Singapore East Coast Park

A Day At Singapore East Coast Park

Most tourist who come into Singapore usually cover the town area and go back assuming that Singapore is just all about malls and shopping (no matter how good the experience really is).

The fact that Singapore is actually an island is not really something that is obvious when you in the heart of the city unlike Hong Kong where the sense of water around follows you throughout the city.

The Singapore East Coast Park as the name suggest is along the coast line, running uninterrupted from near Fort Road all the way to Changi Village on the north eastern edge of Singapore close and beyond the airstrip. The heart of "East Coast" is called East Coast parkway in the Marine Parade area.

The park has many restaurants and fast food joints and coffee shops but if you are in a cab, all you need to say is "McDonalds ECP" and they will drive you right to the busiest part of the beach.

Start with cycling

The air around here, from an entirely from a spiritual point of view, all seems to shift a little and take on a different tone, East coast has a more laid back culture to it.

The cycling path and walking paths are strewn with fitness fanatics who religiously use the beach for their workout regimen.

There are bicycle rental shops at various junctures where you can get some pretty decent deals on cycle rentals and reasonably good quality bicycles.

You can choose between single bicycles, couple cycles and also one for the entire family. You can also rent roller blades, even the entire equipment.

Events and Playground

The thing about Singapore East Coast Park is that it has a bit for everyone. Like all places in Singapore the beach is also another well planned outdoors event, beginning with the playground at Big Splash.

You can’t miss the huge colourful circular building from the expressway. That’s the playground at Big Splash This area used to be a water theme park which went through some changes and revamps and now it houses many fun activities for children and adults accompanying children alike.

It has many restaurants and an inline skating rink for kids and also an outdoors theatre for a night of movies under the starry skies.

If you happen to be in the ECP area on a weekend, you will notice the array of colourful tents on the beach.

Camping Ground

The Singapore East Coast Park is one of the most popular camping grounds in Singapore and probably the only camping ground. The National Parks Board (NPB) does not charge anything for camping, over the weekend.

The NPB has allocated designated camping spots that are categorized alphabetically. If you wish to camp in other areas all you need is a permission which can be obtained from the NDP website (http://www.nparks.gov.sg/)

If you are a person who needs a bed to sleep on and not a huge fan of camping, there’s Goldkist beach resort just about 500 metres from McDonalds with chalets, villas and a hop skip and jump from the water.

If you just want to spend a day at the beach have a bit of rigorous activity and chill along the waterfront you are at the right place.

You will see many seaside Tai chi, yoga classes at various spots on the beach. Many quaint and chilled out beach bars are located along the stretch serving some delectable bar food, drinks and meals.

There is no better way to start the day than breakfast on the beach lazily watching the ships on the horizon while sipping on a hot cup of coffee and biting into a juicy sausage or digging into a cheese omelette.

Seafood village

When in Singapore, seafood and food in general can never be far away. As you move along the direction of the Bedok jetty there is a seafood stretch where you can savour some local delights.

There is also the Laguna food court with a range of affordable fare to choose from. The area is very popular among locals and therefore can get very crowded during peak meal hours.

Skiing

Last but not the least there is SKI360, a jet-ski park right there. If you are over 7 years and can swim, you can have a fill of river and sea adventures right here in the man-made ski lake at just a mere $32 for one hour.

When you think you have had all the adventure you can think of on a beach in Singapore there’s the outdoor X-treme skate park, sailing club, RC car racing etc.

Singapore has many parks but the ECP truly gives you a chance to escape into a different world “Far from the Madding crowd”.

Singapore East Coast Park