The East Coast and Pulau Ubin: Singapore's relaxed side

Why visit the east

Most visitors never leave the city centre, but the east rewards those who do. It has some of Singapore's best food, its most photogenic heritage streets and the closest thing left to the old kampong villages that once covered the island.

Katong and Joo Chiat

Katong and Joo Chiat were home to wealthy Peranakan families, descendants of Chinese traders who married into local Malay communities. Their culture survives in pastel terrace houses with ornate tiles, especially along Koon Seng Road, and in shops selling beaded slippers and kebaya blouses, such as Rumah Bebe. The food is the real draw: Katong laksa, a rich coconut curry noodle soup cut short so you eat it with a spoon, Peranakan kueh cakes, and traditional coffee shops for kaya toast.

East Coast Park

East Coast Park runs for more than fifteen kilometres along the sea, with cycling and skating paths, beaches, barbecue pits and cafés. Rent a bike, ride along the shore and finish at the East Coast Lagoon Food Village for satay and barbecued stingray at sunset. Weekends are busy with families, and evenings are cooler and lovely.

Seafood and hawker food

The east is famous for chilli crab and black pepper crab, and seafood restaurants such as Long Beach Seafood have been serving them for decades. For hawker food, Old Airport Road Food Centre is one of the most respected in Singapore, and Geylang Serai Market is a Malay market and food centre full of colour.

Pulau Ubin

From Changi Point Ferry Terminal, small bumboats leave for Pulau Ubin when they fill up. The island has old wooden houses, quarry lakes, mangroves and forest, and the best way to explore is by bicycle, hired from shops near the jetty. Ride to Chek Jawa Wetlands, where a boardwalk leads through mangroves and out over the sea, and watch for hornbills, wild boar and monitor lizards. Bring cash for the boat and bikes, plenty of water and insect repellent, and be back before the last boats in the evening.

Changi Village and the coast

Changi Village has a relaxed hawker centre known for nasi lemak, and Changi Beach Park is a peaceful spot to watch planes and sunsets. The Changi Chapel and Museum tells the moving story of the civilians and soldiers held prisoner here during the Second World War. Further north, Coney Island Park in Punggol is a rustic island park for walks and cycling.

Jewel Changi Airport

Even if you are not flying, Jewel Changi Airport is worth a visit. Its glass dome holds the world's tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex, surrounded by a terraced forest valley. It is linked to the terminals, so it is ideal on your first or last day.

Where to stay and how to get around

Katong and Joo Chiat have characterful hotels such as Hotel Indigo, and airport hotels suit early flights. The Thomson East Coast MRT line now serves Katong and Marine Parade, and buses and taxis fill the gaps. Use the free trip planner to build a day in the east.

A suggested day in the east

Start with kaya toast in Joo Chiat, walk the shophouses of Koon Seng Road, then eat laksa in Katong. In the afternoon, hire a bike in East Coast Park and ride by the sea, ending with satay at the Lagoon Food Village at sunset. Save Pulau Ubin for a separate cool morning.