Park Camping Permit

Park Camping Permit

With the school holidays approaching this June, you may want to consider camping in the parks of Singapore.

Park camping is a fun, family-friendly and free way to enjoy family bonding. Friends, classmates and colleagues may even want to use camping as a unique way to get to know one another better.

However, there are some administrative changes to the system of booking a camping permit recently.

NPark camping permits in five coastal parks of Singapore are now required for ALL days of the week. This includes weekdays, weekends, public holidays and school holidays.

Image: Park camping permit required before you park your tent in Singapore coastal parks.

If you plan to camp out in these five parks of Singapore, namely:

Changi Beach Park - Between Carpark 1 to Carpark 4 and Carpark 6 to Carpark 7)

East Coast Park - Area D and Area G

Pasir Ris Park - Area 1 and Area 3

West Coast Park, Area 3

Sembawang Park, Area A

then a camping permit must be obtained. You need to note that there are now designated areas for your camping at these parks.

In the good old days, you just plonk your tent at the beach park and wait for the park ranger to turn up to issue you a ticket after looking through your NRIC. With effect from 15 Apr 2009, you must apply for a camping permit from any of the 500 AXS machines island-wide as well as through the internet at http://www.axs.com.sg before you set up tentage.

A park camping permit is valid for 1 day from 9am to 9am the following day. Each person or camper will be able to apply for a maximum of 8 days per month.

Apart from the five parks mentioned above, camping is also allowed at Noordin and Mamam Beaches at Pulau Ubin. Camping permits are not required at these sites but for safety reasons, campers are advised to inform the officers at Pulau Ubin Police Post on the day they are camping.

There are other details to note before you apply for park camping permit in Singapore.

1. Permits are required for all camping activities which involves set up or erecting of tent.

2. Camping is allowed only within the designated campsite(s). Open fire or stoves are not allowed.

3. Applicant is required to register the particulars of every person staying in the same tent.

4. A NRIC/FIN cannot be used for more than one permit per park per day.

5. Leaving behind trash is an act of litter, liable for a fine of $300.

6. You must declare that you have a permanent housing address in Singapore before you can apply for a camping permit.

Currently no charges are applicable for camping permits, although this may change if the beaches get too congested. I would not be surprised if charges are levied in future, to reduce park camping congestion, the way our roads are ERP regulated. Perhaps they may call it 'ECP' - electronic camp pricing.

Do you have any experience with the booking of a camping permit recently? Share with Seen This Scene That in the comments below.

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Picture: BBQ Pit 66, Area F, East Coast Park

For readers who are interested in the picture or photograph of bbq pit 66 at Area F of East Coast Park, I have posted it here.

For a map to see where East Coast Park's bbq pit 66 or Area F is, you can take a look at Npark's map of pit 66 location in East Coast Park.

Directions and details (like Bus service number, route map) on how to get to bbq pit 66 in East Coast Park are also available at the same web location.

Note that camping is allowed in this area of East Coast Park. You can see that Area F is very popular for camping by counting the number of colourful tents that are pitched around the area of bbq pit 66. Part of its popularity could be its proximity to washing facilities, toilets and a car park within a short walk. The sea view and sea breeze are also pleasant attractions here.

More related reads on Seen This Scene That:

1. How To Book Barbecue Pit in our Parks

2. Photographs of BBQ Pits in Pasir Ris Park

3. Camping in East Coast Park

4. More about East Coast Park

5. Map of Singapore at SeenThisSceneThat

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West Coast Park Singapore: Best Playground In The West

West Coast Park Singapore: Best Playground In The West

I do not know about you, but for my family, 50-hectare size West Coast Park Singapore seems to possess the best kids’ playground in the west of Singapore. This area is located at West Coast Park Car Park 3. This was our conclusion after my family of five turned up for a visit to West Coast Park last Friday evening. West Coast Park’s Adventure-land and children’s playground were also highly recommended by two of my regular readers, yg and panzergrenadier.

Besides personal preferences, various other factors guided us to our conclusion.

Size Matters
When it comes to playground fun, we find that size does matter. The larger space at West Coast Park allows a larger piece of real estate to be developed into playthings for children’s enjoyment. With more plaything structures, the choices increase. This allows even the most finicky child to find something agreeable to his or her taste.

Eclectic Selection
More than that, we find that the selection of playground structures appears more eclectic than the common garden variety allocated to HDB neighbourhoods. Playground planners must have applied more industry to source for such challenging playground structures to seduce kids.

Adventure Park
There are eight playground areas in West Coast Park 3 for your children to select. The ‘toys’ at the Adventureland area 8 are the most challenging and my favourite. Items like Uneven Spring Balance, Spinning Pads and Jungle Bridge require strength and balance to perform. Zipping down the flying fox contraption brought back memories of scouting days as I ‘tested’ the ropes to ensure my kids personal safety. The low, narrow and zig-zag patterned balance beams seemed to mirror the standard obstacle course (SOC) from my National Service days of long ago. For girls and boys who’ve never stepped onto Pulau Tekong, this is the kiddy version of Basic Military Training’s (BMT) introductory grounds that all National Servicemen must go through.

