Two years of stifling restrictions that we have all endured, courtesy of the global pandemic has altered our perspective on a lot of things that we do in our daily lives. This year, when things are looking up, I've decided to be more intentional and purposeful with the places I visit and take my children to (among many other things).
Coney Island, also known as Pulau Serangoon, is a 133-hectare island located off the northeastern coast of Singapore within the town of Punggol, between Pulau Ubin to its northeast and the mainland to its southwest. From the 1930s to the 1940s, it was known as Haw Par Island, because the Haw Par brothers owned it.
I'd heard of Coney island for years but hadn't bothered to check it out (which is quite unlike me). A trip was long overdue. My original plan was to take our twins cycling since I had read that it was a great outdoor spot for cycling. But then I thought, for the first time exploring the little island, it might be better doing it by foot so we could get a better idea of what to see and do.
Managed by the National Parks Board, the 81 hectares (0.81 km2) nature park is home to a wide variety of habitats, including coastal forests, grasslands and mangroves. The park was officially opened in October 2015.
On a Saturday morning, we drove to Punggol and parked at the Punggol Settlement. From there, we took a stroll along the Punggol Promenade Nature Walk to reach the West Entrance of the island.
The weather was rather gloomy that morning and I was fervently hoping that there wouldn't be rain to ruin beach day for us!
That little clump of land that you see in the distance is Coney Island as viewed from the mainland.
We had packed some light refreshments which was a good thing because the island is uninhabited and there are no stalls or shops there. You don't even get water. My advice would be to either pack from home or stop at the Punggol Settlement for a bite before heading to the island.
If you don't want to lug your own bicycles, you can also rent bicycles at Jomando Adventure & Recreations located at Punggol Settlement.
Make sure to get a pic at the iconic Coney Island green gate.
I was quite pleased to note that the walking trail was flanked by a canopy of trees. It instantly made the walking experience more pleasant. With 86 species of trees and more than 157 species of animals, it was quite apparent that this place is home to a wealth of flora and fauna.
The rustic Coney Island Park is an ecologically sustainable park with many environmental initiatives. It focuses on conserving energy and water, recycling and retaining of the natural elements in the park.
This little island is where you can explore forest, mangrove habitats, boardwalks and a two-kilometer long beach.
We first came across a nature play garden known as Casuarina Exploration. The timber from uprooted Casuarina trees have been collected and recycled into park signage, seats, benches, boardwalk, and exhibits at Casuarina Exploration. The ground material is from sand recycled from the nearby beach. Besides being environmentally friendly, the use of these materials gives the adventure area a distinctly rustic and natural feel.
The girls had a fun time here. One can weave through the 'Millipede', balance on the 'Earthworm' or hop across the 'Caterpillar'.
There are lots of interesting sights to spot along the way.
The gloom of the sky had started to dissipate and I was happy to note sun rays breaking through the grey clouds.
Note that terrain is rugged in most parts and may be unsuitable for young children and people with mobility issues.
To maintain the park’s organic character and natural habitats, there is no electricity or piped water on the island. The whole place seems a world away from urbanity. It is no wonder that 10 minutes into our walk, one of our daughters asked me curiously if we were still in Singapore 😀
There are five themed beach areas designated alphabetically from A-E. You can catch sight of Pulau Ubin and Johor from the shoreline. These beach areas are quite small. The sand is fine and powdery and the water is fine although not as clean as one would like. We did see a dead fish and some plastic waste scattered around here and there but you know, Singapore isn't a beach destination so we make do with what we have. There have been box-jellyfish sightings in Singapore waters so just be cautious if going in the water. And also, beware of sandflies!
As expected, the first beach i.e. Beach A was a bit crowded. We spent a few minutes here and then decided to check out the other beach areas hoping the crowd would thin out as we walked further.
There are 80 species of birds on Coney Island Park, including the resident male Baya Weavers weaving their large and intricate nests from flowering Acacia trees. If you are lucky, you can hear the Oriental Magpie-robin’s songs or catch a glimpse of the flocks of parakeets flying through the forest canopies. This place sure is a bird watcher's paradise. I couldn't get any decent close-up shots of the many birds that I saw. I'll try harder next time.
We saw butterflies and squirrels as well. You can find lots of information on the many signboards by the side of the trails and boardwalks.
I'm no nature photographer by any stretch of imagination but I couldn't resist getting some shots of this mission grass glinting in the sun.
Something I really appreciate about my children is how much they can walk. They can literally walk for miles together without complaint. In fact, they love walking and they never seem to tire which always amazes me.
I did see many families on bicycles but seeing how content my little ones were exploring the island park on foot, that I was glad that we decided to ditch the wheels. One child on a bicycle had a nasty fall as she was cycling ahead of me so fellow parents, please get your children to wear their helmets, preferably dress in long pants with knee guards to lessen the likelihood of injury.
The island is known to be home to macaques although we didn't see any on our visit. It is advisable not to eat or carry plastic bags in the presence of macaques. These animals may have been conditioned to associate plastic bags with food, and feeding them will only embolden them which in this case is not a good thing.
We did however see a pack of stray dogs on one beach area and the dogs were displaying aggression towards each other so we avoided that beach area completely.
After checking out all the beach areas, the ones that we liked the most were C and E.
Please be mindful not to litter and to follow the park rules. In case you don't, there are plenty of signboards to remind you.
We found a quiet spot and decided to sit around and enjoy the beach views while the girls were busy playing in the sand and water. By now, the sun was shining and it had turned into a lovely bright day.
We saw some kayakers in the distance.
The girls had a lovely time at the beach. For younger children, I would advise parents to keep a close watch on the little ones because the water gets deep quite abruptly.
After a fun morning of exploring Coney Island, we started to make the long walk back. On the way we found restrooms and got the girls changed into dry clothes.
Doesn't this photo scream mangrove swamp?
It was time to bid farewell to Coney Island. We had a lovely family outing. Hope to be back next time for a cycling expedition.
Of course we had to stop at Punggol Settlement for some ice lollies to cool off 😊
Coney Island Park
Location:
Punggol Promenade Nature Walk
Singapore 829325
Park Information:
How to get there: From Punggol interchange, take bus 84 to Punggol Point Park/Punggol Settlement. Walk about 500m east along the Punggol Promenade Nature Walk to get to Coney Island Park West Entrance.
Park Size: Close to 100 hectares
Opening time: 7am to 7pm.
Accessibility: Barrier Free Access and Wheelchair accessible at the East and West ends. Cycling is allowed along the main path, except the boardwalk.
Nearby attractions: Punggol Point Park, Punggol Waterway, Punggol Promenade Nature Walk and Lorong Halls Park Connector.
Specific Do’s and Don’ts:
- Camping is not allowed.
- Fishing is not allowed.
- Do not feed the monkeys, or hold any plastic bag and water bottle when visiting the park.
- Do not enter the park during inclement weather.
- Wear long pants, covered shoes and use insect repellent for protection from insects such as sandflies.
- Keep to the designated trails and refrain from entering the vegetated/ forested areas.
Have you been to Coney Island Park? What did you think of the place? Leave a comment to let me know
Cheers,
Megha
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