Changi Coastal Walk

Changi Beach Park

As we could not continue with our weekly walk because of the pandemic, I will describe a walk that we did a few months ago. Since the realignment of the Changi Coastal Road we have not walked this stretch of road. This was because of construction work and the lack of tree cover from the afternoon sun.

Recently in mid November 2019, we decided to risk the rain and sun to walk the 22km distance from Changi Village to East Coast Lagoon. The route would include the Changi Beach Park, the Coastal Park Connector and East Coast Park.

Changi Beach Park
The group met at Changi Village Food Centre as usual with a quick lunch. We then crossed the Changi Creek Bridge to the beach to begin our walk. The Changi Beach Park was improved since our last trek here. There were no more signs of renovation. This stretch of the walk is pleasant as it is well-shaded and has toilet facilities. There is a memorial of the Shook Ching Massacre that occurred here during the Second World War where thousands  were killed and buried at the beach.

Memorial Plaque

Aviation Park Road
After leaving Changi Beach Park, we passed the Changi Ferry Terminal and walked along Nicoll Drive and Aviation Park Road. This is where the Singapore Airshow 2020 would be staged at the Changi Exhibition Centre. But attendance was lower than previous years because of the pandemic. It is now being used to house foreign workers as a community isolation facility for recovering patients and those with mild symptoms. 

Tanah Merah Coast Road
Then on to Tanah Merah Coast Road. We thought we could access the beach for the views but all along the coast there were signs forbidding access. There was only one spot that allowed some photo shoot as shown on Google Map. It was a long monotonous straight stretch of road that runs parallel to the Changi Airport runways. Besides the park connector, there is a lane on the road reserved for cyclists.

Tanah Coast Road with cycling lane

We were blessed on that day with cloudy skies and no rain but still we could feel the effects of the heat. Eventually we reached the first bus stop on this road near the Naval Base and some members left us because of the heat. Eventually the rest of us reached the Safra golf club and from here on the trails were familiar such as the Sea Sports Centre and the Bedok Pier. Kayaking lessons were being conducted as we walked past them.

Kayaking lessons at the Sea Sports Centre

We finally reached the Lagoon Village Food Centre after 5 hours and the front-runner was ahead by an hour. We started with 10 but only 5 arrived at the food centre. 4 stopped earlier to catch a bus because of the heat and one took a different route near the sailing club.

Bedok Pier in the background

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Our Route

Map data ©2020 Google

East Coast Park to Gardens Bay East

Pedestrian Bridge Across Fort Road

Ford Road

While on the bus along the East Coast Parkway I noticed that the barricade to the newly rebuilt bridge across Fort Road had been removed.

The old bridge was meant to separate pedestrian and cycling traffic from the heavy vehicles below. It could only take pedestrian traffic and cyclists had to push their bikes across.

It was torn down last year in order for a stronger one that would allow cyclists to ride through.

Route Across MCE

The bridge leads to a track that connects East Coast Park to the top of the Marina Coastal Expressway MCE. The MCE here goes underground then under the sea to Marina South. So by cycling on top of the MCE we gain access to the Marina Barrage and the southern end of Gardens Bay East without having to go by Tanjong Rhu Road.

Many cyclists have already discovered this as I cycled past them two weeks ago.


Gardens Bay East

There is another track between the Marina Golf Club and the East Coast Parkway being completed. The track has been tarred and lights installed but final landscaping are in progress. When completed it will link East Coast Park directly to Gardens Bay East.


P.S.

Good news!

This track was opened on April 6th so we can now cycle all the way from East Coast Park to Gardens Bay East without going through Tanjong Rhu Road. See the route below where I cycled around the Marina Bay Golf Course. There is a short stretch just south of the Barrage where I had to push the bike and another on top of the MCE.

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Changi Point Coastal Walk

Changi Village
Our plan for this outing was to meet up at Changi Village, as some would go by bus while others would cycle there. Those who go by bus would walk the Changi Boardwalk and explore the area around Hendon Road and Halton Road. We would return to Changi Village to meet the rest of the group and have lunch at the Airfield Coffee-shop. After that we would rent bicycles, cycle to East Coast Park to return the bicycles. PCN Pitstop provides this service with their network of kiosks throughout the Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network.