Children’s Playground
A multiplex of interconnected structures form up to provide playground entertainment for children who raid West Coast Park’s playground. Children can pretend to be train drivers at the head of this structure, while others can climb its belly to play passengers on this playground train.


Open Natural Spaces
A sheltered stage with night lighting fronts an open space near beachside. Soccer players, kite flyers, Frisbee throwers and practitioners of other sports and games are free to utilize this huge open area. Short strips of boardwalk allow nature appreciation at the marsh garden and a pond, located at the fringe of West Coast Park. Bird watchers will love the bird watching opportunities here.

Fast Food Convenience
At the end of a day’s exertions, replenish fluid loss and restore empty stomachs at the lone fast food restaurant at McDonald’s where gourmet coffee and cakes are served too. Personal hygiene can be practiced at the public washrooms here as well.

Other activities
Overnight camping is allowed. Cycling, roller blading, in-line skating, walking, jogging and other activities are also common sights here. Nine barbecue (BBQ) pits are available for rental at West Coast Park. For more information on online booking of barbecue (bbq) pit, check my bbq post here. http://seenthisscenethat.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-book-barbeque-pit-at-changi.html


Tranquil Sunset & Sea Views
Lastly one of the main reasons why a place is called a park is the tranquil setting where wide spaces surrounded by greenery are premium features highly sought after by park users. A short pier at the rocky shore is the perfect place to enjoy the sea breeze and watch a lovely sunset over West Coast in a tranquil setting.

Easy Accessibility
For maps, click Map of West Coast Park here. Free car parking is available next to the park along West Coast Highway. Bus stop. Service 176 stops directly in front of West Coast Park. Alternatively, services 30, 51, and 143 bring you to the front of Clementi Woods Park (West Coast Road) and a 5 minutes walk through West Coast Link will lead you to West Coast Park Area 3 (near to the Adventure Playground).

All these reasons make West Coast Park Area 3 our current favourite park in the west. Do you know of any other playgrounds in the western part of Singapore?

Developed rashes after playground activities?
Visit Singapore Skin Doctors
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You may also like to read my other posts on Singapore parks:

1. Garden Hill Park

2. Taman Jurong Greens Park
3. Book BBQ Pits
4. Street Map of Singapore's West Coast Park

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Camping Permitted In East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park And Other Parks In Singapore

Camping Permitted In East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park And Other Parks In Singapore

For a taste of the great outdoors, you can camp out in selected parks of Singapore. Camping is allowed at the following five parks:

Changi Beach Park
East Coast Park
Pasir Ris Park
Sembawang Park
West Coast Park

In Singapore, camping is a very popular activity for families, school-going children, teenagers and even adults. Popular areas to pitch tents for a night out include East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park and Pasir Ris Park.

I fondly remember my school days when I had many opportunities to camp overnight, sleeping outdoors under the moonlight at Sarimbun camp. The refreshing cool pre-dawn air always gave me a buzz whenever I rose to watch the sun rise. The touch of cold dewdrops on my poncho never failed to send a thrilling tingle up my spine. In the eerie darkness, I shook with every shrill blast of cicadas calling from the shadows. The tremble of tree leaves under coarse brush of breeze enchanted with their mildly haunting symphony.

Nowadays my children would rather spend the night in their air-conditioned bedrooms than under a hot stuffy tent. When they were introduced to camping initially, enthusiasm was boundless. They tried out for a few hours inside a tent; but alas surrendered to discomfort, and asked to go home.

Permit Required
Since 7 November 2005, the National Parks Board has mandated that a permit is required for camping on weekdays. The areas at the parks that you can camp overnight are also limited to certain portions of the park. This requirement is to weed out over-stayers, the homeless and even illegal immigrants who may exploit the use of amenities and space in the various parks as their temporary home.

The camping permit can be obtained easily. Just set up your tent at the designated area and the park ranger will make his/her round to visit your site. The park ranger will scan your identification card and issue a verification slip that is then attached to your tent. Scanning of the identification cards will be done daily. There is no fee involved.

On weekends and public holidays, no permit is required. **
[**Latest: camping permit required everyday - read new post.]

Map Source (below): Nparks
Precautions To Take
Beware of thunderstorms, floods, fire and lightning.
Know what to do in an emergency like flood and fire.
Keep your important belongings in a safe place.
Beware of theft and robbery.
Keep the campsite clean.
Do not obstruct other park users and cyclists.
Do not disturb other park users.

Most of all, enjoy your camping!

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[**Latest: camping permit required everyday - read new post.]



Read more on camping, map locations in Singapore:
1. Camping around Singapore island
2. BBQ booking and locations

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