If you’ve exhausted your list of places to go, worry no more – this comprehensive guide to Punggol means you’ll be able to stuff yourself silly and explore what was once considered one of the most ulu parts of Singapore.
1. Explore the former landfill that is Lorong Halus Wetlands
Spanning over 18 acres is Lorong Halus Wetlands, a former landfill that extends along the eastern bank of Serangoon Resevoir. Enter from Punggol Promenade and make your way across the snaking Lorong Hulas Bridge, which was fashioned to resemble a railway bridge.
2. Have a futsal tournament with your friends
Source: TheHoneyCombers
One of the best things about playing in a cage is not having to worry about whether the skies will open on you. Sports Planet offers three artificial turf pitches, but we recommend going before 6pm on weekdays to avoid peak period charges.
Sports Planet
6 Tebing Lane #01-05
Opening Hours:
Off-Peak
Mon – Fri: 9am – 6pm, $50/court/hour
Peak
Mon – Fri: 6pm – 2am
Weekends and Public Holidays: 9am – 2am, $95/court/hour
3. Cycle along Punggol Park’s scenic 5-hectare lake
http://www.instagram.com/p/BBbDby4tEbJ/?tagged=punggolpark
To get to Punggol Park, alight at Buangkok MRT Station and enter via the Serangoon Park Connector. Follow the signs, and you’ll arrive in about ten minutes. If you’re lucky, you might spot waterside birds fishing for food at Sungei Pinang, a small river adjacent to the park.
4. Better yet, cycle along the Punggol Park Connector
We reckon this is the best route to soak in waterfront views: the 26km Punggol Park Connector takes you past Punggol Waterway and Sengkang Floating Wetland, before concluding at Gerald Drive – which also happens to be located next to Singapore’s last surviving village, Kampong Lorong Buangkok.
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Rent a bicycle from the kiosk located at Punggol Road End (around $8 for two hours), and get ready for a scenic three-hour ride!
“Go Cycling” Bicycle Kiosk
Opening Hours:
Tues – Fri: 2pm – 8pm
Weekends and Public Holidays: 9am – 8pm
Closed Mondays
5. Learn to ride a horse
Okay, we’ll warrant this isn’t cheap – but if you haven’t ridden a horse, it’s time you tried it at Gallop Stables. The Punggol ranch offers one-time, semi-private and one-to-one lessons for beginners, with prices starting from $65 on weekdays. NSmen have it even better: gather a group of at least four friends and flash your IDs on weekdays to enjoy a 45-minute session at just $35 each.
Gallop Stables @ Punggol Ranch
900 Punggol Road
+65 6690 0900
Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri: 10am – 12pm, 2pm – 7pm
Weekends: 10am – 7pm
Note: Opening hours are subject to change
6. Or go for a $10 horse ride!
Source: The Smart Local
If you’d rather go for a leisurely, guided horse ride, Gallop Stables @ Punggol Ranch also offers ten-minute rides for just $10. It takes away the pressure of attempting to handle a horse, plus you get to feed them if you purchase carrots from the Stables’ shop.
7. Soak in the views at Punggol Promenade Punggol Point Walk
Yes, that’s an alliterative mouthful, and no, it isn’t a typo! If you’re in need of a brief respite, this is the perfect location for you. Treat yourself to views of Pulau Ubin and the Johor Straits from the coastal boardwalk, or admire the lily pond located by the elevated waterfront.
8. Go late-night prawning with your other half
http://www.instagram.com/p/-oC7sRl4Ai/?tagged=haibin
Or friends, for that matter. Hook your bait onto your fishing rod, grab a stool, and be patient – it isn’t fishing per se, so you’ll have a far higher chance of reeling in a decent amount of prawns. You would have worked up an appetite after all that prawning and chitchat, so go ahead and barbecue those babies over charcoal pits.
http://www.instagram.com/p/BBmSjRMGXuP/?taken-at=213148438
Hai Bin P @ Punggol
6 Tebing Lane #01-04
Phone: 6447 8693
9. Go into the wild at Coney Island
We’ll say it again, and we won’t stop: if you haven’t been to Coney Island, you should. Its humidity is unmatched (obviously – because Singapore), but Hayao Miyazaki fans in particular will love the skinny tall trees that are reminiscent of his anime films. Rent a gorgeous vintage bicycle from Punggol Settlement, and go forth.
10. Also, don’t forget to queue for Sembawang White Bee Hoon
We say queue, because it really is that popular. Before you rent your bicycle at Punggol Settlement, satiate your hunger by ordering white bee hoon (from $6) from, um, White Restaurant. But be prepared to wait – this hor fun/hokkien mee fusion is especially popular on weekends, with an estimated 2-hour wait in the evenings.
White Restaurant
The Punggol Settlement, 3 Punggol Point Road
+65 6702 2002
11. Enjoy fresh seafood
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If you’re hankering for fresh seafood, House of Seafood is your go-to restaurant – and it’s also located in Punggol Settlement. There are a couple of others for your picking, too, including Punggol Seafood (Old Hock Kee) and Jing Long Seafood.
12. Get a serious workout with these scooters
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Regardless of scooter type, we guarantee a stair-climbing, cross-training, abs-toning cardio workout all rolled into one. X-trainers and Swing scooters (Y-scooters) are available for rent, and even if you do get tired – which is kind of the point – you’ll be rewarded with views of the coastline and Pulau Ubin, so work…that…body.
LOOK.GOOD.NAKED!@ Punggol Settlement
3 Punggol Point Road, The Punggol Settlement #01-04 (corner outlet)
Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri: 2pm – 8pm
Weekends: 9am – 8pm
13. Visit the site of the Sook Ching Massacre of WWII
It isn’t as scary as it sounds. Punggol Beach is a gem – soft, fine sand, moss-covered rocks, and an unbeatable view of the horizon. Its past, however, remains scarred by the Sook Ching Massacre of the 1940s, which occurred shortly after the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese military. A plaque was erected in memory of 400 civilians who were gunned on the beach itself.
To get here, take bus 84 from Punggol MRT to the last stop (Punggol Point).
With our list of 13 things to do in Punggol, you’re all set for a good time the next time you plan a day-out there.