Changi Point Coastal Walk

Changi Point Coastal Walk
The main party after arriving at the bus terminal proceeded with the Changi Point Coastal Walk. This is a 2.2km trail with a mixture of terrains such as beach, cliff, kelong and along the frontage of a sailing club. It starts at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal and ends at just beyond the Changi Swimming Club. When we reached the Changi Sailing Club, 3 cyclists caught up with us. They had cycled from McDonald's at the East Coast Park to join up with us.

Changi Sailing Club

After the usual greetings we continued on with walking the boardwalk until the end just after the Changi Swimming Club. The cyclists had to at times carry their bikes up and down the steps. The hikers exited at the Changi Swimming Cub to get to explore Halton Road and Hendon Road.

The former colonial buildings at Hendon Road were being renovated to house F&B outlets. The former Changi Hospital and the Orange Valley Nursing House are located at Halton Road. It is a quiet area most conducive for the inhabitants.

Kelong Walk

Meanwhile the cyclists proceeded to Changi Village by a different way.

Eventually we all met at the Airfield Coffee-shop. We had an enjoyable meal for all 11 of us. After lunch we went to the PCN Pitstop kiosk at Changi beach to rent bikes to cycle to Marine Parade.

Coastal Park Connector
The ride was uneventful. We cycled through Changi Beach Park, then along the Coastal Park Connector that runs parallel to the Changi Coast Road and the runway. We made several stops to rest. The stretch alongside the runway is 6km in length and we could feel the effect of the south-westerly wind blowing against us making our ride a bit more strenuous.

Former Changi Hospital

Soon we cycled past the National Service Resort & Country Club and arrived at the East Coast Park. It was another 5km to the PCN Pitstop kiosk to return the bike. Then we crossed the East Coast Parkway by the overhead bridge to get to the nearest coffee-shop at Block 59 for refreshments.

Route

View Changi Village to East Coast ParkUntitled in a larger map

Round Island Walk - Punggol to East Coast Lagoon

From the Sunrise Bridge at Punggol Waterway

Round Island Walk Leg 9. Punggol to Changi

We gathered together at Compass Point in Sengkang and had our lunch there as the choice of  food was poor at the Punggol MRT Station (the starting point of our walk). After lunch at the Compass Point food court we took the train to Punggol.

On alighting from the train we began our walk by walking along Punggol Walk toward the Punggol Waterways. At the Waterway just after crossing the semi-circular bridge, we walked down the slope to the waterway and headed to the west end of the waterway. Here we turned right to follow the Punggol Park Connector along the Punggol River. On this Thursday afternoon, the park connector was quiet. We saw few people except for an angler whiling away his time.

Eventually we reached Punggol Point. There were a number of anglers here. We had a short stay at the lookout before continuing our walk to the Serangoon River on the Punggol Promenade. The trees along here were newly planted and provided little shade. After passing the West and East Serangoon Dam we came to the east end of the Punggol Waterway. A bit further on and we come to the red coloured pedestrian bridge to Lorong Halus Wetland where water is treated using plants and ponds. Here we have our first stop of the day.

Fishing at Punggol Point

After the break we continued on Pasir Ris Farmway 3 and Pasir Ris Drive 1. As we came abreast of the Pasir Ris Station 3 members left us to attend to some personal matters. The rest of us plodded on until we sighted the coffee shop at Pasir Ris Drive 6 for our second break. During this time, it rained.

After that we continued on Pasir Ris Drive 1 until we hit Loyang Ave. At Loyang Valley we had to stop again for the heavy rain and finally decided to take the bus all the way to Changi Village.


Round Island Walk Leg 10. Changi to East Coast Lagoon

We met up at Changi Village hawker centre which was recently renovated. The layout has been improved for better ventilation and there were more food stalls. After lunch we crossed the bridge over the Changi Creek to begin our walk. Most of the hoardings at the beach were removed so the park is now more open and accessible. At the Changi Beach Park, the trail has recently been tarred and changed from the old sand trail. Sure missed the feel of the older trails.

