Singapore's outer areas travel guide

Southern Singapore

Southern Singapore is the gateway to the leisure resort of Sentosa and also harbours the world’s busiest port, the Port of Singapore. It has also gained cachet of late as a bona fide entertainment destination with the opening of several nightlife venues and the city’s largest shopping mall, VivoCity.

Western Singapore

Western Singapore, although designated as the country’s industrial zone with factories and petroleum refineries, is also the location of a major recreation zone with sprawling green spaces and theme parks. 

Singapore's East Coast

The East Coast offers a melange of different lifestyles. Friendly Geylang Serai is the heart of Malay history and culture, while in Katong, there are glimpses into the Peranakan and Eurasian ways of life. The East Coast Park lures watersport enthusiasts, romancing couples and family picnickers from all over the island with its sun, sand and sea, and day trippers set off to rural Pulau Ubin on an idyllic boat ride from the Changi Coast. Perhaps due to its restful and breezy atmosphere, the east also has a host of alfresco cafés and restaurants in its various neighbourhoods, from Siglap and Joo Chiat to Changi Village and the East Coast Park.

Central and Northern Singapore

Central and Northern Singapore are a paradox. The two areas have some of the country’s most heavily populated housing districts, yet at the same time hold most of its pockets of nature, including three of the four gazetted reserves, including the the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and two open-concept zoos, the Singapore Zoo on Mandai Lake Road and the world’s first night wildlife park, the Night Safari. In fact, these parts of the island offer such large tracts of tropical forest and mangrove swamp that getting close to nature here is as much a part of the Singaporean lifestyle as eating and shopping. With Central Singapore home to a large proportion of the population, it is no surprise it is also the locale of a few of the country’s most important Chinese temples, including Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery.

Places to visit around Singapore's outer areas

VivoCity - for those in love with shopping

1 HarbourFront Walk

tel: 6377 6860

www.vivocity.com.sg

This is so huge that most visitors never make it to the second floor on their first visit. Spread over one million square foot, it has a cineplex, a hypermart and hundreds of shops and restaurants, some of which overlook Sentosa.

Mount Faber - for great walks and gorgeous views

Mount Faber offers both a lovely walking route and some of the island’s best views. The sprawling rainforest-covered park, which surrounds Mount Faber, is one of the oldest in Singapore. During your walk, be sure to stop at the various lookout points for panoramic views of the city and the port area.There are several well-defined footpaths that visitors can take, the best beginning at Kampong Bahru Road. Along the way, sneak a peek at the keramat (Muslim shrine) built in honour of Radin Ayu Mas, a Javanese princess who sacrificed herself to save her father. She is buried at the foot of Mount Faber. The Jewel Box on the summit is worth a stopover. Wind down with fine food and drinks at one of its restaurants or bars and take in fantastic vistas. From here, you can also hop on a cable car ride to Sentosa, with a fine view of the harbour. 

East Coast Park - for green space

Along East Coast Park Service Road

East Coast Park stretches for more than 10km (6 miles) along the coast between the Changi Airport and Marina Bay. Fringed with casuarinas and coconut palms, the park affords superb views of ships anchored in the Straits of Singapore. The sea breeze blows gently and it’s often peaceful enough for birds to flock to special tall-grass sanctuaries found along the coastline. The park is the playground for residents living in the eastern part of the island. Tai chi practitioners can be seen exercising in the park as early as 6am, together with joggers and cyclists. Picnic tables and barbecue pits are set up under the trees. The park is especially packed at weekends as Singaporeans escape to the beach, but on weekdays the beach and picnic areas are blissfully quiet. Swimming is pleasant here; just don’t expect crystal-clear waters and powdery white sand, although the water and beach are clean. Watersport and other recreational facilities are available along the beach. And like everywhere else in Singapore, there are plenty of food options, from burgers and pizzas to local seafood at the East Coast Seafood Centre.

The beautiful Pulau Ubin

Off Singapore’s northeastern tip

Ubin island measures just 8km (5 miles) across and 1.5km (1 mile) wide. An information kiosk run by the National Parks Board has maps and leaflets that detail Ubin’s flora and fauna and things to do. It’s best to see the island on a bicycle, which can be rented from shacks in the main village, where there are also seafood restaurants. Ubin has vast tracts of secondary jungle and mangrove swamp that sustain a wide variety of animals, such as long-tailed macaques and monitor lizards and birds like sunbirds, kingfishers and brahminy kites. A walk in the swamp or forest may reveal unexpected surprises, such as sightings of oriental whip snakes curled up on trees and fruit bats rustling in the evenings. There are also wild orchids and flowers to be found and, if one is lucky, carnivorous pitcher plants with trapped insects.

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve - for astonishing biodiversity

Entrance at Hindhede Drive

tel: 6468 5736

www.nparks.gov.sg

This reserve includes Singapore’s highest hill, Bukit Timah, at a mere 164m (538ft), and protects 163 hectares (403 acres) of the nation’s only virgin lowland rainforest. Despite its diminutive size, the number of plant species in the reserve exceeds that found in all of North America. Make your way to the hilltop, which is a good place to wait for white-bellied sea eagles or brahminy kites. The besotted birdwatcher can take the challenge of identifying at least nine species of swifts and swallows. The view over the protected forest of several water reservoirs makes you forget you are in one of the world’s most densely populated cities. There are five walking trails, all clearly marked and with varying levels of difficulty, taking from 45 minutes to 2 hours to complete. Brochures and trail maps are available at the Visitor Centre. The hill gets crowded at weekends – if you’re planning a trek, weekdays are your best bet. 

Singapore Zoo

80 Mandai Lake Road

tel: 6269 3411

www.zoo.com.sg

Spread over 28 hectares (69 acres), the zoo stands out in nearly every category by which animal collections are judged: variety of wildlife (more than 3,000 animals from 290 species); open-air, naturalistic enclosures; captive breeding of endangered species; and attractive landscaping. Popular attractions include the Elephants of Asia exhibit, reminiscent of the hills of Burma; and the Fragile Forest, showcasing various rainforest ecosystems. The zoo also has the world’s largest captive orangutan colony. The little ones will be enthralled with Children’s World, where they can pet animals, watch a sheep dog at work, and take a ride on a miniature train. If your child fancies having a Jungle Breakfast among orangutans, book a place at the Jungle Flavours restaurant in advance. Or feed some rare Hamadryas baboons when you hop on a buggy for the hour-long Wild Discoverer Tour. Animal shows go on several times a day at the open-air amphitheatre. 

Night Safari - ideal for animal lovers (and those with jetlag)

80 Mandai Lake Road

tel: 6269 3411

www.nightsafari.com.sg

Next door to the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari is the world’s first night wildlife park, with over 920 nocturnal animals awake and active in 41 realistic re-created habitats with clever unobtrusive lighting resembling moonlight. From 7.30pm, a series of trams take about 45 minutes to encircle the eight themed zones on a 3.2-km (2-mile) track. Deer and other small animals wander freely by the tram. You can disembark to take a closer look at the animals in their open enclosures by following one of the three walking trails. Visitors are separated from the larger animals by natural barriers such as moats, vegetation and near-invisible wires.