at Singapore Wake Park, the country’s only cable-ski park built in a lagoon. There’s also Xtreme SkatePark where you may catch inline skaters, skateboarders and bicycle motocross (BMX) freestylers practising their stunts.
After all the outdoor activities, fuel up with some local hawker fare at East Coast Lagoon Food Village. Indulge in local favourites like satay (grilled meat skewers), barbecued chicken wings, fried Hokkien mee, barbecued stingray and chicken rice.
*This article has been edited and adapted with permission from Now Boarding by Changi Airport’s “8 unique parks to visit in Singapore (Admiralty Park & Punggol Waterway Park included!)”