Coastal Park Connector

We left the park just after the second PCN Pitstop kiosk which rents out bicycles and sells drinks for the thirsty park users and bikers coming from the Coastal Park Connector. At these kiosks one could rent a bike and return it at another kiosk. This means we do not have to cycle back on the same route if we are pressed for time.

Just after the Changi Ferry Terminal is Aviation Park Road on the left. We wanted to go to the Changi Exhibition Centre to attend Imdex a maritime defence show. A check with the security post revealed that this is for professionals only and not the one where the public are allowed in. So we gave it a miss and proceeded with our walk along the Coastal Park Connector which parallel the Changi Airport runway. As we proceeded along here we could see many planes taking off every few minutes. Most of these are budget or regional airlines such as Tiger, Air Asia, Silkair, Jetstar, etc.

East Coast Park

Along the way we snapped pictures of landmarks such as the control tower so our non-walkers could follow our progress as they planned to join us at the Lagoon to celebrate the completion of our round island walk started 21 February. This was however interrupted by trips to Johor Bahru for lunch and to Sapa North Vietnam to trek the highland rice terraces.

As we reached the end of the runway walk and turned toward the canal, we met up with another of our walker P. He had come from the Lagoon to join us as he could not start earlier. Together we marched on with a brief stop at the NSRCC Sea Sports Centre. This is where our youths learn and hone their skills in sailing and surfing.

East Coast Lagoon Food Court

The rest of the walk along the East Coast Park was uneventful and excitedly we rushed toward the lagoon where our friends were waiting with their food goodies. Finally at close to 16.30hr we arrived. The celebration was subdued with the absence of 2 key rabble rousers but we happily congratulated each other with beer, satay,  and tarts and ang ku kueh all the way from Johor. Later on we found out that the satay belonged to the next table so we had to pay for it! CH brought his Samsung tablet and a set of mini speakers and some of us were merrily singing along including “My Way”, those who still have their voice.

Round Island Walk - East Coast Park to Marina Bay Sands

Round Island Walk 2013 or Walk Around Singapore in 10 days

This came about when one member shared a video of some seniors going around Taiwan on motorbikes. I commented that it would be easier to cycle in Singapore but since cycling has logistics issues he said why not walk around the island. So the idea was hatched to walk round the island in stages. When we come to the end of one leg we would continue where we left off on the next walk.

Camping at East Coast Park

We would try to keep as near to the coastline as possible by walking along the nearest trails, park connectors or roads. The exception is Tuas and Safti. Below is the route for the Round Island Walk 2013. It would consist of 10 legs each about 10-15 km in length so the total distance is about 130 km. We would start at the East Coast Lagoon. The last leg would end at the East Coast Lagoon Food Village where we would celebrate the completion of the whole route and claim bragging rights and bore our family members and friends to death about this 'epic' walk. We would also celebrate 5 years of walking all over Singapore together.

So for the next 9 weeks there will be little route planning required as all we have to do is follow the route shown below. We do have to deviate at times to ensure we pass the appropriate places to refuel our bodies and suitable termination of the relevant leg.

Leg 1 East Coast Park to Marina Bay Sands

We gathered at the Lagoon View bus stop and walked around the condominium to the underpass to gain access to the East Coast Park. We went by the Lagoon and followed the park connector all the way to the Fort Road exit. The weather was excellent but there were few people around this time of the morning. The early morning walkers/joggers have already finished their bit. Just after the Siglap Canal we met up with 2 other members.

Gardens by The Bay East

Near the junction of Tanjong Katong Road was the holding area for the fishermen's boats. A group of them were seated around shooting the breeze. They apparently had enough catch for the day and were not going to heed the consultant's advice to catch more fish.

From Fort Road we walked to the Jalan Batu Market and Food Centre at Block 4A behind the 2 petrol stations for lunch. The Tanjong Rhu Wanton Mee was most popular so we had to queue.

