Punggol Waterway Park

A new town's river walk, with an old bus stop hiding in the landscaping.

Punggol Waterway Park is the easy green walk in a town built from scratch, and the reason to pick it over any other riverside path is how much of old Punggol has been worked into the landscaping. It is flat, and suits older relatives, prams and a date that starts as a walk and ends at a coffee shop. The compromise is that it gets samey if you walk it all, so choose a zone, pick a bridge as your turning point and go around sunset.

The bit worth the trip

The Heritage Zone is the reason to come. Kelong Bridge is named after the wooden fishing platforms that once stood off this coast, when Punggol was known for fishing and farms rather than flats. Nearby, an old bus stop and a preserved stretch of Old Punggol Road are quieter reminders of the area's everyday past, the sort of detail you would walk straight past if nobody pointed it out. Consider this your pointer.

Then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong opened the waterway in October 2011 as the new town's centrepiece, and NParks divides the park into four zones: Nature Cove, Recreation Zone, Heritage Zone and Green Gallery. That makes it easy to do one section well rather than the whole thing badly. The planting has a job too: the official park guide explains how the aquatic plants along the waterway help remove pollutants from the water, which makes the reeds more interesting once you know.

How to do it well

The bridges are the other draw, and HDB maps its own Discovery and Explorer routes along the water. Pick a bridge, make your way back slowly and watch the banks for birds; wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed, so don't promise anyone otters. Fishing isn't allowed. If you are feeling ambitious, the waterway links towards Coney Island, but check the route and your group's legs first: a stroll does not get better just because it ends several kilometres from dinner. NParks describes the park as wheelchair-accessible and elderly-friendly, and it is open round the clock, so sunset, when the heat eases, is the time to go. Punggol MRT and Damai LRT are the nearest stations, and a Punggol coffee shop is the natural finish.

Good to know Open 24 hours; Punggol MRT and Damai LRT are the nearest stations. Fishing is not allowed, and wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. Use the official NParks map to plan your route.

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Punggol Waterway Park | Along Sentul Crescent, Punggol | Nearest MRT: Punggol