Pasir Ris Park Nature Walk

Watch the brown water for one minute and the whole forest starts to move.

The mangroves are the best thing in Pasir Ris Park, and plenty of visitors never get past the barbecue pits to see them. Walk to the eastern end, do the 1.5km boardwalk and the birdwatching tower, and you have a good morning; families with primary-school children get the most out of it. The compromise is that the full nature walk is 10km, more than most groups want, so pick a section and go early before the heat.

Why the mangroves

The six-hectare mangrove forest rewards anyone prepared to stand still. From the boardwalk it looks still too: a tangle of roots in brown water. Watch for a minute and it starts to move. Mudskippers flop across the surface, crabs pop in and out of holes, and snails work their way up the roots. The roots come in different shapes, and spotting the differences is a good game for children who have run out of patience with the view. The birdwatching tower gives you the canopy from above, a completely different picture. The National Heritage Board lists the forest as a stop on its Pasir Ris Heritage Trail, which says it is more than greenery.

NParks' self-guided walk is free and breaks neatly into three parts: mangroves, the Kitchen Garden and the Butterfly Garden. Any one of them is a decent outing. NParks puts the mangrove section at one to two hours; take the longer end, because the visit is only as good as your willingness to slow down. It also runs guided mangrove walks, so check its events listing for dates and registration.

The other two

The Kitchen Garden's route is 400m and takes about 45 minutes. After the mangroves, it is a relief to see plants you recognise, the leaves and herbs that end up in curries, kueh and soups, growing in the ground instead of sitting in a wet-market tray. Look and smell, but don't pick. The Butterfly Garden is the optional third act; butterfly enthusiasts have kept species checklists for the park for years, so it is worth a look if your group still has energy. If not, it will be there another weekend.

How to do it well

Go early, bring water and stay on the boardwalk (the mudskippers have the mud covered). The park is open round the clock; Pasir Ris is the MRT, with access via Elias Road and Pasir Ris Green. Use the official trail guide to choose your section. And if you live in the east and have only ever come here for a barbecue, this is the morning to put that right.

Good to know The self-guided walk is free; nearest MRT is Pasir Ris. Use the official trail guide to pick your section, and check NParks for any guided-walk registration before you go.

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Pasir Ris Park Nature Walk | Pasir Ris Park — from Pasir Ris Road to Jalan Loyang Besar; access via Elias Road and Pasir Ris Green | Nearest MRT: Pasir Ris