Kite Flying at the Marina Barrage

After lunch we walked along the Geylang Park Connector which became the Tanjong Rhu Promenade and under the Benjamin Sheares Bridge to Gardens by the Bay East. This garden has a 1.5km trail all the way to the Marina Barrage. We came across 2 photographers with the biggest lenses that I have seen mounted on tripods. They were walking with these to take pictures of some crows perched on top of the trees. We noticed that there were more birds in the adjacent secondary forests  than in the garden itself probably because of more varied vegetation.

We crossed the Marina Barrage and observed that construction was still going on for  the west side of the undersea road tunnel. On the rooftop some students were either flying kites or throwing frisbees watched by their teachers.

As we walked toward the Bay South Garden, we saw that the Satay Club was operating. So we took a break After that we hurriedly walked past the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome to the Helix Bridge which was our termination point as the sky looked threatening.

Round Island Walk 2013 Route
Blue is the colour for the legs not travelled. After a leg has been completed it will be changed to red.

View Round Island Walk 2013 in a larger map

East Coast Lagoon to Changi Point

This walk took us from the East Coast Park Lagoon to Changi Beach Club a distance of 18km. Along the way we went past the National Sailing Centre, the National Service Resort & Country Club, Changi International Airport, walked through the Changi Beach Park and traversed the Changi Point Boardwalk.

East Coast Park
We first gathered at the Lagoon View bus stop, then walked across the East Coast Parkway via the Laguna Flyover to the East Coast Park to begin our walk.

Bedok Jetty

The day was cloudy but no rain, perfect weather for walking or cycling. We walked past the Xtreme SkatePark and the Bedok Jetty. This is a favourite haunt of anglers who will come day or night depending on the tides to fish.

Just past the Bedok Jetty is the Sunset Beach Bar at the Bougainvillea Garden. It was closed as it was late in the morning. After that we arrived at Kitesurfing and next to it the Outward Bound Centre for the young.

East Coast Park beach

Soon we arrived at the National Sailing Centre and the National Service Resort & Country Club. This is a golf and country club for national servicemen from all services. You can join for terms of either 5 or 10 years. The 3 courses are usually very busy and golfers have to play fast without too much delay or the course marshal will come by to remind you.

Changi Coastal Track
Just outside the golf club is the NSRCC Sea Sports Centre where the young can take part in canoeing and sailing. We stopped by the Belly View Cafe here and had lunch. The prices here are reasonable $5-6$ for noodles and rice dishes. A can of beer costs $5.50. There is also a pub here at the sailing centre. This place should be great for an evening drink by the beach.

NSRCC Sea Sports Centre

After lunch we moved on to the Changi Coastal Track that runs generally parallel to the runway at Changi International Airport. One can watch the planes landing and taking off along this stretch of more than 6km track. We noticed that there were a high proportion of regional budget airlines operating during the late morning and afternoon such as Tiger, JetStar, Air Asia, Lion Air, Scoot and many more. This stretch of road is also very boring for hikers and cyclists but we had to slog through it somehow. There are shelters every 1km to provide rest and shelter from rain and lightning.

Changi Coastal Track

Changi Beach Park
Just past the Changi Ferry Terminal is the Changi Beach Park about 3km long and ends at Changi Point. Changi Beach Park is being upgraded with more shelters and tarred trails. I felt a loss for the dirt trails of the past. Many people come here to fish and relax on the beach as it is readily accessible by public bus.

Just past the Cargo Complex is the SAF Ferry Terminal. This is where NSmen depart for their training at Pulau Tekong. After crossing the bridge over the Changi Creek, we made a decision to continue our walk on the Changi Boardwalk. This stretch is from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal to the Changi Beach Club a distance of 2.2km.

A Catamaran at Changi Sailing Club

Surprisingly although it was sunny along the beach here, it rained suddenly in bright sunshine. After the stretch of beach, we got on the boardwalk and went past the chalets, the Changi Sailing Club and the Changi Beach Club before turning inland to Cranwell Road.

Our walk ended at the junction of Cranwell Road and Loyang Avenue where we took a bus home.

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Round Island Walk - East Coast Park to Marina Bay Sands


Route

View EastCoastLagoon2ChangiPointBoardwalk in a larger map